fabre, poet of science-第17节

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some　meaning。　But　when　we　have　succeeded　in　deciphering　these　living　texts；

and　have　grasped　the　allusion；　when；　beside　the　symbol；　we　have　succeeded

in　finding　the　commentary；　then　the　most　desolate　corner　of　the　earth

appears　to　the　solitary　seeker　as　a　gallery　full　of　the　masterpieces　of　an

unsuspected　art。　Fabre　puts　into　our　hands　the　golden　key　which　opens　the

doors　of　this　marvellous　museum。



Let　us　consider　the　terebinth　louse；　it　is　just　a　little　yellow　mite；　but

is　it　nothing　else？　Its　genealogical　history　teaches　us　〃by　what　amazing

essays　of　passion　and　variety　the　universal　law　which　rules　the

transmission　of　life　is　evolved。　Here　is　neither　father　nor　eggs；　all　these

mites　are　mothers；　and　the　young　are　born　living；　just　like　their　mothers。〃

To　this　end　〃almost　the　whole　of　the　maternal　substance　is　disintegrated

and　renewed　and　conglobated　to　form　the　ovarium。。。the　whole　creature　has

become　an　egg；　which　has；　for　its　shell；　the　dry　skin　of　the　tiny　creature；

and　the　microscope　will　show　a　whole　world　in　formation。。。a　nebulosity　as

of　white　of　egg；　in　which　fresh　centres　of　life　are　forming；　as　the　suns

are　condensed　in　the　nebulae　of　the　heavens。〃　（7/1。）



What　is　this　fleck　of　foam；　like　a　drop　of　saliva；　which　we　see　in

springtime　on　the　weeds　of　the　meadows；　among　others　on　the　spurge；　when

its　stems　begin　to　shoot；　and　its　sombre　flowers　open　in　the　sunlight？　〃It

is　the　work　of　an　insect。　It　is　the　shelter　in　which　the　Cicadellina

deposits　her　eggs。　What　a　miraculous　chemist！　Her　stiletto　excels　the

finest　craft　of　the　botanical　anatomist〃　by　its　sovereign　art　of　separating

the　acrid　poison　which　flows　with　the　sap　in　the　veins　of　the　most　venomous

plants；　and　extracting　therefrom　only　an　inoffensive　fluid。　（7/2。）



At　every　step　the　insects　set　us　problems　equally　varied。　The　other

creatures　are　nearer　to　us；　they　resemble　us　in　many　respects。　But　insects；

almost　the　first…born　of　creation；　form　a　world　apart；　and　contain；　in

their　tiny　bodies；　as　Réaumur　has　admirably　said；　〃more　parts　than　the　most

gigantic　animals。〃　They　have　senses　and　faculties　of　their　own；　which

enable　them　to　accomplish　actions；　which　are　doubtless　very　simply　related

in　reality；　but　which　seem；　to　our　minds；　as　extraordinary　as　the　habits　of

the　inhabitants　of　Mars　might；　if　by　chance　they　were　to　descend　in　our

midst。　We　do　not　know　how　they　hear；　nor　how　they　see　through　their

compound　eyes；　and　our　ignorance　concerning　the　majority　of　their　senses

still　further　increases　the　difficulty；　which　so　often　arrests　us；　of

interpreting　their　actions。



The　tubercled　Cerceris　〃finds　by　the　hundred〃　and　almost　immediately　a

species　of　weevil；　the　Cleona　ophthalmica；　on　which　it　feeds　its　larvae；

and　which　the　human　eye；　though　it　searches　for　hours；　can　scarcely　find

anywhere。　The　eyes　of　the　Cerceris　are　like　magnifying　glasses；　veritable

microscopes；　which　immediately　distinguish；　in　the　vast　field　of　nature；　an

object　that　human　vision　is　powerless　to　discover。　（7/3。）



How　does　the　Ammophila；　hovering　over　the　turf　and　investigating　it　far　and

wide；　in　its　search　for　a　grey　grub；　contrive　to　discern　the　precise　point

in　the　depth　of　the　subsoil　where　the　larva　is　slumbering　in　immobility？

〃Neither　touch　nor　sight　can　come　into　play；　for　the　grub　is　sealed　up　in

its　burrow　at　a　depth　of　several　inches；　nor　the　scent；　since　it　is

absolutely　inodorous；　nor　the　hearing；　since　its　immobility　is　absolute

during　the　daytime。〃　（7/4。）



The　Processional　caterpillar　of　the　pine…trees；　〃endowed　with　an　exquisite

hygrometric　sensibility；〃　is　a　barometer　more　infallible　than　that　of　the

physicists。　〃It　foresees　the　tempests　preparing　afar；　at　enormous

distances；　almost　in　the　other　hemisphere；〃　and　announces　them　several　days

before　the　least　sign　of　them　appears　on　the　horizon。　（7/5。）



A　wild　bee；　the　Chalicodoma；　and　a　wasp；　the　Cerceris；　carried　in　the　dark

far　from　their　familiar　pastures；　to　a　distance　of　several　miles；　and

released　in　spots　which　they　have　never　seen；　cross　vast　and　unknown　spaces

with　absolute　certainty；　and　regain　their　nests；　even　after　long　absence；

and　in　spite　of　contrary　winds　and　the　most　unexpected　obstacles。　It　is　not

memory　that　guides　them；　but　a　special　faculty　whose　astonishing　results　we

must　admit　without　attempting　to　explain　them；　so　far　removed　are　they　from

our　own　psychology。　（7/6。）　But　here　is　another　example：　



The　Greater　Peacock　moths　cross　hills　and　valleys　in　the　darkness；　with　a

heavy　flight　of　wings　spotted　with　inexplicable　hieroglyphics。　They　hasten

from　the　remotest　depths　of　the　horizon　to　find　their　〃sleeping　beauties；〃

drawn　thereto　by　unknown　odours；　inappreciable　by　our　senses；　yet　so

penetrating　that　the　branch　of　almond　on　which　the　female　has　perched；　and

which　she　has　impregnated　with　her　effluvium；　exerts　the　same　extraordinary

attraction。　（7/7。）



Considering　these　creatures；　we　end　by　discovering　more　things　than　are

contained　in　all　the　philosophies。。。if　we　know　how　to　look　for　them。



Among　so　many　unimaginable　phenomena；　which　bewilder　us；　〃because　there　is

nothing　analogous　in　us；〃　we　succeed　in　perceiving；　here　and　there；　a　few

glimpses　of　day；　which　suddenly　throw　a　singular　light　upon　this　black

labyrinth；　in　which　the　least　secret　we　can　surprise　〃enters　perhaps　more

directly　into　the　profound　enigma　of　our　ends　and　our　origins　than　the

secret　of　the　most　urgent　and　most　closely　studied　of　our　passions。〃　（7/8。）



Fabre　explains　by　hypnosis　one　of　those　curious　facts　which　have　hitherto

been　so　poorly　interpreted。　When　surprised　by　abnormal　conditions；　we　see

insects　suddenly　fall　over；　drop　to　the　ground；　and　lie　as　though　struck　by

lightning；　gathering　their　limbs　under　their　bodies。　A　shock；　an　unexpected

odour；　a　loud　noise；　plunges　them　instantly　into　a　sort　of　lethargy；　more

or　less　prolonged。　The　insect　〃feigns　death；〃　not　because　it　simulates

death；　but　in　reality　because　this　MAGNETIC　condition　resembles　that　of

death。　（7/9。）　Now　the　Odynerus；　the　Anthidium；　the　Eucera；　the　Ammophila；

and　all　the　hymenoptera　which　Fabre　has　observed　sleeping　at　the　fall　of

night；　〃suspended　in　space　solely　by　the　strength　of　their　mandibles；　their

bodies　tense；　their　limbs　retracted；　without　exhaustion　or　collapse〃；　and

the　larva　of　the　Empusa；　〃which　for　some　ten　months　hangs　to　a　twig　by　its

limbs；　head　downwards〃：　do　not　these　present　a　surprising　analogy　with

those　hypnotized　persons　who　possess　the　faculty　of　remaining　fixed　in　the

most　painful　poses；　and　of　supporting　the　most　unusual　attitudes；　for　an

extremely　long　time；　for　instance；　with　one　arm　extended；　or　one　foot

raised　from　the　ground；　without　appearing　to　experience　the　least　fatigue；

and　with　a　persevering　and　unfaltering　energy？　（7/10。）



That　the　ex…schoolmaster　was　able　to　penetrate　so　far　into　this　new　world；

and　that　he　has　been　able　to　interest　us　in　so　many　fascinating　problems；

was　due　to　the　fact　that　he　had　also　〃taken　a　wide　bird's…eye　view　through

all　the　windows　of　creation。〃　His　universal　capabilities；　his　immense

culture　and　almost　encyclopaedic　science　have　enabled　him　to　utilize；

thanks　to　his　studies；　all　the　knowledge　allied　to　his　subject。　He　is　not

one　of　those　who　understand　only　their　speciality　and　who；　knowing　nothing

outside　their　own　province　and　their　particular　labours；　refuse　to　grasp　at

anything　beyond　the　narrow　limits　within　which　they　stand　installed。



All　plants　are　to　him　so　familiar　that　the　flowers；　for　him；　assume　the

airs　of　living　persons。　But　without　a　profound　knowledge　of　botany；　who

would　hope　to　grasp　the　profound；　perpetual；　and　intimate　relations　of　the

plant　and　the　insect？



He　has　turned　over　strata　and　interrogated　the　schistous　deposits；　whose

archives　preserve　the　forms　of　vanished　organizations；　but　〃keep　silence　as

to　the　origin　of　the　instincts。〃　Bending　over　his　reagents；　he　has　sought

to　discover；　according　to　the　phrase　of　a　philosopher；　those　secret

retreats　in　which　Nature　is　seated　before　her　furnaces；　in　the　depths　of

her　laboratory；　following　up　the　metamorphoses　of　matter　even　to　the　wings

of　the　Scarabaei；　and　observing　how　life；　returning　to　her　crucible　the

debris　and　ashes　of　the　organism；　combines　the　elements　anew；　and　from　the

elements　of　the　urine　can　derive；　for　example；　by　a　simple　displacement　of

molecules；　〃all　this　dazzling　magic　of　colours　of　innumerable　shades：　the

amethystine　violet　of　Geotrupes；　the　emerald　of　the　rose…beetle；　the　gilded

green　of　the　Cantharides；　the　metallic　lustre　of　the　gardener…beetles；　and

all　the　pomp　of　the　Buprestes　and　the　dung…beetles。〃　（7/11。）



His　books　are　steeped　in　all　the　ideas　of　modern　physics。　The　highest

mathematical　knowledge　has　been　referred　to　with　profit　in　his　marvellous

description　of　the　hunting…net　of　the　Epe？ra。　Whose　〃terribly　scientific〃

combinations　realize　〃the　spiral　logarithm　of　the　geome