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glaucus-or the wonders of the shore(格劳高斯)-第24部分
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Holothuria! who possesses really the secret of everlasting youth; which
ancient fable bestowed on the serpent and the eagle。 For when his teeth
ache; or his digestive organs trouble him; all he has to do is just to cast
up forthwith his entire inside; and; faisant maigre for a month or so;
grow a fresh set; and then eat away as merrily as ever。 His name; if you
wish to consult so triumphant a hygeist; is Cucumaria Pentactes: but he
has many a stout cousin round the Scotch coast; who knows the
antibilious panacea as well as he; and submits; among the northern
fishermen; to the rather rude and undeserved name of sea…puddings; one
of which grows in Shetland to the enormous length of three feet;
rivalling there his huge congeners; who display their exquisite plumes on
every tropic coral reef。 (9)
Next; what are those bright little buds; like salmon…coloured Banksia
roses half expanded; sitting closely on the stone? Touch them; the soft
part is retracted; and the orange flower of flesh is transformed into a pale
pink flower of stone。 That is the Madrepore; Caryophyllia Smithii
(Plate V。 fig。 2); one of our south coast rarities: and see; on the lip of
the last one; which we have carefully scooped off with the chisel; two
little pink towers of stone; delicately striated; drop them into this small
bottle of sea…water; and from the top of each tower issues every half…
second … what shall we call it? … a hand or a net of finest hairs;
clutching at something invisible to our grosser sense。 That is the
Pyrgoma; parasitic only (as far as we know) on the lip of this same rare
Madrepore; a little 〃cirrhipod;〃 the cousin of those tiny barnacles which
roughen every rock (a larger sort whereof I showed you on the
Turritella); and of those larger ones also who burrow in the thick hide of
the whale; and; borne about upon his mighty sides; throw out their tiny
casting nets; as this Pyrgoma does; to catch every passing animalcule;
and sweep them into the jaws concealed within its shell。 And this
creature; rooted to one spot through life and death; was in its infancy a
free swimming animal; hovering from place to place upon delicate ciliae;
till; having sown its wild oats; it settled down in life; built itself a good
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stone house; and became a landowner; or rather a glebae adscriptus; for
ever and a day。 Mysterious destiny! … yet not so mysterious as that of
the free medusoid young of every polype and coral; which ends as a
rooted tree of horn or stone; and seems to the eye of sensuous fancy to
have literally degenerated into a vegetable。 Of them you must read for
yourself in Mr。 Gosse's book; in the meanwhile he shall tell you
something of the beautiful Madrepores themselves。 His description;
(10) by far the best yet published; should be read in full; we must
content ourselves with extracts。
〃Doubtless you are familiar with the stony skeleton of our
Madrepore; as it appears in museums。 It consists of a number of thin
calcareous plates standing up edgewise; and arranged in a radiating
manner round a low centre。 A little below the margin their
individuality is lost in the deposition of rough calcareous matter。 。 。 。 The
general form is more or less cylindrical; commonly wider at top than just
above the bottom。 。 。 。 This is but the skeleton; and though it is a very
pretty object; those who are acquainted with it alone; can form but a very
poor idea of the beauty of the living animal。 。 。 。 Let it; after being torn
from the rock; recover its equanimity; then you will see a pellucid
gelatinous flesh emerging from between the plates; and little exquisitely
formed and coloured tentacula; with white clubbed tips fringing the sides
of the cup…shaped cavity in the centre; across which stretches the oval
disc marked with a star of some rich and brilliant colour; surrounding the
central mouth; a slit with white crenated lips; like the orifice of one of
those elegant cowry shells which we put upon our mantelpieces。 The
mouth is always more or less prominent; and can be protruded and
expanded to an astonishing extent。 The space surrounding the lips is
commonly fawn colour; or rich chestnut…brown; the star or vandyked
circle rich red; pale vermilion; and sometimes the most brilliant emerald
green; as brilliant as the gorget of a humming…bird。〃
And what does this exquisitely delicate creature do with its pretty
mouth? Alas for fact! It sips no honey…dew; or fruits from paradise。 …
〃I put a minute spider; as large as a pin's head; into the water; pushing it
down to the coral。 The instant it touched the tip of a tentacle; it
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adhered; and was drawn in with the surrounding tentacles between the
plates。 With a lens I saw the small mouth slowly open; and move over
to that side; the lips gaping unsymmetrically; while with a movement as
imperceptible as that of the hour hand of a watch; the tiny prey was
carried along between the plates to the corner of the mouth。 The mouth;
however; moved most; and at length reached the edges of the plates;
gradually closed upon the insect; and then returned to its usual place in
the centre。〃
Mr。 Gosse next tried the fairy of the walking mouth with a house… fly;
who escaped only by hard fighting; and at last the gentle creature; after
swallowing and disgorging various
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