A departure from previous John Burroughs anthologies, this volume celebrates the surprising range of his writing to include religion, philosophy, conservation, and farming. In doing so, it emphasizes the process of the literary naturalist, specifically the lively connection the author makes between perceiving nature and how perception permeates all aspects of life experiences.

    The lock appeared to have been forced. I dimly remembered having forced it myself, with a poker, in my hot youth, after some

    With a witty gentleness bordering on the eerie, Hearn describes in these pieces the song of the cricket, the spectral flight of dragon-flies, quotes the entomological haiku of classical Japan, and recalls Buddhist tales in which the souls of insects and men are never far one from the other.Contents"Of Insects and Children" by Anne-Sylvie Homassel"Forward" by Masanobu OtaniI. "Butterflies"II. "Mosquitoes"III. "Ants"IV. "Story of a Fly"V. "Fireflies"VI. "Dragon-flies"VII. "Sémi"VIII. "Insect-Musicians"IX. "Kusa-Hibari"X. "Some Poems about Insects"XI. "Insects and Greek Poetry"XII. "Some French Poetry about Insects"XIII. "Insect Politics"XIV. "Under the Electric Light"XV. "——! ——!! Mosquitoes!!!"XVI. "The Festive"XVII. "The Jewel Insect"XVIII. "Dr. Hava’s Tarantula"XIX. "Gaki"XX. "The Dream of Akinosuké""Acknowledgements"Born on the Greek island of Lefkada, Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was brought up in both Ireland and England. At nineteen he emigrated to the United States where he became a journalist. After a sojourn in the French West Indies, he sailed for Japan in 1890. Hearn wrote extensively about his new homeland, its tales, customs, and religions, acting as a bridge between Japan and the Western world. He died in Tokyo where he is buried under his Japanese name, Koizumi Yakumo.