fabre, poet of science-第16章

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observing。〃



His　passion　for　interrogating　the　Sphinx　of　life；　everywhere　and　at　all

moments；　sufficed　to　fill　his　days　from　one　end　of　the　year　to　the　other。

When　some　distant　subject　interested　him；　even　on　the　most　scorching　days；

he　would　put　〃his　lunch　in　his　pocket；　an　apple　and　a　crust　of　bread；〃　and

sit　out　in　the　hot　sunlight；　accompanied　by　his　dog；　Vasco；　Tom；　or　Rabbit；

fearing　only　that　some　importunate　third　person　might　come　between　nature

and　himself。



When　he　walked　in　his　garden　he　would　let　nothing　escape　him；　witness　those

precise　notes　of　an　eclipse　of　the　sun；　and　of　the　effects　which　that

phenomenon　produces　upon　animal　life　as　a　whole。



While　his　children　followed　the　progress　of　the　moon　across　the　sun　through

a　pane　of　smoked　glass；　he　attentively　observed　all　that　occurred　in　the

countryside。



〃It　is　four；　the　day　grows　pale；　the　temperature　is　fresher；　the　cocks

crow；　surprised　by　this　kind　of　twilight　which　comes　before　the　hour。　A　few

dogs　are　baying。。。The　swallows；　numerous　before；　have　all　disappeared。。。a

couple　have　taken　refuge　in　my　study；　one　window　of　which　is　open。。。when

the　normal　light　returns　they　will　come　outdoors　once　more。。。The

nightingale；　which　had　so　long　importuned　me　by　his　interminable　song；　is

silent　at　last　（7/26。）；　the　black…capped　skylarks；　which　were　warbling

continually；　are　suddenly　still。。。only　the　young　house…sparrows　under　the

tiles　of　the　roof　are　mournfully　chirping。。。Peace　and　silence；　the　daylight

more　than　half　gone。。。In　the　Harmas　I　can　no　longer　see　the　insects　flying；

I　find　only　one　bee　pillaging　the　rosemary；　all　life　has　disappeared。



〃Only　a　weevil；　the　Lixus；〃　which　he　is　observing　in　a　cage；　〃continues；

step　by　step；　without　the　slightest　emotion；　his　amorous　by…play；　as　though

nothing　unusual　were　happening。。。The　nightingale　and　the　skylark　may　be

silent；　oppressed　by　fear；　the　bee　may　re…enter　her　hive；　but　is　a　weevil

to　be　upset　because　the　sun　threatens　to　go　out？〃　（7/27。）



He　was　no　less　curious　concerning　the　resurrection　of　the　sun；　and　every

time　he　made　an　excursion　to　the　Ventoux　he　was　careful　not　to　miss　this

spectacle；　setting　out　at　an　early　hour　from　the　foot　of　the　mountain；　so

that　he　might　see　the　dawn　grow　bright　from　the　summit　of　its　rocky　mass；

then　the　sun；　suddenly　rising　in　the　morning　breeze；　and　setting　fire；

little　by　little；　to　the　Alps　of　Dauphiné　and　the　hills　of　Comtat；　and　the

Rh？ne；　far　below；　slender　as　a　silver　thread。



He　took　infinite　pleasure　too　in　drinking　his　fill　of　the　sublime　terrors

of　the　thunderstorm；　which　he　regarded　as　one　of　the　most　magnificent

spectacles　which　nature　can　offer；　not　content　with　observing　it　through

glass；　he　would　open　wide　the　windows　at　night　the　better　to　enjoy　the

phosphorescence　of　the　atmosphere；　the　conflagration　of　the　clouds；　the

bursts　of　thunder；　and　all　the　solemn　pomp　with　which　the　great　purifying

phenomenon　manifests　itself。



But　pure　observation；　as　practised　by　his　predecessors；　Réaumur　and　Huber；

is　often　insufficient；　or　〃furnishes　only　a　glimpse　of　matters。〃



He　had　recourse；　therefore；　to　artificial　observation　of　the　kind　known　as

experimentation；　and　we　may　say　that　Fabre　was　really　the　first　to　employ

the　experimental　method　in　the　study　of　the　minds　of　animals。



Near　the　field　of　observation；　therefore；　is　the　naturalist's　workshop；

〃the　animal　laboratory；〃　in　which　such　inductions　as　may　be　suggested　by

the　doings　and　the　movements　of　the　insects　〃which　roam　at　liberty　amidst

the　thyme　and　lavender〃　are　subjected　to　the　test　of　experiment。　It　is　a

great；　silent；　isolated　room；　brilliantly　lighted　by　two　windows　facing

south；　upon　the　garden；　one　at　least　of　which　is　always　kept　open　that　the

insects　may　come　and　go　at　liberty。



In　the　glass…topped　boxes　of　pine　which　occupy　almost　the　entire　height　of

the　whitewashed　walls　are　carefully　arranged　the　collections　so　patiently

amassed；　all　the　entomological　fauna　of　the　South　of　France；　and　the　sea…

shells　of　the　Mediterranean；　an　abundant　wealth　also　of　divers　rarities；

numismatical　treasures　and　fragments　of　pottery　and　other　prehistorical

documents；　of　which　the　numerous　ossuaries　in　the　neighbourhood　of

Sérignan；　scattered　here　and　there　upon　the　hills；　contain　many　specimens。



At　the　top；　crowning　the　facade　of　glass…topped　cases　like　an　immense

frieze；　is　the　colossal　herbarium；　the　first　volumes　of　which　go　back　to

the　early　youth　of　their　owner；　all　the　flora；　both　of　the　Midi　and　the

North；　those　of　the　plains　and　those　of　the　mountains；　and　all　the　algae　of

fresh　and　salt　water。



But　it　must　not　be　supposed　that　Fabre　attaches　any　great　value　to　these

collections；　enormous　though　the　sum　of　labour　which　they　represent。　To　him

they　have　been　a　means　of　education；　a　means　of　organizing　and　arranging

his　knowledge；　and　not　of　satisfying　an　idle　curiosity；　not　the　amusement

of　one　content　with　the　rind　of　things。　In　order　to　identify　at　first　sight

such　specimens　as　one　encounters　and　proposes　to　examine；　one　must　first　of

all　learn　to　observe　and　to　see　thoroughly；　and　to　school　the　eyes　in　the

colours　and　forms　peculiar　to　each　individual　species。



One　may　fairly　complain　of　Réaumur；　for　example；　that　his　knowledge　was

uncertain　and　incomplete。　Too　often　he　leaves　his　readers　undecided　as　to

the　nature　of　the　species　whose　habits　he　describes。　Fabre　himself；　by　dint

of　criticizing　with　so　much　humour　the　abuse　of　classifications；　has

sometimes　allowed　himself　to　fall　into　the　same　fault。　（7/28。）　He　has　taken

good　care；　however；　not　to　neglect　the　systematic　study　of　species；　witness

his　〃Flora　of　the　Vaucluse〃　and　that　careful　catalogue　of　Avignon　which　he

has　not　disdained　to　republish。　（7/29。）　The　truth　is　that　〃if　we　do　not

know　their　names　the　knowledge　of　the　things　escapes　us〃　（7/30。）；　and　he

was　profoundly　conscious　of　the　truth　of　this　precept　of　the　great

Linnaeus。



The　middle　of　the　room　is　entirely　occupied　by　a　great　table　of　walnut…

wood；　on　which　are　arranged　bottles；　test…tubes；　and　old　sardine…boxes；

which　Fabre　employs　in　order　to　watch　the　evolution　of　a　thousand　nameless

or　doubtful　eggs；　to　observe　the　labours　of　their　larvae；　the　creation　and

the　hatching　of　cocoons；　and　the　little　miracles　of　metamorphosis；　〃after　a

germination　more　wonderful　than　that　of　the　acorn　which　makes　the　oak。〃



Covers　of　metallic　gauze　resting　on　earthenware　saucers　full　of　sand；　a　few

carboys　and　flower…pots　or　sweetmeat　jars　closed　with　a　square　of　glass；

these　serve　as　observation　or　experimental　cages　in　which　the　progress　and

the　actions　of　〃these　tiny　living　machines〃　can　be　examined。



Fabre　has　revealed　himself　as　a　psychologist　without　rival；　of　a　consummate

skill　in　the　difficult　and　delicate　art　of　experimentation；　the　art　of

making　the　insect　speak；　of　putting　questions　to　it；　of　forcing　it　to

betray　its　secrets；　for　experiment　is　〃the　only　method　which　can　throw　any

light　upon　the　nature　of　instincts。〃



His　resources　being　slender　and　his　mind　inventive；　he　has　ingeniously

supplemented　the　poverty　of　his　equipment；　and　has　discovered　less　costly

and　less　complex　means　of　conducting　his　experiments；　knowing　the　secret　of

extracting　the　sublimest　truth　from　clumsy　combinations　of　〃trivial；

peasant…made　articles。〃



He　has　succeeded；　in　his　rustic　laboratory；　in　applying　the　rigorous　rules

of　investigation　and　experimentation　established　by　the　great　biologists。

He　has　therefore　been　able　to　establish　his　beautiful　observations　in　a

manner　so　indisputable　that　those　who　come　after　him　and　are　tempted　to

study　the　same　things　can　but　arrive　at　the　same　results；　and　derive

inspiration　from　his　researches。



To　note　with　care　all　the　details　of　a　phenomenon　is　the　first　essential；

so　that　others　may　afterwards　refer　to　them　and　profit　by　them；　the

difficult　thing　is　to　interpret　them；　to　discover　the　circumstances；　the

whys　and　wherefores；　the　consequences；　and　the　connecting　links。



But　a　single　fact　observed　by　chance　at　the　wayside；　and　which　would　not

even　attract　the　attention　of　another；　will　be　instantly　luminous　to　this

searching　understanding；　it　will　suggest　questions　unforeseen；　and　will

evoke；　by　anticipation；　preconceived　ideas　and　sudden　flashes　of　intuition；

which　will　necessitate　the　test　of　experiment。



Why；　for　example；　does　the　Philanthus；　that　slender　wasp；　which　captures

the　honey…bee　upon　the　blossoms　in　order　to　feed　her　larvae；　why；　before

she　carries　her　prey　to　her　offspring；　does　she　〃outrage　the　dying　insect；〃

by　squeezing　its　crop　in　order　to　empty　it　of　honey；　in　which　she　appears

to　delight；　and　does　indeed　actually　delight？



〃The　bandit　greedily　takes　in　her　mouth　the　extended　and　sugared　tongue　of

the　dead　insect；　then　once　more　she　presses　the　neck　and　the　thorax；　and

once　more　applies　the　pressure　of　her　abdomen　to　the　honey…sac　of　the　bee。

The　honey　oozes　forth　and　is　instantly　licked　up。　Thus　the　bee　is　gradually

compelled　to　disgorge　the　contents　of　the　crop。　This　atrocious　meal　lasts

often　half　an　hour　and　longer；　until　the　last　trace　of　honey　has

disappeared。〃



The　detailed　answer　is　obtained　by　experiment；　which　perfectly　explains

this　〃odious　feast；〃　the　excuse　for　which　is　simply　maternity。　The

Philanthus　knows；　instinctively；　without　having　learned　it；　that　honey；

which　is　her　ordinary　fare；　is；　by　a　very　singular　〃inversion；〃　a　mortal

poison　to　her　larvae。　（7/31。）



As　an　accomplished　physiologist；　Fabre　conducts　all　kinds　of　experiments。

Behind　the　wires　of　his　cages；　he　provokes　the　moving　spectacle　of　the

scorpion　at　grip　with　the　whole　entomological　fauna；　in　order　to　test　the

effects　of　its　terrible　venom　upon　various　species；　and　thus　he　discovers

the　strange　immunity　of　larvae；　the　virus；　〃the　reagent　of　a　transcendent

chemistry；　distinguishes　the　flesh　of　the　larva　from　that　of　the　adult；　it

is　harmless　to　the　former；　but　mortal　to　the　latter〃；　a　fresh　proof　that

〃metamorphosis　modifies　the　substance　of　the　organism　to　the　point　of

changing　its　most　intimate　properties。〃　（7/32。）



You　may　judge　from　this　that　he　knows　through　and　through　the　history　of

the　creatures　which　form　the　subjects　of　his　faithful　narratives。　He　is

informed　of　the　smallest　events　of　their　lives。　He　possesses　a　calendar　of

their　births；　he　records　their　chronology　and　the　succession　of

generations；　he　has　noted　their　methods　of　work；　examined　their　diet；　and

recorded　their　meals。　He　discovers　the　motives　which　dictate　their

peculiarities　of　choice；　why　the　Cerceris；　for　instance；　among　all　the

victims　at　its　disposal；　never　selects　anything　but　the　Buprestis　and　the

weevils。　He　is　familiar　too　with　their　tactics　of　warfare　and　their　methods

of　conflict。



His　gaze　has　penetrated　even　the　most　hidden　dwellings；　those　in　which　the

Halictus　〃varni