THE 



NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW 



A 



QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE. 



%f^VUlVS. 



XIII. — The Writings of M. Pabre. 



Obseetattons sur les mceijrs des Cerceris. Aim. des Sci. Nat. 



Tome IV. Ser. 4. 

 Etude sur l'insttjStct et les Metamorphoses des SraEGiEisrs. 



Ann. des Sci. Nat. Tome VI. Ser. 4. 

 Memoire sur l'IItpermetamouphose et les mceurs des Meloi'des. 



Ann. des Sci. Nat. Tome Vll. Ser. 4. 

 Eeciierches sur l'Anatomie des Organes Eeproducteurs et 



SUR LE Deyeloppement DES Mtriapodes. Ann. des Sci. Nat. 



Tome III. Ser. 4. 



Miss Martineau in lier " Eastern Life" expresses lier wonder that 

 after a co-existence of GOOO years or more we cannot understand 

 the language of a single animal. But how few men are there who 

 make any effort to do so. Even among naturalists, how large a pro- 

 portion catch but to hill, and study only the dead. In Entomology 

 we have had but two liubers, nor can we be said yet to understand 

 thorougMy the habits of a single insect. The most startling dis- 

 covery of the last few years relates to a species which has been 

 domesticated from time immemorial. Gladly, therefore, do we wel- 

 come an Entomologist who steps boldly out of the common path; in 

 some cases, indeed, we may feel disposed to think that M. Fabre's 

 enthusiasm leads him to attribute to his favourites, feelings of which 

 we can hardly suppose them capable ; but we cannot criticise what 

 we have enjoyed so much, and the error, if it be one, throws an 

 additional charm over his writings. Out of the many species whose 

 manners and customs are described by M. Eabre, we must confine 

 ourselves to three ; and even then we cannot in so short an abstract 

 do anything like jvistice to the wit and brilliancy of the original. 

 N. H. R — 1862. K 



