第 36 节
作者:精灵王      更新:2021-04-30 17:23      字数:9322
  of smoky Babylon itself; and how easily a man                   might; if he would; wash
  his   soul   clean   for   a  while   from  all   the turmoil   and   intrigue;  the   vanity
  and vexation of spirit of that          〃too…populous wilderness;〃 by going out to
  be alone a while with          God in heaven; and with that earth which He has
  given to the       children of men; not merely for the material wants of their
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  bodies;     but as a witness and a sacrament that in Him they live and move;
  and   have   their   being;   〃not   by   bread   alone;   but   by   EVERY   word   that
  proceedeth out of the mouth of God。〃
  Thus   I   wrote   some   twenty   years   ago;   when   the   study   of   Natural
  History      was    confined      mainly     to   several     scientific    men;    or    mere
  collectors of shells; insects; and dried plants。
  Since   then;   I   am   glad   to   say;   it   has   become   a   popular   and   common
  pursuit;    owing;     I  doubt   not;   to  the  impulse     given    to  it  by  the   many
  authors     whose     works    I  then   recommended。         I   recommend       them    still;
  though      a  swarm     of  other   manuals      and   popular    works     have   appeared
  since;    excellent     in  their  way;    and   almost     beyond     counting。     But     all
  honour   to   those;   and   above   all   to   Mr。   Gosse   and   Mr。   Johns;   who    first
  opened people's   eyes   to   the   wonders   around   them  all   day  long。           Now;
  we   have;   in   addition   to   amusing   books   on   special   subjects;      serials   on
  Natural     History    more    or   less  profound;     and   suited   to   every     kind   of
  student and every grade of knowledge。                 I mention the        names of none。
  For first; they happily need no advertisement from                 me; and next; I fear to
  be unjust to any  one   of them  by           inadvertently omitting   its name。           Let
  me  add;  that   in   the   advertising   columns   of   those serials;  will be   found
  notices of all      the new manuals; and of all apparatus; and other matters;
  needed by       amateur naturalists; and of many who are more than amateurs。
  Microscopy;   meanwhile;   and   the   whole   study   of   〃The   Wonders   of   the
  Little;〃 have made vast strides in the last twenty years; and I was                   equally
  surprised and pleased; to find; three years ago; in each of                 two towns of a
  few   thousand   inhabitants;   perhaps   a   dozen   good          microscopes;   all   but
  hidden away from the public; worked by men who                       knew how to handle
  them;     and   who    knew    what    they   were    looking    at;   but   who    modestly
  refrained from telling anybody what   they were                 doing so well。        And it
  was   this   very   discovery   of   unsuspected       microscopists   which   made   me
  more desirous than ever to see … as I             see now in many places … scientific
  societies; by means of which             the few; who otherwise would work apart;
  may     communicate        their   knowledge        to  each   other;   and    to  the  many。
  These 〃Microscopic;〃           〃Naturalist;〃 〃Geological;〃 or other societies; and
  the   〃Field    Clubs〃   for     excursions   into     the   country;   which    are   usually
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  connected       with them; form a most pleasant and hopeful new feature in
  English      Society;     bringing    together;   as   they  do;   almost    all  ranks;   all
  shades of opinion; and it has given me deep pleasure to see; in the                     case
  at least of the Country Clubs with which I am acquainted; the                     clergy of
  the Church of England taking an active; and often a                  leading; interest in
  their practical work。       The town clergy are;         for the most part; too utterly
  overworked to follow the example of              their country brethren。        But I have
  reason to   know  that   they  regard       such   societies;   and   Natural   History  in
  general; with no unfriendly          eyes; and that there is less fear than ever that
  the   clergy   of   the   Church   of   England   should   have   to   relinquish   their
  ancient   boast   …    that   since   the   formation   of   the   Royal   Society   in   the
  seventeenth       century;   they   have   done   more   for   sound   physical   science
  than    any    other    priesthood    or  ministry   in   the   world。    Let    me   advise
  anyone      who may do me the honour of reading these pages; to discover
  whether such a Club or Society exists in his neighbourhood; and to                      join
  it forthwith; certain that … if his experience be at all like              mine … he will
  gain   most   pleasant   information   and   most   pleasant         acquaintances;   and
  pass most pleasant days and evenings; among                   people whom he will be
  glad to know; and whom he never would have                   known save for the new …
  and now; I hope; rapidly spreading …            freemasonry of Natural History。
  Meanwhile;   I   hope   …   though   I   dare   not   say   I   trust   …   to   see   the   day
  when   the   boys   of   each   of   our   large   schools   shall   join   …   like   those of
  Marlborough   and   Clifton   …   the   same   freemasonry;   and   have   their        own
  Naturalists'   Clubs;   nay  more;   when   our public   schools   and         universities
  shall awake to the real needs of the age; and … even                 to the curtailing of
  the time usually spent in not learning Latin              and Greek … teach boys the
  rudiments at least of botany;  zoology;            geology; and so forth; and  when
  the public opinion; at least of the          refined and educated; shall consider it
  as ludicrous … to use no        stronger word … to be ignorant of the commonest
  facts and laws of        this living planet; as to be ignorant of the rudiments of
  two dead      languages。       All honour to the said two languages。            Ignorance
  of    them is a serious weakness; for it implies ignorance of many things
  else; and indeed; without some knowledge of them; the nomenclature                        of
  the   physical   sciences   cannot   be   mastered。      But   I   have   got   to discover
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  that    a  boy's   time    is  more    usefully    spent;   and    his    intellect    more
  methodically trained; by getting up Ovid's Fasti              with an ulterior hope of
  being   able   to   write   a   few   Latin   verses;  than   in   getting   up   Professor
  Rolleston's     〃Forms     of   Animal    Life;〃   or    any    other   of  the   excellent
  Scientific   Manuals   for   beginners;   which       are   now;   as   I   said;   happily   so
  numerous。
  May   that    day   soon   come;   and    an   old  dream   of   mine;    and   of  my
  scientific friends; be fulfilled at last。
  And     so  I  end   this  little  book;   hoping;    even   praying;    that  it  may
  encourage a few more labourers to go forth into a vineyard; which                    those
  who have toiled in it know to be full of ever…fresh health;                  and wonder
  and simple joy;  and the presence and the glory of   Him                 whose name   is
  LOVE。
  APPENDIX。
  PLATE I。
  ZOOPHYTA。           POLYZOA。
  THE   forms   of   animal   life   which   are   now   united   in   an   independent
  class;    under     the   name     Polyzoa;     so   nearly    resemble      the   Hydroid
  Zoophytes   in   general   form   and   appearance   that   a   casual   observer   may
  suppose them to be nearly identical。            In all but the more recent          works;
  they   are   treated   as   distinct   indeed;   but   still   included under   the   general
  term     〃ZOOPHYTES。〃            The     animals     of  both    groups     are    minute;
  polypiform creatures; mostly living in transparent cells;                springing from
  the sides of a stem which unites a number of              individuals in one common
  life; and grows in a shrub…like form upon             any submarine body; such as a
  shell;    a  rock;   a  weed;    or   even    another     polypidom       to  which    it  is
  parasitically attached。       Each     polype; in both classes; protrudes from and
  retreats   within   its