Doesnotthefactthatthissensehasnotbeenhandeddowntouspointtoaflawinthepedigree?Isubmitthelittleproblemtotheevolutionists;andIshouldmuchliketoknowwhattheirprotoplasmandtheirnucleushavetosaytoit。
IsthisunknownsenselocalizedinaparticularpartoftheWaspandtheBee?Isitexercisedbymeansofaspecialorgan?Weimmediatelythinkoftheantennae。Theantennaearewhatwealwaysfallbackuponwhentheinsect’sactionsarenotquitecleartous;wegladlyputdowntothemwhateverismostnecessarytoourarguments。Forthatmatter,Ihadplentyoffairlygoodreasonsforsuspectingthemofcontainingthesenseofdirection。WhentheHairyAmmophila(ASand-
waspwhohuntstheGreyWorm,orCaterpillaroftheTurnip-moth,toserveasfoodforhergrubs。ForothervarietiesoftheAmmophila,cf。
"InsectLife":chapter15。——Translator’sNote。)issearchingfortheGreyWorm,itiswithherantennae,thosetinyfingerscontinuallyfumblingatthesoil,thatsheseemstorecognizethepresenceoftheundergroundprey。Couldnotthoseinquisitivefilaments,whichseemtoguidetheinsectwhenhunting,alsoguideitwhentravelling?Thisremainedtobeseen;andIdidsee。
ItooksomeMason-beesandamputatedtheirantennaewiththescissors,ascloselyasIcould。Thesemaimedoneswerethencarriedtoadistanceandreleased。Theyreturnedtothenestwithaslittledifficultyastheothers。IonceexperimentedinthesamewaywiththelargestofourCerceres(Cerceristuberculata)(AnotherHuntingWasp,whofeedsheryoungonWeevils。Cf。"InsectLife":chapters4and5。——
Translator’sNote。);andtheWeevil-huntressreturnedtohergalleries。Thisridsusofonehypothesis:thesenseofdirectionisnotexercisedbytheantennae。Thenwhereisitsseat?Idonotknow。
WhatIdoknowisthattheMason-beeswithoutantennae,thoughtheygobacktothecells,donotresumework。Theypersistinflyinginfrontoftheirmasonry,theyalightontheclaycup,theyperchontherimofthecellandthere,seeminglypensiveandforlorn,standforalongtimecontemplatingtheworkwhichwillneverbefinished;theygooff,theycomeback,theydriveawayanyimportunateneighbour,buttheyfetchandcarrynomorehoneyormortar。Thenextday,theydonotappear。Deprivedofhertools,theworkerlosesallheartinhertask。
WhentheMason-beeisbuilding,theantennaeareconstantlyfeeling,fumblingandexploring,superintending,asitwere,thefinishingtouchesgiventothework。Theyareherinstrumentsofprecision;theyrepresentthebuilder’scompasses,square,levelandplumb-line。
Hithertomyexperimentshavebeenconfinedtothefemales,whoaremuchmorefaithfultothenestbyvirtueoftheirmaternalresponsibilities。Whatwouldthemalesdoiftheyweretakenfromhome?Ihavenogreatconfidenceintheseswainswho,forafewdays,formatumultuousthrongoutsidethenests,waitforthefemalestoemerge,quarrelfortheirpossession,amidendlessbrawls,andthendisappearwhentheworksareinfullswing。Whatcarethey,Iaskmyself,aboutreturningtothenatalnestratherthansettlingelsewhere,providedthattheyfindsomerecipientfortheiramatorydeclarations?Iwasmistaken:themalesdoreturntothenest。Itistruethat,inviewoftheirlackofstrength,Ididnotsubjectthemtoalongjourney:abouthalfamileorso。Nevertheless,thisrepresentedtothemadistantexpedition,anunknowncountry;forIdonotseethemgoonlongexcursions。Byday,theyvisitthenestsortheflowersinthegarden;atnight,theytakerefugeintheoldgalleriesorintheintersticesofthestone-heapsintheharmas。
ThesamenestsarefrequentedbytwoOsmia-bees(OsmiatricornisandOsmiaLatreillii),whobuildtheircellsinthegalleriesleftattheirdisposalbytheChalicodomae。Themostnumerousisthefirst,theThree-hornedOsmia。ItwasasplendidopportunitytotryanddiscovertowhatextentthesenseofdirectionmayberegardedasgeneralintheBeesandWasps;andItookadvantageofit。Well,theOsmiae(Osmiatricornis),bothmaleandfemale,canfindtheirwaybacktothenest。Myexperimentsweremadeveryquickly,withsmallnumbersandovershortdistances;buttheresultsagreedsocloselywiththeothersthatIwasconvinced。Alltold,thereturntothenest,includingmyearlierattempts,wasverifiedinthecaseoffourspecies:theChalicodomaoftheSheds,theChalicodomaoftheWalls,theThree-hornedOsmiaandtheGreatorWartedCerceris(Cerceristuberculata)。("InsectLife":chapter19。——Translator’sNote。)ShallI
generalizewithoutreserveandallowalltheHymenoptera(TheHymenopteraareanorderofinsectshavingfourmembranouswingsandincludetheBees,Wasps,Ants,Saw-fliesandIchneumon-flies。——
Translator’sNote。)thisfacultyoffindingtheirwayinunknowncountry?Ishalldonothingofthekind;forhere,tomyknowledge,isacontradictoryandverysignificantresult。
Amongthetreasuresofmyharmas-laboratory,IplaceinthefirstrankanAnt-hillofPolyergusrufescens,thecelebratedRedAnt,theslave-
huntingAmazon。Unabletorearherfamily,incapableofseekingherfood,oftakingitevenwhenitiswithinherreach,sheneedsservantswhofeedherandundertakethedutiesofhousekeeping。TheRedAntsmakeapracticeofstealingchildrentowaitonthecommunity。TheyransacktheneighbouringAnt-hills,thehomeofadifferentspecies;theycarryawaynymphs,whichsoonattainmaturityinthestrangehouseandbecomewillingandindustriousservants。
WhenthehotweatherofJuneandJulysetsin,IoftenseetheAmazonsleavetheirbarracksofanafternoonandstartonanexpedition。Thecolumnmeasuresfiveorsixyardsinlength。Ifnothingworthyofattentionbemetupontheroad,theranksarefairlywellmaintained;
but,atthefirstsuspicionofanAnt-hill,thevanguardhaltsanddeploysinaswarmingthrong,whichisincreasedbytheothersastheycomeuphurriedly。Scoutsaresentout;theAmazonsrecognizethattheyareonawrongtrack;andthecolumnformsagain。Itresumesitsmarch,crossesthegarden-paths,disappearsfromsightinthegrass,reappearsfartheron,threadsitswaythroughtheheapsofdeadleaves,comesoutagainandcontinuesitssearch。Atlast,anestofBlackAntsisdiscovered。TheRedAntshastendowntothedormitorieswherethenymphslieandsoonemergewiththeirbooty。Thenwehave,atthegatesoftheundergroundcity,abewilderingscrimmagebetweenthedefendingblacksandtheattackingreds。Thestruggleistoounequaltoremainindecisive。Victoryfallstothereds,whoracebacktotheirabode,eachwithherprize,aswaddlednymph,danglingfromhermandibles。Thereaderwhoisnotacquaintedwiththeseslave-
raidinghabitswouldbegreatlyinterestedinthestoryoftheAmazons。Irelinquishit,withmuchregret:itwouldtakeustoofarfromoursubject,namely,thereturntothenest。
Thedistancecoveredbythenymph-stealingcolumnvaries:italldependsonwhetherBlackAntsareplentifulintheneighbourhood。Attimes,tenortwentyyardssuffice;atothers,itrequiresfifty,ahundredormore。Ioncesawtheexpeditiongobeyondthegarden。TheAmazonsscaledthesurroundingwall,whichwasthirteenfeethighatthatpoint,climbedoveritandwentonalittlefarther,intoacornfield。Asfortheroutetaken,thisisamatterofindifferencetothemarchingcolumn。Bareground,thickgrass,aheapofdeadleavesorstones,brickwork,aclumpofshrubs:allarecrossedwithoutanymarkedpreferenceforonesortofroadratherthananother。
Whatisrigidlyfixedisthepathhome,whichfollowstheoutwardtrackinallitswindingsandallitscrossings,howeverdifficult。
Ladenwiththeirplunder,theRedAntsreturntothenestbythesameroad,oftenanexceedinglycomplicatedone,whichtheexigenciesofthechasecompelledthemtotakeoriginally。Theyrepasseachspotwhichtheypassedatfirst;andthisistothemamatterofsuchimperativenecessitythatnoadditionalfatiguenoreventhegravestdangercanmakethemalterthetrack。
Letussupposethattheyhavecrossedathickheapofdeadleaves,representingtothemapathbesetwithyawninggulfs,whereeverymomentsomeonefalls,wheremanyareexhaustedastheystruggleoutofthehollowsandreachtheheightsbymeansofswayingbridges,emergingatlastfromthelabyrinthoflanes。Nomatter:ontheirreturn,theywillnotfail,thoughweigheddownwiththeirburden,oncemoretostrugglethroughthatwearymaze。Toavoidallthisfatigue,theywouldhavebuttoswerveslightlyfromtheoriginalpath,forthegood,smoothroadisthere,hardlyastepaway。Thislittledeviationneveroccurstothem。
Icameuponthemonedaywhentheywereononeoftheirraids。Theyweremarchingalongtheinneredgeofthestone-workofthegarden-
pond,whereIhavereplacedtheoldbatrachiansbyacolonyofGold-
fish。Thewindwasblowingveryhardfromthenorthand,takingthecolumninflank,sentwholerowsoftheAntsflyingintothewater。
Thefishhurriedup;theywatchedtheperformanceandgobbledupthedrowninginsects。Itwasadifficultbit;andthecolumnwasdecimatedbeforeithadpassed。Iexpectedtoseethereturnjourneymadebyanotherroad,whichwouldwindroundandavoidthefatalcliff。Notatall。Thenymph-ladenbandresumedtheparlouspathandtheGoldfishreceivedadoublewindfall:theAntsandtheirprizes。Ratherthanalteritstrack,thecolumnwasdecimatedasecondtime。
Itisnoteasytofindthewayhomeagainafteradistantexpedition,duringwhichtherehavebeenvarioussorties,nearlyalwaysbydifferentpaths;andthisdifficultymakesitabsolutelynecessaryfortheAmazonstoreturnbythesameroadbywhichtheywent。Theinsecthasnochoiceofroute,ifitwouldnotbelostontheway:itmustcomebackbythetrackwhichitknowsandwhichithaslatelytravelled。TheProcessionaryCaterpillars,whentheyleavetheirnestandgotoanotherbranch,onanothertree,insearchofatypeofleafmoretotheirtaste,carpetthecoursewithsilkandareabletoreturnhomebyfollowingthethreadsstretchedalongtheirroad。Thisisthemostelementarymethodopentotheinsectliabletostrayonitsexcursions:asilkenpathbringsithomeagain。TheProcessionaries,withtheirunsophisticatedtraffic-laws,areverydifferentfromtheMason-beesandothers,whohaveaspecialsensetoguidethem。
TheAmazon,thoughbelongingtotheHymenopteronclan,herselfpossessesratherlimitedhoming-faculties,aswitnesshercompulsoryreturnbyherformertrail。Cansheimitate,toacertainextent,theProcessionaries’method,thatistosay,doessheleave,alongtheroadtraversed,notaseriesofconductingthreads,forsheisnotequippedforthatwork,butsomeodorousemanation,forinstancesomeformicscent,whichwouldallowhertoguideherselfbymeansoftheolfactorysense?Thisviewisprettygenerallyaccepted。TheAnts,peoplesay,areguidedbythesenseofsmell;andthissenseofsmellappearstohaveitsseatintheantennae,whichweseeincontinualpalpitation。Itisdoubtlessveryreprehensible,butImustadmitthatthetheorydoesnotinspiremewithoverwhelmingenthusiasm。Inthefirstplace,Ihavemysuspicionsaboutasenseofsmellseatedintheantennae:Ihavegivenmyreasonsbefore;and,next,IhopetoprovebyexperimentthattheRedAntsarenotguidedbyascentofanykind。
TolieinwaitformyAmazons,forwholeafternoonsonend,oftenunsuccessfully,meanttakinguptoomuchofmytime。Iengagedanassistantwhosehourswerenotsomuchoccupiedasmine。Itwasmygrand-daughterLucie,alittleroguewholikedtohearmystoriesoftheAnts。Shehadbeenpresentatthegreatbattlebetweentheredsandblacksandwasmuchimpressedbytherapeofthelong-clothesbabies。Well-coachedinherexaltedfunctions,veryproudofalreadyservingthataugustlady,Science,mylittleLuciewouldwanderaboutthegarden,whentheweatherseemedpropitious,andkeepaneyeontheRedAnts,havingbeencommissionedtoreconnoitrecarefullytheroadtothepillagedAnt-hill。Shehadgivenproofofherzeal;Icouldrelyuponit。
Oneday,whileIwasspinningoutmydailyquotaofprose,therecameabangingatmystudy-door:
’It’sI,Lucie!Comequick:theredshavegoneintotheblacks’house。
Comequick!’
’Anddoyouknowtheroadtheytook?’
’Yes,Imarkedit。’
’What!Markedit?How?’
’IdidwhatHop-o’-my-Thumbdid:Iscatteredlittlewhitestonesalongtheroad。’
Ihurriedout。Thingshadhappenedasmysix-year-oldcolleaguesaid。
Luciehadsecuredherprovisionofpebblesinadvanceand,onseeingtheAmazonregimentleavebarracks,hadfollowedthemstepbystepandplacedherstonesatintervalsalongtheroadcovered。TheAntshadmadetheirraidandwerebeginningtoreturnalongthetrackoftell-
talepebbles。Thedistancetothenestwasaboutahundredpaces,whichgavemetimetomakepreparationsforanexperimentpreviouslycontemplated。
Itakeabigbroomandsweepthetrackforaboutayardacross。Thedustyparticlesonthesurfacearethusremovedandreplacedbyothers。Iftheyweretaintedwithanyodorouseffluvia,theirabsencewillthrowtheAntsoffthetrack。Idividetheroad,inthisway,atfourdifferentpoints,afewfeetapart。
Thecolumnarrivesatthefirstsection。ThehesitationoftheAntsisevident。Somerecedeandthenreturn,onlytorecedeoncemore;otherswanderalongtheedgeofthecutting;othersdispersesidewaysandseemtobetryingtoskirttheunknowncountry。Theheadofthecolumn,atfirstcloseduptoawidthofafootorso,nowscatterstothreeorfouryards。Butfresharrivalsgatherintheirnumbersbeforetheobstacle;theyformamightyarray,anundecidedhorde。Atlast,afewAntsventureintothesweptzoneandothersfollow,whileafewhavemeantimegoneaheadandrecoveredthetrackbyacircuitousroute。Attheothercuttings,therearethesamehalts,thesamehesitations;nevertheless,theyarecrossed,eitherinastraightlineorbygoinground。Inspiteofmysnares,theAntsmanagetoreturntothenest;andthatbywayofthelittlestones。
Theresultoftheexperimentseemstoargueinfavourofthesenseofsmell。Fourtimesover,therearemanifesthesitationswherevertheroadisswept。Thoughthereturntakesplace,nevertheless,alongtheoriginaltrack,thismaybeduetotheunevenworkofthebroom,whichhasleftcertainparticlesofthescenteddustinposition。TheAntswhowentroundtheclearedportionmayhavebeenguidedbythesweepingsremovedtoeitherside。Before,therefore,pronouncingjudgmentfororagainstthesenseofsmell,itwerewelltorenewtheexperimentunderbetterconditionsandtoremoveeverythingcontainingavestigeofscent。
Afewdayslater,whenIhavedefinitelydecidedonmyplan,Lucieresumesherwatchandsooncomestotellmeofasortie。Iwascountingonit,fortheAmazonsrarelymissanexpeditionduringthehotandsultryafternoonsofJuneandJuly,especiallywhentheweatherthreatensstorm。Hop-o’-my-Thumb’spebblesoncemoremarkouttheroad,onwhichIchoosethepointbest-suitedtomyschemes。
Agarden-hoseisfixedtooneofthefeedersofthepond;thesluiceisopened;andtheAnts’pathiscutbyacontinuoustorrent,twoorthreefeetwideandofunlimitedlength。Thesheetofwaterflowsswiftlyandplentifullyatfirst,soastowashthegroundwellandremoveanythingthatmaypossessascent。Thisthoroughwashinglastsfornearlyaquarterofanhour。Then,whentheAntsdrawnear,returningfromtheplunder,Iletthewaterflowmoreslowlyandreduceitsdepth,soasnottoovertaxthestrengthoftheinsects。
NowwehaveanobstaclewhichtheAmazonsmustsurmount,ifitisabsolutelynecessaryforthemtofollowthefirsttrail。
Thistime,thehesitationlastslongandthestragglershavetimetocomeupwiththeheadofthecolumn。Nevertheless,anattemptismadetocrossthetorrentbymeansofafewbitsofgravelprojectingabovethewater;then,failingtofindbottom,themorerecklessoftheAntsaresweptofftheirfeetand,withoutloosingholdoftheirprizes,driftaway,landonsomeshoal,regainthebankandrenewtheirsearchforaford。AfewstrawsborneonthewatersstopandbecomesomanyshakybridgesonwhichtheAntsclimb。Dryolive-leavesareconvertedintorafts,eachwithitsloadofpassengers。Themoreventuresome,partlybytheirownefforts,partlybygoodluck,reachtheoppositebankwithoutadventitiousaid。Iseesomewho,draggedbythecurrenttooneortheotherbank,twoorthreeyardsoff,seemverymuchconcernedastowhattheyshalldonext。Amidthisdisorder,amidthedangersofdrowning,notoneletsgoherbooty。Shewouldnotdreamofdoingso:deathsoonerthanthat!Inaword,thetorrentiscrossedsomehoworotheralongtheregulartrack。
Thescentoftheroadcannotbethecauseofthis,itseemstome,forthetorrentnotonlywashedthegroundsometimebeforehandbutalsopoursfreshwateronitallthetimethatthecrossingistakingplace。Letusnowseewhatwillhappenwhentheformicscent,iftherereallybeoneonthetrail,isreplacedbyanother,muchstrongerodour,oneperceptibletoourownsenseofsmell,whichthefirstisnot,atleastnotunderpresentconditions。
Iwaitforathirdsortieand,atonepointintheroadtakenbytheAnts,rubthegroundwithsomehandfulsoffreshlygatheredmint。I
coverthetrack,alittlefartheron,withtheleavesofthesameplant。TheAnts,ontheirreturn,crossthesectionoverwhichthemintwasrubbedwithoutapparentlygivingitathought;theyhesitateinfrontofthesectionheapedupwithleavesandthengostraighton。
Afterthesetwoexperiments,firstwiththetorrentofwaterwhichwashesawayalltracesofsmellfromthegroundandthenwiththemintwhichchangesthesmell,IthinkthatwearenolongeratlibertytoquotescentastheguideoftheAntsthatreturntothenestbytheroadwhichtheytookatstarting。Furthertestswilltellusmoreaboutit。
Withoutinterferingwiththesoil,Inowlayacrossthetracksomelargesheetsofpaper,newspapers,keepingtheminpositionwithafewsmallstones。Infrontofthiscarpet,whichcompletelyalterstheappearanceoftheroad,withoutremovinganysortofscentthatitmaypossess,theAntshesitateevenlongerthanbeforeanyofmyothersnares,includingthetorrent。Theyarecompelledtomakemanifoldattempts,reconnaissancestorightandleft,forwardmovementsandrepeatedretreats,beforeventuringaltogetherintotheunknownzone。
Thepaperstraitsarecrossedatlastandthemarchresumedasusual。
AnotherambushawaitstheAmazonssomedistancefartheron。Ihavedividedthetrackbyathinlayerofyellowsand,thegrounditselfbeinggrey。ThischangeofcolouraloneisenoughforamomenttodisconcerttheAnts,whoagainhesitateinthesameway,thoughnotforsolong,astheydidbeforethepaper。Eventually,thisobstacleisovercomeliketheothers。
Asneitherthestretchofsandnorthestretchofpapergotridofanyscentedeffluviawithwhichthetrailmayhavebeenimpregnated,itispatentthat,astheAntshesitatedandstoppedinthesamewayasbefore,theyfindtheirwaynotbysenseofsmell,butreallyandtrulybysenseofsight;for,everytimethatIaltertheappearanceofthetrackinanywaywhatever——whetherbymydestructivebroom,mystreamingwater,mygreenmint,mypapercarpetormygoldensand——thereturningcolumncallsahalt,hesitatesandattemptstoaccountforthechangesthathavetakenplace。Yes,itissight,butaverydullsight,whosehorizonisalteredbytheshiftingofafewbitsofgravel。Tothisshortsight,astripofpaper,abedofmint-leaves,alayerofyellowsand,astreamofwater,afurrowmadebythebroom,orevenlessermodificationsareenoughtotransformthelandscape;
andtheregiment,eagertoreachhomeasfastasitcanwithitsloot,haltsuneasilyonbeholdingthisunfamiliarscenery。Ifthedoubtfulzonesareatlengthpassed,itisduetothefactthatfreshattemptsareconstantlybeingmadetocrossthedoctoredstripsandthatatlastafewAntsrecognizewell-knownspotsbeyondthem。Theothers,relyingontheirclearer-sightedsisters,follow。
Sightwouldnotbeenough,iftheAmazonhadnotalsoatherserviceacorrectmemoryforplaces。ThememoryofanAnt!Whatcanthatbe?Inwhatdoesitresembleours?Ihavenoanswerstothesequestions;butafewwordswillenablemetoprovethattheinsecthasaveryexactandpersistentrecollectionofplaceswhichithasoncevisited。HereissomethingwhichIhaveoftenwitnessed。ItsometimeshappensthattheplunderedAnt-hillofferstheAmazonsaricherspoilthantheinvadingcolumnisabletocarryaway。Or,again,theregionvisitedisrichinAnt-hills。Anotherraidisnecessary,toexploitthesitethoroughly。Insuchcases,asecondexpeditiontakesplace,sometimesonthenextday,sometimestwoorthreedayslater。Thistime,thecolumndoesnoreconnoitringontheway:itgoesstraighttothespotknowntoaboundinnymphsandtravelsbytheidenticalpathwhichitfollowedbefore。IthassometimeshappenedthatIhavemarkedwithsmallstones,foradistanceoftwentyyards,theroadpursuedacoupleofdaysearlierandhavethenfoundtheAmazonsproceedingbythesameroute,stonebystone:
’Theywillgofirsthereandthenthere,’Isaid,accordingtothepositionoftheguide-stones。
Andtheywould,infact,gofirsthereandthenthere,skirtingmylineofpebbles,withoutanynoticeabledeviation。
Canonebelievethatodoriferousemanationsdiffusedalongtheroutearegoingtolastforseveraldays?Noonewoulddaretosuggestit。
Itmust,therefore,besightthatdirectstheAmazons,sightassistedbyamemoryforplaces。Andthismemoryistenaciousenoughtoretaintheimpressionuntilthenextdayandlater;itisscrupulouslyfaithful,foritguidesthecolumnbythesamepathasonthedaybefore,acrossthethousandirregularitiesoftheground。
HowwilltheAmazonbehavewhenthelocalityisunknowntoher?Apartfromtopographicalmemory,whichcannotserveherhere,theregioninwhichIimagineherbeingstillunexplored,doestheAntpossesstheMason-bee’ssenseofdirection,atleastwithinmodestlimits,andissheablethustoregainherAnt-hillorhermarchingcolumn?
Thedifferentpartsofthegardenarenotallvisitedbythemaraudinglegionstothesameextent:thenorthsideisexploitedbypreference,doubtlessbecausetheforaysinthatdirectionaremoreproductive。
TheAmazons,therefore,generallydirecttheirtroopsnorthoftheirbarracks;Iseldomseetheminthesouth。Thispartofthegardenis,ifnotwhollyunknown,atleastmuchlessfamiliartothemthantheother。Havingsaidthat,letusobservetheconductofthestrayedAnt。
ItakeupmypositionneartheAnt-hill;and,whenthecolumnreturnsfromtheslave-raid,IforceanAnttosteponaleafwhichIholdouttoher。Withouttouchingher,Icarryhertwoorthreepacesawayfromherregiment:nomorethanthat,butinasoutherlydirection。Itisenoughtoputherastray,tomakeherloseherbearingsentirely。I
seetheAmazon,nowreplacedontheground,wanderaboutatrandom,still,Ineedhardlysay,withherbootyinhermandibles;Iseeherhurryawayfromhercomrades,thinkingthatsheisrejoiningthem;I
seeherretracehersteps,turnasideagain,trytotheright,trytotheleftandgropeinahostofdirections,withoutsucceedinginfindingherwhereabouts。Thepugnacious,strong-jawedslave-hunterisutterlylosttwostepsawayfromherparty。Ihaveinmindcertainstrayswho,afterhalfanhour’ssearching,hadnotsucceededinrecoveringtherouteandweregoingfartherandfartherfromit,stillcarryingthenymphintheirteeth。Whatbecameofthem?Whatdidtheydowiththeirspoil?Ihadnotthepatiencetofollowthosedull-
wittedmarauderstotheend。
Letusrepeattheexperiment,butplacetheAmazontothenorth。Aftermoreorlessprolongedhesitations,afterasearchnowinthisdirection,nowinthat,theAntsucceedsinfindinghercolumn。Sheknowsthelocality。
Here,ofasurety,isaHymenopterondeprivedofthatsenseofdirectionwhichotherHymenopteraenjoy。Shehasinherfavouramemoryforplacesandnothingmore。Adeviationamountingtotwoorthreeofourstridesisenoughtomakeherloseherwayandtokeepherfromreturningtoherpeople,whereasmilesacrossunknowncountrywillnotfoiltheMason-bee。Iexpressedmysurprise,justnow,thatmanwasdeprivedofawonderfulsensewherewithcertainanimalsareendowed。Theenormousdistancebetweenthetwothingscomparedmightfurnishmatterfordiscussion。Inthepresentcase,thedistancenolongerexists:wehavetodowithtwoinsectsverynearakin,twoHymenoptera。Why,iftheyissuefromthesamemould,hasoneasensewhichtheotherhasnot,anadditionalsense,constitutingamuchmoreoverpoweringfactorthanthestructuraldetails?Iwillwaituntiltheevolutionistscondescendtogivemeavalidreason。
ToreturntothismemoryforplaceswhosetenacityandfidelityIhavejustrecognized:towhatdegreedoesitconsenttoretainimpressions?
DoestheAmazonrequirerepeatedjourneysinordertolearnhergeography,orisasingleexpeditionenoughforher?Arethelinefollowedandtheplacesvisitedengravedonhermemoryfromthefirst?
TheRedAntdoesnotlendherselftotheteststhatmightfurnishthereply:theexperimenterisunabletodecidewhetherthepathfollowedbytheexpeditionarycolumnisbeingcoveredforthefirsttime,norisitinhispowertocompelthelegiontoadoptthisorthatdifferentroad。WhentheAmazonsgoouttoplundertheAnt-hills,theytakethedirectionwhichtheyplease;andwearenotallowedtointerferewiththeirmarch。LetusturntootherHymenopteraforinformation。
IselectthePompili,whosehabitsweshallstudyindetailinalaterchapter。(FortheWaspknownasthePompilus,orRingedCalicurgus,cf。"TheLifeandLoveoftheInsect",byJ。HenriFabre,translatedbyAlexanderTeixeiradeMattos:chapter12。——Translator’sNote。)TheyarehuntersofSpidersanddiggersofburrows。Thegame,thefoodofthecominglarva,isfirstcaughtandparalysed;thehomeisexcavatedafterwards。AstheheavypreywouldbeagraveencumbrancetotheWaspinsearchofaconvenientsite,theSpiderisplacedhighup,onatuftofgrassorbrushwood,outofthereachofmarauders,especiallyAnts,whomightdamagethepreciousmorselinthelawfulowner’sabsence。Afterfixingherbootyontheverdantpinnacle,thePompiluscastsaroundforafavourablespotanddigsherburrow。Duringtheprocessofexcavation,shereturnsfromtimetotimetoherSpider;
shenibblesattheprize,feels,touchesithereandthere,asthoughtakingstockofitsplumpnessandcongratulatingherselfontheplentifulprovender;thenshereturnstoherburrowandgoesondigging。Shouldanythingalarmordistressher,shedoesnotmerelyinspectherSpider:shealsobringsheralittleclosertoherwork-
yard,butneverfailstolayheronthetopofatuftofverdure。
ThesearethemanoeuvresofwhichIcanavailmyselftogaugetheelasticityoftheWasp’smemory。
WhilethePompilusisatworkontheburrow,Iseizethepreyandplaceitinanexposedspot,halfayardawayfromitsoriginalposition。ThePompilussoonleavestheholetoenquireafterherbootyandgoesstraighttothespotwheresheleftit。Thissurenessofdirection,thisfaithfulmemoryforplacescanbeexplainedbyrepeatedpreviousvisits。Iknownothingofwhathashappenedbeforehand。Letustakenonoticeofthisfirstexpedition;theotherswillbemoreconclusive。Forthemoment,thePompilus,withouttheleasthesitation,findsthetuftofgrasswhereonherpreywaslying。
Thencomemarchesandcounter-marchesuponthattuft,minuteexplorationsandfrequentreturnstotheexactspotwheretheSpiderwasdeposited。Atlast,convincedthattheprizeisnolongerthere,theWaspmakesaleisurelysurveyoftheneighbourhood,feelingthegroundwithherantennaeasshegoes。TheSpiderisdescriedintheexposedspotwhereIhadplacedher。SurpriseonthepartofthePompilus,whogoesforwardandthensuddenlystepsbackwithastart:
’Isitalive?’sheseemstoask。’Isitdead?IsitreallymySpider?
Letusbewary!’
Thehesitationdoesnotlastlong:thehuntressgrabshervictim,dragsherbackwardsandplacesher,stillhighup,onasecondtuftofherbage,twoorthreestepsawayfromthefirst。Shethengoesbacktotheburrowanddigsforawhile。Forthesecondtime,IremovetheSpiderandlayheratsomedistance,onthebareground。ThisisthemomenttojudgeoftheWasp’smemory。Twotuftsofgrasshaveservedastemporaryresting-placesforthegame。Thefirst,towhichshereturnedwithsuchprecision,theWaspmayhavelearnttoknowbyamoreorlessthoroughexamination,byreiteratedvisitsthatescapedmyeye;butthesecondhascertainlymadebutaslightimpressiononhermemory。Sheadopteditwithoutanystudiedchoice;shestoppedtherejustlongenoughtohoistherSpidertothetop;shesawitforthefirsttimeandsawithurriedly,inpassing。Isthatrapidglanceenoughtoprovideanexactrecollection?Besides,therearenowtwolocalitiestobemodelledintheinsect’smemory:thefirstshelfmayeasilybeconfusedwiththesecond。TowhichwillthePompilusgo?
Weshallsoonfindout:hereshecomes,leavingtheburrowtopayafreshvisittotheSpider。Sherunsstraighttothesecondtuft,whereshehuntsaboutforalongtimeforherabsentprey。Sheknowsthatitwasthere,whenlastseen,andnotelsewhere;shepersistsinlookingforitthereanddoesnotoncethinkofgoingbacktothefirstperch。
Thefirsttuftofgrassnolongercounts;thesecondaloneinterestsher。Andthenthesearchintheneighbourhoodbeginsagain。
OnfindinghergameonthebarespotwhereImyselfhaveplacedit,thePompilusquicklydepositstheSpideronathirdtuftofgrass;andtheexperimentisrenewed。Thistime,thePompilushurriestothethirdtuftwhenshecomestolookafterherSpider;shehurriestoitwithouthesitation,withoutconfusingitinanywaywiththefirsttwo,whichshescornstovisit,sosureishermemory。Idothesamethingacoupleoftimesmore;andtheinsectalwaysreturnstothelastperch,withoutworryingabouttheothers。Istandamazedatthememoryofthatpigmy。Sheneedbutcatchasinglehurriedglimpseofaspotthatdiffersinnowisefromahostofothersinordertorememberitquitewell,notwithstandingthefactthat,asaminerrelentlesslypursuingherundergroundlabours,shehasothermatterstooccupyhermind。Couldourownmemoryalwaysviewithhers?Itisverydoubtful。AllowtheRedAntthesamesortofmemory;andherperegrinations,herreturnstothenestbythesameroadarenolongerdifficulttoexplain。
Testsofthiskindhavefurnishedmewithsomeotherresultsworthyofmention。Whenconvinced,byuntiringexplorations,thatherpreyisnolongeronthetuftwhereshelaidit,thePompilus,asweweresaying,looksforitintheneighbourhoodandfindsitprettyeasily,forIamcarefultoputitinanexposedplace。Letusincreasethedifficultytosomeextent。IdigthetipofmyfingerintothegroundandlaytheSpiderinthelittleholethusobtained,coveringherwithatinyleaf。NowtheWasp,whileinquestofherlostprey,happenstowalkoverthisleaf,topassitagainandagainwithoutsuspectingthattheSpiderliesbeneath,forshegoesandcontinueshervainsearchfartheroff。Herguide,thereforeisnotscent,butsight。
Nevertheless,sheisconstantlyfeelingthegroundwithherantennae。
Whatcanbethefunctionofthoseorgans?Idonotknow,althoughI
assertthattheyarenotolfactoryorgans。TheAmmophila,insearchofherGreyWorm,hadalreadyledmetomakethesameassertion;Inowobtainanexperimentalproofwhichseemstomedecisive。IwouldaddthatthePompilushasveryshortsight:oftenshepasseswithinacoupleofinchesofherSpiderwithoutseeingher。
CHAPTER7。SOMEREFLECTIONSUPONINSECTPSYCHOLOGY。
Thelaudatortemperisactiisoutoffavourjustnow:theworldisonthemove。Yes,butsometimesitmovesbackwards。WhenIwasaboy,ourtwopennytextbookstoldusthatmanwasareasoninganimal;nowadays,therearelearnedvolumestoprovetousthathumanreasonisbutahigherrungintheladderwhosefootreachesdowntothebottommostdepthsofanimallife。Thereisthegreaterandthelesser;therearealltheintermediaryrounds;butnowheredoesitbreakoffandstartafresh。ItbeginswithzerointheglairofacellandascendsuntilwecometothemightybrainofaNewton。Thenoblefacultyofwhichweweresoproudisazoologicalattribute。Allhavealargerorsmallershareofit,fromtheliveatomtotheanthropoidape,thathideouscaricatureofman。
Italwaysstruckmethatthosewhoheldthislevellingtheorymadefactssaymorethantheyreallymeant;itstruckmethat,inordertoobtaintheirplain,theywereloweringthemountain-peak,man,andelevatingthevalley,theanimal。Nowthislevellingoftheirsneededproofs,tomymind;and,asIfoundnoneintheirbooks,oratanyrateonlydoubtfulandhighlydebatableones,Ididmyownobserving,inordertoarriveatadefiniteconviction;Isought;Iexperimented。
Tospeakwithanycertainty,itbehovesusnottogobeyondwhatwereallyknow。Iambeginningtohaveapassableacquaintancewithinsects,afterspendingsomefortyyearsintheircompany。Letusquestiontheinsect,then:notthefirstthatcomesalong,butthemostgifted,theHymenopteron。Iamgivingmyopponentseveryadvantage。Wherewilltheyfindacreaturemorerichlyendowedwithtalent?Itwouldseemasthough,increatingit,naturehaddelightedinbestowingthegreatestamountofindustryuponthesmallestbodyofmatter。Canthebird,wonderfularchitectthatitis,compareitsworkwiththatmasterpieceofhighergeometry,theedificeoftheBee?TheHymenopteronrivalsmanhimself。Webuildtowns,theBeeerectscities;wehaveservants,theAnthashers;wereardomesticanimals,sherearshersugar-yieldinginsects;weherdcattle,sheherdshermilch-cows,theAphides;wehaveabolishedslavery,whereasshecontinueshernigger-traffic。
Well,doesthissuperior,thisprivilegedbeingreason?Reader,donotsmile:thisisamostseriousmatter,wellworthyofourconsideration。Todevoteourattentiontoanimalsistoplungeatonceintothevexedquestionofwhoweareandwhencewecome。What,then,passesinthatlittleHymenopteronbrain?Hasitfacultiesakintoours,hasitthepowerofthought?Whataproblem,ifwecouldonlysolveit;whatachapterofpsychology,ifwecouldonlywriteit!
But,atourveryfirstquestionings,themysteriouswillriseup,impenetrable:wemaybeconvincedofthat。Weareincapableofknowingourselves;whatwillitbeifwetrytofathomtheintellectofothers?Letusbecontentifwesucceedingleaningafewgrainsoftruth。
Whatisreason?Philosophywouldgiveuslearneddefinitions。Letusbemodestandkeeptothesimplest:weareonlytreatingofanimals。
Reasonisthefacultythatconnectstheeffectwithitscauseanddirectstheactbyconformingittotheneedsoftheaccidental。
Withintheselimits,areanimalscapableofreasoning?Aretheyabletoconnecta’because’witha’why’andafterwardstoregulatetheirbehaviouraccordingly?Aretheyabletochangetheirlineofconductwhenfacedwithanemergency?
Historyhasbutfewdatalikelytobeofusetoushere;andthosewhichwefindscatteredinvariousauthorsareseldomabletowithstandasevereexamination。OneofthemostremarkableofwhichI
knowissuppliedbyErasmusDarwin,inhisbookentitled"Zoonomia。"
IttellsofaWaspthathasjustcaughtandkilledabigFly。Thewindisblowing;andthehuntress,hamperedinherflightbythegreatareapresentedbyherprize,alightsonthegroundtoamputatetheabdomen,theheadandthewings;shefliesaway,carryingwithheronlythethorax,whichgiveslessholdtothewind。Ifwekeeptothebaldfacts,thisdoes,Iadmit,giveasemblanceofreason。TheWaspappearstograsptherelationbetweencauseandeffect。Theeffectistheresistanceexperiencedintheflight;thecauseisthedimensionsofthepreycontendingwiththeair。Hencethelogicalconclusion:
thosedimensionsmustbelessened;theabdomen,theheadand,aboveall,thewingsmustbechoppedoff;andtheresistancewillbedecreased。(Iwouldgladly,ifIwereable,cancelsomeratherhastylineswhichIallowedmyselftopeninthefirstvolumeofthese"Souvenirs"butscriptamanent。AllthatIcandoistomakeamendsnow,inthisnote,fortheerrorintowhichIfell。RelyingonLacordaire,whoquotesthisinstancefromErasmusDarwininhisown"Introductional’entomologie",IbelievedthataSphexwasgivenastheheroineofthestory。HowcouldIdootherwise,nothavingtheoriginaltextinfrontofme?HowcouldIsuspectthatanentomologistofLacordaire’sstandingshouldbecapableofsuchablunderastosubstituteaSphexforaCommonWasp?Greatwasmyperplexity,inthefaceofthisevidence!ASphexcapturingaFlywasanimpossibility;
andIblamedtheBritishscientistaccordingly。ButwhatinsectwasitthatErasmusDarwinsaw?Callinglogictomyaid,IdeclaredthatitwasaWasp;andIcouldnothavehitthemarkmoretruly。CharlesDarwin,infact,informedmeafterwardsthathisgrandfatherwrote’aWasp’inhis"Zoonomia。"Thoughthecorrectiondidcredittomyintelligence,Inonethelessdeeplyregrettedmymistake,forIhadutteredsuspicionsoftheobserver’spowersofdiscernment,unjustsuspicionswhichthetranslator’sinaccuracyledmeintoentertaining。
Maythisnoteservetomitigatetheharshnessofthestricturesprovokedbymyovertaxedcredulity!IdonotscrupletoattackideaswhichIconsiderfalse;butHeavenforfendthatIshouldeverattackthosewhoupholdthem!——Author’sNote。)
Butdoesthisconcatenationofideas,rudimentarythoughitbe,reallytakeplacewithintheinsect’sbrain?Iamconvincedofthecontrary;
andmyproofsareunanswerable。Inthefirstvolumeofthese"Souvenirs"(Cf。"InsectLife":chapter9。——Translator’sNote。),I
demonstratedbyexperimentthatErasmusDarwin’sWaspwasbutobeyingherinstinct,whichistocutupthecapturedgameandtokeeponlythemostnourishingpart,thethorax。Whetherthedaybeperfectlycalmorwhetherthewindblow,whethershebeintheshelterofadensethicketorintheopen,IseetheWaspproceedtoseparatethesucculentfromthetough;Iseeherrejectthelegs,thewings,theheadandtheabdomen,retainingonlythebreastaspapforherlarvae。
Thenwhatvaluehasthisdissectionasanargumentinfavouroftheinsect’sreasoning-powerswhenthewindblows?Ithasnovalueatall,foritwouldtakeplacejustthesameinabsolutelycalmweather。
ErasmusDarwinjumpedtooquicklytohisconclusion,whichwastheoutcomeofhismentalbiasandnotofthelogicofthings。IfhehadfirstenquiredintotheWasp’shabits,hewouldnothavebroughtforwardasaseriousargumentanincidentwhichhadnoconnectionwiththeimportantquestionofanimalreason。
Ihaverevertedtothiscasetoshowthedifficultiesthatbesetthemanwhoconfineshimselftocasualobservations,howevercarefullycarriedout。Oneshouldneverrelyuponaluckychance,whichmaynotoccuragain。Wemustmultiplyourobservations,checkthemonewiththeother;wemustcreateincidents,lookingintoprecedingones,findingoutsucceedingonesandworkingouttherelationbetweenthemall:thenandnottillthen,withextremecaution,areweentitledtoexpressafewviewsworthyofcredence。NowheredoIfinddatacollectedundersuchconditions;forwhichreason,howevermuchI
mightwishit,itisimpossibleformetobringtheevidenceofothersinsupportofthefewconclusionswhichImyselfhaveformed。
MyMason-bees,withtheirnestshangingonthewallsofthearchwhichIhavementioned,lentthemselvestocontinuousexperimentbetterthananyotherHymenopteron。Ihadthemthere,atmyhouse,undermyeyes,atallhoursoftheday,aslongasIwished。Iwasfreetofollowtheiractionsinfulldetailandtocarryoutsuccessfullyanyexperiment,howeverlong。Moreover,theirnumbersallowedmetorepeatmyattemptsuntilIwasperfectlyconvinced。TheMason-bees,therefore,shallsupplymewiththematerialsforthischapteralso。
Afewwords,beforeIbegin,abouttheworks。TheMason-beeoftheShedsutilizes,firstofall,theoldgalleriesoftheclaynest,apartofwhichshegood-naturedlyabandonstotwoOsmiae,herfreetenants:theThree-hornedOsmiaandLatreille’sOsmia。Theseoldcorridors,whichsavelabour,areingreatdemand;buttherearenotmanyvacant,asthemoreprecociousOsmiaehavealreadytakenpossessionofmostofthem;andthereforethebuildingofnewcellssoonbegins。Thesecellsarecementedtothesurfaceofthenest,whichthusincreasesinthicknesseveryyear。Theedificeofcellsisnotbuiltallatonce:mortarandhoneyalternaterepeatedly。Themasonrystartswithasortoflittleswallow’snest,ahalf-cuporthimble,whosecircumferenceiscompletedbythewallagainstwhichitrests。Picturethecupofanacorncutintwoandstucktothesurfaceofthenest:thereyouhavethereceptacleinastagesufficientlyadvancedtotakeafirstinstalmentofhoney。
TheBeethereuponleavesthemortarandbusiesherselfwithharvesting。Afterafewforaging-trips,theworkofbuildingisresumed;andsomenewrowsofbricksraisetheedgeofthebasin,whichbecomescapableofreceivingalargerstockofprovisions。Thencomesanotherchangeofbusiness:themasononcemorebecomesaharvester。Alittlelater,theharvesterisagainamason;andthesealternationscontinueuntilthecellisoftheregulationheightandholdstheamountofhoneyrequiredforthelarva’sfood。Thuscome,turnandturnabout,moreorlessnumerousaccordingtotheoccupationinhand,journeystothedryandbarrenpath,wherethecementisgatheredandmixed,andjourneystotheflowers,wheretheBee’scropiscrammedwithhoneyandherbellypowderedwithpollen。
Atlastcomesthetimeforlaying。WeseetheBeearrivewithapelletofmortar。Shegivesaglanceatthecelltoenquireifeverythingisinorder;sheinsertsherabdomen;andtheeggislaid。Thenandtherethemothersealsupthehome:withherpelletofcementsheclosestheorificeandmanagessowellwiththematerialthatthelidreceivesitspermanentformatthisfirstsitting;ithasonlytobethickenedandstrengthenedwithfreshlayers,aworkwhichislessurgentandwillbedonebyandby。Whatdoesappeartobeanurgentnecessityistheclosingofthecellimmediatelyaftertheegghasbeenreligiouslydepositedtherein,sothattheremaybenodangerfromevilly-disposedvisitorsduringthemother’sabsence。TheBeemusthaveseriousreasonsforthushurryingontheclosingofthecell。Whatwouldhappenif,afterlayingheregg,sheleftthehouseopenandwenttothecement-pittofetchthewherewithaltoblockthedoor?SomethiefmightdropinandsubstituteherowneggfortheMason-bee’s。Weshallseethatoursuspicionsarenotuncalled-for。Onethingiscertain,thattheMasonneverlayswithouthavinginhermandiblesthepelletofmortarrequiredfortheimmediateconstructionofthelidofthenest。Thepreciouseggmustnotforasingleinstantremainexposedtothecupidityofmarauders。
TotheseparticularsIwilladdafewgeneralobservationswhichwillmakewhatfollowseasiertounderstand。Solongasitscircumstancesarenormal,theinsect’sactionsarecalculatedmostrationallyinviewoftheobjecttobeattained。Whatcouldbemorelogical,forinstance,thanthedevicesemployedbytheHuntingWaspwhenparalysingherprey(Cf。"InsectLife":chapters3to12and15to17。——Translator’sNote。)sothatitmaykeepfreshforherlarva,whileinnowiseimperillingthatlarva’ssafety?Itispreeminentlyrational;weourselvescouldthinkofnothingbetter;andyettheWasp’sactionisnotpromptedbyreason。Ifshethoughtouthersurgery,shewouldbeoursuperior。Itwillneveroccurtoanybodythatthecreatureisable,inthesmallestdegree,toaccountforitsskilfulvivisections。Therefore,solongasitdoesnotdepartfromthepathmappedoutforit,theinsectcanperformthemostsagaciousactionswithoutentitlingusintheleasttoattributethesetothedictatesofreason。
Whatwouldhappeninanemergency?Herewemustdistinguishcarefullybetweentwoclassesofemergency,orweshallbeliabletogrievouserror。First,inaccidentsoccurringinthecourseoftheinsect’soccupationatthemoment。Inthesecircumstances,thecreatureiscapableofremedyingtheaccident;itcontinues,underasimilarform,itsactualtask;itremains,inshort;inthesamepsychiccondition。
Inthesecondcase,theaccidentisconnectedwithamoreremoteoccupation;itrelatestoacompletedtaskwithwhich,undernormalconditions,theinsectisnolongerconcerned。Tomeetthisemergency,thecreaturewouldhavetoretraceitspsychiccourse;itwouldhavetodoalloveragainwhatithasjustfinished,beforeturningitsattentiontoanythingelse。Istheinsectcapableofthis?Willitbeabletoleavethepresentandreturntothepast?Willitdecidetoharkbacktoataskthatismuchmorepressingthantheoneonwhichitwasengaged?Ifitdidallthis,thenweshouldreallyhaveevidenceofamodicumofreason。Thequestionshallbesettledbyexperiment。
Wewillbeginbytakingafewincidentsthatcomeunderthefirstheading。AMason-beehasfinishedtheinitiallayerofthecoveringofthecell。Shehasgoneinsearchofasecondpelletofmortarwherewithtostrengthenherwork。Inherabsence,Iprickthelidwithaneedleandwidentheholethusmade,untilitishalfthesizeoftheopening。Theinsectreturnsandrepairsthedamage。Itwasoriginallyengagedonthelidandismerelycontinuingitsworkinmendingthatlid。
Asecondisstillatherfirstrowofbricks。Thecellasyetisnomorethanashallowcup,containingnoprovisions。ImakeabigholeinthebottomofthecupandtheBeehastenstostopthebreach。Shewasbusybuildingandturnedasideamomenttodomorebuilding。Herrepairsarethecontinuationoftheworkonwhichshewasengaged。
Athirdhaslaidhereggandclosedthecell。Whilesheisgoneinsearchofafreshsupplyofcementtostrengthenthedoor,Imakealargeapertureimmediatelybelowthelid,toohighuptoallowthehoneytoescape。Theinsect,onarrivingwithitsmortarintendedforadifferenttask,seesitsbrokenjarandsoonputsthedamageright。
Ihaverarelywitnessedsuchasensibleperformance。Nevertheless,allthingsconsidered,letusnotbetoolavishofourpraises。Theinsectwasbusyclosingup。Onitsreturn,itseesacrack,representinginitseyesabadjoinwhichithadoverlooked;itcompletesitsactualtaskbyimprovingthejoin。
Theconclusiontobedrawnfromthesethreeinstances,whichIselectfromalargenumberofothers,moreorlesssimilar,isthattheinsectisabletocopewithemergencies,providedthatthenewactionbenotoutsidethecourseofitsactualworkatthemoment。Shallwesaythenthatreasondirectsit?Whyshouldwe?Theinsectpersistsinthesamepsychiccourse,itcontinuesitsaction,itdoeswhatitwasdoingbefore,itcorrectswhattoitappearsbutacarelessflawintheworkofthemoment。
Here,moreover,issomethingwhichwouldchangeourestimateentirely,ifiteveroccurredtoustolookupontheserepairedbreachesasaworkdictatedbyreason。Letusturntothesecondclassofemergencyreferredtoabove:letusimagine,first,cellssimilartothoseinthesecondexperiment,thatistosay,onlyhalf-finished,intheformofashallowcup,butalreadycontaininghoney。Imakeaholeinthebottom,throughwhichtheprovisionsoozeandruntowaste。Theirownersareharvesting。Letusimagine,ontheotherhand,cellsverynearlyfinishedandalmostcompletelyprovisioned。Iperforatethebottominthesamewayandletoutthehoney,whichdripsthroughgradually。Theownersofthesearebuilding。
第4章