Rambles and reveries of a naturalist

William Spiers

Sujets

• Natural history
• Great Britain

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 6
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

/Crotundw.
Sea-lily. AjnocrinutANDRAMBLES REVERIES
OF A
NATURALIST.
BY THE
WILLIAMREV. SPIERS, M.A.,
F.G.S., F.R.M.S., ETC.,
SCIENCE.'CO-EDITOR OF THB OF MICROSCOPY AND NATURAL'JOURNAL
LONDON:
CHARLES H. CASTLE CITYKELLY, 2, STREET, ROAD, E.C.;
AND 66, PATERNOSTER B.C.ROW,
l8qo.Printed Watson, ft London andby Hazell, Viuey, Ld., Ayleebury.PREFACE.
little volume of Natural History
sketches has little to do withvery
or The aim ofspeculations.opinions
the writer has been to describe the facts and
of Nature as have tophenomena they appeared
histhemselves to own observation.present They
are rather than So farlife-pictures compilations.
as is there hassystematic arrangement concerned,
been an effort to treat eachcertainly subject
taken in such a as to at least aup way lay
on the to a more seriousstepping-stone path
of the ofsciences the text-bookcontemplation
and the but the intention oflaboratory, primary
the author has been rather to awaken or to
instimulate a love for Nature the minds of
some who not as have whatmay yet suspected
wondrous and liesever-varying beauty everywhere
about us in ditch and in rock andpond, stone,
in river and on earth and in the skies.
sea,
209O941PREFACE.6
otherThe same have been described byobjects
facts and laws them-and abler butpens, present
in different to differentselves aspects minds,
ofand the ceaseless and diversified operations
EvenNature cannot be too frequently portrayed.
those who would not care to claim the character
of students of Nature are not to beunwilling
for such theconsidered lovers of andNature,
and non-technical of a fewplain descriptions
of her those who tell the ofsecrets, by story
what themselves have seen and felt in herthey
ofcannot fail to somepresence, possess degree
interest.
theseAs to the value of scientific instudy
it is almost As atodays, superfluous argue.
means of mental the methods ofdiscipline, inquiry
ofand made use of in thereasoning pursuit
science are of while almostphysical great utility,
all matters health and life are of suchaffecting
a asort as to be dealt with only byprofitably
adherence to those Whatmethods.rigid misery
some themselves and others densebring upon by
!of the most laws of Natureignorance elementary
And the sum of is much in-certainly happiness
creased some howeverby acquaintance, superficial,
with doctrines ofthe results of the researches and
men of science which bear the vastupon problems
concerned in the and of thelife,origin historyPREFACE. 7
and of anddevelopment meaning organic forms,
the which the of theprinciples upon government
material universe is carried on. In to theregard
and aims of can besuchspirit studies, nothing
more admirable than the words offollowing
Charles on this in which heKingsley point,
sets the offorth of the observerqualifications
"Nature : He should be brave and enterprising,
and withal and undaunted not
;patient merely
in inbut Lordtravel, investigation ; knowing (as
Bacon have the ofthatmight put it) Kingdom
like the of must beNature, Kingdom Heaven,
taken and that to those whoby violence, only
knock and does the motherlong earnestly great
the doors of her He must beopen sanctuary.
of a reverent turn of mind notalso, rashly
however anddiscrediting any reports, vague
man credit for somefragmentary, giving always
of Nature credit for anandworth, givinggerm
inexhaustible and which will
fertility variety,
him his life reverent, yetkeep long always
thenever atsuperstitious ; wondering commonest,
the most freebut not ;surprised by strange
from the idols of size and sensuous loveliness ;
in the minutestable to see grandeur objects,
in the most each
;beauty ungainly estimating
itsnot as the do, bything, carnally, vulgar
the butor its tosize, senses,pleasantnessPREFACE.8
amount of Divine re-theby thoughtspiritually,
him thereinvealed to ; everyholding phenomenon
thatworth the down
; believing everynoting
bud a revelationholds a ;treasure, everypebble
overit a of conscience tomaking point pass
lest thelaziness or hastiness,nothing through
offered and should be with-oncevision, despised,
drawn and at as if he
; looking every object
46.were never to behold it Glaucw, p.again."
This volume is the record ofmainly pursuits
which hours snatched from aoccupied holiday
life devoted to other and more serious tasks,
but it has often been felt that these pursuits,
while a relief from the strain of otherbeing
kinds of have been in a measurework, yet large
in with and to its betterit,harmony helpful
The of the coversperformance. preaching Gospel
a wider the mere ofthanground interpretation
a written Word. Nature has revelations for man
if he will to read them Shetry intelligently.
not be able to instincts ofanswer all themay
his but she has much tocomplex being, say
that is concerned in his andvitally moral, social,
welfare. It is the of the teacherspiritual duty
of we to seek andcontend,religion, philosophical
scientific as well as enforceto andtruth, expound
doctrines. To leave out of our litera-theological
ture all that bears the of Nature'supon exposition