FABRE'S EXPERIMENT 35 



at night. This fairly proved there was no 

 leader or intelligence amongst them. 



We note that the creatures were unable to 

 extricate themselves from an unnatural posi- 

 tion in which they were placed — a situation 

 which could not have occurred in pure nature. 

 For even supposing the caterpillars had fallen 

 on to, or otherwise attained the rim of the pot, 

 the circumstance would still be indirectly at- 

 tributable to man — the man who, artificially, 

 made the pot. 



The fixed laws of subconscious mind cannot 

 be altered to suit unnatural conditions. Its 

 action under the circumstances, therefore, 

 would be to urge the caterpillars forward, and, 

 at the same time, protect them from falling 

 off the rim, which would have the effect of 

 keeping them cUnging to it ; but in no way 

 would it help them out of an impasse, seem- 

 ingly simple, yet so impossible where no reason- 

 ing mind exists. 



The above experiment suggests the amateur 

 watchmaker, who after meddling with works 

 he does not properly understand, either stops 

 the clock or renders the action irregular. 



Fabre, in his Merveilles de I' Instinct chez les 

 Insects, tells us that the processionary cater- 

 pillars are guided by the silk each leaves 

 behind as it goes along, and, by this means, he 



