An Insect Virus 



"That hurts." 



As I want to know the details of the sensa- 

 tions experienced, the best thing is to resort 

 to my own skin, the only witness on whose evi- 

 dence I can rely implicitly. 



At the risk of provoking a smile, I will 

 venture on another confession. As I begin 

 to see into the matter more clearly, I hesitate 

 to torture or destroy a single creature in God's 

 great community. The life of the least of 

 these is a thing to be respected. We can 

 take it away, but we cannot give it. Peace 

 to those Innocents, so little interested in our 

 investigations! What does our restless 

 curiosity matter to their calm and sacred 

 ignorance? If we wish to know, let 

 us pay the price ourselves as far as 

 possible. The acquisition of an idea 

 is well worth the sacrifice of a bit of 

 skin. 



The Elm Tortoiseshell, with her rain of 

 blood, may leave us to a certain extent in 

 doubt. Might not this strange red substance, 

 with its unusual appearance, contain a poison 

 which is likewise exceptional? I address my- 

 self therefore to the Mulberry Bombyx, to 

 the Pine Bombyx and to the Great Peacock. 



i8i 



