44 



did not cause them to set, at least would aid in that operation. And 

 the celebrated Tournefort was of opinion that the insect produced that 

 effect by piercing or gnawing the mouth, or the inside of the fig, so as to 

 draw out the superabundant fluids. This opinion has been followed by 

 many among the moderns, it appearing to them that the case of the fig 

 should be in every respect compared with what occurs often in pear, apple, 

 and other fruit trees, in which it is manifest that the blighted fruits ripen 

 some days before the others; and Bernard, of Marseilles, a distinguished 

 agriculturist, as I read in Gallesio, is of the same opinion, it appearing 

 to him that what happens from the fly can be proved artificially by 

 pricking the unripe figs with an awl, or even with a straw, and putting 

 a little oil on the puncture. But I think that such ideas and reason- 

 ings, founded on analogy, are worth nothing in the present case, for 

 before coming to the explanation, they ought first to have ascertained 

 whether in fact the fly does or does not hasten the maturity of the fruit, 

 and we have already seen that it does not. Besides, it is not proved yet 

 that the insect pierces the mouth of the fig at all, nor any other part, 

 excepting, perhaps, the ovary in order to deposit its eggs in it; on the 

 contrary, I believe that it never does; for looking with attention, I have 

 observed it make its way from scale to scale, sometimes unable to over- 

 come the resistance they oppose, nor ever breaking through any of them 

 to clear its way; and these scales, examined under the microscope, showed 

 no injury from the passage of the insect. But supposing the fly to have 

 pierced or otherwise injured* some scale or other, it does not follow thence 

 that the fig must ripen earlier, when we often see it injured or gnawed 

 away in some places ants often enlarge the mouth and carry away the 

 scales and yet these injured fruits either never ripen earlier, or very 

 rarely so, and that from other causes. That puncture and oil hasten the 

 maturity is proved by experiment, but this puncture operates in a dif- 

 ferent manner, in my opinion, from that which insects make into the 

 ovaries of pears and apples to deposit their eggs. For amongst the pears 

 and apples containing insects' eggs, some, whilst they are growing and 

 still acid, become diseased and fall; others, continuing to grow like those 

 that are not touched, become soft when the grub issues from the egg and 

 commences feeding on the pulp; and this pulp is then sometimes, but 

 not always as some believe, of a good flavor. But the fig in the above- 

 mentioned experiment does not ripen from the puncture, but from the 

 oil, as the same effect is produced by putting a little on the mouth of the 

 fig. How it produces that effect on the fig is unknown to me; being put 

 on the mouth it contracts it, then gradually the oil spreads, and wherever 

 it reaches the dark green color of the epidermis changes to a bright green. 

 I thought that I perceived that it did not affect the milky juice in the 

 least, but rather impeded evaporation or other functions of the epidermis, 

 as well in respect of light as of air, and that on that account the anointed 

 fig commenced ripening from the base, and was inferior in flavor to those 

 ripened naturally. But to return to the case of the fly: it neither pierces 

 nor gnaws the substance of the fig, and if it inserts its eggs into the 

 ovary, tvhich I can neither affirm nor deny, it is certain that nothing is 

 hatched from them; but I am inclined to think that it does not even 

 pierce the ovary, as it does not prevent the formation of the embryo, and 

 the difference between the fig and the caprifig is very great. 



10. Action of Fruits which are Ripe and in a State of Decomposition 

 upon those which are Younger and Sour. In making my experiments on 



