登陆注册
15700700000022

第22章

This pure love has, however, been much aided by the ambition to be esteemed by my fellow naturalists. From my early youth I have had the strongest desire to understand or explain whatever Iobserved,--that is, to group all facts under some general laws.

These causes combined have given me the patience to reflect or ponder for any number of years over any unexplained problem. As far as I can judge, I am not apt to follow blindly the lead of other men. I have steadily endeavoured to keep my mind free so as to give up any hypothesis, however much beloved (and I cannot resist forming one on every subject), as soon as facts are shown to be opposed to it. Indeed, I have had no choice but to act in this manner, for with the exception of the Coral Reefs, I cannot remember a single first-formed hypothesis which had not after a time to be given up or greatly modified. This has naturally led me to distrust greatly deductive reasoning in the mixed sciences.

On the other hand, I am not very sceptical,--a frame of mind which I believe to be injurious to the progress of science. Agood deal of scepticism in a scientific man is advisable to avoid much loss of time, but I have met with not a few men, who, I feel sure, have often thus been deterred from experiment or observations, which would have proved directly or indirectly serviceable.

In illustration, I will give the oddest case which I have known.

A gentleman (who, as I afterwards heard, is a good local botanist) wrote to me from the Eastern counties that the seed or beans of the common field-bean had this year everywhere grown on the wrong side of the pod. I wrote back, asking for further information, as I did not understand what was meant; but I did not receive any answer for a very long time. I then saw in two newspapers, one published in Kent and the other in Yorkshire, paragraphs stating that it was a most remarkable fact that "the beans this year had all grown on the wrong side." So I thought there must be some foundation for so general a statement.

Accordingly, I went to my gardener, an old Kentish man, and asked him whether he had heard anything about it, and he answered, "Oh, no, sir, it must be a mistake, for the beans grow on the wrong side only on leap-year, and this is not leap-year." I then asked him how they grew in common years and how on leap-years, but soon found that he knew absolutely nothing of how they grew at any time, but he stuck to his belief.

After a time I heard from my first informant, who, with many apologies, said that he should not have written to me had he not heard the statement from several intelligent farmers; but that he had since spoken again to every one of them, and not one knew in the least what he had himself meant. So that here a belief--if indeed a statement with no definite idea attached to it can be called a belief--had spread over almost the whole of England without any vestige of evidence.

I have known in the course of my life only three intentionally falsified statements, and one of these may have been a hoax (and there have been several scientific hoaxes) which, however, took in an American Agricultural Journal. It related to the formation in Holland of a new breed of oxen by the crossing of distinct species of Bos (some of which I happen to know are sterile together), and the author had the impudence to state that he had corresponded with me, and that I had been deeply impressed with the importance of his result. The article was sent to me by the editor of an English Agricultural Journal, asking for my opinion before republishing it.

A second case was an account of several varieties, raised by the author from several species of Primula, which had spontaneously yielded a full complement of seed, although the parent plants had been carefully protected from the access of insects. This account was published before I had discovered the meaning of heterostylism, and the whole statement must have been fraudulent, or there was neglect in excluding insects so gross as to be scarcely credible.

The third case was more curious: Mr. Huth published in his book on 'Consanguineous Marriage' some long extracts from a Belgian author, who stated that he had interbred rabbits in the closest manner for very many generations, without the least injurious effects. The account was published in a most respectable Journal, that of the Royal Society of Belgium; but I could not avoid feeling doubts--I hardly know why, except that there were no accidents of any kind, and my experience in breeding animals made me think this very improbable.

So with much hesitation I wrote to Professor Van Beneden, asking him whether the author was a trustworthy man. I soon heard in answer that the Society had been greatly shocked by discovering that the whole account was a fraud. (The falseness of the published statements on which Mr. Huth relied has been pointed out by himself in a slip inserted in all the copies of his book which then remained unsold.) The writer had been publicly challenged in the Journal to say where he had resided and kept his large stock of rabbits while carrying on his experiments, which must have consumed several years, and no answer could be extracted from him.

My habits are methodical, and this has been of not a little use for my particular line of work. Lastly, I have had ample leisure from not having to earn my own bread. Even ill-health, though it has annihilated several years of my life, has saved me from the distractions of society and amusement.

Therefore my success as a man of science, whatever this may have amounted to, has been determined, as far as I can judge, by complex and diversified mental qualities and conditions. Of these, the most important have been--the love of science--unbounded patience in long reflecting over any subject--industry in observing and collecting facts--and a fair share of invention as well as of common sense. With such moderate abilities as Ipossess, it is truly surprising that I should have influenced to a considerable extent the belief of scientific men on some important points.

End

同类推荐
  • 长安志

    长安志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Moravians in Georgia

    The Moravians in Georgia

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大博干禅师语录

    大博干禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 北征事迹

    北征事迹

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 砚斋词话

    砚斋词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 舆地传说

    舆地传说

    在一个明媚的早晨,主人公像往常一样去往博物馆上班,可是就在上班的过程中,神奇的事情发生了,在他面前的文物闪烁着奇异的光芒,当他接近时,被一种力量吸了进去,等他醒来已经到了远古时代……
  • 天使陷爱记

    天使陷爱记

    莫寒斜着身子靠在门上,夕阳的余晖将他完美的侧脸诠释得高贵又略带淡淡忧伤,挑眉问,“风亦沫,认真回答我,为什么要追我?”风亦沫嘴角漫不经心地勾了勾,“很简单,我喜欢挑战高难度。那年,风亦沫以满纸荒唐的泪水演绎了将军与妓。世界那么大,唯独没有我的丝毫痕迹,却又让你我相遇。走着走着就散了,先爱的是我,先放手的,自然也是我。只是依旧幻想,奢想用瘦弱的肩膀挡去一丝遗伤之后再算,再算。——风亦沫
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 战神联盟之光明圣女

    战神联盟之光明圣女

    啊嘞……有木有搞错……爱莉我和死党幻蝶游戏玩的正爽就莫名穿越了……穿越也就算了……竟然还穿到赛尔号的世界里?让我静一会……
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 妖萌鬼乖

    妖萌鬼乖

    琪援双手护在羞处,用紫色长发盖在胸前,怒目瞪着少年:“哼哼,这么快就想走了吗?!难道就不想留下来吗?!”少年咽了咽口水目不转睛:“好大!好圆!好挺!好翘!好白!”琪援看着少年眼中的真诚,语气立刻软了下来,嗲嗲的:“讨厌啦,混蛋,即使你这么说,我也不会轻易地原谅你的!”琪援的妹妹琪骑也是秀发盖胸,双手遮羞处,从浴池里站了起来娇呼:“你真是走运,竟然成为了姐姐爱上的第一千三百六十六个男人!”
  • 青年希特勒:蜕变从这一刻开始

    青年希特勒:蜕变从这一刻开始

    "三十年后的重逢,从前的青年伙伴已成为帝国元首……奥古斯特库比席克,他是阿道夫希特勒青年时的唯一朋友。从林茨到维也纳,只有他见证了希特勒不为人知的成长经历,包括希特勒长达数年的初恋、学校生活、家庭变故、对艺术的追求、政治观点的形成等。库比席克在书中将用生动的语言为我们讲述一个鲜活、立体、真实的青年希特勒。"
  • 咒斯

    咒斯

    没有人可以做到真正的正义。真的,连神也不行。
  • 蝶与君心

    蝶与君心

    来自地狱修罗的召唤,面对前世的挚爱,蝶将如何选择?重生的机会让叶蝶在与烠王和笠王中抉择。前世你负了我,今世,我要你加倍偿还!
  • 彼岸花开:王的冷情妃

    彼岸花开:王的冷情妃

    她是世上唯一的至尊,无人可及,连世界都无法左右她的意愿(ps.此文纯属女主装逼文,无男主)