Social Life in the Insect World

Social Life in the Insect World

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Title: Social Life in the Insect World
Author: J. H. Fabre
Translator: Bernard Miall
Release Date: May 8, 2006 [EBook #18350]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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SOCIAL LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD
BY J. H. FABRE
TRANSLATED BY BERNARD MIALL
WITH 14 ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON T. FISHER UNWIN, LTD. ADELPHI TERRACE
First Edition 1911
Second Impression 1912
Third Impression 1912
Fourth Impression 1913
Fifth Impression 1913
Sixth Impression 1915
Seventh Impression 1916
Eighth Impression 1916
Ninth Impression 1917
Tenth Impression 1918
Eleventh Impression 1918
Twelfth Impression 1919
(All rights reserved)
[Illustration: 1. THE MANTIS. A DUEL BETWEEN FEMALES.
2. THE MANTIS DEVOURING A CRICKET.
3. THE MANTIS DEVOURING HER MATE.
4. THE MANTIS IN HER ATTITUDE OF PRAYER.
5. THE MANTIS IN HER "SPECTRAL" ATTITUDE.
(See p. 76.)]

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
THE FABLE OF THE CIGALE AND THE ANT 1
CHAPTER II
THE CIGALE LEAVES ITS BURROW 17
CHAPTER III
THE SONG OF THE CIGALE 31
CHAPTER IV
THE CIGALE. THE EGGS AND THEIR HATCHING 45
CHAPTER V
THE MANTIS. THE CHASE 68
CHAPTER VI
THE MANTIS. COURTSHIP 79
CHAPTER VII
THE MANTIS. THE NEST 86
CHAPTER VIII
THE GOLDEN GARDENER. ITS NUTRIMENT 102
CHAPTER IX
THE GOLDEN GARDENER. COURTSHIP 111
CHAPTER X
THE FIELD CRICKET 120
CHAPTER XI
THE ITALIAN CRICKET 130
CHAPTER XII
THE SISYPHUS BEETLE. THE INSTINCT OF PATERNITY 136
CHAPTER XIII
A BEE-HUNTER: THE PHILANTHUS AVIPORUS 150
CHAPTER XIV
THE GREAT PEACOCK, OR EMPEROR MOTH 179
CHAPTER XV
THE OAK EGGAR, OR BANDED MONK 202
CHAPTER XVI
A TRUFFLE-HUNTER: THE BOLBOCERAS GALLICUS 217
CHAPTER XVII
THE ELEPHANT-BEETLE 238
CHAPTER XVIII
THE PEA-WEEVIL 258
CHAPTER XIX
AN INVADER: THE HARICOT-WEEVIL 282
CHAPTER XX
THE GREY LOCUST 300
CHAPTER XXI
THE PINE-CHAFER 317

ILLUSTRATIONS
THE MANTIS: A DUEL BETWEEN FEMALES; DEVOURING A CRICKET; DEVOURING HER MATE; IN HER ATTITUDE OF PRAYER; IN HER "SPECTRAL" ATTITUDE Frontispiece
DURING THE DROUGHTS OF SUMMER THIRSTING INSECTS, AND NOTABLY THE ANT, FLOCK TO THE DRINKING-PLACES OF THE CIGALE 8
THE CIGALE AND THE EMPTY PUPA-SKIN 28
THE ADULT CIGALE, FROM BELOW. THE CIGALE OF THE FLOWERING ASH, MALE AND FEMALE 36
THE CIGALE LAYING HER EGGS. THE GREEN GRASSHOPPER, THE FALSE CIGALE OF THE NORTH, DEVOURING THE TRUE CIGALE, A DWELLER IN THE SOUTH 48
THE NEST OF THE PRAYING MANTIS; TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE SAME; NEST OF EMPUSA PAUPERATA; TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE SAME; VERTICAL SECTION OF THE SAME; NEST OF THE GREY MANTIS; SCHEFFER'S SISYPHUS (see Chap. XII.); PELLET OF THE SISYPHUS; PELLET OF THE SISYPHUS, WITH DEJECTA OF THE LARVA FORCED THROUGH THE WALLS 88
THE MANTIS DEVOURING THE MALE IN THE ACT OF MATING; THE MANTIS COMPLETING HER NEST; GOLDEN SCARAB?I CUTTING UP A LOB-WORM 90
THE GOLDEN GARDENER: THE MATING SEASON OVER, THE MALES ARE EVISCERATED BY THE FEMALES 114
THE FIELD-CRICKET: A DUEL BETWEEN RIVALS; THE DEFEATED RIVAL RETIRES, INSULTED BY THE VICTOR 124
THE ITALIAN CRICKET 132
THE GREAT PEACOCK OR EMPEROR MOTH 180
THE GREAT PEACOCK MOTH. THE PILGRIMS DIVERTED BY THE LIGHT OF A LAMP 196
THE GREY LOCUST; THE NERVATURES OF THE WING; THE BALANINUS FALLEN A VICTIM TO THE LENGTH OF HER PROBOSCIS 244
THE PINE-CHAFER (MELOLONTHA FULLO) 318

SOCIAL LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD
CHAPTER I
THE FABLE OF THE CIGALE AND THE ANT
Fame is the daughter of Legend. In the world of creatures, as in the world of men, the story precedes and outlives history. There are many instances of the fact that if an insect attract our attention for this reason or that, it is given a place in those legends of the people whose last care is truth.
For example, who is there that does not, at least by hearsay, know the Cigale? Where in the entomological world shall we find a more famous reputation? Her fame as an impassioned singer, careless of the future, was the subject of our earliest lessons in repetition. In short, easily remembered lines of verse, we learned how she was destitute when the winter winds arrived, and how she went begging for food to the Ant, her neighbour. A poor welcome she received, the would-be borrower!--a welcome that has become proverbial, and her chief title to celebrity. The petty malice of the two short lines--
Vous chantiez! j'en suis bien aise, Eh bien, dansez maintenant!
has done more to immortalise the insect than her skill as a musician. "You sang! I am very glad to hear it! Now you can dance!" The words lodge in the childish memory, never to be forgotten. To most Englishmen--to most Frenchmen even--the song of the Cigale is unknown, for she dwells in the country of the olive-tree; but we all know of the treatment she received at the hands of the Ant. On such trifles does Fame depend! A legend of very dubious value, its moral as bad as its natural history;