fabre, poet of science-第30节

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None　exists　save　to　the　detriment　of　others。　Everywhere；　even　in　the

smallest；　we　find　〃an　atrocious　activity；　a　cunning　brigandage；〃　a　savage

extermination；　which　dominates　a　vast　unconscious　world　of　which　the　final

result　is　the　restoration　of　equilibrium。　（10/7。）　It　is　only　on　these

antagonisms；　on　the　enemies　of　our　enemies；　that　we　can　found　any　hope　of

seeing　this　or　that　pest　disappear。　A　small　Hymenopteron；　almost　invisible；

the　Microgaster　glomeratus；　is　entrusted　with　the　destruction　of　the

cabbage　caterpillar；　the　cochineal　wages　war　to　the　death　upon　the　green…

fly；　the　Ammophila　is　the　predestined　murderer　of　the　harvest　Noctuela；

whose　misdeeds　in　a　beetroot　country　often　amount　to　a　disaster。　The

Odynerus　has　for　its　instinctive　mission　to　arrest　the　excessive

multiplication　of　a　lucerne　weevil；　no　less　than　twenty…four　of　whose　grubs

are　necessary　to　rear　the　offspring　of　the　brigand；　and　nearly　sixty

gadflies　are　sacrificed　to　the　growth　of　a　single　Bembex。



Everywhere　craft　is　organized　to　triumph　over　force。　Around　each　nest　the

parasites　lie　in　wait；　〃atrocious　assassins　of　the　child　in　the　cradle；

watching　at　the　doors　for　the　favourable　occasion　to　establish　their　family

at　the　expense　of　others。　The　enemy　penetrates　the　most　inaccessible

fortress；　each　has　its　tactics　of　war；　devised　with　a　terrible　art。　Of　the

nest　and　the　cocoon　of　the　victim　the　intruder　makes　its　own　nest；　its　own

cocoon；　and　in　the　following　year；　instead　of　the　master　of　the　house；　he

will　emerge　from　underground　as　the　usurping　bandit；　the　devourer　of　the

inhabitant。〃



While　the　cicada　is　absorbed　in　laying　her　eggs　an　insignificant　fly

labours　to　destroy　them。　How　express　the　calm　audacity　of　this　pigmy；

following　closely　after　the　colossus；　step　by　step；　several　at　once　almost

under　the　talons　of　the　giant；　which　could　crush　them　merely　by　treading　on

them？　But　the　cicada　respects　them；　or　they　would　long　ago　have

disappeared。〃　（10/8。）



Fabre　thus　agrees　with　Pasteur；　who　in　the　world　of　the　infinitely　little

shows　us　the　same　antagonisms；　the　same　vital　competition；　the　same　eternal

movement　of　flux　and　reflux；　the　same　whirlpool　of　life；　which　is

extinguished　only　to　reappear：　tending　always　towards　an　equilibrium　which

is　incessantly　destroyed。　And　it　is　thanks　to　this　balancing　that　the

integral　of　life　remains　everywhere　and　always　almost　identical　with

itself。





CHAPTER　11。　HARMONIES　AND　DISCORDS。



Such　indeed　is　the　economy　of　nature　that　secret　relations　and　astonishing

concordances　exist　throughout　the　whole　vast　weft　of　things。　There　are　no

loose　ends；　everything　is　consequent　and　ordered。　Hidden　harmonies　meet　and

mingle。



Among　the　terebinth　lice；　〃when　the　population　is　mature；　the　gall　is　ripe

also；　so　fully　do　the　calendars　of　the　shrub　and　the　animal　coincide〃；　and

the　mortal　enemy　of　the　Halictus；　the　sinister　midge　of　the　springtime；　is

hatched　at　the　very　moment　when　the　bee　begins　to　wander　in　search　of　a

location　for　its　burrows。



The　fantastic　history　of　the　larvae　of　the　Anthrax　furnishes　us　with　one　of

the　most　suggestive　examples　of　these　strange　coincidences。　（10/9。）



The　Anthrax　is　a　black　fly；　which　sows　its　eggs　on　the　surface　of　the　nests

of　the　Mason…bee；　whose　larvae　are　at　the　moment　reposing　in　their　silken

cocoons。



〃The　grub　of　the　Anthrax　emerges　and　comes　to　life　under　the　touch　of　the

sunlight。　Its　cradle　is　the　rugged　surface　of　the　cell；　it　is　welcomed　into

the　world　by　a　literally　stony　harshness。。。Obstinately　it　probes　the　chinks

and　pores　of　the　nest；　glides　over　it；　crawls　forward；　returns；　and

recommences。　The　radicle　of　the　germinating　seed　is　not　more　persevering；

not　more　determined　to　descend　into　the　cool　damp　earth。　What　inspiration

impels　it？　What　compass　guides　it？　What　does　the　root　know　of　the　fertility

of　the　soil？。。。The　nurseling；　the　seed　of　the　Anthrax；　is　barely　visible；

almost　escaping　the　gaze　of　the　magnifying　glass；　a　mere　atom　compared　to

the　monstrous　foster…mother　which　it　will　drain　to　the　very　skin。　Its　mouth

is　a　sucker；　with　neither　fangs　nor　jaws；　incapable　of　producing　the

smallest　wound；　it　sucks　in　place　of　eating；　and　its　attack　is　a　kiss。〃　It

practises；　in　short；　a　most　astonishing　art；　〃another　variation　of　the

marvellous　art　of　feeding　on　the　victim　without　killing　it　until　the　end　of

the　meal；　in　order　always　to　have　a　store　of　fresh　meat。　During　the

fourteen　days　through　which　the　nourishment　of　the　Anthrax　continues；　the

aspect　of　the　larva　remains　that　of　living　flesh；　until　all　its　substance

has　been　literally　transferred；　by　a　kind　of　transpiration；　to　the　body　of

the　nurseling；　and　the　victim；　slowly　exhausted；　drained　to　the　last　drop；

while　retaining　to　the　end　just　enough　life　to　prove　refractory　to

decomposition；　is　reduced　to　the　mere　skin；　which；　being　insufflated；　puffs

itself　out　and　resumes　the　precise　form　of　the　larva；　there　being　nowhere　a

point　of　escape　for　the　compressed　air。〃



Now　the　grub　of　the　Anthrax　〃appears　precisely　at　the　exact　moment　when　the

larva　of　the　Chalicodoma　is　attacked　by　that　lethargy　which　precedes

metamorphosis；　and　which　renders　it　insensible；　and　during　which　the

substance　of　the　grub　about　to　be　transfigured　into　a　bee　commences　to

break　down　and　resolve　itself　into　a　liquid　pulp；　for　the　processes　of　life

always　liquefy　the　grub　before　achieving　the　perfect　insect。〃　（11/2。）



Here　again　the　time…tables　coincide。



But　it　is　perhaps　in　the　celebrated　Odyssey　of　the　grub　of　the　Sitaris　that

Fabre　most　urgently　claims　our　admiration　for　the　marvellous　and

incomprehensible　wisdom　of　the　Unconscious！



Let　us　recapitulate　the　unheard…of　series　of　events；　the　inextricable

complication　of　circumstances；　which　are　required　to　condition　the　lowly

life　of　a　Sitaris。



In　the　first　place；　this　microscopic　creature　must　be　provided　with　talons；

or　how　could　it　adhere　to　the　fleece　of　the　Anthophora；　on　which　it　must

live　as　parasite　for　a　certain　length　of　time？



Then　again；　it　must　transfer　itself　from　the　male　to　the　female　bee　in　the

course　of　its　travels　abroad；　or　its　destiny　would　be　cut　short。



Again；　it　must　not　miss　the　opportunity　of　embarking　itself　upon　the　egg

just　at　the　propitious　moment。



Then　the　volume　of　this　egg　must　be　so　calculated　as　to　represent　an

allowance　of　food　exactly　proportioned　to　the　duration　of　the　first　phase

of　its　metamorphosis。　Moreover；　the　quantity　of　honey　accumulated　by　the

bee　must　suffice　for　the　whole　of　the　remaining　cycle　of　its　larval

existence。



Let　a　single　link　of　the　chain　be　broken；　and　the　entire　species　of　the

Sitaris　is　no　longer　possible。



If　every　species　has　its　law；　if　the　Geotrupes　remain　faithful　to　filth；

although　experience　shows　that　they　can　accommodate　themselves　equally　well

to　the　putrefaction　of　decayed　leaves；　if　the　predatory　speciesthe

Cerceris；　the　Sphex；　the　Ammophilaresort　only　to　one　species　of　quarry　to

nourish　their　larvae；　although　these　same　larvae　accept　all　indifferently；

it　is　on　account　of　those　superior　economic　laws　and　secret　alliances　the

profound　reasons　for　which　as　a　rule　escape　us　or　are　beyond　the　scope　of

our　theories。



For　all　things　are　produced　and　interlocked　by　the　eternal　necessity；　link

engages　in　link；　and　life　is　only　a　plexus　of　solitary　forces　allied　among

themselves　by　their　very　nature；　the　condition　of　which　is　harmony。　And　the

whole　system　of　living　creatures　appears　to　us；　through　the　work　of　the

great　naturalist；　as　an　immense　organism；　a　sort　of　vast　physiological

apparatus；　of　which　all　the　parts　are　mutually　interdependent；　and　as

narrowly　controlled　as　all　the　cells　of　the　human　body。



Fabre　goes　on　to　present　us　with　other　facts；　which　at　a　first　glance

appear　highly　immoral；　I　am　referring　to　certain　phases　of　sexual　love

among　the　lower　animals；　and　his　ghoulish　revelations　concerning　the

horrible　bridals　of　the　Arachnoids；　the　Millepoda；　and　the　Locustidae。



The　Decticus　surrenders　only　to　a　single　exploit　of　love；　a　victim　of　its

〃strange　genesics〃；　utterly　exhausted　by　the　first　embrace；　empty；　drained；

extenuated；　motionless　in　all　its　members；　utterly　worn　out；　it　quickly

succumbs；　a　mere　broken　simulacrum；　like　the　miserable　lover　of　a　monstrous

succubus　who　〃loves　him　enough　to　devour　him。〃　（11/3。）



The　female　scorpion　devours　the　male；　〃all　is　gone　but　the　tail！〃



The　female　Spider　delights　in　the　flesh　of　her　lover。



The　cricket　also　devours　a　small　portion　of　her　〃debonair〃　admirer。



The　Ephippigera　〃excavates　the　stomach　of　her　companion　and　eats　him。〃



But　the　horror　of　these　nuptial　tragedies　is　surpassed　by　the　insatiable

lust；　the　monstrous　conjunction；　the　bestial　delights　of　the　Mantis；　that

〃ferocious　spectre；　never　wearied　of　embraces；　munching　the　brains　of　its

spouse　at　the　very　moment　of　surrendering　her　flanks　t