太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > fabre, poet of science >

第28节

fabre, poet of science-第28节

小说: fabre, poet of science 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




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 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; 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 1

你可能喜欢的