fabre, poet of science-第32章

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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　depositing　her　eggs　on　the　leaves　of　the

cabbage；　〃on　which　the　young　must　themselves　find　food　and　shelter。〃



〃From　the　height　of　the　topmost　clusters　of　the　centaury　the　Clythris

negligently　lets　her　eggs　fall　to　the　ground；　one　by　one；　here　or　there　at

hazard；　without　the　least　care　as　to　their　installation。



〃The　eggs　of　the　Locustidae　are　implanted　in　the　earth　like　seeds　and

germinate　like　grain。〃



But　stop　before　the　Lycosa；　that　magnificent　type　of　maternal　love　which

Fabre　has　already　depicted。　〃She　broods　over　her　eggs　with　anxious

affection。　With　the　hinder　claws　resting　on　the　margin　of　the　well　she

holds　herself　supported　above　the　opening　of　the　white　sac；　which　is

swollen　with　eggs。　For　several　long　weeks　she　exposes　it　to　the　sun　during

half　the　day。　Gently　she　turns　it　about　in　order　to　present　every　side　to

the　vivifying　light。　The　bird；　in　order　to　hatch　her　eggs；　covers　them　with

the　down　of　her　breast；　and　presses　them　against　that　living　calorifer；　her

heart。　The　Lycosa　turns　hers　about　beneath　the　fires　of　heaven；　she　gives

them　the　sun　for　incubator。〃　（10。2。）　Could　abnegation　be　more　perfect？　What

greater　proof　could　there　be　of　renunciation　and　self…oblivion？



But　appearances　are　vain。　Substitute　for　the　beloved　sac　some　other　object；

and　the　spider　〃will　turn　about；　with　the　same　love；　as　though　it　were　her

sac　of　eggs；　a　piece　of　cork；　a　pincushion；　or　a　ball　of　paper；〃　just　as

the　hen；　another　victim　of　this　sublime　deception；　will　give　all　her　heart

to　hatching　the　china　nest…eggs　which　have　been　placed　beneath　her；　and　for

weeks　will　forget　to　feed。



The　young　brood　hatches；　and　the　spider　goes　a…hunting；　carrying　her　little

ones　on　her　back；　she　protects　them　in　case　of　danger；　but　is　incapable　of

recognizing　them　or　of　distinguishing　them　from　the　young　of　others。　The

Copris　and　the　Scorpion　are　no　less　blind；　〃and　their　maternal　tenderness

barely　exceeds　that　of　the　plant；　which；　a　stranger　to　any　sense　of

affection　or　morality；　none　the　less　exercises　the　most　exquisite　care　in

respect　of　its　seeds。〃



Moreover；　the　impulse　to　work　is　only　a　kind　of　unconscious　pleasure。　When

the　Pelopaeus　〃has　stored　her　lair　with　game；〃　when　the　Cerceris　has　sealed

the　crypt　to　which　she　has　confided　the　future　of　her　race；　neither　one　nor

the　other　can　foresee　〃the　future　offspring　which　their　faceted　eyes　will

never　behold；　and　the　very　object　of　their　labours　is　to　them　occult。〃



With　them；　as　with　all；　life　can　only　be　a　perpetual　illusion。



Yet　the　marvellous　edifice　of　the　〃Souvenirs　entomologiques〃　is　consummated

by　the　astonishing　history　of　the　Minotaur；　whose　habits　surpass　in　ideal

beauty　all　that　could　be　imagined。



At　the　bottom　of　a　burrow；　in　a　deeply　sunken　vault；　two　dung…beetles　are

at　work；　the　Minotaurs；　who；　once　united；　recognize　one　another；　and　can

find　one　another　again　if　separated；　but　do　not　voluntarily　separate；

realizing　〃the　moral　beauty　of　the　double　life〃　and　〃the　touching　concept

of　the　family；　the　sacred　group　par　excellence。〃　The　male　buries　himself

with　his　companion；　remains　faithful　to　her；　comes　to　her　assistance；　and

〃stores　up　treasure　for　the　future。　Never　discouraged　by　the　heavy　labour

of　climbing；　leaving　to　the　mother　only　the　more　moderate　labour；　keeping

the　severest　for　himself；　the　heavy　task　of　transport　in　a　narrow　tunnel；

very　deep　and　almost　vertical；　he　goes　foraging；　forgetful　of　himself；

heedless　of　the　intoxicating　delights　of　spring；　though　it　would　be　so　good

to　see　something　of　the　country；　to　feast　with　his　brothers；　and　to　pester

the　neighbours；　but　no！　he　collects　the　food　which　is　to　nourish　his

children；　and　then；　when　all　is　ready　for　the　new…comers；　when　their　living

is　assured；　having　spent　himself　without　counting　the　cost；　exhausted　by

his　efforts；　and　feeling　himself　failing；　he　leaves　his　home　and　goes　away

to　die；　that　he　may　not　pollute　the　dwelling　with　a　corpse。〃



The　mother；　on　her　side；　allows　nothing　to　divert　her　from　her　household；

and　only　returns　to　the　surface　when　accompanied　by　her　young；　who　disperse

at　will。　Then；　having　nothing　more　to　do；　the　devoted　creature　perishes　in

turn。　（10/3。）



Compared　with　the　Scarabaeus；　which　contents　itself　with　idle　wandering；　or

even　with　the　meritorious　Sisyphus；　does　it　not　seem　that　the　Minotaur

moves　on　an　infinitely　higher　plane？



What　nobler　could　be　found　among　ourselves？　What　father　ever　better

comprehended　his　duties　and　obligations　toward　his　family？　What　morality

could　be　more　irreproachable；　what　fairer　example　could　be　meditated？



〃Is　not　life　everywhere　the　same；　in　the　body　of　the　dung…beetle　as　in　that

of　man？　If　we　examine　it　in　the　insect；　do　we　not　examine　it　in　ourselves？〃



Whence　does　the　Minotaur　derive　these　particular　graces？　How　has　it　risen

to　so　high　a　level　on　the　wings　of　pure　instinct？　How　could　we　explain　the

rarity　of　so　sublime　an　example；　did　we　not　know；　to　satiety；　that　〃nature

everywhere　is　but　an　enigmatic　poem；　as　who　should　say　a　veiled　and　misty

picture；　shining　with　an　infinite　variety　of　deceptive　lights　in　order　to

evoke　our　conjectures〃？　（10/4。）



Nevertheless；　it　is　a　fact　that　the　majority　have　no　other　rule　of　conduct

than　to　follow　the　trend　of　their　instincts；　and　to　obey　〃their　unbridled

desires。〃　No　one　better　than　Fabre　has　expounded　the　blind　operation　of

these　little　natural　forces；　the　brutality　of　their　manners；　their

cannibalism；　and　what　we　might　call　their　amorality；　were　it　possible　to

employ　our　human　formulae　outside　our　own　human　world。



With　the　gardener…beetles；　if　one　is　crippled；　none　of　the　same　race　halts

or　lingers；　none　attempts　to　come　to　his　aid。　Sometimes　the　passers…by

hasten　to　the　invalid　to　devour　him。〃



In　the　republic　of　the　wasps　〃the　grubs　recognized　as　incurable　are

pitilessly　torn　from　their　place　and