the naturalist on the river amazons-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


stands　the　nature　of　this　interesting　problem；　and　in　another　passage；　in　which　the　very　singular　distribution　of　the　Butterflies　of　the　genus　Heliconius　is　enlarged　upon；　concludes　with　the　following　significant　remarks　upon　this　important　subject：

〃In　the　controversy　which　is　being　waged　amongst　Naturalists　since　the　publication　of　the　Darwinian　theory　of　the　origin　of　species；　it　has　been　rightly　said　that　no　proof　at　present　existed　of　the　production　of　a　physiological　species；　that　is；　a　form　which　will　not　interbreed　with　the　one　from　which　it　was　derived；　although　given　ample　opportunities　of　doing　so；　and　does　not　exhibit　signs　of　reverting　to　its　parent　form　when　placed　under　the　same　conditions　with　it。　Morphological　species；　that　is；　forms　which　differ　to　an　amount　that　would　justify　their　being　considered　good　species；　have　been　produced　in　plenty　through　selection　by　man　out　of　variations　arising　under　domestication　or　cultivation。　The　facts　just　given　are　therefore　of　some　scientific　importance；　for　they　tend　to　show　that　a　physiological　species　can　be　and　is　produced　in　nature　out　of　the　varieties　of　a　pre…existing　closely　allied　one。　This　is　not　an　isolated　case；　for　I　observed　in　the　course　of　my　travels　a　number　of　similar　instances。　But　in　very　few　has　it　happened　that　the　species　which　clearly　appears　to　be　the　parent；　co…exists　with　one　that　has　been　evidently　derived　from　it。　Generally　the　supposed　parent　also　seems　to　have　been　modified；　and　then　the　demonstration　is　not　so　clear；　for　some　of　the　links　in　the　chain　of　variation　are　wanting。　The　process　of　origination　of　a　species　in　nature　as　it　takes　place　successively；　must　be　ever；　perhaps；　beyond　man's　power　to　trace；　on　account　of　the　great　lapse　of　time　it　requires。　But　we　can　obtain　a　fair　view　of　it　by　tracing　a　variable　and　far…spreading　species　over　the　wide　area　of　its　present　distribution；　and　a　long　observation　of　such　will　lead　to　the　conclusion　that　new　species　must　in　all　cases　have　arisen　out　of　variable　and　widely…disseminated　forms。　It　sometimes　happens；　as　in　the　present　instance；　that　we　find　in　one　locality　a　species　under　a　certain　form　which　is　constant　to　all　the　individuals　concerned；　in　another　exhibiting　numerous　varieties；　and　in　a　third　presenting　itself　as　a　constant　form　quite　distinct　from　the　one　we　set　out　with。　If　we　meet　with　any　two　of　these　modifications　living　side　by　side；　and　maintaining　their　distinctive　characters　under　such　circumstances；　the　proof　of　the　natural　origination　of　a　species　is　complete；　it　could　not　be　much　more　so　were　we　able　to　watch　the　process　step　by　step。　It　might　be　objected　that　the　difference　between　our　two　species　is　but　slight；　and　that　by　classing　them　as　varieties　nothing　further　would　be　proved　by　them。　But　the　differences　between　them　are　such　as　obtain　between　allied　species　generally。　Large　genera　are　composed　in　great　part　of　such　species；　and　it　is　interesting　to　show　the　great　and　beautiful　diversity　within　a　large　genus　as　brought　about　by　the　working　of　laws　within　our　comprehension。〃

But　to　return　to　the　Zoological　wonders　of　the　Upper　Amazon；　birds；　insects；　and　butterflies　are　all　spoken　of　by　Mr。　Bates　in　his　chapter　on　the　natural　features　of　the　district；　and　it　is　evident　that　none　of　these　classes　of　beings　escaped　the　observation　of　his　watchful　intelligence。　The　account　of　the　foraging　ants　of　the　genus　Eciton　is　certainly　marvellous；　and　would；　even　of　itself；　be　sufficient　to　stamp　the　recorder　of　their　habits　as　a　man　of　no　ordinary　mark。

The　last　chapter　of　Mr。　Bates'　work　contains　the　account　of　his　excursions　beyond　Ega。　Fonteboa；　Tunantinsa　small　semi…Indian　settlement；　240　miles　up　the　streamand　San　Paulo　de　Olivenca；　some　miles　higher　up；　were　the　principal　places　visited；　and　new　acquisitions　were　gathered　at　each　of　these　localities。　In　the　fourth　month　of　Mr。　Bates'　residence　at　the　last…named　place；　a　severe　attack　of　ague　led　to　the　abandonment　of　the　plans　he　had　formed　of　proceeding　to　the　Peruvian　towns　of　Pebas　and　Moyobamba；　and　〃so　completing　the　examination　of　the　Natural　History　of　the　Amazonian　plains　up　to　the　foot　of　the　Andes。〃　This　attack；　which　seemed　to　be　the　culmination　of　a　gradual　deterioration　of　health；　caused　by　eleven　years'　hard　work　under　the　tropics；　induced　him　to　return　to　Ega；　and　finally　to　Para；　where　he　embarked；　on　the　2nd　June　1859；　for　England。　Naturally　enough；　Mr。　Bates　tells　us　he　was　at　first　a　little　dismayed　at　leaving　the　equator；　〃where　the　well…balanced　forces　of　Nature　maintain　a　land…surface　and　a　climate　typical　of　mind；　and　order　and　beauty；〃　to　sail　towards　the　〃crepuscular　skies〃　of　the　cold　north。　But　he　consoles　us　by　adding　the　remark　that　〃three　years'　renewed　experience　of　England〃　have　convinced　him　〃how　incomparably　superior　is　civilised　life　to　the　spiritual　sterility　of　half…savage　existence；　even　if　it　were　passed　in　the　Garden　of　Eden。〃



The　following　is　the　list　of　H。　W。　Bates'　published　works：

Contributions　to　an　insect　Fauna　of　the　Amazon　Valley；　Paper　read　before　the　Linnean　Society；　June　21；　1861；　The　Naturalist　on　the　Amazons；　a　Record　of　Adventure；　Habits　of　Animals；　Sketches　of　Brazilian　and　Indian　Life　。　。　。　during　Eleven　Years　of　Travel；　1863；　3rd　Edition；　1873；　with　a　Memoir　of　the　author　by　E。　Clodd　to　reprint　of　unabridged　edition；　1892。

Bates　was　for　many　years　the　editor　of　the　Transactions　of　the　Royal　Geographical　Society；　the　following　works　were　edited　and　revised；　or　supplemented　by　him：Mrs。　Somerville's　Physical　Geography；　1870；　A。　Humbert；　Japan　and　the　Japanese；　1874；　C。　Koldewey；　the　German　Arctic　Expedition；　1874；　P。　E。　Warburton；　Journey　across　the　Western　Interior　of　Australia；　1875；　Cassell's　Illustrated　Travels；　6　vols。；　1869…1875；　E。　Whymper；　Travels　among　the　Great　Andes　of　the　Equator　（Introduction　to　Appendix　volume）；　1892；　etc。；　Central　America；　the　West　Indies　and　South　America；　Stanford's　Compendium　of　Geography　and　Travel；　2nd　revised　Ed。；　1882；　he　also　added　a　list　of　Coleoptera　collected　by　J。　S。　Jameson　on　the　Aruwini　to　the　latter's　Story　of　the　Rear　Column　of　the　Emin　Pasha　Relief　Expedition；　etc。；　1890；　and　an　appendix　to　a　catalogue　of　Phytophaga　by　H。　Clark；　1866；　etc。；　and　contributed　a　biographical　notice　of　Keith　Johnson　to　J。　Thomson's　Central　African　Lakes　and　Back；　1881。

He　contributed　largely　to　the　Zoologist；　Entomological　Society's　journal；　Annals　and　Magazine　of　Natural　History；　and　Entomologist。

LIFEMemoir　by　E。　Clodd；　1892；　short　notice　in　Clodd's　Pioneers　of　Evolution；　1897。


AUTHOR'S　PREFACE　TO　THE　EDITION　OF　1864

HAVING　been　urged　to　prepare　a　new　edition　of　this　work　for　a　wider　circle　than　that　contemplated　in　the　former　one；　I　have　thought　it　advisable　to　condense　those　portions　which；　treating　of　abstruse　scientific　questions；　presuppose　a　larger　amount　of　Natural　History　knowledge　than　an　author　has　a　right　to　expect　of　the　general　reader。　The　personal　narrative　has　been　left　entire；　together　with　those　descriptive　details　likely　to　interest　all　classes；　young　and　old；　relating　to　the　great　river　itself；　and　the　wonderful　country　through　which　it　flows；the　luxuriant　primaeval　forests　that　clothe　almost　every　part　of　it；　the　climate；　productions；　and　inhabitants。

Signs　are　not　wanting　that　this　fertile；　but　scantily　peopled　region　will　soon　become；　through　recent　efforts　of　the　Peruvian　and　Brazilian　governments　to　make　it　accessible　and　colonise　it；　of　far　higher　importance　to　the　nations　of　Northern　Europe　than　it　has　been　hitherto。　The　full　significance　of　the　title；　the　〃largest　river　in　the　world；〃　which　we　are　all　taught　in　our　schoolboy　days　to　apply　to　the　Amazons；　without　having　a　distinct　idea　of　its　magnitude；　will　then　become　apparent　to　the　English　public。　It　will　be　new　to　most　people；　that　this　noble　stream　has　recently　been　navigated　by　steamers　to　a　distance　of　2200　geographical　miles　from　its　mouth　at　Para；　or　double　the　distance　which　vessels　are　able　to　reach　on　the　Yang…tze…Kiang；　the　largest　river　of　the　old　world；　the　depth　of　water　in　the　dry　season　being　about　seven　fathoms　up　to　this　terminus　of　navigation。　It　is　not；　however；　the　length　of　the　trunk　stream；　that　has　earned　for　the　Amazons　the　appellation　of　the　〃Mediterranean　of　South　America；〃　given　it　by　the　Brazilians　of　Para；　but　the　network　of　by…channels　and　lakes；　which　everywhere　accompanies　its　course　at　a　distance　from　the　banks；　and　which　adds　many　thousands　of　miles　of　easy　inland　navigation　to　the　total　presented　by　the　main　river　and　its　tributaries。　The　Peruvians；　especially；　if　I　may　judge　from　letters　received　within　the　past　few　weeks；　seem　to　be　stirring　themselves　to　grasp　the　advantages　which　the　possession　of　the　upper　course　of　the　river　places　within　their　reach。　Vessels　of　heavy　tonnage　have　arrived　in　Para；　from　England；　with　materials　for　the　formation　of　shipbuilding　establishments；　at　a　point　situated　two　thousand　miles　from　the　mouth　of　the　river。　Peruvian　steamers　have　navigated　from　the　Andes　to　the　Atlantic；　and　a　quantity　of　cotton　（now　exported　for　the　first　time）；　the　product　of　the　rich　and　healthy　country　bordering　the　Upper　Amazons；　has　been　conveyed　by　this　means；　and　shipped　from　Para　to　Europe。　The　probability　of　general　curiosity　in　England　being　excited　before　long　with　regard　to　this　hitherto　neglected　country；　will　be　considered；　of　itself；　a　sufficient　reason　for　placing　an　account　of　its　natural　features　and　present　condition　within　reach　of　all　readers。

LONDON；　January；　1864。


CHAPTER　I

PARA

ArrivalAspect　of　the　CountryThe　Para　RiverFirst　Walk　in　the　Suburbs　of　ParaBirds；　Lizards；　and　Insects　of　the　Suburbs　Leaf…carrying　AntSketch　of　the　Climate；　History；　and　present　Condition　of　Para。

I　embarked　at　Liverpool；　with　Mr。　Wallace；　in　a　small　trading　vessel；　on　the　26th　of　April；　1848；　and；　after　a　swift　passage　from　the　Irish　Channel　to　the　equator；　arrived；　on　the　26th　of　May；　off　Salinas。　This　is　the　pilot…station　for　vessels　bound　to　Para；　the　only　port　of　entry　to　the　vast　region　watered　by　the　Amazons。　It　is　a　small　village；　formerly　a　missionary　settlement　of　the　Jesuits；　situated　a　few　miles　to　the　eastward　of　the　Para　River。　Here　the　ship　anchored　in　the　open　s