by Jean Henri Fabre $16.00

This volume, based on translations of Fabre’s “Souvenirs Entomologiques, ” blends folklore and mythology with factual explanation. He discusses with infectious enthusiasm the physiologic secrets behind the luminosity of fireflies, the musical talents of the locust, the comfortable home of the field cricket, and the cannibalism of the pious-looking praying mantis, among other topics. This great French entomologist’s charming essays on insect life combine scientific rigor with the style of a literary classic. Beautifully written passages reveal the intricate, fascinating worlds of various insects as they hunt, build nests, feed families, and more. A rare volume that will delight any naturalist. PB 128p, 200g.