304 THE WONDERS OF INSTINCT 



Of a surety, he would be short-sighted indeed that 

 pictured a world of good things prepared exclusively for 

 our advantage. The earth, the great foster-mother, has 

 a generous breast. At the very moment when nourishing 

 matter is created, even though it be with our own zealous 

 aid, she summons to the feast host upon host of con- 

 sumers, who are all the more numerous and enterprising 

 in proportion as the table is more amply spread. The 

 cherry of our orchards is excellent eating: a maggot 

 contends with us for its possession. In vain do we weigh 

 suns and planets: our supremacy, which fathoms the 

 universe, cannot prevent a wretched worm from levying 

 its toll on the delicious fruit. We make ourselves at 

 home in a cabbage bed: the sons of the Pieris make 

 themselves at home there too. Preferring broccoli to 

 wild radish, they profit where we have profited; and we 

 have no remedy against their competition save caterpillar- 

 raids and egg-crushing, a thankless, tedious, and none too 

 efficacious work. 



Every creature has its claims on life. The Cabbage- 

 caterpillar eagerly puts forth his own, so much so that 

 the cultivation of the precious plant would be endangered 

 if others concerned did not take part in its defense. 

 These others are the auxiliaries, * our helpers from 

 necessity and not from sympathy. The words friend 

 and foe, auxiliaries and ravagers are here the mere con- 

 ventions of a language not always adapted to render the 



1 The author employs this word to denote the insects that are 

 helpful, while describing as " ravagers " the insects that are hurtful 

 to the farmer's crops. — Translator's Note. 



