THE PURSUIT.
See page 158.
THE INSECT
BY
JULES MICHELET.
WITH 140 ILLUSTRATIONS BY GIACOMELLI,
ILLUSTRATOR OF "THE BIRD."
LONDON:
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;
EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.
1875.
The Insect" is one of the four remarkable works in which the late M. Michelet embodied the results of a loving and persevering study of Nature. These works are absolutely unique; the poetry of Science was never before illustrated on so large a scale, or with so much vividness of fancy, or in so eloquent a style. The aspects of Nature were never before examined with so strong an enthusiasm or so definite an individuality,—with so eager a desire to identify them with the feelings, hopes, and aspirations of humanity. Michelet approached his subject neither as philosopher nor as poet, but yet with something of the spirit of both. His philosophy and poetry, however, were both subordinate to his ardent sympathy with what he conceived to be the soul, the personality of Nature; and whether his attention was directed to the life of ocean, the bird, the insect, or the mountain-plant, he still sought for some evidence of its special and distinct existence, with thoughts and emotions, as it were, and a character of its own. It was almost as if he saw in Nature a likeness to, and a kinship with, humanity. No doubt, in expressing these views he was occasionally led into a certain extravagance, and his enthusiasm not infrequently outran or overmastered his judgment. He lacked the profound insight and sober reflection of Wordsworth, and accuracy of detail was often sacrificed for the sake of a brilliant generalization. But, after making due allowance for defects inseparable, perhaps, from a genius rather passionate and impulsive than analytic and self-composed, it must be admitted that the lover of Nature has cause to be grateful for the fine fancies, rich illustrations, and suggestive analogies crowded into the books we speak of.
A recent writer, M. Monod,[A] has pronounced upon them an animated eulogium:—"Scientific men may discover in these books errors, inaccuracies, and exaggerations; but, in spite of all, they have shown that the physical sciences, though accused of withering the soul, and robbing Nature of poetry and life of enchantment, contain the elements of a profound and varied poetry, that never loses its charm, because it is not dependent on the caprices of taste and fashion, but has its source in the unchangeable reality of things. Many have said that science will drive out religion and poetry; Michelet finds in every branch of science the demonstration of a new faith, revealing to him a harmony till then unperceived, centred in the supreme unity of the Divine mind and of the Absolute Being."
[A] Macmillan's Magazine, July 1874, pp. 231, 232.
Whether the reader endorses this high eulogium or not, he will certainly, in "The Insect," as in "The Bird," find a new stimulus to the study of Nature, and a fresh proof of the power and fancy of one of the greatest of modern French writers.
Of the present translation, it is necessary only to say that it has been executed with a conscientious adherence to the original, and with an effort to preserve, as far as possible, its peculiarities of style. If it should be thought that in the attempt something of freedom and fluency has been sacrificed, it is hoped the critic will acknowledge that something of faithfulness has been gained. The author of "The Insect" took much interest in the presentation of it and its companions to the English reader in an English dress, and was pleased to express his approval of the manner in which the Translator had accomplished his task.
It remains to be added that the exquisite Illustrations, by M. H. Giacomelli, have all been specially drawn and engraved for the English edition.
W. H. DAVENPORT ADAMS.
DRAWN BY H. GIACOMELLI.
| Engraved by | Page | |
| The Pursuit, | Rouget, | Frontispiece |
| A Home among the Mountains—Lucerne, | Sargent, | 15 |
| On the Watch, | Berveiller, | 17 |
| Border—Amongst the Flowers, | Berveiller, | 18 |
| Border—Insect Life, | Berveiller, | 19 |
| Border—Mailed Insects, | Méaulle, | 20 |
| Border—Bees and Beetles, | Méaulle, | 21 |
| Border—Grasshoppers and Beetles, | Méaulle, | 22 |
| Tailpiece—Naturalist's "Traps," | Berveiller, | 22 |
| Border—Caterpillars, | Coste, | 23 |
| Tailpiece—The Author's Implements, | Ansseau, | 35 |
| The Forest of Fontainebleau, | Rouget, | 39 |
| The Woodpecker, | Berveiller, | 46 |
| Tailpiece—Flowers, | Morison, | 52 |
| Fallen Fruit, | Whymper, | 55 |
| Horned Beetles, | Méaulle, | 57 |
| The Childhood's Home of Madame Michelet, | Rouget, | 59 |
| Tailpiece—Insect Prey, | Méaulle, | 63 |
| A Winged Intruder, | Sargent, | 65 |
| War! | Méaulle, | 67 |
| Between Chillon and Clarens, | Jonnard, | 71 |
| The Field—Various Insects, | Berveiller, | 72 |
| Tailpiece—An Etherized Prisoner, | Méaulle, | 75 |
| World-Builders, | Méaulle, | 77 |
| Polyzoa, | Jonnard, | 79 |
| "Food for Fishes," | Jonnard, | 82 |
| Coral Island, | Whymper, | 84 |
| Tailpiece—Shells, | Jonnard, | 85 |
| Sunshine and Shade, | Jonnard, | 87 |
| Love and Death, | Méaulle, | 89 |
| In the Wood, | Sargent, | 91 |
| Gathering Sweets, | Berveiller, | 92 |
| Tailpiece—A Shady Nook, | Morison, | 95 |
| Nest of Humble-Bee, | Rouget, | 97 |
| "The Chilly One," | Sargent, | 99 |
| Tailpiece—Cocoon, | Berveiller, | 105 |
| The Dragon-Fly, | Jonnard, | 107 |
| The Sacred Beetle of the Egyptians, | Jonnard, | 109 |
| Butterflies and Flowers, | Jonnard, | 112 |
| Tailpiece—Chrysalis, | Sargent, | 115 |
| The Phœnix, | Méaulle, | 117 |
| Seeking the Light, | Whymper, | 119 |
| A Winged Warrior, | Berveiller, | 122 |
| The Imperial Weevil, | Berveiller, | 123 |
| Tailpiece—The Weevil on the Mountain-Top, | Morison, | 124 |
| Swammerdam, | Méaulle, | 127 |
| Dutch Landscape, | Méaulle, | 129 |
| "Melancholy Meads," | Ansseau, | 132 |
| A Tempest on the Dutch Coast, | Méaulle, | 137 |
| Tailpiece—The Task, | Ansseau, | 139 |
| Under the Microscope, | Méaulle, | 141 |
| A Philosopher's "Den," | Coste, | 143 |
| Tailpiece—A Finished Task, | Ansseau, | 151 |
| A Coleopterous Giant, | Méaulle, | 153 |
| An Agent of Nature, | Rouget, | 155 |
| "Rhinoceros-like Cuirassiers", | Méaulle, | 159 |
| Tailpiece—Horned Beetle, | Méaulle, | 162 |
| Man's Auxiliary, | Rouget, | 163 |
| Carabidæ, | Jonnard, | 165 |
| Hunting the Enemy, | Ansseau, | 168 |
| Tailpiece—The Pilgrim Locust, | Ansseau, | 172 |
| Aerial Beauties, | Sargent, | 173 |
| The Acrocinus, | Whymper, | 175 |
| Streaked Taupin, and Earwig, | Ansseau, | 176 |
| Buprestidans, | Coste, | 179 |
| Tailpiece—Butterfly and Flower, | Berveiller, | 182 |
| Insect Manufacturers, | Méaulle, | 183 |
| The Dead-Leaf Moth, | Sargent, | 185 |
| Cocoons, | Jonnard, | 188 |
| Tailpiece—A Prisoner, | Jonnard, | 189 |
| Long-Horned Beetles, | Méaulle, | 191 |
| Insects and their Weapons, | Méaulle, | 193 |
| Tailpiece—Cat and Cantharides, | Ansseau, | 197 |
| A Thing of Beauty, | Jonnard, | 199 |
| Leaf-Rollers, | Berveiller, | 201 |
| Grasshopper of Guiana, | Ansseau, | 203 |
| Cassida, | Coste, | 205 |
| Tailpiece—Insects "Fantastic and Wonderful," | Méaulle, | 207 |
| The Spider, | Rouget, | 209 |
| Aquatic Spiders, | Jonnard, | 211 |
| On the Look-out, | Berveiller, | 216 |
| Blue-Bottles and Beetles, | Ansseau, | 217 |
| Tailpiece—Bird-catching Spider, | Berveiller, | 219 |
| The Garden Spider, | Jonnard, | 221 |
| Trap-door Spider and House, | Sargent, | 223 |
| Spider and Butterfly, | Méaulle, | 226 |
| Tailpiece—The Musical Spider, | Ansseau, | 230 |
| The City in the Shadows, | Méaulle, | 233 |
| Ruins Caused by the Termites in Valencia, | Méaulle, | 235 |
| Tailpiece—Termites (Solders, Worker, and Female) from the Coast of Guinea, |
Berveiller, | 241 |
| Ants at Work, | Rouget, | 243 |
| The Nuptials of the Ants, | Jonnard, | 245 |
| Nest of Russet Ants, | Rouget, | 249 |
| Carpenter Ants, | Berveiller, | 253 |
| Tailpiece—Ants and Flowers, | Jonnard, | 255 |
| A Migration of Ants, | Rouget, | 257 |
| Roses, Grubs, and Ants, | Whymper, | 259 |
| A Feast for the Ants, | Berveiller, | 266 |
| Tailpiece—Honey-making Ants, | Ansseau, | 268 |
| The Nightingale—"Dreaming and Listening," | Rouget, | 269 |
| Bramble and Ants, | Berveiller, | 271 |
| Tailpiece—The Unhappy Fugitive, | Berveiller, | 280 |
| The Home of the Wasps, | Rouget, | 281 |
| Polystes and their Nests, | Berveiller, | 283 |
| Eumenes domiformes and their Nests, | Sargent, | 287 |
| Tailpiece—Wasp and Fruit, | Méaulle, | 289 |
| A Tomb at Père-Lachaise, | Sargent, | 291 |
| The Living and the Dead, | Berveiller, | 293 |
| Tailpiece—Virgilian Bees, | Berveiller, | 298 |
| The Bee in the Fields, | Berveiller, | 299 |
| Bees and Wild Flowers, | Berveiller, | 301 |
| Bees and Blossoms, | Berveiller, | 305 |
| Tailpiece—Drone Bee, | Berveiller, | 308 |
| "Busy Bees," | Méaulle, | 309 |
| The Sphinx Atropos, | Méaulle, | 311 |
| Tailpiece—A Winged Brigand, | Méaulle, | 317 |
| Bees on the Wing, | Méaulle, | 319 |
| Inside the Hive, | Berveiller, | 321 |
| Bees in Search of the Natural Hive, | Jonnard, | 326 |
| Tailpiece—Queen-Bee, | Berveiller, | 329 |
| The Praying-Mantis, and other Insects, | Berveiller, | 331 |
| Lady-Birds and Grain, | Méaulle, | 333 |
| Butterfly and Moth, | Jonnard, | 334 |
| The Stag-Beetle, | Méaulle,, | 335 |
| Tailpiece—The Author's Visitors, | Berveiller, | 338 |
| Book, Flowers, and Insects, | Berveiller, | 339 |
| Stag-Beetle, | Sargent, | 341 |
| Carabus Auratus, | Sargent, | 345 |
| A Sacrifice to Science, | Méaulle, | 346 |
| Horned Centrote and Globular Bocydie, | Sargent, | 347 |
| Beetle, | Méaulle, | 348 |
| Caterpillar and Leaf, | Sargent, | 348 |
| Butterfly and Flower, | Sargent,, | 350 |
| Rhinoceros-horned Beetle, | Méaulle, | 351 |
| Birds and Lady-Bird, | Berveiller, | 351 |
| Wasps, | Morison, | 352 |
| Tuft-horned Beetle, | Morison, | 353 |
| Garden Spider, | Morison, | 354 |
| Termite: Long-sheathed Nymph, | Ansseau, | 354 |
| Rhinoceros-horned Beetle, | Morison, | 356 |
| Dragon-Fly and Ants, | Ansseau, | 356 |
| Wasps, | Berveiller, | 357 |
| Bees, | Ansseau, | 358 |
| Bird and Butterfly, | Berveiller, | 362 |