18 MEMOIR OP HUBER. 



himself in good earnest to investigate the nature of 

 his winged favourites, external nature presented to 

 his eyes one universal blank ; 



" So thick a drop serene had quenched their orbs." 



It is not, therefore, without reason that his friend 

 and eulogist De Candolle* asserts that fs nothing of 

 any importance has been added to the history of bees 

 since his time ; and naturalists of unimpaired vision 

 have nothing of consequence to subjoin to the obser- 

 vations of a brother who was deprived of sight." 



Francis Huber was born at Geneva on the 2d July, 

 1750. His father possessed a decided taste for sub- 

 jects of natural science ; the son inherited the taste of 

 his father ; and, even in his boyish days, pursued his 

 favourite studies with such intense ardour as mate- 

 rially to injure his health, and bring on that weakness 

 in his visual organs which eventually ended in total 

 blindness. His attention had been led to what be- 

 came his favourite, indeed his sole and engrossing 

 study, the habits and economy of the Honey-Bee, by 

 his admiration of the writings of Reaumur, and above 

 all, by his acquaintance with Bonnet, the illustrious 

 author of " Contemplation de la Nature," who quickly 

 discerned the intelligence and penetration of his 

 young friend, and who kindly and strongly encouraged 

 him in his peculiar researches. It is singular enough 

 that these two distinguished naturalists and friends 



* See Memoir of Huber by M. de Candolle in the Edinburgh 

 rmiosophical Journal for April 1833. 



