The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-28

w.
Tho experiment 30 enthusiastically
undertaken had failed. Why? In
speeding many burrows, the ento-
mologist observes that the prey Ii In
variably a female Ephippiger. lie
had offered the Sphex Q male.
THE Hunting Waspe." while II has
all tho story telling inclination and
talent Of the earlier books. presents
itself for consideration really as a
study In instinct. Why Is It, tho au-
thor asks, that Of the eight species Of
Cerceres whose provisions consist OF
beetles seven adopt q diet Of weevils
and n a diet Of Buprestes? The
wasp does not kill the Insect with
which 1t stocks the cell Of its larva,
but paralyzes II. What guides the
sting in ats unerring course straight
10 the nerve cAntres? The yellow
winged Spi,cx. carrying her prey to
the door OF her tunnel IN the sand.
invariably leaves Il at the entrance
willie she makes a visit to the cell
before dragging into It the body Of the
cricket on which her larva IL to feed.
| What Is the object OF the visit: to
| drive out n possible intruding para
site? The Investigator. for all his
wutciful waiting. could never hit
upon an explanation that satisfied
with certainty. Poor human rea-
son. he cXclaims. which czAnno: even
fa;hom the ieason OF "A SpheX.
To test the insects intelligence. or
whatever We may cali the processes
that govern its actions. lie takes adj
vantage of tho absence Of the SpheN
to remove TO a distance Of a few feet
the cricket Jeff At the entrance. The
insect. returning, looks for It's prey:
fris Il and drass * hack. Then. as
before. she leaves It lying there while
she makes tho Usual descent. As
many as forty times was the expert
ment repeated. and not once did
Sphex's procedure vary. Her per-
sistence vanQuished mine" So the
scientist wonders: Does the insect
obey u fatal tendency which no cir
cumstances can ever modify? Are its
actions all performed by rule. and
has it no power Of acquiring tho least
wisdom of experience on it's W
account"
The next year F'abre visits IN same
spot and repeats his experiments on
the new Sphex colony. The results
are the same. But. happening upon
another colony near by. the theory OF
uniformity was suddenly blasted.
After acting in two or three expert
ments as their neighbors did. recover
ing h rapt prey and repeating the
preliminary descent. the wasps In this
colony refused to lie betrayed again,
and Selling the crickets in their man
dibles by the antenng. dragged them
into the subterranean ceu without the
precautionary visit. Each colony
acted In its own way in all the eN-
perimen;s. Why were the " Ways
so different? Prof. Fabre asked HIM
self some questions:
The colony which I wa, now inspecting.
descended from another s;ock--for the
children return to the cite selected by
their parer.s-was clcverer than the colony
Of Tested inl the year before. Graf,
l!nessl Is handed dorn: there are trio~r
tina; are sharper wi;,ed ami tribes tina,
are duiler wittej. apparently according 20
:he faculties OF their elders. With tho
sphex. as with Us. the intellect differs
with the province.
In two chapters "the wisdom" and
the ignorance" of Instinct are eN-
hibited in characteristic observation
and experiment. with the conclusion
that instinct "knows'' everything In
the undertaking paths marked out for
It. while outside Of those paths II
Knows nothing. THE sublime In
spirations of science and the astound-
ing Inconsistencies OF stupidity are
both It's portion. according as the In
sect acts under normal or accidental
conditions"
Examining The Modern Theory OF
Instinct" rrof. Fabre is openly scuin-
full. Here, he says. is the A~mmophila.
a cunning killer. Where are the pro-
~fessors Of the art OF stinglng?" When
the wasp leaves the cocoon and the
underground cell her parent genera
tion is dead. ny she will be before the
next generation appears. Thus nc
, "knowledge'' ran he transmitted by
practical Illustration She Is a past
master in the use Of her dart from
the first attempt: There We have in
stinct. the unconscious impulse that
forms an essential part OF the con-
ditions Of life and In handed down 10y
heredity in the same way as II rhyth-
mic action OF heart and lungs"
Fabre gives an occasional hint that
he believes there are mysteries In ma
ture that We had better let go mex
planned; hut the magnificent au-
daciiy" Of those who need only half
"a dozen cells. II bit Of protoplasm and
q diagram for demonstration" to &C
count for everything stirs him TO re-
m~orstrance Instinct. an acquired
habit. natural selection, heredity. the
survival Of tho ittest-ve vlctis--
these big words" he scorns. after
forty years Of collecting and catechiz-
ing for ~ few small facts" The AM
mophila stab her game. brushes its
nerve centres and paralyzes It NO that
until the larva Is ready TO eat it II
remains fresh. not carbon. Her aim
at the centre. the thrust that causes
paralysis without destroying life
whence the unfa!ling accuracy with
which the blow il delivered: Are We
to suppose that some Ammophila ages
q incidentally injured a catcrpillar's
nerve centres, and, finding herself the
gamer thereby. mad the procedure n
habit and passed il on TO her de.
scendants. all of them equally2-for
there are no blunderers. Are We tc
say. then. that In the struggle for o
istence this stock survived while the
less competent went under, until "the
, fiecting impression at the start" had
become "a deep rooted. i~neffaceable
impression" In the whole order? After