of litany, a multitude of the insects studied by the author. For
the rest, I have continued my system of references to the earlier
Fabre books, whether translated by myself or others. Of the
following essays, The Harmas has appeared, under another title, in
The Daily Mail; The Pond, Industrial Chemistry and the two
Chapters on the bluebottle in The English Review; and The Harmas,
The Pond and Industrial Chemistry in the New York Bookman. The
others are new to England and America, unless any of them should
be issued in newspapers or magazines between this date and the
publication of the book.

I wish once more to thank Miss Frances Rodwell for her assistance
in the details of my work and in the verification of the many
references; and my thanks are also due to Mr. Edward Cahen, who
has been good enough to revise the two chemistry chapters for me,
and to Mr. W. S. Graff Baker, who has performed the same kindly
task towards the two chapters entitled Mathematical Memories.
-- Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. Chelsea, 8 July, 1913.

[Recorder's Note: Most Translator's Footnotes have been omitted
from this text, but some of his references to localities and
insect names are included in brackets. I apologize to English
readers for changes to American spelling.]




CHAPTER I THE HARMAS

This is what I wished for, hoc erat in votis: a bit of land, oh,