The Buprestis-hunting Cerceris 



Swallowtail. The fire was laid; the spark to 

 kindle it was absent. Leon Dufour's essay 

 provided that spark. 



New hghts burst forth: I received a sort 

 of mental revelation. So there was more in 

 science than the arranging of pretty Beetles 

 in a cork box and giving them names and 

 classifying them; there was something much 

 finer : a close and loving study of insect life, 

 the examination of the structure and especially 

 the faculties of each species. I read of a 

 magnificent instance of this, glowing with ex- 

 citement as I did so. Some time after, aided 

 by those lucky circumstances which he who 

 seeks them eagerly is always able to find, I 

 myself published an entomological article, a 

 supplement to Leon Dufour's. This first 

 work of mine won honourable mention from 

 the Institute of France and was awarded a 

 prize for experimental physiology. But soon 

 I received a far more welcome recompense, 

 in the shape of a most eulogistic and encour- 

 aging letter from the very man who had in- 

 spired me. From his home in the Landes, 

 the revered master sent me a warm expression 

 of his enthusiasm and urged me to go on with 

 my studies. Even now, at that sacred recol- 

 lection, my old eyes fill with happy tears. O 

 3 



