The Capricorn 



the animal easily advances or retreats along 

 its gallery, a sort of mould which the con- 

 tents fill without a gap. But, if the loco- 

 motory pads grip only on one side, progress 

 becomes impossible. When placed on the 

 smooth wood of my table, the animal wrig- 

 gles slowly; it lengthens and shortens with- 

 out advancing by a hair's-breadth. Laid on 

 the surface of a piece of split oak, a rough, 

 uneven surface, due to the gash made by the 

 wedge, it twists and writhes, moves the front 

 part of its body very slowly from left to 

 right and right to left, lifts it a little, lowers 

 it and begins again. These are the most 

 extensive movements made. The vestigial 

 legs remain inert and absolutely useless. 



Then why are they there? Better to lose 

 them altogether, if it be true that craw- 

 ling inside the oak has deprived the animal 

 of the good legs with which it started. The 

 influence of environment, so well-inspired in 

 endowing the grub with ambulatory pads, 

 becomes a mockery when it leaves it these 

 ridiculous stumps. Can the structure, per- 

 chance, be obeying other rules than those of 

 environment? 



Though the useless legs, the germs of the 

 future limbs, persist, there is no sign in the 

 grub of the eyes wherewith the Cerambyx 

 191 



