494 . Canadian Record of Science 



HENRI FABRE. 



There passed away a few months ago, at Orange, 

 France, iii his> ninety-second year, one of the most re- 

 markable scientific men that the world has ever seen, 

 Henri Fabre. He remained almost unknown to the 

 world until he was over 80 years old, when suddenly he 

 became recognized as one of the greatest scientists of the 

 times. He spent his long life exploring the insect world. 

 "Entomology is not, I know, to the taste of everybody," 

 he said, in speaking of his success. "To the terrible 

 utilitarian, a bushel of peas preserved from the weevil is 

 of more importance than a volume of observations which 

 bring no profit. It- is by the accumulation of ideas that 

 humanity has done, and will continue to do, better to-day 

 than yesterday, and better to-morrow than to-day." 



Fabre 's life was one of poverty, sacrifice, struggle and 

 perseverance. He was born of humble and illiterate 

 parents at Saint Leons, France, in 1823. His youth was 

 a constant struggle for education. His first adventure 

 into Nature's secrets began at his fifth year, when he 

 sought to learn how the cricket produced its chirping 

 sound. His interest in insects never flagged, although 

 he started his career as teacher of mathematics in a 

 school at Ajaccio. It was there he met the celebrated 

 botanist, Moquin-Tandon, who gave him this advice : 

 "Leave your mathematics and get to the beast." He 

 followed the advice, but directing his attention to in- 

 sects, and after years of study he wrote the "Life of the 

 Spider," and other books on insects, some in as entranc- 

 ing a vein as a novel. 



Though Fabre veritably loved his insects, he realized 

 and deplored their deeds of lust, cruelty and murder. 

 ' ' Crime is the ' note ' of insect life, ' ' he once said. ' ' Can- 

 nibalism is incidental in many instances. The story of 

 that unspeakable hyprocrite, the praying-mantis, is one of 

 cruelty, license and grotesque horror, such as human 

 annals cannot match." 



