68 THE EEPORT OF THE No. 36 



mologiques/' all showing a master living close to Nature and with infinite patience 

 unravelling insect secrets which have heretofore escaped less careful observers, but it 

 is far better to read the full descriptions as he gives them. To me the perusal of 

 these volumes revealed a great, if not the greatest, observer of the last two genera- 

 tions. 



Notes. 



Darwin makes reference in the " Origin of Species " on three occasions to 

 Fabre, who is termed " that inimitable observer " : Chapter 4, page 108, Part I. ; 

 Chapter 8, page 336, Part I.; and Chapter 14, page 253, Part II. 



A year or two ago, when it became Imown that Fabre was in meagre circum- 

 stances, if not in want, many noted scientific men and readers of his works were 

 prepared to help him. He wrote: "T am poor, it is true, but I am also happy; a 

 modest shelter, frugal food, perhaps a glass of the wine of the country or a pipe, 

 and tlie delight of a ProA'engal garden where I can observe my beloved insects — 

 what more could an old man who loves nature want. Thank you, but NO ! " 



Selections from " Souvenirs Entomologiques," Available to English ReadeJis. 



Published by 



" Social Life in the Insect World " The Century Co. 



" The Life and Love of the Insect " A. & C. Black. 



" The W^ild Bee " Dodd, Mead & Co. 



" The Mason Bees " Dodd, Mead & Co. 



" The Life of the Fly " McLelland & Goodchild, Toronto 



" The Life of the Spider " Dodd, Mead & Co. 



" Insect Life " Macmillan Co. 



References to FAURFfs Life and Work. 



" Fabre, Poet of Science." By Dr. C. V. Legros. Translated by Bernard Miall 



The Century Co., New York. 



" Fortnightly Review " Vol. 98, page 663. 



" 100, " 661. • 



" Outlook " " 103, " 371. 



" 105, " 45. 



" Literary Digest " August 24th, 1912. 



The President: I am sure that the Society is very much indebted to Prof. 

 Lochhead for bringing to its notice — and to many of them, though I am sorry to 

 think it, for the first time — the name of Fabre. For many years, in fact since 

 I took an interest in entomology, which goes back to my childhood, I have always 

 been interested in Fabre's work, and liave read in the original many of his more 

 important papers which appeared in the " Souvenirs Entomologiques." I have no 

 hesitation saying that Fabre is, without exception, the greatest entomological 

 observer that ever lived or perhaps ever will live. It is Avonderful not only to 

 read his inimitable language, but to read between the lines and note the extra- 

 ordinary patience involved in making those observations on insect life. He would 

 lie out on his little patch of land, and would stay there under the hottest sun 

 for five or six hours just to watch one insect and its habits, and return day 

 after day, sheltering under an old sunshade. Prof. Lochhead did not mention 

 an excellent book recently written on Fabre, namely, "Fabre, the Poet of Science." 

 I would advise everyone to read this interesting volume, in which his life is 

 outlined and extracts given from his various books: these give a wonderful 



