fabre, poet of science- 第22部分

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　are　not；　properly　speaking；　connected

with　the　external　and　visible　form　of　their　organs；　and　their　acts　do　not

necessarily　presuppose　the　instruments　which　would　be　appropriate　to　them。



We　know　that　with　most　organisms；　and　particularly　with　plants；　an　almost

imperceptible　variation　in　material　circumstances　is　often　enough　to　modify

their　character　and　to　produce　fresh　aptitudes。　Nevertheless；　we　can　but

wonder；　with　Fabre；　that　physical　modifications；　which；　when　they　do　exist；

are　so　slight　always　as　to　have　escaped　the　most　perfect　observation；

should　have　sufficed　to　determine　the　appearance　of　profoundly　dissimilar

faculties。　Inexplicable　abilities；　unexpected　habits；　unforeseen　physical

aptitudes；　and　unheard…of　industries　are　exercised　by　means　of　organs　which

are　here　and　there　practically　identical。　〃The　same　tools　are　equally　good

for　any　purpose。　Talent　alone　is　able　to　adapt　them　to　manifold　ends。〃



The　Anthidia　have　two　particular　industries；　〃those　which　felt　cotton　and

card　the　soft　down　of　hairy　plants　have　the　same　claws；　the　same　mandibles；

composed　of　the　same　portions　as　those　which　knead　resin　and　mix　it　with

fine　gravel。〃　（8/21。）



The　sloe…weevil　〃bores　the　hard　stone　of　the　sloe　with　the　same　rostrum　as

that　which　its　congeners；　so　like　it　in　conformation；　employ　to　roll　the

leaves　of　the　vine　and　the　poplar　into　tiny　cigars。〃



The　implement　of　the　Megachile；　the　rose…fly；　is　by　no　means　appropriate　to

its　industry；　〃yet　the　perfectly　circular　fragments　of　leaves　have　the

precise　perfection　of　form　that　a　punch　would　give。〃



The　Xylocopa；　in　order　to　pierce　wood　and　to　bore　its　galleries　in　an　old

rafter；　employs　〃the　same　utensils　which　in　others　are　transformed　into

picks　and　mattocks　to　attack　clay　and　gravel；　and　it　is　only　a

predisposition　of　talent　that　holds　each　worker　to　his　speciality。〃



Moreover；　have　not　the　superior　animals　the　same　senses　and　the　same

structure；　yet　what　inequality　there　is　among　them；　in　the　matter　of

aptitudes　and　degrees　of　intelligence！



Habits　are　no　more　determined　by　anatomical　peculiarities　than　are

aptitudes　or　industries。



The　two　Goat…moth　caterpillars；　of　similar　structure；　have　entirely

different　stomachic　aptitudes；　〃the　exclusive　portion　of　the　one　is　the　oak

and　of　the　other　the　hawthorn　or　the　cherry…laurel。〃



〃Whence　does　the　Mantis　derive　its　excessive　hunger；　its　pugnacity；　its

cannibalism；　and　the　Empusa　its　sobriety；　its　peaceableness；　when　their

almost　identical　organization　would　seem　to　indicate　an　identity　of　needs；

instincts；　and　habits？〃



In　the　same　way　the　black　scorpion　appears　to　present　none　of　the

interesting　peculiarities　which　we　observe　in　the　habits　of　its　congener；

the　white　scorpion　of　Languedoc。　（8/22。）



Structure；　therefore；　tells　us　nothing　of　aptitude；　the　organ　does　not

explain　its　function。　Let　the　specialists　hypnotize　themselves　over　their

lenses　and　microscopes；　they　may　accumulate　at　leisure　masses　of　details

relating　to　this　or　that　family　or　genus　or　individual；　they　may　undertake

the　most　subtle　inquiries；　may　write　thousands　and　thousands　of　pages　in

order　to　detail　a　few　slight　variations；　without　even　succeeding　in

exhausting　the　matter：　they　will　not　even　have　seen　what　is　most　wonderful。



When　the　little　insect　has　for　the　last　time　cleaned　its　claws；　the　secret

of　the　little　mind　has　fled　for　ever；　with　all　the　feelings　that　animated

it　and　gave　it　life。　That　which　is　crystallized　in　death　cannot　explain

what　was　life。　This　is　the　thought　which　the　Proven？al　singer；　with　that

intuition　which　is　the　privilege　of　genius；　has　expressed　in　these

melodious　lines：　



〃Oh！　pau　de　sèn　qu'emé　l'escaupre

Furnant　la　mort；　creson　de　saupre；　

La　vertu　de　l'abiho　e　lou　secrèt　doù　méu。〃



（O　men　of　little　sense；　who　seek；　

Scalpel　in　hand；　to　make　Death　tell

The　virtue　of　the　bee；　the　secret