238 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



not a few mysteries. He married early 

 in life, and the responsibility of a large 

 family made it imperative for him to work 

 harder than ever at teaching, thus ])ost- 

 poning his dream of becoming a natural- 

 ist with nothing to do but to study insect 

 life. He was able, however, to make 

 great use of his studies near Avignon, 

 where he lived, because the sun-baked, 

 wind-swept wastes about that town were, 

 if worthless agriculturally, an insect para- 

 dise. Here it was that Fabre wrote his 

 greatest work, "Souvenirs Entomologi- 

 ques,'' which has now gone into many 

 editions. It was crowned by the French 

 Academy. 



Fabre became the friend of Darwin, 

 Maeterlinck, and Mistral. Maeterlinck 

 has said : "He is one of the most profound 

 scholars, purest writers, and finest poets 

 of the century just passed." Through talks 

 with Fabre, Maeterlinck was inspired to 

 write "The Life of the Bee.'' The poet 

 Mistral rescued Fabre from poverty and 

 obscurity by begging aid from all inter- 

 ested in science. 



A recent remark by Fabre illustrates 

 his simplicity and humility : 



"Because I have stirred a few grains 

 of sand on the shore am I in a position 

 to know the depths of the ocean? Life 

 has unfathomable secrets. Human knowl- 

 edge will be erased from the archives of 

 the world before we possess the last word 

 that the gnat has to say to us. Scientifi- 

 callv, nature is a riddle without a definite 

 solution to satisfy man's curiosity. Hy- 

 pothesis follows hypothesis ; the theoreti- 

 cal rubbish heap accumulates and truth 

 ever eludes us. To know how not to know 

 might well be the last word of wisdom." 

 —"The Outlook." 



Where to Obtain Living Pupae 



Many of our readers desire to watch the 

 transformation of pupae into moths or but- 

 terflies. Suchof course know that a butter- 

 fly passes through a chrysalis pupa, a moth 

 through a cocoon pupa. We are glad to 

 announce that both kinds may be obtained 

 from Ward's Natural Science Establish- 

 ment, 82-104 College Avenue, Rochester, 

 New York. Send for their price list and 

 refer to this magazine. 



The Lament of the Drones. 



BY GRACE ALLEN IN "GLEANINGS IN BEK 

 CULTURE.'' 



Xo JHOl-e? 



Not ever ever more within the hive 



No more to feel its friendly shelter 



'round ? 



Xo more to share its pulsing peace, alive 



With vibrant hum of motion and of 



sound ? 



And we so powerful-winged and light of 



heart ? 

 ( )f all this life we love are we a part 

 Xo more ? 



The Harvard College Observatory 

 was founded in 1840 with a total en- 

 dowment of $3000. Now, it spends 

 $50,000 each year. 



"NO MORE." 



No more. 



Not ever ever more within the hive. 



An unimaginable end has come. 

 The things are turning dead that were 

 alive 



And all the singing voices turning dumb 

 And Life herself, who one time bade us be, 

 Has turned away her eyes, which we shall 



see 

 No more. 



And this the end ? 



No end but this for those uncounted days 



Of banqueting, or those mad hours of 



bliss 



We went careening, careless, through the 



ways 



Of miracle and light? No end but this? 



No end but this. No proud sustaining 



thought 

 Of deed with rapture or with patience 



wrought — ■ 

 No end but this. 



More and more 



The dripping night that stalks without the 

 hive 



