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The Romance of Natural History

By Philip Henry Gosse, F.R.S.

With elegant illustrations.

Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 59 Washington Street.

New York: Sheldon and Company.

Cincinnati: George S. Blanchard.

1864

PREFACE.

THERE are more ways than one of studying natural history. There is Dr Dryasdust's way; which consists of mere accuracy of definition and differentiation; statistics as harsh and dry as the skins and bones in the museum where it is studied. There is the field-observer's way; the careful and conscientious accumulation and record of facts bearing on the life-history of the creatures; statistics as fresh and bright as the forest or meadow where they are gathered in the dewy morning. And there is the poet's way; who looks at nature through a glass peculiarly his own; the aesthetic aspect, which deals, not with statistics, but with the emotions of the human mind, surprise, wonder, terror, revulsion, admiration, love, desire, and so forth, which are made energetic by the contemplation of the creatures around him.

In my many years' wanderings through the wide field of natural history, I have always felt towards it something of a poet's heart, though destitute of a poet's genius. As Wordsworth so beautifully says, " To me the meanest flower that blows can give Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears." Now, this book is an attempt to present natural history in this aesthetic fashion. Not that I have presumed constantly to indicate like the stage-directions in a play, or the " hear, hear! " in a speech the actual emotion to be elicited; this would have been obtrusive and impertinent; but I have sought to paint a series of pictures, the reflections of scenes and aspects in nature, which in my own mind awaken poetic interest, leaving them to do their proper work.

If I may venture to point out one subject on which I have bestowed more than usual pains, and which I myself regard with more than common interest, it is that of the last chapter in this volume. An amount of evidence is adduced for the existence of the sub-mythic monster popularly known as " the sea-serpent," such as has never been brought together before, and such as ought almost to set doubt at rest. But the cloudy uncertainty which has invested the very being of this creature; its home on the lone ocean; the fitful way in which it is seen and lost in its vast solitudes; its dimensions, vaguely gigantic; its dragon-like form; and the possibility of its association with beings considered to be lost in an obsolete antiquity; All these are attributes which render it peculiarly precious to a romantic naturalist. I hope the statisticians will forgive me if they cannot see it with my spectacles.

The Illustrations are drawn for the most part by Wolf, and engraved by Whymper: they will speak for themselves.

P. H. G.

Torquay, 1860.

Contents

I. Times and Seasons

Winter in the Polar Regions — Aurora — Snow-storm — Snow on Trees — Beauty of Snow-drifts — Silver-thaw — Opening of Spring — Butterflies — Beetles — Fishes — Bees — Flowers — Spring in Canada — Leafing of Forest — Summer — Autumn — Autumnal Colours in American Forests — Indian Summer — Autumn in the Alps — Morning in Newfoundland — Beaver-pond — Water-insects — Morning in Jamaica — Awakening Birds — Daybreak in Venezuela — Sunrise in the Oural — Winter-Noon in England — Noon in a Brazilian Forest — Sunset in the Oural — Sunset in the Altaian — Mothing in a Summer Evening in England — Night on the Niesen — Night on the Jamaican Mountains — Night in Tropical Forests — Night-sounds in Jamaica, in Brazil, on the Amazon, in Tobago, in Burmah — Beast-voices in Guiana — Night on the Amazon — Night in Central Africa — Night-lamps — English Glow-worms — Fire-flies in Canada, in Alabama, in Jamaica — Luminous Elater. Page 1.

II. Harmonies

Distribution of Animals and Plants — Harmony of a Natural-history Picture — Gazelle in Desert — Hyena in a ruined City — Siberian Stag in Altaian Gorge — Lammergeyer in the Alatou — Sperm-whales in Beagle Channel — Guanaco on the Andes — Reindeer on a Snow Fjeld — Burrell at the Source of the Ganges — Elephant in South African Forest — Lions at an African Pool at Midnight — Butterflies in Brazilian Forest. Page 38.

III. Discrepancies

Life at great Depths of Ocean — Life in Snow — Trees growing in Ice — Life in the Sandy Desert — Life in a Volcano — Life in Dust at Sea — Life in Brine — Life in boiling Springs — Blind Fauna of Caverns — Oceanic Bird Stations — Land Birds at Sea — Insects at Sea — Insects at lofty Elevations — Flying-fish in Bed — Shoal of Fish in a Parlour. Page 64.

IV. Multum è Parvo

Coral Structures — Polypes — Lagoons — Beauty of Coral Island — Rate of Increase — Proposed Employment of Coral-builders — Diatomaceæ — Immense Accumulations of Diatoms — Presence in Guano — Ocean Streaks — Food of Salpæ, of Whales — Origin of Chalk-flints — Vermilion Sea — Green Water — Forests planted by Finches — Destructive Insects — Locusts — Timber-beetles — White-ants — Forest Scavengers in Brazil — Zimb — Tsetse — Golubacser Fly — Musquito. Page 88.

V. The Vast

Whales — Elephants, in India, in Africa — Condor — Exaggerations of Travellers — Great Serpents — Ancient Celebrities — Daniell’s Picture — Guiana Boa — Oriental Pythons — African Python — Tabular Summary — Colossal Sea-weeds — Cane — Cacti — Echinocactus — Candelabra Cacti — Giant Cactus — Dragon-tree of Orotava — Banyan of India — Baobab of Senegal — Mexican Cypress — Zamang del Guayre — Elm in Wales — Limes in Lithuania — Oak in France — Locust-trees in Brazil — Gum-trees in Australia — Mammoth-tree of California — A tall Family — Felling the “Big Tree” — Speculation. Page 114.

VI. The Minute

Wonder at Minuteness — Complexity — Melicerta — Its Building Powers — Mental Faculties — The Invisible World — Diatoms — Their Form and Structure — Mode of Increase — Mode of Aggregation — Various Points of Interest — Life in a Drop of Water — Infusoria — Stentor — Animalcule-tree — Floscularia — Rotifera — Notommata — Salpina — Laying and Hatching of an Egg — Sculptured Shells — Anuræa — Maximus in Minimis. Page 148.

VII. The Memorable

Chuck-will’s Widow — A Night Scene — Heliconia — Singular Habit of a Butterfly — Swarming of Urania — A Jamaican Forest — Tree-ferns — A Brazilian Forest — Glories of Tropical Scenery — Strange Scene in a Churchyard — The Bird of Paradise at Home — Washington’s Eagle — A Night with Fern-owls — The King of the Butterflies captured — First Sight of the Royal Water-lily — Scene in the Life of Mungo Park — Scientific Enthusiasm — Humboldt’s Experience. Page 172.

VIII. The Recluse

Strange Tameness of Animals — Vigilance and Jealousy — Caution and Confidence combined — Shyness and Coyness — Eagles — Ducks — Stanzas to a Water-fowl — Ostrich — Rhea — Scottish Urus — European Bison — Mode in which it is hunted — Suspiciousness of Moose — Reputed Power of remaining submerged — Strange Story — Crusting — Moose-yard — Solitary Habits — Chamois — Difficulties of approaching it — The Gemzé Fawn — Recluse Life in a Forest-pool — Grebes in early Morning — Snake-bird — Water-shrew — Its Playful Manners. Page 195.

IX. The Wild

Capture of a Shark — Nautical Eagerness for the Sport — Hook and Line — Harpoon — An expressive Countenance — Attendant Sharks at Night — Scene in the Pacific — Sperm-whales at Night — Element of Unearthliness — Whetsaw — White Owl — Bittern — Quâ-bird — Prophetic Imagery of Desolation — Devil-bird — Eagle-owl — Guacharo — Rise of Water-fowl from River — Assault of a Cuttle — Shriek of Jackal — American Howling Monkeys — Prairie Wolves — African Wild Dogs. Page 218.

X. The Terrible

Man’s Dominion over the Creatures — Sometimes contested — Bestial Conflicts — Wolf — A Mother’s Sacrifice — Night-attack of Wolves in Mongolia — Bears — Syrian Bear — Grizzly Bear — Encounter with one — Wild Beasts in Africa — Terrors of Elephant-hunting — Mr Oswell’s Adventure — Horrible Death of Thackwray — Hottentot’s Adventure with a Rhinoceros — Similar Adventure of Mr Oswell — Thunberg’s Encounter with a Cape Buffalo — Terrific Peril of Captain Methuen — Nearly fatal Combat with a Kangaroo — An old Carthaginian Voyage of Discovery — Wild Men — Identification of these with Apes — The Gorilla — His Prowess — Comic Scenes with the Elephant — Tragic Encounters with Man — Perils of Whale-fishing — An Involuntary Dive — Horrid Voracity of Sharks — The Crocodile — Fatal Adventure with an Alligator — Potency of Poisonous Serpents — Detail of Symptoms of Poisoning — Case of Mr Buckland — Death of Curling — Coolness of an Indian Officer — Ugliness of Vipers — Shocking Adventure in Guiana — Another in Venezuela — Fatal Encounter with Bees in India. Page 240.

XI. The Unknown

Charm of the Unknown — Expectation of an exploring Naturalist — His daily Experiences — Experience of Mr Bates — Animals in Brazil — A Natural-history Day on the Amazon — Anticipations of Mr Wallace — The Far East — What may be expected in Zoology — In South America — A great Ape — In the Oriental Archipelago — In Papua — In China — In Japan — In the Farther Peninsula — In Madagascar — In Africa — Hope points to Central Africa — The Unicorn — Native Reports and Descriptions of it — Dr A. Smith’s Opinion — Drawings by Savages — Our Ignorance of the Depth of Ocean — The Aquarium — Fancy Sketch by Schleiden — Clearness of Arctic Seas. Page 271.

XII. The Great Unknown

Wonders of Foreign Parts — Scepticism — Moot Points in Zoology — Necessity of Caution — Liability to Error — Question of the Existence of a “Sea-serpent” — Norwegian Testimony — New England Testimony — Mr Perkins’s Report — Mr Ince’s Narrative — Captain M’Quhae’s Report — Lieut. Drummond’s — Object seen by Captain Beechey — Mr Stirling’s Suggestion and Personal Testimony — Suggestion of the Plesiosaurus — Professor Owen’s Strictures and Opinion — Suggests a great Seal — Captain M’Quhae’s Reply — Mr Davidson’s confirmatory Testimony — Animal seen from the Barham — Captain Herriman examines a supposed Sea-serpent — Finds it a Sea-weed — Captain Harrington’s Testimony — Captain Smith’s Sea-weed Experience — More Testimony from the Dædalus — Examination of the accumulated Evidence — Recapitulation — Dismission of Sea-weed Hypothesis — Tests — Mammalia — Professor Owen’s Hypothesis — Reasons against it — Vagueness of the Drawings — No Seal tenable — Cetacea — Fishes — Shark Hypothesis — Ribbon-Fishes — Eels — Reptiles — Small Sea-snakes — Occurrence of a true Serpent in the Atlantic — Serpent Hypothesis rejected — Consideration of Enaliosaurian Hypothesis — Resemblances — Difficulty of Mane — Objections examined — Improbability of Perpetuation of the Form — Examples adduced — Evidence of present Enaliosauria — Absence of recent Remains — This Objection shewn to be groundless — Examples of recent Whales — The Whale of Havre — Sowerby’s Diodon — High-finned Cachalot — Rhinoceros Whale — Delphinorhynchus of the Atlantic — Conclusion. Page 297.

List of Illustrations

Chapter I. Times and Seasons

" To everything there is a season; " and, in its season, everything is comely. Winter is not without its charm, the charm of a grand and desolate majesty. The Arctic voyagers have seen King Winter on his throne, and a full royal despot he is. When the mercury is solid in the bulb, to look abroad on the boundless waste of snow, all silent and motionless, in the very midst of the six-months' night, must be something awful. And yet there is a glory and a beauty visible in perfection only then. There is the moon, of dazzling brightness, circling around the horizon; there are ten thousand crystals of crisp and crackling snow reflecting her beams; there are the stars flashing and sparkling with unwonted sharpness; and there is the glorious aurora spanning the purple sky with its arch of coruscating beams, now advancing, now receding, like angelic watchers engaged in mystic dance, now shooting forth spears and darts of white light with rustling whisper, and now unfurling a broad flag of crimsoned flame, that diffuses itself over the heavens, and is reflected from the unsullied snow beneath. These phenomena I have seen during many years' residence in the grim and ice-bound Newfoundland, and in still sterner Canada. There, too, I have often witnessed the,... " Kindred glooms, Congenial horrors!".... that the poet apostrophises, when.... " The snows arise, and, foul and fierce, All winter drives along the darken'd air." A snow-storm, when the air is filled with the thick flakes driven impetuously before a blinding gale, rapidly obliterating every landmark from the benighted and bewildered traveller's search on a wild mountain-side in Canada; or on the banks of Newfoundland when a heavy sea is running, and floes of ice, sharp as needles and hard as rocks, are floating all around is something terrible to witness, and solemn to remember.