NATURAL HISTOBT OP THE HONEY-BEB. 33 



his observatious. P.it to make their case still stronger, 

 they assert that his servant, Francis Burnens, by whose 

 aid he conducted his experiments, was only an ignorant 

 peasanj. Now this so-called " ignorant peasant " was a 

 man of strong native intellect, possessing the indefatigable' 

 energy and enthusiasm so indispensable to a good obser- 

 ver. He was a noble specimen of a self-made man, and 

 rose to be the chief magistrate in the village where he 

 resided. Huber has paid an admirable tribute to his 

 intelligence, fidelity, indomitable patience, energy and 

 skiU.* 



It would be difficult to find in any language a better 

 specimen of the inductive system of reasoning, than 

 Huber's work on bees, and it might be studied as a model 

 of the only way of investigating nature, so as to arrive at 

 reliable results. - 



Huber was assisted in his researches, not only by Bur- 

 nens, but by his own wife, to whom he was betrothed 

 before the loss of his sight, and who nobly persisted in 

 marrying him, notwithstanding his misfortune and the 

 strenuous dissuasions of her friends. They lived longer 

 than the ordinary term of human life in the enjoyment of 

 great domestic happiness, and the amiable naturahst 

 through her assiduous attentions scarcely felt the loss of 

 his sight. 



Milton is beUeved by many to have been a better poet 

 in consequence of Ms blindness ; and it is highly probable 

 that Huber was a better Apiarian from the same cause. 

 His active yet reflective mind demanded constant employ- 

 ment ; and he found in the study of the habits of the 

 honey-bee, full scope for his powers. ^AU the observations 



» A single fact will show the character of the man. It became necessary, in a 

 certain experiment, to examine separately all the bees in two lives. " Burnens 

 spent Ovum days in performmg this work, and during the whole time he scarc,ely 

 allowed himself any relaxation hut what the relief of his eyes required " 



2* 



