fabre, poet of science-第26节

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word；　the　grubs　of　the　Volucella　〃are　the　nurses　of　the　larvae；〃　performing

the　most　intimate　duties。〃　（9/1。）



What　an　astonishing　conclusion！　What　a　disconcerting　and　unexpected　reply

to　the　〃theories　in　vogue〃！



Fabre；　however；　with　his　poetic　temperament　and　ardent　imagination；　seemed

admirably　prepared　to　grasp　all　that　vast　network　of　relations　by　which　all

creatures　are　connected；　but　what　proves　the　solidity　of　his　imperishable

work　is　that　all　theories；　all　doctrines；　and　all　systems　may　resort　to　it

in　turn　and　profit　by　his　proofs　and　arguments。



And　he　himself；　although　he　boasts　with　so　much　reason　of　putting　forward

no　pretensions；　no　theories；　no　systems；　has　he　not　even　so　yielded

somewhat　to　the　suggestions　of　the　prevailing　school　of　thought；　and　have

not　his　verdicts　against　evolution　often　been　the　more　excessive　in　that　he

has　paid　so　notable　a　tribute　to　the　evolutionary　progress　of　creation？



In　the　first　place；　he　is　far　from　excluding　the　undeniable　influence　of

environing　causes；　the　immense　role　of　those　myriad　external　circumstances

on　which　Lamarck　so　strongly　insisted；　but　the　work　of　these　factors　is；　in

his　eyes；　only　accessory　and　wholly　secondary　in　the　economy　of　nature；　and

in　any　case　it　is　far　from　explaining　the　definite　direction　and　the

transcendent　harmony　which　characterize　evolution；　both　in　its　totality　and

in　its　most　infinitesimal　details。



In　one　of　his　admirable　little　textbooks；　intended　to　teach　and　to

popularize　science；　he　complacently　enumerates　the　happy　modifications

effected　by　that　〃sublime　magician；〃　selection　as　understood　by　Darwin。　He

evokes　the　metamorphoses　of　the　potato；　which；　on　the　mountains　of　Chili；

is　merely　a　wretched　venomous　tubercle；　and　those　of　the　cabbage；　which　on

the　rocky　face　of　oceanic　precipices　is　nothing　but　a　weed；　〃with　a　tall

stem　and　scanty　disordered　leaves　of　a　crude　green；　an　acrid　savour；　and　a

rank　smell〃；　he　speaks　of　wheat；　formerly　a　poor　unknown　grass；　the

primitive　pear…tree　〃an　ugly　intractable　thorny　bush；　with　detestable

bitter　fruit〃；　the　wild　celery；　which　grows　beside　ponds；　〃green　all　over；

hard；　with　a　repulsive　flavour；　and　which　gradually　becomes　tenderer；

sweeter；　whiter；〃　and　〃ceases　to　distil　its　poison。〃　（9/2。）



With　profound　exactitude　this　great　biologist　has　also　perceived　the　degree

to　which　size　may　be　modified；　may　dwindle　to　dwarfness　when　a　niggardly

soil　refuses　to　furnish　beast　and　plant　alike　with　a　sufficient

nourishment。



Without　any　communication　with　the　other　scientists　who　were　occupied　by

the　same　questions；　knowing　nothing　of　the　results　which　these

experimenters　had　attained　in　the　case　of　small　mammiferous　animals；　and

which　prove　that　dwarfness　has　often　no　other　cause　than　physiological

poverty；　he　confirmed　and　expanded　their　ideas　from　an　entomological　point

of　view。　（9/3。）



Scarcely　ever；　indeed；　was　he　first　inspired　by　the　doings　of　others　in

this　or　that　direction；　he　read　scarcely　anything；　and　nature　was　his　sole

teacher。　He　considered　that　the　knowledge　to　be　obtained　from　books　is　but

so　much　vapour　compared　with　the　realities；　he　borrowed　only　from　himself；

and　resorted　directly　to　the　facts　as　nature　presented　them。　One　has　only

to　see　his　scanty　library　of　odd　volumes　to　be　convinced　how　little　he　owes

to　others；　whether　writers　or　workers。



A　true　naturalist　philosopher；　this　profound　observer　has　also　thrown　a

light　upon　certain　singular　anomalies　which；　in　the　insect　world；　seem　to

constitute　an　exception；　at　all　events　in　our　Europe；　to　the　general　rules。

It　is　not　only　to　the　curiosity　and　for　the　amusement　of　entomologists　that

he　proposes　these　curious　anatomical　problems；　but　also；　and　chiefly；　to

the　Darwinian　wisdom　of　the　evolutionists。



Why；　for　example；　is　the　Scarabaeus　sacer　born　and　why　does　it　remain

maimed　all　its　life；　that　is　to　say；　deprived　of　all　the　digits　on　the

anterior　limbs？



〃If　it　is　true　that　every　change　in　the　form　of　an　appendage　is　only　the

sign　of　a　habit；　a　special　instinct；　or　a　modification　in　the　conditions　of

life；　the　theory　of　evolution　should　endeavour　to　account　for　this

mutilation；　for　these　creatures　are；　like　all　others；　constructed　on　the

same　plan　and　provided　with　absolutely　the　same　appendages。〃



The　posterior　limbs　of　the　Geotrupes　stercorarius；　〃perfectly　developed　in

the　adult；　are　atrophied　in　the　larvae；　reduced　to　mere　specks。〃



The　general　history　of　the　species；　of　its　migrations　and　its　changes；　will

doubtless　one　day　throw　light　upon　these　strange　infirmities；　here

temporary　and　there　permanent；　which　may　perhaps　be　explained　by　unforeseen

encounters　with　undiscovered　specimens；　strayed　perhaps　into　distant

countries。　（9/4。）



What　invaluable　documents　for　the　entomologist　and　the　historian　of　the

evolution　of　the　species　are　those　multiple　and　fabulous　metamorphoses　of

the　Sitares　and　the　Melo？dae　which　this　indefatigable　inquirer　has　revealed

in　all　their　astonishing　phases！



One　of　the　finest　examples　of　scientific　investigation　is　the　pursuit；

through　a　period　of　twenty…five　years；　with　a　sagacity　which　seems　to

border　on　divination；　of　this　problem　of　HYPER…METAMORPHOSIS。　The　larvae　of

those　coleoptera　which　we　have　seen　introduced；　with　infernal　cunning；　into

the　cells　of　the　Anthophora　（See　Chapter　8　above。）；　suffer　no　less　than

four　moults　before　they　become　nymphs。



These　merely　external　transformations；　which　involve　only　the　envelope；　and

respect　the　internal　structure；　correspond　each　with　a　change　of

environment　and　of　diet。　Each　time　the　organism　adapts　itself　to　its　new

mode　of　existence；　〃as　perfectly　as　when　it　becomes　adult〃；　and　we　see　the

insect；　which　was　clear…sighted；　become　blind；　it　loses　its　feet；　to

recover　them　later；　its　slender　body　becomes　ventripotent；　hard；　it　grows

soft；　its　mandibles；　at　first　steely；　become　hollowed　out　spoonwise；　each

modification　of　conformation　having　its　motive　in　a　fresh　modification　of

the　conditions　of　the　creature's　life。



How　explain　this　strange　evolution　of　a　fourfold　larval　existence；　these

successive　appearances　of　organs；　which　become　entirely　unlike　what　they

were；　to　serve　functions　each　time　different？



What　is　the　reason；　the　intention；　the　high　law　which　presides　over　these

visible　changes；　these　successive　envelopments　of　creatures　one　within　the

other；　these　multiple　transfigurations？



By　what　bygone　adaptations　has　the　Sitaris　successively　acquired　these

diverse　extraordinary　phases　of　life；　indicating　possibly　for　each

corresponding　age　some　ancient　and　remote　heredity？　（9/5。）



How　many　other　arguments　might　evolution　derive　from　his　books；　and　what

illustrations　of　the　Darwinian　philosophy　has　he　unconsciously　furnished！

Does　he　not　even　allow　the　admission　to　escape　him　that　〃the　spirit　of

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　acq