New-York tribune., 1912-02-25
NATURE STUDIES
Two Books of sympathetic
Observation.

THE LIFE AMI, LOVE OF TTIdH.intsd TIE INSECT IT,
Alexander Texeira de Mattos. Illus
trated svo. PIP X, 262. Tho Macmillan
Company.
THE HOME LIFE OF THE OsFih.En; 5yi.,I,
Photogra phed and described by CLINTON
G. Abbott, B. A.. Associate OF the Amer
ican Ornithologists' Union. Win some
nbotosraphs by Howard II. Cleaves.
hssociate of the American Ornltholo-
gists' Union. With 20 mounted plates
large Svo PIP. 81. London: "ltneroy
co.
II 7 Henri Fabre who is still among
the living at the age of eighty -nine' mas
suent n lifetime in the study OF the ways
~ insects. His garden in Southern
France has sufficed him for his purpose.
As Bernardn de Saint Pierre discovered
,,orId on a strawberry plant, and as
vo,iar de Maistre made a famous jour
nov around his room in his armchair so
1;s ,,,is French student make voyage
after voyage of wondrous discovery
Dithin the Enclosure Of his small domain.
The fruits of his explorations are gath-
cred in ten volumes Of Souvenirs En-
tonolocioues" containing some 2''"'
senarate essays. Charming, delicate SCI
ontifcally imaginative as is his work.
true romance OF diminutive lie ana "'
Ingenious solutions Of the problems oI
insect eAlstence. Fabre remained pracu-
calIy unknown outside his own country
until Maeterlinck. the biographer OF the
bee introduced him to a wider public.
Three years ago "A volume Of his essays
WAS published in English under the title
Of Insect Life Three of these papers
are reprinted in the present book to-
gether with thirteen hitherto untrans-
lated.
The domestic economy Of insects, their
services Ia mankind in the country.
above all their mating and provision
for their offspring. are the topics on
which this scientist loves to dwell. The
hymenoptpra apart-bees wasps. ants
and "A fnw other species-insects make
but small preparation for tho grading
and sustenance Of their offspring imme-
diately after birth, at which they are
not preseut. considering their duty full
filled with the deposition OF the egg.
noteworthy exception 10 this rule NJ.
Fabre has found in the humble dung
beetle. which. indeed, has reached a nigh
state OF civilization. II prepares pear
shaped balls of food. laying the egg not
in the centre. but in the neck of the ball.
because dry season may harden the
substance TO the consistency Of rock.
Careful OF the future of their own, these
insects have no regard for the property
rights Of others. Stealing prepared
pears is Al, established habit Of theirs.
Il ask myself in vain" says NJ. Fahre,
what Proudhon introduced into beetle
morally the daring paradox that prop
erty is based on plumber or what di
plomatist taught dung beetles the savage
maxim that might is right All that
I can cay is that theft is in general use
among the scarab tribe"
Wherever one turns under the guild
of his, he points to marvels. occasionally
depressing to draw n comparison with
human life. as where. in the matter of
sanitation, he points out that nature.
so lavish of her cares in respect 10 rural
health. is Indifferent TO the welfare of
cities. If not actively hostile TO IT,"
The paper on the Languedocian scor-
pion Was referred to. year or 80 ago. by
the Paris correspondent of The Tribune.
one Of the illustrations OF this essay
being reproduced in these columns. The
cOurtshiP Of these insects is uncommonly
interesting in its elaborate and dgnincd
ceremonial:
frisky, sprightly male finds himself
face to face with paSser-by who takes
his fancy. She does not say no; and things
go quickly. The foreheads touch. the
claws work: the tails swing with a wide
movement: they stand up vertically hook
together at the tips, and softly stroke each
other. Soon the raised bodies col
lapse; fingers are clasped and the couple
starts on its stroll without more ado.
The male gallantly walks backward,
but the road Of true love does not always