Jean-Henri Fabre was a famous French entomologist whose observations of insects were praised - this examination of various beetles is characteristic of his meticulous yet engrossing descriptions. Fabre's greatest talent was rooted in his genuine passion for entomology; a natural ability to observe the quirks and habits of small creatures, and describe them to others in a plain but lively way. As demonstrated in this book, he wrote about insects as if they were his friends - seeing their lives play out, it is thus that qualities of biography are found alongside the scientific value of this work. In life, Fabre met with backlash for his unique style - formal schools, whom he in turn criticized for dryness of tutoring - considered his books long-winded, or even frivolous. Nevertheless he managed to connect atmospheric pressure to the behavior of certain insects, while contemporaries such as Charles Darwin held Fabre in high esteem, to the point of finding his studies inspirational.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Legs, antennae, horns, beautiful shells, knobs, and other oddities--what's not to like about beetles?