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THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE

[Illustration: _Frontispiece._

GROUP OF BEECHES, BURNHAM. _Page 167._]




THE

BEAUTIES OF NATURE

AND THE

WONDERS OF THE WORLD

WE LIVE IN

BY

THE RIGHT HON.

SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, BART., M.P.

F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D.

New York

MACMILLAN AND CO.

AND LONDON

1892

_All rights reserved_


COPYRIGHT, 1892,

BY MACMILLAN AND CO.

TYPOGRAPHY BY J. S. CUSHING & CO., BOSTON, U.S.A.


PRESSWORK BY BERWICK & SMITH, BOSTON, U.S.A.




CONTENTS


CHAPTER I
                                      PAGE

INTRODUCTION                             1

Beauty and Happiness                     3
The Love of Nature                       5
Enjoyment of Scenery                    14
Scenery of England                      19
Foreign Scenery                         21
The Aurora                              33
The Seasons                             34


CHAPTER II

ON ANIMAL LIFE                          39

Love of Animals                         41
Growth and Metamorphoses                43
Rudimentary Organs                      45
Modifications                           48
Colour                                  50
Communities of Animals                  57
Ants                                    58


CHAPTER III

ON ANIMAL LIFE--_continued_             71

Freedom of Animals                      73
Sleep                                   78
Senses                                  84
Sense of Direction                      93
Number of Species                       96
Importance of the Smaller Animals       97
Size of Animals                        100
Complexity of Animal Structure         101
Length of Life                         102
On Individuality                       104
Animal Immortality                     112


CHAPTER IV

ON PLANT LIFE                          115

Structure of Flowers                   128
Insects and Flowers                    134
Past History of Flowers                136
Fruits and Seeds                       137
Leaves                                 138
Aquatic Plants                         144
On Hairs                               148
Influence of Soil                      151
On Seedlings                           152
Sleep of Plants                        152
Behaviour of Leaves in Rain            155
Mimicry                                156
Ants and Plants                        156
Insectivorous Plants                   158
Movements of Plants                    159
Imperfection of our Knowledge          163


CHAPTER V

WOODS AND FIELDS                       165

Fairy Land                             172
Tropical Forests                       179
Structure of Trees                     185
Ages of Trees                          188
Meadows                                192
Downs                                  194


CHAPTER VI

MOUNTAINS                              201

Alpine Flowers                         205
Mountain Scenery                       206
The Afterglow                          213
The Origin of Mountains                214
Glaciers                               227
Swiss Mountains                        232
Volcanoes                              236
Origin of Volcanoes                    243


CHAPTER VII

WATER                                  249
Rivers and Witchcraft                  251
Water Plants                           252
Water Animals                          253
Origin of Rivers                       255
The Course of Rivers                   256
Deltas                                 272


CHAPTER VIII

RIVERS AND LAKES                       277

On the Directions of Rivers            279
The Conflicts and Adventures of Rivers 301
On Lakes      312
On the Configuration of Valleys        323


CHAPTER IX

THE SEA                                335

The Sea Coast                          337
Sea Life                               344
The Ocean Depths                       351
Coral Islands                          358
The Southern Skies                     365
The Poles                              367


CHAPTER X

THE STARRY HEAVENS                     373

The Moon                               377
The Sun                                382
The Planets                            387
Mercury                                388
Venus                                  390
The Earth                              391
Mars                                   392
The Minor Planets                      393
Jupiter                                394
Saturn                                 395
Uranus                                 396
Neptune                                397
Origin of the Planetary System         398
Comets                                 401
Shooting Stars                         406
The Stars                              410
Nebulae                                 425




ILLUSTRATIONS


FIG.                                                                   PAGE

1. Larva of Choerocampa porcellus                                        53

2. Bougainvillea fruticosa; natural size. (After Allman)                107

3. Do.           do.        magnified                                   108

4. Do.           do.       