fabre, poet of science-第30章

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cunning　and　deception　is　transmitted〃？　He　sees　in　the　persecutions　of　the

Dytiscus；　the　〃pirate　of　the　ponds；〃　the　origin　of　the　faculty　which　the

Phryganea　has　of　refashioning　its　shield　when　demanded　of　it。　〃To　evade　the

assault　of　the　brigand；　the　Phryganea　must　hastily　abandon　its　mantle；　it

allows　itself　to　sink　to　the　bottom；　and　promptly　removes　itself；　necessity

is　the　mother　of　invention。〃　（9/6。）



Returning　to　the　lacunae　which　it　so　amazes　Fabre　to　discover　in　our

organization；　even　in　the　most　perfect　of　us；　are　they　fundamentally　very

real？　These　mysterious　and　unknown　senses　which　he　has　so　greatly

contributed　to　elucidate　in　the　case　of　the　inferior　species：　why；　he　asks；

have　we　not　inherited　them；　if　we　are　truly　the　final　term　and　the　supreme

goal　of　creation？



But　in　cultivating　our　intuition；　as　Bergson　invites　us　to　do；　would　it　be

impossible　to　re…awaken；　deep　within　us；　these　strange　faculties；　which

perhaps　are　only　slumbering？　What　of　that　species　of　indefinable　memory

which　permits　the　red　ant；　the　Bembex；　the　Cerceris；　the　Pompilus；　the

Chalicodoma　and　so　many　others　to　〃find　themselves；〃　to　orientate

themselves　with　infallible　certainty　and　incredible　accuracy？　Is　it　not　to

be　found；　according　to　travellers；　in　those　men　who　have　remained　close　to

nature　and　accustomed　from　their　remotest　origins　to　listen　to　the　silence

of　the　great　deserts？



Finally；　the　evolutionists；　who　〃reconstruct　the　world　in　imagination；〃　and

who　see　in　the　relationship　of　neighbouring　species　a　proof　of　descent　or

derivation；　and　a　whole　ideal　series；　will　not　fail　to　perceive　throughout

his　work；　in　the　elementary　operations　of　the　Eumenes　and　the　Odynerus；

cousins　of　the　Cerceris；　which　sting　their　prey　in　places　as　yet　ill

determined；　not　indeed　so　many　isolated　attempts；　but　an　incomplete　process

of　invention；　an　attempt　at　procedures　still　in　the　fact　of　formation：　in　a

word；　the　birth　of　that　marvellous　instinct　which　ends　in　the　transcendent

art　of　the　Sphex　and　the　Ammophila。



Although　they　have　acquired　such　prodigious　deftness；　these　master

paralysers　are　not；　in　fact；　always　infallible。　Occasionally　the　Sphex

blunders　and　gropes；　〃operates　clumsily〃；　the　cricket　revives；　gets　upon

its　feet；　turns　round　and　round；　and　tries　to　walk。　But；　inquires　Fabre；　do

you　say　that　having　profited　by　a　fortuitous　act；　which　has　turned　out　to

be　favourable　to　them；　they　have　perfected　themselves　by　contact　with　their

elders；　〃thanks　to　the　imitation　of　example；〃　and　that　they　have　thus

crystallized　their　experiences；　which　have　been　transmitted　by　heredity

thereby　fixed　in　the　race？　（9/7。）



How　much　we　should　prefer　that　it　were　so！　How　much　more　comprehensible　and

interesting　their　life　would　become！



But　〃when　the　hymenopteron　breaks　its　cocoon；　where　are　its　masters！　Its

predecessors　have　long　ago　disappeared。　How　then　can　it　receive　education

by　example？〃



You　who　〃shape　the　world　to　your　whim；〃　you　will　reply：　〃Doubtless　there

are　no　longer　masters　to…day；　but　go　back　to　the　first　ages　of　the　globe；

when　the　world　in　its　newness；　as　Lucretius　has　so　superbly　said；　as　yet

knew　neither　bitter　cold　nor　excessive　heat　（9/8。）；　an　eternal　springtide

bathed　the　earth；　and　the　insects；　not　dying；　as　to…day；　at　the　first　touch

of　frost；　two　successive　generations　lived　side　by　side；　and　the　younger

generation　could　profit　at　leisure　by　the　lessons　of　example。〃　（9/9。）



Let　us　return　to　Fabre's　laboratory；　to　the　covers　of　wire…gauze；　and　note

what　becomes；　at　the　approach　of　winter；　of　the　survivors　of　the　vespine

city。



In　the　mild　and　comfortable　retreat　where　the　wasps　are　kept　under

observation　they　die　no　less；　despite　their　well…being　and　all　the　care

expended　on　them；　when　once　〃the　inexorable　hour〃　has　struck；　and　once　the

exact　capital　of　life　which　seems　to　have　been　imparted　to　them　ages　ago　is

exhausted。　With　no　apparent　cause；　we　see　death　busy　among　them。　〃Suddenly

the　wasps　begin　to　fall　as　though　struck　by　lightning；　for　a　few　moments

the　abdomen　quivers　and　the　legs　gesticulate；　then　finally　remain　inert；

like　a　clockwork　machine　whose　spring　has　run　down　to　the　last　coil。〃

（9/10。）　This　law　is　general；　〃the　insect　is　born　orphaned　both　of　mother

and　father；　excepting　the　social　insect；　and　again　excepting　the　dung…

beetle；　which　dies　full　of　days。〃　（9/11。）



Moreover；　Fabre　is　never　weary　of　demonstrating　that　the　insect；　perfectly

unconscious　of　the　motive　which　makes　it　act；　this　thereby　incapable　of

profiting　by　the　lessons　of　experience　and　of　innovation　in　its　habits；

beyond　a　very　narrow　circle。　〃No　apprentices；　no　masters。〃　In　this　world

each　obeys　〃the　inner　voice〃　on　its　own　account；　each　sets　itself　to

accomplish　its　task；　not　only　without　troubling　as　to　what　its　neighbour　is

doing；　but　without　thinking　any　further　as　to　what　it　is　doing　itself；

instance　the　Epe？ra；　turning　its　back　on　its　work；　yet　〃the　latter　proceeds

of　itself；　so　well　is　the　mechanism　devised〃；　and　if　by　ill　chance　the

spider　acted　otherwise　it　would　probably　fail。



Darwin　knew　barely　the　tenth　part　of　the　colossal　work　of　Fabre。　He　had

read　firstly　in　the　〃Annals　of　Natural　Science〃　of　the　habits　of　the

Cerceris　and　the　fabulous　history　of　the　Meloidae。　Finally　he　saw　the　first

volume　of　the　〃Souvenirs〃　appear；　and　was　interested　in　the　highest　degree

by　the　beautiful　study　on　the　sense　of　location　and　direction　in　the　Mason…

bees。



This　was　already　more　than　enough　to　excite　his　curiosity　and　to　make　him

wonder　whether　all　his　philosophy　would　not　stumble　over　this　obstacle。



After　having　succeeded　in　explaining　so　luminouslyand　with　what　a　lofty

purviewthe　origin　of　species　and　the　whole　concatenation　of　animal　forms；

would　it　not　be　as　though　he　halted　midway　in　his　task　were　the　sanctuary

of　the　origin　of　instinct　to　remain　for　ever　inscrutable？



Fabre　had　not　yet　left　Orange　when　Darwin　engaged　in　a　curious

correspondence　which　lasted　until　the　former　had　been　nearly　two　years　at

Sérignan；　and　which　showed　how　passionately　interested　the　great　theorist

of　evolution　was　in　all　the　Frenchman's　surprising　observations。



It　seems　that　on　his　side　Fabre　took　a　singular　interest　in　the　discussion

on　account　of　the　absolute　sincerity；　the　obvious　desire　to　arrive　at　the

truth；　and　also　the　ardent　interest　in　his　own　studies；　of　which　Darwin's

letters　were　full。　He　conceived　a　veritable　affection　for　Darwin；　and

commenced　to　learn　English；　the　better　to　understand　him　and　to　reply　more

precisely；　and　a　discussion　on　such　a　subject　between　these　two　great

minds；　who　were；　apparently；　adversaries；　but　who　had　conceived　an　infinite

respect　for　one　another；　promised　to　be　prodigiously　interesting。



Unhappily　death　was　soon　to　put　an　end　to　it；　and　when　the　solitary　of　Down

expired　in　1882　the　hermit　of　Sérignan　saluted　his　great　shade　with　real

emotion。　How　many　times　have　I　heard　him　render　homage　to　this　illustrious

memory！



But　the　furrow　was　traced；　thenceforth　Fabre　never　ceased　to　multiply　his

pin…pricks　in　〃the　vast　and　luminous　balloon　of　transformism　（evolution）；

in　order　to　empty　it　and　expose　it　in　all　its　inanity。〃　（9/12。）　By　no　means

the　least　original　feature　of　his　work　is　this　passionate　and　incisive

argument；　in　which；　with　a　remarkable　power　of　dialectic；　and　at　times　in　a

tone　of　lively　banter；　he　endeavoured　to　remove　〃this　comfortable　pillow

from　those　who　have　not　the　courage　to　inquire　into　its　fundamental

nature。〃　He　attacked　these　〃adventurous　syntheses；　these　superb　and

supposedly　philosophic　deductions；〃　all　the　more　eagerly　because　he　himself

had　an　unshakable　faith　in　the　absolute　certainty　of　his　own　discoveries；

and　because　he　asserted　the　reality　of　things　only　after　he　had　observed

and　re…observed　them　to　satiety。



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

works；　he　did　not　care　for　discu