第 27 节
作者:精灵王      更新:2021-04-30 17:23      字数:9322
  inhospitable Hastings beach; and of sleeping; as best                    you can; on board:
  but   in   the long   days   and   settled   fine   weather     of summer;   the  trip;   in   a
  stout boat; ought to be a safe and a             pleasant one。
  On the Diamond you will find   many; or   most of those gay  creatures
  which   attract   your   eye   in   the   central   row   of   tanks   at   the     Zoological
  Gardens:       great   twisted   masses   of   Serpulae;   (26)   those       white  tubes   of
  stone;     from    the   mouth     of  which     protrude     pairs   of   rose…coloured        or
  orange   fans;   flashing   in;   quick   as   light;   the     moment   that   your   finger
  approaches them or your shadow crosses the                    water。
  You   will   dredge;   too;   the   twelve…rayed   sun…star   (Solaster   papposa);
  with his rich scarlet armour; and more strange; and quite as                     beautiful; the
  bird's foot star (Palmipes membranaceus); which you                       may see crawling
  by   its   thousand   sucking…feet   in   the   Crystal   Palace        tanks;   a   pentagonal
  webbed   bird's   foot;   of   scarlet   and   orange       shagreen。       With   him;   most
  probably; will be a specimen of the great                purple heart…urchin (Spatangus
  purpureus);   clothed   in   pale   lilac      horny   spines;   and   other   Echinoderms;
  for   which   you   must   consult       Forbes's   〃British   Star…fishes:〃   but   perhaps
  the    species    among      them     which      will   interest   you    most;    will   be   the
  common brittle…star          (Ophiocoma rosula); of which a hundred or so; I can
  promise;   shall      come   up   at   a   single   haul   of   the   dredge;   entwining   their
  long      spine…    clad    arms     in   a    seemingly       inextricable      confusion      of
  〃kaleidoscope〃         patterns (thanks to Mr。 Gosse for the one right epithet);
  purple      and azure; fawn; brown; green; grey; white and crimson; as if a
  whole bed of China…asters should have first come to life; and then                         gone
  mad; and fallen to fighting。            But pick out; one by one;            specimens from
  the tangled mass; and you will agree that no China… aster is so fair as this
  living   stone…flower   of   the   deep;   with   its     daisy…like   disc;   and   fine   long
  prickly arms; which never cease              their graceful serpentine motion; and its
  colours      hardly     alike    in    any     two    specimens。        Handle       them     not;
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  meanwhile; too roughly; lest;            whether modesty or in anger; they begin a
  desperate   course   of      gradual   suicide;   and;   breaking   off   arm   after   arm
  piecemeal; fling        them indignantly at their tormentor。              Along with these
  you   will    certainly   obtain   a   few   of   that   fine   bivalve;   the   great   Scallop;
  which   you   have   seen   lying   on   every  fishmonger's   counter   in         Hastings。
  Of     these   you    must    pick    out   those    which    seem     dirtiest   and     most
  overgrown with parasites; and place them carefully in a jar of                     salt water;
  where they may not be rubbed; for they are worth your                     examination; not
  merely   for   the   sake   of   that   ring   of   gem…like   eyes   which   borders   their
  〃cloak;〃 lying along the extreme out edge of                  the shell as the valves are
  half    open;    but   for  the   sake   of   the   parasites     outside:     corallines     of
  exquisite      delicacy;    Plumulariae        and     Sertulariae;     dead    men's    hands
  (Alcyonia);       lumps    of   white    or   orange      jelly;  which     will   protrude    a
  thousand star…like   polypes;  and          the Tubularia indivisa; twisted   tubes of
  fine straw; which ought           already to have puzzled you; for you may pick
  them up in       considerable masses on the Hastings beach after a south…west
  gale;    and   think   long   over   them   before   you   determine   whether   the   oat…
  like     stems     and   spongy     roots    belong    to   an   animal;    or   a  vegetable。
  Animals they are; nevertheless; though even now you will hardly                          guess
  the fact; when you see at the mouth of each tube a little                    scarlet flower;
  connected       with    the  pink    pulp   which     fills  the   tube。      For    a  further
  description   of   this   largest   and   handsomest   of   our       Hydroid   Polypes;   I
  must refer you to Johnston; or; failing him; to               Landsborough; and go on;
  to   beg   you   not   to   despise   those   pink;   or grey;   or   white   lumps   of   jelly;
  which   will   expand   in   salt   water   into    exquisite   sea…anemones;   of   quite
  different forms from any which we               have found along the rocks。            One of
  them     will   certainly    be   the    Dianthus;      (27)    which    will   open    into   a
  furbelowed   flower;   furred         with   innumerable   delicate   tentacula;   and   in
  the   centre   a   mouth   of   the   most   delicate   orange;   the   size   of   the   whole
  animal being        perhaps eight inches high and five across。               Perhaps it will
  be of a     satiny grey; perhaps pale rose; perhaps pure white; whatever its
  colour; it is the very maiden queen of all the beautiful tribe; and                     one of
  the loveliest gems   with which it   has pleased God   to bedeck                   this   lower
  world。
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  These   and   much   more   you   will   find   on   the   scallops;   or   even   more
  plentifully on any lump of ancient oysters; and if you do not                     dredge; it
  would be well worth your while to make interest with the                       fish…monger
  for a few oyster lumps; put into water the moment they                    are taken out of
  the trawl。     Divide them carefully; clear out the            oysters with a knife; and
  put   the   shells   into   your   aquarium;   and    you   will   find   that   an   oyster   at
  home is a very different thing from            an oyster on a stall。
  You     ought;   besides;    to  dredge     many    handsome       species   of   shells;
  which      you   would     never    pick    up   along    the   beach;    and   if  you    are
  conchologizing in earnest; you must not forget to bring home a tin                       box
  of shell sand; to be washed and picked over in a dish at your                    leisure; or
  forget   either   to   wash    through   a   fine   sieve;   over   the  boat's   side;   any
  sludge     and   ooze    which    the   dredge    brings    up。   Many       …  I  may    say;
  hundreds … rare and new shells are found in this way;                and in no other。
  But   if   you   cannot   afford   the   expense   of   your   own   dredge   and   boat;
  and      the   time     and    trouble     necessary      to   follow     the    occupation
  scientifically;     yet   every    trawler     and   oyster…boat      will   afford    you    a
  tolerable satisfaction。       Go on board one of these; and while the               trawl is
  down; spend a pleasant hour or two in talking with the                     simple; honest;
  sturdy fellows who work it; from whom (if you are                  as fortunate as I have
  been for many a year past) you may get many                   a moving story of danger
  and sorrow; as well as many a shrewd               practical maxim; and often; too; a
  living recognition of God; and            the providence of God; which will send
  you home; perhaps; a wiser            and more genial man。           And when the trawl
  is hauled; wait till the       fish are counted out; and packed away; and then
  kneel   down   and      inspect   (in   a   pair   of   Mackintosh   leggings;   and   your
  oldest   coat)    the   crawling   heap   of   shells   and   zoophytes   which   remains
  behind      about   the   decks;   and   you   will   find;   if   a   landsman;   enough   to
  occupy      you     for  a  week    to  come。     Nay;     even   if  it  be  too   calm   for
  trawling;     condescend to go out in a dingy; and help to haul some honest
  fellow's   deep…sea   lines   and   lobster…pots;   and   you   will   find   more       and
  stranger things about them than even fish or lobsters:                  though      they; to
  him who has eyes to see; are strange enough。
  I speak from experience; for it was not s