fabre, poet of science-第39章

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All　sing　for　happiness；　each　after　its　kind；　through　the　calm　of　the　summer

days。　Their　minds　are　intoxicated；　it　is　their　fashion　of　praying；　of

adoring；　of　expressing　〃the　joys　of　life：　a　full　crop　and　the　sun　on　the

back。〃　Even　the　humble　grasshopper　rubs　its　flanks　to　express　its　joy；

raises　and　lowers　its　shanks　till　its　wing…cases　squeak；　and　is　enchanted

with　its　own　music；　which　it　commences　or　terminates　suddenly　〃according　to

the　alternations　of　sun　and　shade。〃　Each　insect　has　its　rhythm；　strident　or

barely　perceptible；　the　music　of　the　thickets　and　fallows　caressed　by　the

sun；　rising　and　falling　in　waves　of　joyful　life。



The　insects　make　merry；　they　hold　uproarious　festival；　and　they　mate

insatiably；　even　before　forming　a　mutual　acquaintance；　in　a　furious　rush　of

living；　for　〃love　is　the　sole　joy　of　the　animal；〃　and　〃to　love　is　to　die。〃



Hardly　unwrapped；　still　dusty　from　the　strenuous　labour　of　deliverance；

〃the　female　of　the　Scolia　is　seized　by　the　male；　who　does　not　even　give　her

time　to　wash　her　eyes。〃　Having　slept　over　a　year　underground；　the　Sitares；

barely　rid　of　their　mummy…cases；　taste；　in　the　sunlight；　a　few　minutes　of

love；　on　the　very　site　of　their　re…birth；　then　they　die。　Life　surges；

burns；　flares；　sparkles；　rushes　〃in　a　perpetual　tide；〃　a　brief　radiance

between　two　nights。



A　world　of　a　myriad　fairies　fills　the　rustling　forest：　day　and　night　it

unfolds　a　thousand　marvellous　pictures；　about　the　root　of　a　bramble；　in　the

shadow　of　an　old　wall；　on　a　slope　of　loose　soil；　or　in　the　dense　thickets。



〃The　insect　is　transfigured　for　the　nuptial　ceremony；　and　each　hopes；　in

its　ritual；　to　declare　its　passion。〃　Fabre　had　some　thought　of　writing　the

Golden　Book　of　their　bridals　and　their　wedding　festivals　（13/4。）；　the

Kamasutra　of　their　feasts　and　rules　of　love；　and　with　what　art；　at　once

frank　and　reserved；　has　he　here　and　there　handled　this　wonderful　theme！　In

the　radiant　garden　of　delight；　where　no　detail　of　truth　is　omitted；　but

where　nothing　shocks　us；　Fabre　reveals　himself　as　he　is　in　his

conversation；　evading　the　subject　where　it　takes　a　licentious　turn；

fundamentally　chaste　and　extremely　reserved。



At　the　foot　of　the　rocks　the　Psyche　〃appears　in　the　balcony　of　her　boudoir；

in　the　rays　of　the　caressing　sun；　lying　on　the　cloudy　softness　of　an

incomparable　eider…down。〃　She　awaits　the　visit　of　the　spouse；　〃the　gentle

Bombyx；〃　who；　for　the　ceremony；　〃has　donned　his　feathery　plumes　and　his

mantle　of　black　velvet。〃　〃If　he　is　late　in　coming；　the　female　grows

impatient；　then　she　herself　makes　the　advances；　and　sets　forth　in　search　of

her　mate。〃



Drawn　by　the　same　voluptuous　and　overwhelming　force；　the　cricket　ventures

to　leave　his　burrow。　Adorned　〃in　his　fairest　attire；　black　jacket；　more

beauteous　than　satin；　with　a　stripe　of　carmine　on　the　thigh；〃　he　wanders

through　the　wild　herbage；　〃by　the　discreet　glimmer　of　twilight；〃　until　he

reaches　the　distant　lodging　of　the　beloved。　There　at　last　he　arrives　〃upon

the　sanded　walk；　the　court　of　honour　that　precedes　the　entry。〃　But　already

the　place　is　occupied　by　another　aspirant。　Then　the　two　rivals　fall　upon

one　another；　biting　one　another's　heads；　〃until　it　ends　by　the　retreat　of

the　weaker；　whom　the　victor　insults　by　a　bravura　cry。〃　The　happy　champion

bridles；　assuming　a　proud　air；　as　of　one　who　knows　himself　a　handsome

fellow；　before　the　fair　one；　who　feigns　to　hide　herself　behind　her　tuft　of

aphyllantus；　all　covered　with　azure　flowers。　〃With　a　gesture　of　a　fore…limb

he　passes　one　of　his　antennae　through　his　mandibles　as　though　to　curl　it；

with　his　long…spurred；　red…striped　legs　he　shuffles　with　impatience；　he

kicks　the　empty　air；　but　emotion　renders　him　mute。〃　（13/5。）



In　the　foliage　of　the　ash…tree　the　lover　of　the　female　Cantharis　thrashes

his　companion；　who　makes　herself　as　small　as　she　can；　hiding　her　head　in

her　bosom；　he　bangs　her　with　his　fists；　buffets　her　with　his　abdomen；

〃subjects　her　to　an　erotic　storm；　a　rain　of　blows〃；　then；　with　his　arms

crossed；　he　remains　a　moment　motionless　and　trembling；　finally；　seizing

both　antennae　of　the　desired　one；　he　forces　her　to　raise　her　head　〃like　a

cavalier　proudly　seated　on　horse　and　holding　the　reins　in　his　hands。〃



The　Osmiae　〃reply　by　a　click　of　the　jaws　to　the　advances　of　their　lovers；

who　recoil；　and　then；　doubtless　to　make　themselves　more　valiant；　they　also

execute　a　ferocious　mandibular　grimace。　With　this　byplay　of　the　jaws　and

their　menacing　gestures　of　the　head　in　the　empty　air　the　lovers　have　the

air　of　intending　to　eat　one　another。〃　Thus　they　preface　their　bridals　by

displays　of　gallantry；　recalling　the　ancient　betrothal　customs　of　which

Rabelais　speaks；　the　pretenders　were　cuffed　and　derided　and　threatened　with

a　hearty　pummelling。　（13/6。）



On　the　arid　hillsides；　where　the　doubtful　rays　of　the　moon　pierce　the

storm…clouds　and　illumine　the　sultry　atmosphere；　the　pale　scorpions；　with

short…sighted　eyes；　hideous　monsters　with　misshapen　heads；　〃display　their

strange　faces；　and　two　by　two；　hand　in　hand；　stalk　in　measured　paces　amid

the　tufts　of　lavender。　How　tell　their　joys；　their　ecstasies；　that　no　human

language　can　express。。。！〃　（13/7。）



However；　the　glow…worm；　to　guide　the　lover；　lights　its　beacon　〃like　a　spark

fallen　from　the　full　moon〃；　but　〃presently　the　light　grows　feebler；　and

fades　to　a　discreet　nightlight；　while　all　around　the　host　of　nocturnal

creatures；　delayed　in　their　affairs；　murmur　the　general　epithalamium。〃

（13/8。）



But　their　happy　time　is　soon　over；　tragedy　is　about　to　follow　idyll。



One　must　live；　and　〃the　intestine　rules　the　world。〃



All　creatures　that　fill　the　world　are　incessantly　conflicting；　and　one

lives　only　at　the　cost　of　another。



On　the　other　hand；　in　order　that　the　coming　generations　may　see　the　light；

the　present　generations　must　think　of　the　preservation　of　the　young。

〃Perish　all　the　rest　provided　the　brood　flourish！〃　And　in　the　depth　of

burrows　the　future　larvae　who　live　only　for　their　stomachs；　〃little　ogres；

greedy　of　living　flesh；〃　must　have　their　prey。



To　hunger　and　maternity　let　us　also　add　love；　which　〃rules　the　world　by

conflict。〃



Such　are　the　components　of　the　〃struggle　for　existence；〃　such　as　Fabre　has

described　it；　but　with　no　other　motive　than　to　describe　what　he　has

observed　and　seen。　Such　are　the　ordinary　themes　of　the　grandiose　battles

which　he　has　scattered　through　his　narratives；　and　never　did　circus　or

arena　offer　more　thrilling　spectacles；　no　jungle　ever　hid　more　moving

combats　in　its　thickets。〃



〃Each　has　its　ruses　of　war；　its　methods　of　attack；　its　methods　of　killing。〃



What　tactics〃studied；　scientific；　worthy　of　the　athletes　of　the　ancient

palaestra〃are　those　which　the　Sphex　employs　to　paralyse　the　Cricket　and

the　Cerceris　to　capture　the　Cleona；　to　secure　them　in　a　suitable　place；　so

as　to　operate　on　them　more　surely　and　at　leisure！



Beside　these　master　paralysers；　so　expert　in　the　art　of　dealing　slow　death；

there　are　those　which；　with　a　precision　no　less　scholarly；　kill　and　wither

their　victims　at　a　single　stroke；　and　without　leaving　a　trace：　〃true

practitioners　in　crime。〃



On　the　rock…rose　bushes；　with　their　great　pink　flowers；　〃the　pretty

Thomisus；　the　little　crab…spider；　clad　in　satin；〃　watches　for　the　domestic

bee；　and　suddenly　kills　it；　seizing　the　back　of　the　head；　while　the

Philanthus；　also　seizing　it　by　the　head；　plunges　its　sting　under　the　chin；

neither　too　high　nor　too　low；　but　〃exactly　in　the　narrow　joint　of　the

neck；〃　for　both　insects　know　that　in　this　limited　spot；　in　which　is

concentrated　a　small　nervous　mass；　something　like　a　brain；　is　〃the　weak

point；　most　vulnerable　of　all；〃　the　fault　in　the　cuirass；　the　vital　centre。

Others；　like　the　Araneidae；　intoxicate　their　prey；　and　their　subtle　bite；

〃which　resembles　a　kiss；〃　in　whatever　part　of　the　body　it　is　applied；

〃produces　almost　immediately　a　gradual　swoon。〃



Thus　the　great　hairy　Bourdon；　i