The Wisdom of Instinct 



before my eyes, remain in my possession. In 

 each case, all the legs are completely para- 

 lysed. Whether lying naturally, on its belly 

 or on its back or side, the insect retains in- 

 definitely whatever position we give it. A 

 continued fluttering of the antennae, a few 

 intermittent pulsations of the belly and the 

 play of the mouth-parts are the only signs of 

 life. Movement is destroyed but not suscep- 

 tibility; for, at the least prick administered 

 to a thin-skinned spot, the whole body gives 

 a slight shudder. Perhaps, some day, physi- 

 ology will find in such victims the material 

 for valuable work on the functions of the 

 nervous system. The Wasp's sting, so in- 

 comparably skilful at striking a particular 

 point and administering a wound which af- 

 fects that point alone, will supplement, with 

 immense advantage, the experimenter's brutal 

 scalpel, which rips open where it ought to 

 give merely a light touch. Meanwhile, here 

 are the results which I have obtained from 

 the three victims, but in another direction. 



As only the movement of the legs has been 

 destroyed, without any wound save that of 

 the nerve-centres, which are the seat of that 

 movement, the insect must die of inanition 

 and not of its injuries. The experiment was 

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