fabre, poet of science-第18章

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Cerceris；　which　attacks　the　coleoptera；　and　the　Scolia；　which　preys　upon

the　larvae　of　the　rose…beetle；　sting　them　only　once　and　in　a　single　place；

because　there　is　concentrated　the　mass　of　the　motor　ganglions。



The　Pompilus；　which　selects　a　spider　for　its　victim；　no　less　than　the

redoubtable　Tarantula；　knows　that　its　quarry　〃has　two　nervous　centres　which

animate　respectively　the　movements　of　the　limbs　and　those　of　the　terrible

fangs；　hence　the　two　stabs　of　the　sting。〃　（7/36。）



The　Sphex　plunges　her　dagger　three　times　into　the　breast　of　the　cricket；

because　she　knows；　by　an　intuition　that　we　cannot　comprehend；　that　the

locomotor　innervation　of　the　cricket　is　actuated　by　three　nervous　centres；

which　lie　wide　apart。　（7/37。）



Finally；　the　Ammophila；　〃the　highest　manifestation　of　the　logic　of

instinct；　whose　profound　knowledge　leaves　us　confounded；　stabs　the

caterpillar　in　nine　places；　because　the　body　of　the　victim　with　which　it

feeds　its　larvae　is　a　series　of　rings；　set　end　to　end；　each　of　which

possesses　its　little　independent　nervous　centre。〃　（7/38。）



This　is　not　all；　the　genius　of　the　Sphex　is　not　yet　at　the　end　of　its

foresight。　You　have　doubtless　heard　of　the　comatose　state　into　which　the

wounded　fall　when；　after　a　fracture　of　the　skull；　the　brain　is　compressed

by　a　violent　haemorrhage　or　a　bony　splinter。　The　physiologists　imitate　this

process　of　nature　when　they　wish；　for　example；　to　obtain；　in　animals　under

experiment；　a　state　of　complete　immobility。　But　did　the　first　surgeon　who

thought　of　trepanning　the　skull　in　order　to　exert　on　the　brain；　by　means　of

a　sponge；　a　certain　degree　of　compression；　ever　imagine　that　an　analogous

procedure　had　long　been　employed　in　the　insect　world；　and　that　these　clumsy

methods　were　merely　child's　play　beside　the　astonishing　feats　of　the

Unconscious？



For　the　stab　in　the　thoracic　ganglions；　however　efficacious；　is　often

insufficient。　Although　the　six　limbs　are　paralysed；　although　the　victim

cannot　move；　its　mandibles；　〃pointed；　sharp；　serrated；　which　close　like　a

pair　of　scissors；　still　remain　a　menace　to　the　tyrant；　they　might　at　least；

by　gripping　the　surrounding　grasses；　oppose　a　more　or　less　effectual

resistance　to　the　process　of　carrying　off。〃　So　the　preceding　manoeuvres　are

consummated　by　a　kind　of　garrotting；　that　is；　the　insect　〃takes　care　to

compress　the　brain　of　its　victim；　but　so　as　to　avoid　wounding　it；　producing

only　a　stupor；　a　simple　torpor；　a　passing　lethargy。〃　Is　not　the　ingenious

observer　justified　in　concluding　that　〃this　is　alarmingly　scientific〃？



Between　the　dry　statements　of　Dufour；　which　served　Fabre　as　his　original

theme；　and　the　unaccustomed　wealth　of　this　vast　physiological　poetry；　what

a　distance　has　been　covered！



How　far　have　we　outstripped　this　barren　matter；　these　shapeless　sketches！

Dufour；　another　solitary；　who　retired　to　his　province；　in　the　depth　of　the

Landes；　was　above　all　a　descriptive　anatomist；　and　he　limited　himself　to　an

inventory　of　the　nest　of　a　Cerceris。



For　him　the　Buprestes　were　dead；　and　their　state　of　preservation　was

explained　simply　as　a　kind　of　embalming；　due　to　some　special　action　of　the

venom　of　the　Hymenoptera。



These　facts；　therefore；　were　stated　as　simple　curiosities。



Fabre　proved　that　these　victims　possessed　all　the　attributes　of　life

excepting　movement；　by　provoking　contractions　in　their　members　under　the

influence　of　various　stimulants；　and　by　keeping　them　alive　artificially　for

an　indefinite　period。



On　the　other　hand；　he　demonstrated　the　comparative　innocuousness　of　the

venom　of　these　wasps；　some　of　which；　like　the　great　Cerceris　or　the

beautiful　and　formidable　Scolia；　alarm　by　their　enormous　size　and　their

terrifying　aspect；　so　that　the　conservation　of　the　prey　could　not　be　due　to

any　occult　quality；　to　some　more　or　less　active　antiseptic　virtue　of　the

venomous　fluid；　but　simply　to　the　precision　of　the　stab　and　the　miraculous

deftness　of　the　〃surgeon。〃



He　also　pointed　out　the　fact　that　the　sting　of　the　insect　is　able

immediately　to　dissociate　the　nervous　system　of　the　vegetative　life　from

that　of　the　correlative　life；　sparing　the　former；　and　taking　care　not　to

wound　the　abdomen；　which　contains　the　ganglions　of　the　great　sympathetic

nerve；　while　it　annihilates　the　latter；　which　is　more　or　less　concentrated

along　the　ventral　face　of　the　thoracic　region。



He　completed　this　splendid　demonstration；　not　only　by　provoking　under　his

own　eyes　the　〃murderous　manoeuvres；　the　intimate　and　passionate　drama；〃　but

also　by　reproducing　experimentally　all　these　astonishing　phenomena；

expounding　their　mechanism　and　their　variations　with　a　logic　and　lucidity；

an　art　and　sagacity　which　raise　this　marvellous　observation；　one　of　the

most　beautiful　known　to　science；　to　the　height　of　the　most　immortal

discoveries　of　physiology。　Claude　Bernard；　in　his　celebrated　experiments；

certainly　exhibited　no　greater　invention；　no　truer　genius。





CHAPTER　8。　THE　MIRACLE　OF　INSTINCT。



〃The　Spirit　Bloweth　Whither　it　Listeth。〃



What　is　this　instinct；　which　guides　the　insect　to　such　marvellous　results？

Is　it　merely　a　degree　of　intelligence；　or　some　absolutely　different　form　of

activity？



Is　it　possible；　by　studying　the　habits　of　animals；　to　discover　some　of

those　elementary　springs　of　action　whose　knowledge　would　enable　us　to　dive

more　deeply　into　our　own　natures？



Fabre　has　presented　us　to　his　Sphex；　the　〃infallible　paralyser。〃　Are　we　to

credit　her　not　only　with　memory；　but　also　with　the　faculty　of　associating

ideas；　of　judgment；　and　of　pursuing　a　train　of　reasoning　in　respect　of　her

astonishingly　co…ordinated　actions？



Put　to　the　question　by　the　malice　of　the　operator；　the　〃transcendent〃

anatomist　trips　over　a　mere　trifle；　and　the　slightest　novelty　confounds

her。



Without　the　circle　of　her　ordinary　habits；　what　stupidity；　〃what　darkness

wraps　her　round〃！　She　retreats；　she　refuses　to　understand；　〃she　washes　her

eyes；　first　passing　her　hands　across　her　mouth；　she　assumes　a　dreamy；

meditative　air。〃　What　can　she　be　pondering？　Under　what　form　of　thought；

illusion；　or　mirage　does　the　unfamiliar　problem　which　has　obtruded　itself

into　her　customary　life　present　itself　behind　those　faceted　eyes？　（8/1。）



How　can　we　tell？　We　can　only　attain　to　knowledge　of　ourselves　by　direct

intuition。　It　is　only　the　idea　of　our　ego　which　enables　us　to　conjecture

what　is　passing　in　the　brains　of　our　fellows。　Between　the　insect　and

ourselves　no　understanding　is　possible；　so　remote　are　the　analogies　between

its　organization　and　our　own；　and　we　can　only　form　idle　hypotheses　as　to

its　states　of　consciousness　and　the　real　motive　of　its　actions。



Consider　only　that　unknown　and　mysterious　energy　which　the　insects　display

in　their　operations　and　their　labours；　as　it　is　in　itself；　and　let　us

content　ourselves；　first　of　all；　with　comparing　it　to　our　own　intelligence；

such　as　we　conceive　it　to　be。



In　seeking　to　appreciate　whereby　it　differs　perhaps　we　shall　gain　more　than

by　vainly　seeking　points　of　resemblance。　We　shall　discover；　in　fact；　behind

the　insect　and　its　prodigious　instincts；　a　vast　and　remote　horizon；　a

region　at　once　more　profound；　more　extensive；　and　more　fruitful　than　that

of　the　intelligence；　and　if　Fabre　is　able　to　help　us　to　decipher　a　few

pages　of　〃the　most　difficult　of　all　volumes；　the　book　of　ourselves；〃　it　is

precisely；　as　a　philosopher　told　him；　because　〃man　has　remained　instinctive

in　process　of　becoming　intelligent。〃　（8/2。）



The　work　of　Fabre　is　from　this　point　of　view　an　invaluable　treasury　of

observations　and　experiments；　and　the　richest　contribution　which　has　ever

been　made　to　the　study　of　these　fascinating　problems。



〃The　function　of　the　intelligence　is　to　reflect；　to　be　conscious；　that　is；

to　relate　the　effect　to　its　cause；　to　add　a　〃because〃　to　a　〃why〃；　to　remedy

the　accidental；　to　adapt　a　new　course　of　conduct　to　new　circumstances。〃



In　relation　to　the　human　intelligence　thus　defined　Fabre　has　considered

these　nervous　aptitudes；　so　well　adjusted；　according　to　the　evolutionists；

by　ancient　habit；　that　they　have　finally　become　impulsive　and　unconscious；

and；　properly　speaking；　innate。　He　has　demonstrated；　with　an　abundance　of

proof　and　a　power　of　argument　that　we　must　admire；　the　blind　mechanism

which　determines　all　the　manifestations；　even　the　most　extraordinary；　of

that　which　we　call　instinct；　and　which　heredity　has　fixed　in　a　species　of

unchangeable　automatism；　like　the　rhythm　of　the　heart　and　the　lungs。　（8/3。）



Let　us；　from　this　wealth　of　material；　from　among　the　most　suggestive

examples；　select　some　of　his　most　striking　demonstrations；　which　are

classics　of　their　kind。



Fabre　has　not　attempted　to　define　instinct；　for　it　is　indefinable；　nor　to

probe　its　essential　nature；　which　is　impenetrable。　But　to　recognize　the

order　of　nature　is　in　itself　a　sufficiently　fascinating　study；　without

striving　to　crack　an　unbreakable　bone　or　wasting　time　in　pondering

insoluble　enigmas。　The　important　matter　is　to　avoid　the　introduction　of

illusions；　to　beware　of　exceeding　the　data　of　observation　and　experiment；

of　substituting　our　own　inferences　for　the　facts；　of　outstripping　reality

and　amplifying　the　marvellous。



Let　us　listen　to　the　scrupulous　analysis　whose　lessons；　scattered　through

four　thousand　pages；　teach　us　more　concerning　instinct　and　its　innumerable

variations　than　all　the　most　learned　treatises　and　speculations　of　the

philosophers。



Nothing　in　the　world　perplexes　the　mind　of　the　observer　like　the　spectacle

of　the　birth　and　growth　of　the　instincts。



At　precisely　the　right　moment；　just　as　failure　or　disaster　seems

foreordained　by　the　previously　established　circumstances；　Fabre　shows　us

his　insects　as　suddenly　mastered　by　an　irresistible　force。



〃At　the　right　moment〃　they　invincibly　obey　some　sort　of　mysterious　and

inflexible　prescription。　Without　apprenticeship；　they　perform　the　very

actions　required；　and　blindly　accomplish　their　destiny。



Then；　the　moment　having　passed；　the　instincts　〃disappear　and　do　not

reawaken。　A　few　days　more　or　less　modify　the　talents；　and　what　the　young

insect　knew　the　adult　has　often　forgotten。〃　（8/4。）



Among　the　Lycosae；　at　the　moment　of　exodus；　a　sudden　instinct　is　evolved

which　a　few　hours　later　disappears　never　to　return。　It　is　the　climbing

instinct；　unknown　to　the　adult　spider；　and　soon　forgotten　by　the

emancipated　young；　who　are　destined　to　roam　upon　the　face　of　the　earth。　But

the　young　Lycosae；　anxious　to　leave　the　maternal　home　and　to　travel；　become

suddenly　ardent　climbers　and　aeronauts；　each　releasing　a　long；　light　thread

which　serves　it　as　parachute。　The　voyage　accomplished；　no　trace　of　this

ingenuity　is　left。　Suddenly　acquired；　the　climbing　instinct　no　less

suddenly　disappears。　（8/5。）



The　great　historiographer　of　instinct　has　thrown　a　wonderful　light；　by　his

beautiful　experi