1915 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 69 



insight into the old man's life and work. That book was only published about 

 two years ago, because, as Prof. Loehhead has pointed out to the world in general, 

 Fabre is really a recent discovery, but to entomologists who are interested in 

 the habits of insects, as distinguished from their systematic relations, Fabre has long 

 been known through his essays in the series of "Souvenirs Entomologiques" which 

 were published in France. To those who are able and have the time I would 

 strongly recommend them to read his essays in the original because, naturally, in 

 the translations — while the translations are exceedingly well done — 'a great deal 

 of the beauty of his French is lost. Even the translations of his descriptions in 

 English show how magnilicent and charming they are, and as Prof. Loehhead 

 has pointed out, afford to us an excellent example to follow in descriptive work. 

 I think our descriptions are becoming more and more less interesting — ^tliat is in 

 entomological work, as a rule. If we can do anything that will improve our 

 descriptive powers in entomology, we shall be doing a great service to the science 

 in making it more interesting to others and not a "dry-as-dust" science. As I 

 have said, and Prof. Loehhead also in regard to the recent discovery of. Fabre, 

 there are reasons for his obscurity, one of which I think was his neglect to 

 answer his correspondence. Of course one can sympathize with him a good deal 

 if the correspondence had been large, but there is no excuse for a man absolutely 

 ignoring his correspondence as Fabre did. He would store away his letters and 

 no one knew what he was doing. He did not care for the outside world; he was 

 simply interested in his work for its own sake. There is another feature also — 

 I am dwelling on the features which one does not like in his life as well as the 

 more pleasing features — and that was his impatience with scientific names. Of 

 course that is a very easy attitude to assume. It is very easy for a popular 

 writer, but one can hardly understand it in a man of Fabre's eminence. He was 

 truly a real entomologist, and yet time and time again he picks up a name and 

 pokes fun at it. But he has to give names, and he has to use the name that 

 he has given. He rather seems to put up an image only to knock it down. 

 I do not think entomologists in foreign countries are to blame for not knowing 

 about him in view of his great neglect of his own country. Of course it may 

 have been due to his reclusive character. He hated publicity. He had many 

 opportunities of becoming famous with all that it implies in friends, the receiving 

 of distinctions, and going to Paris, but he threw it all up and kept to his little 

 cottage where he still lives, and the way it is recorded is very delightful reading. 



His writings are contributions not only to literature but positive contributions 

 to science, and if one is working on such subjects as metamorphism, parasitism, 

 etc., they cannot afford to neglect Fabre's observations, as I have often found 

 in reading through many of his essays. His observations on the life history of 

 the Meloidae were unique in character as regards the habit of metamorphism; and 

 then there is the extraordinary life history of parasitic insects such as the Anthrax 

 Flies and the Odynerus Bees. In fact he anticipated much of our present work, 

 and there is much entomological work described at the present day as original 

 which is not original at all but anticipated by Fabre, yet was not known because 

 his essays on those particular points had not been read. I would therefore recom- 

 ment as "light reading" if you will — when one has the opportunity— the work 

 of Fabre who, as I have said before, was certainly the greatest entomological 

 observer and will ever remain eminent in that character. Perhaps Father Leopold 

 would like to say a few words on this subject? 



Father Leopold: I can only confirm what the President has just said. 

 Personally I have taken ver-y great pleasure in reading Fabre's original works. 



