2i8 INSECT LIFE 



XV 



required for an irreproachable observation. The Hy- 

 menopteron acts with a precision of which science 

 might be jealous ; it knows what man but rarely 

 knows ; it is acquainted with the complex nervous 

 system of its victim, and keeps repeated stabs for 

 those with numerous ganglia. I said " It knows ; is 

 acquainted " : what I ought to say is, " It acts as if 

 it did." What it does is suggested to it ; the creature 

 obeys, impelled by instinct, without reasoning on what 

 it does. But whence comes this sublime instinct ? 

 Can theories of atavism, of selection, of the struggle 

 for life, interpret it reasonably ? For my friend and 

 myself it was and is one of the most eloquent revela- 

 tions of the ineffable logic which rules the world and 

 guides the unconscious by the laws which it inspires. 

 Stirred to the heart by this flash of truth, both of us 

 felt a tear of emotion rise to our eyes. 



