permission to include a new translation of these chapters in the
present volume. They did so without fee or consideration of any kind,
merely on my representation that it would be a great pity if this
uniform edition of Fabre's Works should be rendered incomplete because
certain essays formed part of volumes of extracts previously published
in this country. Their generosity is almost unparalleled in my
experience; and I wish to thank them publicly for it in the name of
the author, of the French publishers and of the English and American
publishers, as well as in my own.

Some of the chapters have appeared in England in the "Daily Mail", the
"Fortnightly Review" and the "English Review"; some in America in
"Good Housekeeping" and the "Youth's Companion"; others now see the
light in English for the first time.

I have again to thank Miss Frances Rodwell for the invaluable
assistance which she has given me in the work of translation and in
the less interesting and more tedious department of research.

ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS.

Chelsea, 1914.




CONTENTS.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE.