62 THE REPORT OF THE Xo. 36 



about him, but also to study for specialist certificates in mathematics and physical 

 science. 



From Cai-pentras he went to the College in Ajaccio, in Corsica, as Professor 

 of Physics and Chemistry, where he had an opportunity of studying nature under 

 new and wilder conditions. He explored and collected assiduously whenever his 

 regular duties, which were heavy, 'permitted. It was at Ajaccio that he came in 

 contact with Requien and Moquiu-Tandon, two celebrated naturalists, and his bent 

 for natural history was strengthened. 



From Ajaccio he went to the College at Avignon, where he remained twenty 

 years, as Assistant-Professor of Physics. His salary was small, and his teach- 

 ing duties were heavy. Notwithstanding all the difficnlties lip. had to contend 

 against he studied and investigated. He secured by examination his Doctorate in 

 Sciences from Paris, and continued his researches among insects. His fine abili- 

 ties as a teacher attracted the attention of Duruy^, Minister of Public Instruction, 

 who visited him and later summoned him to Paris, where he was made Chevalier 

 of the Legion of Honour. He refused, however, to accept any offer held out to 

 him, under the helief that independence of thouglit and action would be inter- 

 fered with. 



In 1871 Fabre left Avignon on account of the hostility of the faculty and 

 went to live at Orange. There he wrote his celebrated scientific primers for 

 schools, which influenced a whole generation of French youth, and which brought 

 in some much-needed revenue. There, too, he met Jolm Stuart Mill, who lielped 

 him out of some financial ditTiculties. He continued his studies of insect life, and 

 'n 1878 appeared the first volume of his *' Souvenirs Entomologiques," which have 

 made him famous througjiout the entomological and literary world. 



From Orange, Fabre moved to a secluded spot a.t Serignan — '"'The Hermitage " 

 - -where he lives with his family, continues his observations, and meets the many 

 friends who come to do him homage. 



At last Fabre is recognized as one of the greatest naturalists of the time. The 

 ten volumes of " Souvenirs Entomologiques " are a monument to his genius. The 

 tardy recognition given him by his own countrymen is due, partly at least, to his 

 dislike for public notoriety, his aversion to the acceptance of any position which 

 would interfere with his independence of action, and to his extreme poverty, which 

 prevented him frpm leaving the little world in which lie loved to laibour. (See 

 note, p. 68.) 



The main purpose of this paper is to draw attention to Fabre's wonderfully 

 delightful series of descriptive observations, studies and experiments on the habits 

 of many common insects,, a series but little known, I believe, to Canadian students 

 of insect life. We have been so busy classifying, dissecting, and working out life- 

 histories that we have overlooked that other interesting field of work in which 

 Fabre has done such magnificent and lasting service. 



But there is another reason why I bring Fabre to your attention. His de- 

 scriptions are masterpieces. Maeterlinck, him.self a student of insect life and a 

 masiter of literary expression, calls Fabre the " Insect*' Homer, whose brow should 

 be girt with a double and radiant crown." 



It is a pleasure to turn from the prosaic pages of most of our entomological 

 writers to the charming descriptions of this great French writer. His pages remind 

 us of those of Gilbert White of Selborne, and of Thoreau, whose pure literary 

 style still charms us, and at the same time causes many of us to feel that, as a 

 rule, we do not give sufficient attention to the literarv form in which our observa- 



