fabre, poet of science- 第25部分

This　is　why　he　cared　so　little　to　engage　in　argument　relating　to　his　own

works；　he　did　not　care　for　discussion；　he　was　indifferent　to　the　daily

press；　he　avoided　criticism　and　controversy；　and　never　replied　to　the

attacks　which　were　made　upon　him；　he　rather　took　pains　to　surround　himself

with　silence　until　the　day　when　he　felt　that　his　researches　were　ripe　and

ready　for　publicity。



He　wrote　to　his　dear　friend　Devillario；　shortly　after　Darwin's　death：　



〃I　have　made　a　rule　of　never　replying　to　the　remarks；　whether　favourable　or

the　reverse；　which　my　writings　may　evoke。　I　go　my　own　gait；　indifferent

whether　the　gallery　applauds　or　hisses。　To　seek　the　truth　is　my　only

preoccupation。　If　some　are　dissatisfied　with　the　result　of　my　observations…

…if　their　pet　theories　are　damaged　therebylet　them　do　the　work

themselves；　to　see　whether　the　facts　tell　another　story。　My　problem　cannot

be　solved　by　polemics；　patient　study　alone　can　throw　a　little　light　on　the

subject。　（9/13。）



〃I　am　profoundly　indifferent　to　what　the　newspapers　may　say　about　me；〃　he

wrote　to　his　brother　seventeen　years　later；　〃it　is　enough　for　me　if　I　am

pretty　well　satisfied　with　my　own　work。〃　（9/14。）



He　read　all　the　letters　he　received　only　in　a　superficial　manner；

neglecting　to　thank　those　who　praised　or　congratulated　him；　and　above　all

shrinking　from　all　that　idle　correspondence　in　which　life　is　wasted　without

aim　or　profit。



〃I　fume　and　swear　when　I　have　to　cut　into　my　morning　in　order　to　reply　to

so…and…so　who　sends　me；　in　print　or　manuscript；　his　meed　of　praise；　if　I

were　not　careful　I　should　have　no　time　left　for　far　more　important　work。〃



His　beloved　Frédéric；　〃the　best　of　his　friends；〃　was　himself　often　treated

no　better；　and　to　excuse　his　silence　and　the　infrequency　of　his　letters；

Henri；　even　in　the　years　spent　at　Carpentras　and　Ajaccio；　could　plead　only

the　same　reasons；　his　stupendous　labours；　his　exhausting　task；　〃which

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　depositi