In The American Conservative, Dalrymple observes the lizards on his terrace in France, puzzling over a recent shift toward melanotic coloration and the rituals of their mysterious behavior. The small mysteries of the natural world lead him to reflect on the value of patient scientific observation, the limits of authority, and our own resemblance to creatures unaware of forces looming over them.
I found myself anthropomorphizing, investing the lizards with conscious purposes, as if they were enjoying themselves, or were angry, frightened, outraged, or determined. This, despite the manifest tininess of their brains.