New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-07
INSECT HISTORY
III. Fabres Book on the Cigale
and It's Kind.

SOCIAL LIFE IN THE INSET WORLD
BY J. H. Fabre. Translated by Bor-
nard Afal illustrated. syo. ~. 32i
Tho Century Company
The venerable author ~ this volume
81. Fabre is n man 81 ninety-has been
for half century naturalist Of ali
sorbed patience and enthusiasm. OF
humble station and very poor. he has Cd
ucated himself In the course Of his loving
study and has become "A scholar ~ re
nown. His Souvenirs Acknowledgements
fll many volumes whose destinations arc
revealed in the chapters here presented
TO us.
a true man Of science, ". Fabre does
not credit his frail subjects with the
human traits by mention OF which
some observers of nature have in recent
years so innamed their fellows. Yet in
his faithful reports ~ his wanderings in
tho insect world he has made the reader
feel the sense Of personality impaired by
the movements OF instinct. The cigale
Of the Midi. known as the legendary i'm
FASHIONED singer. careless OF the future"
IS not, IL appears. the improvident Dor
rover from the thrifty ant; the ant Il IS
which. in dry summer days, robs the
Cigale at the well delicately pierced by
the latter In sappy twigs. The observer
has seen clustered about the oozing sap
released by the drinking cigale host
Of thirsty wasps, flies, earwigs, sphinx
moths Pompilide. rosechafers and ants,
ali Of them obligingly admitted TO that
private well by the good natured cigale.
Tho ants are the most turbulent and
aggressive Of these intruders. IL have
seen them" says NJ. Fabre, ''nlbbling
the ends OF the clgale's claws; have
caught them Juggling the ends OF her
wings, climbing on her back. tickling
so far forgot himself under my eyes as
10 seize her proboscis, endeavoring to
extract IT from the well. Thus hustled
by these dwarfs. and at the end OF her
patience, the giantess finally abandons
the WELL and the ant Is left to revel I'm
the sweet remainder. The ant robber Is
even more thoroughgoing In his wicked
ness. After five or six weeks OF gayety
the songstrcss falls from the tree, ex-
hausted by the fever OF life. The sun
shrivels her body; tho feet Of the pass
ersby crush IT, A bandit always I'm
search Of booty, tho ant discovers the
remains. She divides the rich find, dis
sects 1t and cuts 1t up into tiny frag-
ments. which go to swell her stock OF
provisions. 1t is not uncommon 20 see
dying cigale whose wings are still trem-
bling in the dust. drawn and qudrtered
by = gang OF knockers" Thus is the
famous fable Of the Grasshopper and the
Ant reduced to cold truth.
The darling OF the poets, Greek and
Provencal. the cigale, as NJ. Fabre sees
her, is a most interesting creature in all
the phases OF her existence. There is
genuine excitement in the story of the
Matching of the cigale's eggs before his
longing eyes. For two years he had col
lected twigs filled with eggs and watched
In vain; the infant cigales had always
departed when he was not about. At
last on a cool morning. when the first
fire OF autumn had been lighted i'm his
study. the miracle took place In the
twigs which he was preparing to cut open.
The bright fire invited the little Great
ures and the twigs suddenly swarmed
with pale green babies. The naturalist
was happy. He fingers long over the
biography of this gentle singer of tn
South and does not forget to tell us
what 1t suffers from the green grasshop-