X 



THE SPHEX OF LANGUEDOC 



When the chemist has ripely considered his plan 

 of research, he mixes his reactives at whatever 

 moment suits him best, and sets his retorts on the 

 fire. He is master of time, place, and circumstance, 

 chooses his own hour, isolates himself in his labo- 

 ratory, where he will be undisturbed, and brings 

 about such or such conditions as reflexion may sug- 

 gest. He is searching out the secrets of brute nature, 

 whose chemical activities science can arouse at will. 



The secrets of living nature — not those of anatomy, 

 but those of life in action, especially of instinct — offer 

 conditions far more difficult and delicate to the 

 observer. Far from being able to take his own time, 

 he is the slave of season, day, or hour, even of the 

 moment. If an opportunity offer, it must be seized 

 at once — it may be very long ere it comes again. 

 And as it usually comes just when one is thinking 

 least about it, nothing is ready whereby to turn it 

 to account. One must improvise there and then 

 one's little means of experiment, combine one's plan, 

 devise one's wiles, imagine one's tactics, and feel only 

 too fortunate if inspiration come quickly enough to 



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