fabre, poet of science-第23章

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overwhelmed　him；　and　was　often　too　great；　not　for　his　courage；　but　for　his

time　and　his　strength。〃　（9/15。）



Nevertheless；　while　evading　the　question　of　origins；　his　far…sighted

intellect　was　bound　to　〃read　from　the　facts〃　concerning　the　genesis　of　new

species　in　process　of　evolution；　and　his　observations　throw　a　singular

light　on　the　quite　recent　theory　of　sudden　mutations。



The　nymph　of　the　Onthophagus　presents　〃a　strange　paraphernalia　of　horns　and

spurs　which　the　organism　has　produced　in　a　moment　of　ardoura　luxurious

panoply　which　vanishes　in　the　adult。〃



The　nymph　of　the　Oniticella　also　decks　itself　in　〃a　temporary　horn；　which

departs　when　it　emerges。〃



And　〃as　the　dung…beetle　is　recent　in　the　general　chronology　of　creatures；

as　it　takes　rank　among　the　last　comers；　as　the　geological　strata　are　mute

concerning　it；　it　is　possible　that　these　horn…like　processes；　which　always

degenerate　before　they　reach　completion；　may　be　not　a　reminiscence　but　a

promise；　a　gradual　elaboration　of　new　organs；　timid　attempts　which　the

centuries　will　harden　to　a　complete　armour；　AND　IF　THIS　WERE　SO　THE　PRESENT

WOULD　TEACH　US　WHAT　THE　FUTURE　IS　TO　BE。〃　（9/16。）



Here　is　a　specific　transformation；　a　veritable　creation；　fortuitous；　blind；

and　silent；　one　of　those　innumerable　attempts　which　nature　is　always

making；　for　the　moment　a　mere　matter　of　hazard；　until　some　propitious

circumstance　fixes　it　in　future　incarnations。



Thus　millions　of　indeterminate　creatures　are　incessantly　roughed　out　in　the

substance　of　that　microcosm　which　is　the　initial　cell；　and　it　is　here　that

Fabre　sees　the　real　secret　of　the　law　of　evolution。



He　refutes　the　great　principle　of　Leibnitz；　which　was　so　brilliantly

adopted　by　Darwin；　that　changes　occur　by　degrees；　by　〃fine　shades；〃　by　slow

variations；　as　the　result　of　successive　adaptations；　and　that　there　is　no

jumping…off　place　in　nature。　On　the　contrary；　life　often　passes　suddenly

from　one　form　to　another；　by　abrupt　and　capricious　leaps；　by　irregular　and

disorderly　steps；　and　it　is　in　the　egg　that　Fabre　sees　the　first　lineaments

of　these　mysterious　and　spontaneous　variations。



Species　are　therefore　born　as　a　whole；　each　at　the　same　time；　AT　THE　SAME

MOMENT；　〃bringing　into　being　its　new　organism；　with　its　individual

properties　and　peculiarities；　its　indelible　and　innate　faculties　and

tendencies；　like　〃so　many　medals；　each　struck　with　a　different　die；　which

the　gnawing　tooth　of　time　attacks　only　sooner　or　later　to　annihilate　it。〃



However；　Fabre　affirms　the　continuity　of　progress；　he　believes　in　a　better

and　more　merciful　future；　a　more　complete　humanity；　ruled　by　more

harmonious　or　less　brutal　laws。



With　what　profound　intelligence　and　what　generous　enthusiasm　he　seeks　to

conjecture　what　this　future　might　be；　in　his　beautiful　observations　on　the

young　of　the　Lycosa　（9/17。）；　which　can　live　for　weeks　and　months　in

absolute　abstinence；　although　we　can　perceive　no　reserve　of　nutriment！



We　know　no　other　sources　of　animal　activity　save　the　energy　derived　from

food。　Vegetables　draw　the　materials　of　their　nourishment　from　the　soil　and

the　air；　and　the　sunlight　is　only　an　intermediary　which　enables　the　plant

to　fix　its　carbon。　The　animal　species　in　turn　borrow　the　elements

indispensable　to　their　existence　from　the　vegetable　world；　or　restore　their

flesh　and　blood　with　the　flesh　and　blood　of　other　animals。



Now　the　young　Lycosae　〃are　not　inert　on　their　mother's　back；　if　they　fall

from　the　maternal　chine　they　quickly　pick　themselves　up　and　climb　up　one　of

her　legs；　and　once　back　in　place　they　have　to　preserve　the　equilibrium　of

the　mass。　In　reality　they　know　no　such　thing　as　complete　repose。　What　then

is　the　energetic　aliment　which　enables　the　little　Lycosae　to　struggle？

Whence　is　the　heat　expended　in　action　derived？〃



Fabre　sees　no　other　source　than　〃the　sun。〃



〃Every　day；　if　the　sky　is　clear；　the　Lycosa；　loaded　with　her　little　ones；

crawls　to　the　edge　of　her　well；　and　for　long　hours　lies　in　the　sun。　There；

on　the　maternal　back；　the　young　ones　stretch　themselves　out；　saturate

themselves　in　the　sunshine；　charging　themselves　with　motor　reserves；

steeping　themselves　in　energy；　directly　converting　into　movement　the

calorific　radiations　coming　from　the　sun；　the　centre　of　all　life。〃



The　Scorpion　also　is　able　to　live　for　months　without　nourishment；　restoring

directly；　in　the　form　of　movement；　〃the　effluvia　emanating　from　the　sun　or

from　other　ambient　energiesheat；　electricity；　lightwhich　are　the　soul

of　the　world。〃



Perhaps；　among　the　innumerable　worlds　of　space；　there　is　somewhere；

gravitating　round　a　fixed　star；　a　planet　invisible　to　us　where　〃the

sunlight　sates　the　hunger　of　the　blind。〃



The　gentle　philosophy　of　the　ingenious　dreamer　soothes　itself　with　the

vision；　entertained　by　great　and　noble　minds；　of　a　humanity　〃whose　teeth

will　no　longer　attack　sensible　life；　nor　even　the　pulp　of　fruits〃；　〃when

creatures　will　devour　one　another　no　longer；　will　no　longer　feed　upon　the

dead；　when　they　will　be　nourished　by　the　sunlight；　without　conflict；

without　war；　without　labour；　freed　from　all　care；　and　assured　against　all

needs！〃



Thus；　in　the　humblest　creatures；　he　sees　the　most　marvellous　perspectives；

the　body　of　the　lowest　insect　becomes　suddenly　a　transcendent　secret；

lighting　up　the　abyss　of　the　human　soul；　or　giving　it　a　glimpse　of　the

stars。



And　although　his　work　is　in　contradiction　to　the　theories　of　the

evolutionists；　it　ends　with　the　same　moral　conclusion；　namely；　that　all

creation　moves　slowly　and　without　intermission　on　its　gradual　ascent

towards　progress。





CHAPTER　10。　THE　ANIMAL　MIND。



The　cunning　anatomist　has　now　successively　laid　bare　all　the　springs　of　the

animal　intellect；　he　has　shown　how　the　various　movements　are　mutually

combined　and　engaged。　But　so　far　we　have　seen　only　one　of　the　faces　of　the

little　mind　of　the　animal；　let　us　now　consider　the　other　aspect；　the　moral

side；　the　region　of　feeling；　the　problem　of　which　is　confounded　with　the

problem　of　instinct；　and　is　doubtless　fundamentally　only　another　aspect　of

the　same　elemental　power。



After　the　conflict　the　insect　manifests　its　delight；　it　seems　sometimes　to

exult　in　its　triumph；　〃beside　the　caterpillar　which　it　has　just　stabbed

with　its　sting；　and　which　lies　writhing　on　the　ground；〃　the　Ammophila

〃stamps；　gesticulates；　beats　her　wings；〃　capers　about；　sounding　victory　in

an　intoxication　of　delight。



The　sense　of　property　exists　in　a　high　degree　among　the　Mason…bees；　with

them　right　comes　before　might；　and　〃the　intruder　is　always　finally

dislodged。〃　（10/1。）



But　can　we　find　in　the　insect　anything　analogous　to　what　we　term　devotion；

attachment；　affectionate　feeling？　There　are　facts　which　lead　us　to　believe

we　may。



Let　us　go　once　more　into　Fabre's　garden　and　admire　the　Thomisus：　absorbed

in　her　maternal　function；　the　little　spider　lying　flat　on　her　nest　can

strive　no　longer　and　is　wasting　away；　but　persists　in　living；　mere　ruin

that　she　is；　in　order　to　open　the　door　to　her　family　with　one　last　bite。

Feeling　under　the　silken　roof　her　offspring　stamping　with　impatience；　but

knowing　that　they　have　not　strength　to　liberate　themselves；　she　perforates

the　capsule；　making　a　sort　of　practicable　skylight。　This　duty　accomplished；

she　quietly　surrenders　to　death；　still　grappled　to　her　nest。



The　Psyche；　dominated　by　a　kind　of　unconscious　necessity；　protects　her

nursery　by　means　of　her　body；　anchors　herself　upon　the　threshold；　and

perishes　there；　devoted　to　her　family　even　in　death。



However；　Fabre　will　show　us　with　infallible　logic　that　all　these　instances

of　foresight　and　maternal　tenderness　have；　as　a　rule；　no　other　motive　than

pleasure　and　the　blind　impulse　which　urges　the　insect　to　follow　only　the

fatal　path　of　its　instincts。



In　many　species　the　material　fact　of　maternity　is　reduced　to　its　simplest

expression。



The　Pieris　limits　herself　to　depositing　her　eggs　on　the　leaves　of　the

cabbage；　〃on　which　the　young　must　themselves　find　food　and　shelter。〃



〃From　the　height　of　the　topmost　clusters　of　the　centaury　the　Clythris

negligently　lets　her　eggs　fall　to　the　ground；　one　by　one；　here　or　there　at

hazard；　without　the　least　care　as　to　their　installation。



〃The　eggs　of　the　Locustidae　are　implanted　in　the　earth　like　seeds　and

germinate　like　grain。〃



But　stop　before　the　Lycosa；　that　magnificent　type　of　maternal　love　which

Fabre　has　already　depicted。　〃She　broods　over　her　eggs　with　anxious

affection。　With　the　hinder　claws　resting　on　the　margin　of　the　well　she

holds　herself　supported　above　the　opening　of　the　white　sac；　which　is

swollen　with　eggs。　For　several　long　weeks　she　exposes　it　to　the　sun　during

half　the　day。　Gently　she　turns　it　about　in　order　to　present　every　side　to

the　vivifying　light。　The　bird；　in　order　to　hatch　her　eggs；　covers　them　with

the　down　of　her　breast；　and　presses　them　against　that　living　calorifer；　her

heart。　The　Lycosa　turns　hers　about　beneath　the　fires　of　heaven；　she　gives

them　the　sun　for　incubator。〃　（10。2。）　Could　abnegation　be　more　perfect？　What

greater　proof　could　there　be　of　renunciation　and　self…oblivion？



But　appearances　are　vain。　Substitute　for　the　beloved　sac　some　other　object；

and　the　spider　〃will　turn　about；　with　the　same　love；　as　though　it　were　her

sac　of　eggs；　a　piece　of　cork；　a　pincushion；　or　a　ball　of　paper；〃　just　as

the　hen；　another　victim　of　this　sublime　deception；　will　give　all　her　heart

to　hatching　the　china　nest…eggs　which　have　been　placed　beneath　her；　and　for

weeks　will　forget　to　feed。



The　young　brood　hatches；　and　the　spider　goes　a…hunting；　carrying　her　little

ones　on　her　back；　she　protects　them　in　case　of　danger；　but　is　incapable　of

recognizing　them　or　of　distinguishing　them　from　the　young　of　others。　The

Copris　and　the　Scorpion　are　no　less　blind；　〃and　their　maternal　tenderness

barely　exceeds　that　of　the　plant；　which；　a　stranger　to　any　sense　of

affection　or　morality；　none　the　less　exercises　the　most　exquisite　care　in

respect　of　its　seeds。〃



Moreover；　the　impulse　to　work　is　only　a　kind　of　unconscious　pleasure。　When

the　Pelopaeus　〃has　stored　her　lair　with　game；〃　when　the　Cerceris　has　sealed

the　crypt　to　which　she　has　confided　the　future　of　her　race；　neither　one　nor

the　other　can　foresee　〃the　future　offspring　which　their　faceted　eyes　will

never　behold；　and　the　very　object　of　their　labours　is　to　them　occult。〃



With　them；　as　with　all；　life　can　only　be　a　perpetual　illusion。



Yet　the　marvellous　edifice　of　the　〃Souvenirs　entomologiques〃　is　consummated

by　the　astonishing　history　of　the　Minotaur；　whose　habits　surpass　in　ideal

beauty　all　that　could　be　imagined。



At　the　bottom　of　a　burrow；　in　a　deeply　sunken　vault；　two　dung…beetles　are

at　work；　the　Minotaurs；　who；　once　united；　recognize　one　another；　and　can

find　one　another　again　if　separated；　but　do　not　voluntarily　separate；

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