fabre, poet of science-第19章

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

beautiful　experiments　relating　to　the　nidification　of　the　mason…bee；　upon

the　indissoluble　succession　of　its　different　phases；　the　lineal

concatenation；　the　inevitable　and　necessary　order　which　presides　over　each

of　these　nervous　discharges　of　which　the　total　series　constitutes；　properly

speaking；　a　mode　of　action。



The　mason…bee　continues　to　build　upon　the　ready…completed　nest　presented　to

her。　She　obstinately　insists　upon　provisioning　a　cell　already　duly　filled

with　the　quantity　of　honey　required　by　the　larva；　because；　in　this　case　as

in　the　other；　the　impulse　which　incites　her　to　build　or　to　provision　the

nest　has　not　yet　been　exhausted。



On　the　other　hand；　if　we　empty　the　little　cup　of　its　contents　when　she　has

filled　it　she　will　not　recommence　her　labours。　〃The　process　of　provisioning

being　complete；　the　secret　impulse　which　urged　her　to　collect　her　honey　is

no　longer　active。　The　insect　therefore　ceases　to　store　her　honey；　and；　in

spite　of　this　accident；　lays　her　egg　in　the　empty　cell；　thus　leaving　the

future　nursling　without　nourishment。〃　（8/6。）



In　the　case　of　the　Pelopaeus；　Fabre　calls　our　attention　to　one　of　the　most

instructive　physiological　spectacles　that　can　be　imagined。



While　the　mason…bee　does　not　notice　that　her　cell　has　been　emptied；　the

Pelopaeus　cannot　perceive　that　the　tricks　of　the　experimenter　have　resulted

in　the　disappearance　of　her　progeny；　and　she　〃continues　to　store　away

spiders　for　a　germ　that　no　longer　exists；　she　perseveres　untiringly　in　her

useless　hunting；　as　though　the　future　of　her　larva　depended　on　it；　she

amasses　provisions　which　will　feed　no　one；　more；　she　pushes　aberration　to

the　extent　of　plastering　even　the　place　where　her　nest　was　if　we　remove　it；

giving　the　last　strokes　of　the　trowel　to　an　imaginary　building；　and　putting

her　seals　upon　empty　nothing。〃　（8/7。）



》From　these　facts；　and　others；　no　less　celebrated；　which　show　〃the　inability

of　insects　to　escape　from　the　routine　of　their　customs　and　their　habitual

labours；〃　Fabre　derives　so　many　proofs　of　their　lack　of　intelligence。



The　Epe？ra　fasciata　is　incapable　of　replacing　a　single　radial　thread　in　the

geometrical　structure　of　its　web；　when　broken；　it　recommences　the　entire

web　every　evening；　and　weaves　it　at　one　stretch　with　the　most　beautiful

mastery；　as　though　merely　amusing　itself。



The　caterpillar　of　the　Greater　Peacock　moth　teaches　us　the　same　lesson；

when　occupied　in　weaving　its　cocoon　it　does　not　know　how　to　repair　an

artificial　rent；　and　〃in　spite　of　the　certainty　of　its　death；　or　rather

that　of　the　future　butterfly；　it　quietly　continues　to　spin；　without

troubling　to　cover　the　rent；　devoting　itself　to　a　superfluous　task；　and

ignoring　the　treacherous　breach；　which　leaves　the　cocoon　and　its　inhabitant

at　the　mercy　of　the　first　thief　that　finds　it。〃　（8/8。）



Thus　〃because　one　action　has　just　been　performed；　another　must　inevitably

be　performed　to　complete　the　first；　what　is　done　is　done；　and　is　never

repeated。　Like　the　watercourse；　which　cannot　climb　the　hills　and　return　to

its　source；　the　insect　does　not　retrace　its　steps　or　repeat　its　actions；

which　follow　one　another　invariably；　and　are　inevitably　connected　in　a

necessary　order；　like　a　series　of　echoes；　one　of　which　awakens

another。。。The　insect　knows　nothing　of　its　marvellous　talents；　just　as　the

stomach　knows　nothing　of　its　cunning　chemistry。　It　builds　like　a

bricklayer；　weaves；　hunts；　stabs；　and　paralyses；　as　it　secretes　the　venom

of　its　weapons；　the　silk　of　its　cocoon；　the　wax　of　its　comb；　or　the　threads

of　its　web；　always　without　the　slightest　knowledge　of　the　means　and　the

end。〃　（8/9。）



Thus　instinct　is　one　thing　and　intelligence　is　another；　and　for　Fabre　there

is　no　transition　which　can　transform　the　one　into　the　other。



But　how　profound　and　abundant；　how　infinite　is　the　source　from　which　this

manifold　activity　derives；　distributed　as　it　is　throughout　the　entire

animal　kingdom；　and　which　in　ourselves　commands　the　profoundest　part　of　our

nature；　unconscious；　or　even　in　opposition　to　our　wonderful　intelligence；

which　it　often　silences　or　altogether　overwhelms。



Although　the　insect　〃has　no　need　of　lessons　from　its　elders〃　in　order　to

accomplish　its　beautiful　masterpieces；　the　comprehensive　concept　of　the

genius　which　rises　spontaneously　and　at　a　single　step　to　the　loftiest

conceptions　is　not　always　a　product　of　pure　reason。



Compare　the　sublime　logic　of　animal　maternity；　the　impeccable　dictates　of

instinct；　with　the　hesitations；　the　gropings；　the　uncertainties；　the　errors

and　tragic　failures　of　human　maternity；　when　it　seeks　to　replace　the

unerring　commands　of　instinct　by　the　clumsy　efforts　of　the　intelligence！



If　all　is　darkness　to　the　animal；　apart　from　its　habitual　paths；　how　feeble

and　hesitating；　how　faltering　and　unequal　is　reason　when　it　seeks　to　oppose

its　laborious　inductions　to　the　infallible　wisdom　of　the　unconscious！



It　is；　in　fact；　to　this　concatenation　of　actions；　narrowly　connected　by　a

mutual　dependence；　that　we　owe　this　inexhaustible　series　of　cunning

industries　and　wonderful　arts。　To　Fabre　they　are　so　many　feats　of　a　learned

unconsciousness。



〃See　the　nest；　the　accustomed　masterpiece　of　mothers；　it　is　more　often　than

otherwise　an　animal　fruit；　a　coffer　full　of　germs；　containing　eggs　in　place

of　seeds。〃



The　satin　bag　of　the　Epe？ra　fasciata；　in　which　her　eggs　are　enclosed；

〃breaks　at　the　caress　of　the　sun；　like　the　skin　of　an　over…ripe

pomegranate。〃



The　Dorthesia；　the　louse　inhabiting　the　euphorbia；　〃trebles　the　length　of

her　body；　prolonging　its　hinder　part　into　a　pouch；　comparable　to　that　of

the　opossum；　into　which　the　eggs　are　dropped；　and　in　which　the　young　are

hatched；　to　leave　it　afterwards　at　will。〃　（8/10。）



The　Chermes　of　the　ilex　〃hardens　into　a　rampart　of　ebony；　whence　an

innumerable　legion　of　vermin　bursts　forth　one　day　without　changing　their

place。〃



The　capsule　of　gold…beater's　skin；　in　which　the　grubs　of　the　Cione　are

enclosed；　divides　itself；　at　the　moment　of　liberation；　into　two　hemispheres

〃of　a　regularity　so　perfect　that　they　recall　exactly　the　bursting　of　the

pyxidium　when　the　seed　is　distributed。〃　（8/11。）



Here　and　there；　however；　we　catch　a　glimpse　of　a　rudiment　of　what　we

understand　by　consciousness；　in　the　shape　of　a　〃vague　discrimination。〃



Each　plant　has　its　lover；　drawn　to　it　by　a　kind　of　elective　affinity　and

invariable　tendency。　The　Larra　makes　for　the　thistle；　the　Vanessa　for　the

nettle；　the　Clytus　for　the　ilex；　and　the　Crioceris　for　the　lily。　〃The

weevil　knows　nothing　but　its　peas　and　beans；　the　golden　Rhynchites　only　the

sloe；　and　the　Balaninus　only　the　nut　or　acorn。〃



But　the　Pieris；　which　haunts　the　cabbage；　frequents　the　nasturtium　also；

and　the　golden　rose…beetle；　which　〃intoxicates　itself　at　the　clusters　of

the　hawthorn；〃　is　no　less　addicted　to　the　nectar　of　the　rose。



The　Xylocopa；　which　burrows　in　the　trunks　of　trees　and　old　rafters；　forming

little　round　corridors　in　which　to　lodge　her　offspring；　〃will　utilize

artificial　galleries　which　she　has　not　herself　bored。〃



The　Chalicodoma　〃also　is　aware　of　the　economic　advantages　of　an　old

abandoned　nest〃；　the　Anthophora　is　careful　to　establish　her　family　〃at　the

least　expense；〃　and　profits　on　occasion　by　galleries　which　have　been　mined

by　previous　generations；　adapting　herself　to　these　new　conditions；　she

repairs　the　tunnels　which　she　did　not　construct　〃and　economizes　her

forces。〃　（8/12。）



It　would　seem；　therefore；　that　these　tiny　minds　are　created　and　shaped　by

means　of　experience；　they　recognize　〃that　which　is　most　fitting〃；　they

learn；　they　compare；　may　we　not　also　say　that　they　judge？



Does　not　the　Mason…bee；　〃which　rakes　the　roads　for　a　dry　powdery　dust　and

mixes　it　with　saliva　to　convert　it　into　a　hard　cement；〃　foresee　that　this

mud　will　harden？



Is　the　Pelopaeus　devoid　of　judgment　when　she　seeks　the　interior　of

dwelling…houses　in　order　to　shelter　her　nest　of　dried　clay；　which　the　least

drop　of　rain　would　reduce　to　its　original　state　of　mud？



Is　it　without　knowledge　of　the　effects　that　the　sloe…weevil　builds　a

ventilating　chimney　to　prevent　the　asphyxiation　of　her　larva？　that　the

Scarabaeus　sacer　contrives　a　filter　at　the　smaller　end　of　its　pear…shaped

ball；　by　means　of　which　the　grub　is　able　to　breathe？　or　that　Arachne

labyrintha　〃introduces　in　her　silk…work　a　rampart　of　compressed　earth　to

protect　her　eggs　from　the　probe　of　the　Ichneumon〃？



May　we　not　also　see　a　masterpiece　of　the　highest　logic　in　the　house　of　the

trap…door　spider；　Arachne　clotho；　which　is　furnished　with　a　door；　a　true

door　〃which　she　throws　open　with　a　push　of　the　leg；　and　carefully　bolts

behind　her　on　returning　by　means　of　a　little　silk〃？　（8/13。）



What　a　miracle　of　invention　too　is　the　prodigious　nest　of　the　Eumenes；

〃with　its　egg　suspended　by　a　thread　from　the　roof；　like　a　pendulum；

oscillating　at　the　lightest　breath　in　order　to　save　it　from　contact　with

the　caterpillars；　which；　incompletely　paralysed；　are　wriggling　and　writhing

below〃！　Later；　when　the　egg　is　hatched；　〃the　filament　is　transformed　into　a

tube；　a　place　of　refuge；　up　which　the　grub　clambers　backwards。　At　the　least

sign　of　danger　from　the　mass　of　caterpillars　the　larva　retreats　into　its

sheath　and　ascends　to　the　roof；　where　the　wriggling　swarm　cannot　reach　it。〃

（8/14。）



Let　us　refer　also　to　the　remarkable　history　of　the　Copris。　We　cannot　deny

that　the　valiant　dung…beetle　is　capable　of　〃evading　the　accidental〃　（which

to　Fabre　constitutes　one　of　the　distinctive　characteristics　of　the

intelligence）；　since　it　immediately　intervenes　if　with　the　point　of　a

penknife　we　open　the　roof　of　its　nest　and　lay　bare　its　egg。　〃The　fragments

raised　by　the　knife　are　immediately　brought　together　and　soldered；　so　that

no　trace　is　left　of　the　injury；　and　all　is　once　more　in　order。〃　We　may　read

also　with　what　incredible　address　the　mother　Copris　was　able　to　use　and　to

profit　by　the　ready…made　pellets　of　cow…dung　which　it　occurred　to　Fabre　to

offer　her。　（8/15。）



But　their　scope　is　limited；　and　encroaches　very　little；　in　the　eyes　of　the

great　observer；　on　the　domain　of　intelligence。　This　he　demonstrates　to

satiety；　and　his　astonishing　Necrophori；　which　adapt　themselves　so

admirably　to　circumstances　and　triumph　over　the　experimental　difficulties

to　which　he　subjects　them；　seem　scarcely　to　exceed　the　limits　of　those

actions　which　at　bottom　are　merely　unconscious。　（8/16。）



With　the　spawning　of　the　Osmia；　Fabre　throws　a　fresh　and　unexpected　light

on　the　intuitive　knowledge　of　instinct。



We　are　still　groping　our　way　among　the　causes　which　rule　the　determination

of　the　sexes。　Biology　has　only　been　able　to　throw　a　few　scattered　lights　on

the　subject；　and　we　possess　only　a　few　approximate　data；　which　nevertheless

are　turned　to　accoun