Social Life in the Insect World

Read the most by: boys and girls

This classic account of insect behavior shows some surprising similarities to human interactions. ''The patience and the nicety of M. Fabres observations are indeed amazing. His eyes see, and they see magical marvels.'' -- Daily ExpressConsidered "The Homer of Insects," Fabre's work laid the foundation for virtually all subsequent work in the field of entomology. Jean-Henri Fabre (1823-1915) is well known for his popularization of insect natural history, especially in the ten volumes of Souvenirs Entomologiques. Although a reclusive amateur, with no scientific training, he was an acute observer of insect behavior. He combined his observations (most made in his own backyard) with a humanistic writing style that made his books popular, at least later in his life; during most of his life, the successive volumes of Souvenirs Entomologiques attracted only mild attention. Fabre was 84 when the last volume appeared, and soon afterward he was "discovered." He was elected to numerous scientific societies, provided a government pension, and even the President of France came to visit him.