fabre, poet of science-第24节

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〃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　account　by　the　breeders　of　insects。　We　are　still　in　the

region　of　illusion　and　imperfect　prognostics。



But　the　Osmia　knows　what　we　do　not。　She　is　deeply　versed　in　all

physiological　and　anatomical　knowledge；　and　in　the　faculty　of　creating

children　of　either　sex　at　will。



These　pretty　bees；　〃with　coppery　skin　and　fleece　of　ruddy　velvet；〃　which

establish　their　progeny　in　the　hollow　of　a　bramble　stump；　the　cavity　of　a

reed；　or　the　winding　staircase　of　an　empty　snail…shell；　know　the　fixed　and

immutable　genetic　laws　which　we　can　only　guess　at；　and　are　never　mistaken。



This　marvellous　prerogative　the　Osmia　shares　with　a　host　of　apiaries；　in

which　the　unequal　development　of　the　males　and　females　requires　an　unequal

provision　of　space　and　of　nourishment　for　the　future　larvae。　For　the

females；　who　exceed　in　point　of　size；　huge　cells　and　abundant　provision；

for　the　more　puny　males；　narrow　cells　and　a　smaller　ration　of　pollen　and

honey。



Now　the　circumstances　which　are　encountered　by　the　Osmia；　when；　pressed　by

the　necessities　of　spawning；　she　searches　for　a　dwelling；　are　often

fortuitous　and　incapable　of　modification；　and　in　order　to　give　each　set　of

larvae　the　necessary　space　〃she　lays　at　will　a　male　or　a　female　egg；

according　to　the　conditions　of　space。〃



In　this　marvellous　study；　which　constitutes；　with　the　history　of　the

Cerceris；　the　finest　masterpiece　of　experimental　entomology；　Fabre

brilliantly　establishes　all　the　details　of　that　curious　law　which　in　the

Hymenoptera　rules　both　the　distribution　and　the　succession　of　the　sexes。　In

his　artificial　hives；　in　glass　cylinders；　he　forces　the　Osmia　to　commence

her　spawning　with　the　males；　instead　of　beginning　with　the　females　as

nature　requires；　since　the　insect　is　primarily　preoccupied　with　the　more

important　sex；　that　which　ensures　par　excellence　the　perpetuation　of　the

species。　He　even　forces　the　whole　swarm　which　buzzes　about　his　work…tables；

his　books；　his　bottles；　and　apparatus；　completely　to　change　the　order　of

its　spawning。　He　shows　finally　that　in　the　heart　of　the　ovaries　the　egg　of

the　Osmia　has　as　yet　no　determined　sex；　and　that　it　is　only　at　the　precise

moment　when　the　egg　is　on　the　point　of　emerging　from　the　oviduct　that　it

receives；　AT　THE　WILL　OF　THE　MOTHER；　the　mysterious；　final；　and　inevitable

imprint。



But　whence　does　the　Osmia　derive　this；　〃distinct　idea　of　the　invisible〃？

Here　again　is　one　of　those　riddles　of　nature　which　Fabre　declares　himself

quite　incapable　of　solving。　（8/17。）



Is　this　all？　No；　we　are　far　from　having　made　the　tour　of　this　miraculous

and　incommensurable　kingdom　through　which　this　admirable　master　leads　us；

and　I　should　never　be　done　were　I　to　attempt　to　exhaust　all　the　spectacles

which　he　offers　us。　Let　us　descend　yet　another　step；　among　creatures　yet

smaller　and　humbler。　We　shall　find　tendencies；　impulses；　preferences；

efforts；　intentions；　〃Machiavellic　ruses　and　unheard…of　stratagems。〃



Certain　miserable　black　mites；　living　specks；　the　larvae　of　a　beetle；　one

of　the　Meloidae；　the　Sitaris；　are　parasites　of　the　solitary　bee；　the

Anthophora。　They　wait　patiently　all　the　winter　at　the　entrance　of　her

tunnel；　on　the　slope　of　a　sunny　bank；　for　the　springtime　emergence　of　the

young　bees；　as　yet　imprisoned　in　their　cells　of　clay。　A　male　Anthophora；

hatched　a　little　earlier　than　the　females；　appears　in　the　entrance　of　the

tunnel；　these　mites；　which　are　armed　with　robust　talons；　rouse　themselves；

hasten　to　and　fro；　hook　themselves　to　his　fleece；　and　accompany　him　in　all

his　peregrinations；　but　they　quickly　recognize　their　error；　for　these

animated　specks　are　well　aware　that　the　males；　occupied　all　day　long　in

scouring　the　country　and　pillaging　the　flowers；　live　exclusively　out　of

doors；　and　would　in　no　wise　serve　their　end。　But　the　moment　comes　when　the

Anthophora　pays　court　to　the　fair　sex；　and　the　imperceptible　creature

immediately　profits　by　the　amorous　encounter　to　change　its　winged　courser。

〃These　pigmies　therefore　have　a　memory；　an　experience　of　facts〃　（and　how

one　is　tempted　to　add；　a　glimmering　of　intelligence！）。　Grappled　now　to　the

female　bee；　the　grub　of　the　Sitaris　〃conceals　itself；　and　allows　itself　to

be　carried　by　her〃　to　the　end　of　the　gallery　in　which　she　is　now　contriving

her　cradle；　〃watches　the　precise　moment　when　the　egg　is　laid；　installs

itself　upon　it；　and　allows　itself　to　fall　therewith　upon　the　surface　of　the

honey；　in　order　to　substitute　itself　for　the　future　offspring　of　the

Anthophora；　and　possess　itself　of　house　and　victuals。〃　（8/18。）



Another　〃little　gelatinous　speck；〃　〃a　shadow　of　a　creature；〃　the　larva　of　a

Chalcidian；　the　Leucopsis；　one　of　the　parasites　of　the　Mason…bee；　knows

that　in　the　cell　of　the　mason　there　is　food　for　one　only。　Scarcely　has　it

entered　the　tiny　dwelling　but　we　see　this　〃nameless　shape〃　for　several　days

〃anxiously　wandering；　it　visits　the　top　and　bottom；　the　back；　the　front；

the　sides〃；　it　makes　the　tour　of　its　domain；　〃it　searches　in　the　darkness；

palpitating；　seemingly　with　an　object　in　view。〃　What　does　this　〃animated

globule〃　want？　why　is　this　atom　so　excited？　It　is　searching　to　discover　if

there　is　not　in　some　corner　hitherto　unexplored　another　larva；　a　rival；

that　it　may　exterminate　it！　（8/19。）



What　then　intrinsically　is　instinct？　And　what　intrinsically　is

intelligence？



How　can　we　propose　to　draw　up　the　inexhaustible　inventory　of　all　the

manifestations　of　life；　and　why　attempt　to　include　all　its　species　and

their　unknown　varieties　in　narrow　classes？　Why　say　that　there　are　only　two

modes　of　life；　instinct　on　the　one　hand　and　intelligence　on　the　other；

〃when　we　know　how　subtle　and　illusive　is　this　Proteus；　and　that　there　are

not　two　things　only；　but　a　thousand　dissimilar　things〃　（8/20。）：　or　rather

is　it　not　always　the　same　thing；　everywhere　present　and　acting　in　living

matter；　and　susceptible　of　infinite　degrees；　under　forms　and　disguises

innumerable？



This　is　why　it　escapes　the　〃scalpel　of　the　masters〃　and　the　apparatus　of

the　chemists。　We　may　dissect；　we　may　scrutinize　organs　under　the　magnifying

glass；　examine　wing…cases；　count　the　nervures　of　the　wings；　the　number　of

articulations　in　the　limbs；　we　may　reckon　every　point；　like　Réaumur

forgetting　not　a　line；　not　a　hair；　we　may　compare　and　measure　every　portion

of　the　mouth；　and　define　the　class；　and　we　shall　not　find　a　single　point　in

all　this　physical　architecture　which　will　positively　inform　us　of　the

habits　of　the　insect。　Of　what　account　are　a　few　slight　differences？　It　is

in　the　physical　far　more　than　in　the　anatomical　differences　that　the

inviolable　demarcation　between　two　species　exists。　Instincts　dominate

forms；　the　tool　does　not　make　the　artisan；　〃and　none　of　these　various

structures；　however　well　adapted　they　may　appear　to　us；　bears　within　it　its

reason　or　its　finality。〃



Thus　whatever　opinion　we　may　hold　as　to　the　nature　of　instinct；　the

accomplishments　and　habits　of　insects