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darwin and modern science-第143章

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ccasion served; on friend or foe alike; the amiable John Phillips 〃sat upon the fence。〃  Only when a new generation aroseincluding Jukes; Ramsay; Forbes and Hookerdid Lyell find his teachings received with anything like favour。

We can well understand; then; how Lyell would welcome such a recruit as young Darwina man who had declared himself more Lyellian than Lyell; and who brought to his support facts and observations gleaned from so wide a field。

The first meeting of Lyell and Darwin was characteristic of the two men。  Darwin at once explained to Lyell that; with respect to the origin of coral…reefs; he had arrived at views directly opposed to those published by 〃his master。〃  To give up his own theory; cost Lyell; as he told Herschel; a 〃pang at first;〃 but he was at once convinced of the immeasurable superiority of Darwin's theory。  I have heard members of Lyell's family tell of the state of wild excitement and sustained enthusiasm; which lasted for days with Lyell after this interview; and his letters to Herschel; Whewell and others show his pleasure at the new light thrown upon the subject and his impatience to have the matter laid before the Geological Society。

Writing forty years afterwards; Darwin; speaking of the time of the return of the 〃Beagle〃; says:  〃I saw a great deal of Lyell。  One of his chief characteristics was his sympathy with the work of others; and I was as much astonished as delighted at the interest which he showed when; on my return to England; I explained to him my views on coral…reefs。  This encouraged me greatly; and his advice and example had much influence on me。〃  (〃L。L。〃 I。 page 68。)  Darwin further states that he saw more of Lyell at this time than of any other scientific man; and at his request sent his first communication to the Geological Society。  (〃L。L。〃 I。 page 67。)

〃Mr Lonsdale〃 (the able curator of the Geological Society); Darwin wrote to Henslow; 〃with whom I had much interesting conversation;〃 〃gave me a most cordial reception;〃 and he adds; 〃If I was not much more inclined for geology than the other branches of Natural History; I am sure Mr Lyell's and Lonsdale's kindness ought to fix me。  You cannot conceive anything more thoroughly good…natured than the heart…and…soul manner in which he put himself in my place and thought what would be best to do。〃  (〃L。L。〃 I。 page 275。)

Within a few days of Darwin's arrival in London we find Lyell writing to Owen as follows:

〃Mrs Lyell and I expect a few friends here on Saturday next; 29th (October); to an early tea party at eight o'clock; and it will give us great pleasure if you can join it。  Among others you will meet Mr Charles Darwin; whom I believe you have seen; just returned from South America; where he has laboured for zoologists as well as for hammer…bearers。  I have also asked your friend Broderip。〃  (〃The Life of Richard Owen〃; London; 1894; Vol。 I。 page 102。)  It would probably be on this occasion that the services of Owen were secured for the work on the fossil bones sent home by Darwin。

On November 2nd; we find Lyell introducing Darwin as his guest at the Geological Society Club; on December 14th; Lyell and Stokes proposed Darwin as a member of the Club; between that date and May 3rd of the following year; when his election to the Club took place; he was several times dining as a guest。

On January 4th; 1837; as we have already seen; Darwin was formally admitted to the Geological Society; and on the same evening he read his first paper (I have already pointed out that the notes read at the Geological Society on Nov。 18; 1835 were extracts made by Sedgwick from letters sent to Henslow; and not a paper sent home for publication by Darwin。) before the Society; 〃Observations of proofs of recent elevation on the coast of Chili; made during the Survey of H。M。S。 〃Beagle〃; commanded by Captain FitzRoy; R。N。〃  By C。 Darwin; F。G。S。  This paper was preceded by one on the same subject by Mr A。 Caldcleugh; and the reading of a letter and other communications from the Foreign Office also relating to the earthquakes in Chili。

At the meeting of the Council of the Geological Society on February 1st; Darwin was nominated as a member of the new Council; and he was elected on February 17th。

The meeting of the Geological Society on April 19th was devoted to the reading by Owen of his paper on Toxodon; perhaps the most remarkable of the fossil mammals found by Darwin in South America; and at the next meeting; on May 3rd; Darwin himself read 〃A Sketch of the Deposits containing extinct Mammalia in the neighbourhood of the Plata〃。  The next following meeting; on May 17th; was devoted to Darwin's Coral…reef paper; entitled 〃On certain areas of elevation and subsidence in the Pacific and Indian Oceans; as deduced from the study of Coral Formations〃。  Neither of these three early papers of Darwin were published in the Transactions of the Geological Society; but the minutes of the Council show that they were 〃withdrawn by the author by permission of the Council。〃

Darwin's activity during this session led to some rather alarming effects upon his health; and he was induced to take a holiday in Staffordshire and the Isle of Wight。  He was not idle; however; for a remark of his uncle; Mr Wedgwood; led him to make those interesting observations on the work done by earthworms; that resulted in his preparing a short memoir on the subject; and this paper; 〃On the Formation of Mould〃; was read at the Society on November 1st; 1837; being the first of Darwin's papers published in full; it appeared in Vol。 V。 of the 〃Geological Transactions〃; pages 505…510。)

During this session; Darwin attended nearly all the Council meetings; and took such an active part in the work of the Society that it is not surprising to find that he was now requested to accept the position of Secretary。  After some hesitation; in which he urged his inexperience and want of knowledge of foreign languages; he consented to accept the appointment。  (〃L。L。〃 I。 page 285。)

At the anniversary meeting on February 16th; 1838; the Wollaston Medal was given to Owen in recognition of his services in describing the fossil mammals sent home by Darwin。  In his address; the President; Professor Whewell; dwelt at length on the great value of the papers which Darwin had laid before the Society during the preceding session。

On March 7th; Darwin read before the Society the most important perhaps of all his geological papers; 〃On the Connexion of certain Volcanic Phenomena in South America; and on the Formation of Mountain…Chains and Volcanoes as the effect of Continental Elevations〃。  In this paper he boldly attacked the tenets of the Catastrophists。  It is evident that Darwin at this time; taking advantage of the temporary improvement in his health; was throwing himself into the breach of Uniformitarianism with the greatest ardour。  Lyell wrote to Sedgwick on April 21st; 1837; 〃Darwin is a glorious addition to any society of geologists; and is working hard and making way; both in his book and in our discussions。〃  (〃The Life and Letters of the Reverend Adam Sedgwick〃; Vol。 I。 page 484; Cambridge; 1890。)

We have unfortunately few records of the animated debates which took plac
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