canterbury pieces-第5部分

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organised　theory；　one　presented　in　a　tangible　shape　and　demanding
investigation；　as　the　conclusion　arrived　at　by　a　man　of　known
scientific　attainments　after　years　of　patient　toil？　　The　upshot　of
the　barrel…organs　article　was　to　answer　this　question　in　the
affirmative　and　to　pooh…pooh　all　further　discussion。

It　would　be　mere　presumption　on　my　part　either　to　attack　or　defend
Darwin；　but　my　indignation　was　roused　at　seeing　him　misrepresented
and　treated　disdainfully。　　I　would　wish；　too；　that　the　〃Savoyard〃
would　have　condescended　to　notice　that　little　matter　of　the　bear。　　I
have　searched　my　copy　of　Darwin　again　and　again　to　find　anything
relating　to　the　subject　except　what　I　have　quoted　in　my　previous
letter。

I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
A。　M。



DARWIN　ON　SPECIES：　　＇From　the　Press；　April　11th；　1863。＇



To　the　Editor　of　the　Press。

SirYour　correspondent　〃A。　M。〃　is　pertinacious　on　the　subject　of　the
bear　being　changed　into　a　whale；　which　I　said　Darwin　contemplated　as
not　impossible。　　I　did　not　take　the　trouble　in　any　former　letter　to
answer　him　on　that　point；　as　his　language　was　so　intemperate。　　He　has
modified　his　tone　in　his　last　letter；　and　really　seems　open　to　the
conviction　that　he　may　be　the　〃careless〃　writer　after　all；　and　so　on
reflection　I　have　determined　to　give　him　the　opportunity　of　doing　me
justice。

In　his　letter　of　February　21　he　says：　　〃I　cannot　sit　by　and　see
Darwin　misrepresented　in　such　a　scandalously　slovenly　manner。　　What
Darwin　does　say　is　'that　SOMETIMES　diversified　and　changed　habits　may
be　observed　in　individuals　of　the　same　species；　that　is；　that　there
are　certain　eccentric　animals　as　there　are　certain　eccentric　men。　　He
adduces　a　few　instances；　and　winds　up　by　saying　that　in　North　America
the　black　bear　was　seen　by　Hearne　swimming　for　hours　with　widely　open
mouth；　thus　catching；　ALMOST　LIKE　A　WHALE；　insects　in　the　water。'
THIS；　AND　NOTHING　MORE；　pp。　201；　202。〃

Then　follows　a　passage　about　my　carelessness；　which　（he　says）　is
hardly　to　be　reprehended　in　sufficiently　strong　terms；　and　he　ends
with　saying：　　〃This　is　disgraceful。〃

Now　you　may　well　suppose　that　I　was　a　little　puzzled　at　the　seeming
audacity　of　a　writer　who　should　adopt　this　style；　when　the　words
which　follow　his　quotation　from　Darwin　are　（in　the　edition　from　which
I　quoted）　as　follows：　　〃Even　in　so　extreme　a　case　as　this；　if　the
supply　of　insects　were　constant；　and　if　better　adapted　competitors
did　not　already　exist　in　the　country；　I　can　see　no　difficulty　in　a
race　of　bears　being　rendered　by　natural　selection　more　and　more
aquatic　in　their　structure　and　habits；　with　larger　and　larger　mouths；
till　a　creature　was　produced　as　monstrous　as　a　whale。〃

Now　this　passage　was　a　remarkable　instance　of　the　idea　that　I　was
illustrating　in　the　article　on　〃Barrel…organs；〃　because　Buffon　in　his
Histoire　Naturelle　had　conceived　a　theory　of　degeneracy　（the　exact
converse　of　Darwin's　theory　of　ascension）　by　which　the　bear　might
pass　into　a　seal；　and　that　into　a　whale。　　Trusting　now　to　the
fairness　of　〃A。　M。〃　　I　leave　to　him　to　say　whether　he　has　quoted　from
the　same　edition　as　I　have；　and　whether　the　additional　words　I　have
quoted　are　in　his　edition；　and　if　so　whether　he　has　not　been　guilty
of　a　great　injustice　to　me；　and　if　they　are　not　in　his　edition；
whether　he　has　not　been　guilty　of　great　haste　and　〃carelessness〃　in
taking　for　granted　that　I　have　acted　in　so　〃disgraceful〃　a　manner。

I　am；　Sir；　etc。；
〃The　Savoyard；〃　or　player
on　Barrel…organs。

（The　paragraph　in　question　has　been　the　occasion　of　much　discussion。
The　only　edition　in　our　hands　is　the　third；　seventh　thousand；　which
contains　the　paragraph　as　quoted　by　〃A。　M。〃　　We　have　heard　that　it　is
different　in　earlier　editions；　but　have　not　been　able　to　find　one。
The　difference　between　〃A。　M。〃　and　〃The　Savoyard〃　is　clearly　one　of
different　editions。　　Darwin　appears　to　have　been　ashamed　of　the
inconsequent　inference　suggested；　and　to　have　withdrawn　it。Ed。　the
Press。）



DARWIN　ON　SPECIES：　　＇From　the　Press；　22nd　June；　1863。＇



To　the　Editor　of　the　Press。

SirI　extract　the　following　from　an　article　in　the　Saturday　Review
of　January　10；　1863；　on　the　vertebrated　animals　of　the　Zoological
Gardens。

〃As　regards　the　ducks；　for　example；　inter…breeding　goes　on　to　a　very
great　extent　among　nearly　all　the　genera；　which　are　well　represented
in　the　collection。　　We　think　it　unfortunate　that　the　details　of　these
crosses　have　not　hitherto　been　made　public。　　The　Zoological　Society
has　existed　about　thirty…five　years；　and　we　imagine　that　evidence
must　have　been　accumulated　almost　enough　to　make　or　mar　that　part　of
Mr。　Darwin's　well…known　argument　which　rests　on　what　is　known　of　the
phenomena　of　hybridism。　　The　present　list　reveals　only　one　fact
bearing　on　the　subject；　but　that　is　a　noteworthy　one；　for　it
completely　overthrows　the　commonly　accepted　theory　that　the　mixed
offspring　of　different　species　are　infertile　inter　se。　　At　page　15
（of　the　list　of　vertebrated　animals　living　in　the　gardens　of　the
Zoological　Society　of　London；　Longman　and　Co。；　1862）　we　find
enumerated　three　examples　of　hybrids　between　two　perfectly　distinct
species；　and　even；　according　to　modern　classification；　between　two
distinct　genera　of　ducks；　for　three　or　four　generations。　　There　can
be　little　doubt　that　a　series　of　researches　in　this　branch　of
experimental　physiology；　which　might　be　carried　on　at　no　great　loss；
would　place　zoologists　in　a　far　better　position　with　regard　to　a
subject　which　is　one　of　the　most　interesting　if　not　one　of　the　most
important　in　natural　history。〃

I　fear　that　both　you　and　your　readers　will　be　dead　sick　of　Darwin；
but　the　above　is　worthy　of　notice。　　My　compliments　to　the　〃Savoyard。〃

Your　obedient　servant；
May　17th。　　A。　M。



DARWIN　AMONG　THE　MACHINES



〃Darwin　Among　the　Machines〃　originally　appeared　in　the　Christ　Church
PRESS；　13　June；　1863。　　It　was　reprinted　by　Mr。　Festing　Jones　in　his
edition　of　THE　NOTE…BOOKS　OF　SAMUEL　BUTLER　（Fifield；　London；　1912；
Kennerley；　New　York）；　with　a　prefatory　note　pointing　out　its
connection　with　the　genesis　of　EREWHON；　to　which　readers　desirous　of
further　information　may　be　referred。


＇To　the　Editor　of　the　Press；　Christchurch；　New　Zealand；　13　June；
1863。＇

SirThere　are　few　things　of　which　the　present　generation　is　more
justly　proud　than　of　the　wonderful　improvements　which　are　daily
taking　place　in　all　sorts　of　mechanical　appliances。　　And　indeed　it　is
matter　for　great　congratulation　on　many　grounds。　　It　is　unnecessary
to　mention　these　here；　for　they　are　sufficiently　obvious；　our　present
business　lies　with　considerations　which　may　somewhat　tend　to　humble
our　pride　and　to　make　us　think　seriously　of　the　future　prospects　of
the　human　race。　　If　we　revert　to　the　earliest　primordial　types　of
mechanical　life；　to　the　lever；　the　wedge；　the　inclined　plane；　the
screw　and　the　pulley；　or　（for　analogy　would　lead　us　one　step　further）
to　that　one　primordial　type　from　which　all　the　mechanical　kingdom　has
been　developed；　we　mean　to　the　lever　itself；　and　if　we　then　examine
the　machinery　of　the　Great　Eastern；　we　find　ourselves　almost
awestruck　at　the　vast　development　of　the　mechanical　world；　at　the
gigantic　strides　with　which　it　has　advanced　in　comparison　with　the
slow　progress　of　the　animal　and　vegetable　kingdom。　　We　shall　find　it
impossible　to　refrain　from　asking　ourselves　what　the　end　of　this
mighty　movement　is　to　be。　　In　what　direction　is　it　tending？　　What
will　be　its　upshot？　　To　give　a　few　imperfect　hints　towards　a　solution
of　these　questions　is　the　object　of　the　present　letter。

We　have　used　the　words　〃mechanical　life；〃　〃the　mechanical　kingdom；〃
〃the　mechanical　world〃　and　so　forth；　and　we　have　done　so　advisedly；
for　as　the　vegetable　kingdom　was　slowly　developed　from　the　mineral；
and　as　in　like　manner　the　animal　supervened　upon　the　vegetable；　so
now　in　these　last　few　ages　an　entirely　new　kingdom　has　sprung　up；　of
which　we　as　yet　have　only　seen　what　will　one　day　be　considered　the
antediluvian　prototypes　of　the　race。

We　regret　deeply　that　our　knowledge　both　of　natural　history　and　of
machinery　is　too　small　to　enable　us　to　undertake　the　gigantic　task　of
classifying　machines　into　the　genera　and　sub…genera；　species；
varieties　and　sub…varieties；　and　so　forth；　of　tracing　the　connecting
links　between　machines　of　widely　different　characters；　of　pointing
out　how　subservience　to　the　use　of　man　has　played　that　part　among
machines　which　natural　selection　has　performed　in　the　animal　and
vegetable　kingdoms；　of　pointing　out　rudimentary　organs　｛1｝　which
exist　in　some　few　machines；　feebly　developed　and　perfectly　useless；
yet　serving　to　mark　descent　from　some　ancestral　type　which　has　either
perished　or　been　modified　into　some　new　phase　of　mechanical
existence。　　We　can　only　point　out　this　field　for　investigation；　it
must　be　followed　by　others　whose　education　and　talents　have　been　of　a
much　higher　order　than　any　which　we　can　lay　claim　to。

Some　few　hints　we　have　determined　to　venture　upon；　though　we　do　so
with　the　profoundest　diffidence。　　Firstly；　we　would　remark　that　as
some　of　the　lowest　of　the　vertebrata　attained　a　far　greater　size　than
has　descended　to　their　more　highly　organised　living　representatives；
so　a　diminution　in　the　size　of　machines　has　often　attended　their
development　and　progress。　　Take　the　watch　for　instance。　　Examine　the
beautiful　structure　of　the　little　animal；　watch　the　intelligent　play
of　the　minute　members　which　compose　it；　yet　this　little　creature　is
but　a　development　of　the　cumbrous　clocks　of　the　thirteenth　century
it　is　no　deterioration　from　them。　　The　day　may　come　when　clocks；
which　certainly　at　the　present　day　are　not　diminishing　in　bulk；　may
be　entirely　superseded　by　the　universal　use　of　watches；　in　which　case
clocks　will　become　extinct　like　the　earlier　saurians；　while　the　watch
（whose　tendency　has　for　some　years　been　rather　to　decrease　in　size
than　the　contrary）　will　remain　the　only　existing　type　of　an　extinct
race。

The　views　of　machinery　which　we　are　thus　feebly　indicating　will
suggest　the　solution　of　one　of　the　greatest　and　most　mysterious
questions　of　the　day。　　We　refer　to　the　question：　　What　sort　of
c