HUBER FRANCOIS: (1750-1831) Swiss entomologist who specialised in honeybees. A fine L.S., Francois Huber, three pages, 4to, Ouchy, Lausanne, 11^th June 1814, to Georges Cuvier, in French. Huber apologises for the circumstances which did not allow him to reply earlier to his correspondent's letter, adding that he is 'Penetre de reconnaissance pour la faveur que l'institut de France a deigne m'accorder ca ete pour moi un veritable vhagrin d'etre condamne au silence dans cette occasion, et de ne pouvoir vous dire combien j'en ai ete touche' (Translation: 'Penetrated with gratitude for the favour that the Institut de France has deigned to grant me, it is a real sorrow for me to be condemned to silence on this occasion, and not to be able to tell you how touched I was'). Huber further states 'Sans cesser de m'occuper de l'histoire naturelle qui a ete l'etude et le charme de toute ma vie, je me suis depuis quelques annees remis a celle des mathematiques pour essayer de lire et d'entendre les ouvrages de vos celebres collegues, et de n'etre pas entierement exclu de ce qu'il y a de plus interessant et de plus certain dans les connoissances humaines. Par le moyen de caracteres et de signes palpables que je dois au zele de mon fils pour tout ce qui peut m'etre utile je n'ai rien trouve jusqu'a present dans cette nouvelle etude, qui m'ait du faire regretter le temps que j'y ai consacre: je suis fache seulement de n'avoir pas deviue plutot, qu'une occupation ou le secours des yeux n'etais pas absolument necessaire etait precisement celle, qui pouvait le mieux me convenir. Je n'ai sans doute ni la pretention, ni le moindre espoir de faire aucune decouverte dans une route si dignement parcouvue et d'avoir jamais a moins de quelque miracle rien a apprendre a mes maitres. Mais si dans le cours de mes recherches sur les Abeilles j'ai le bonheur d'appercevoir quelque nouveau trait de leur histoire……. J'ai lu Monsieur avec le plus grand interet vos belles et etomantes recherches sur les osserments fossiles, permettez-moi de saisir cette occasion pour vous remercier du plaisir infini que j'ai pris a cette lecture et de vous prier de vouloir bien me mettre au nombre de vos plus sinceres admirateurs. Je ne finirai point cette lettre Monsieur sans vous dire combien nous avons ete reconnoissants de l'accueil plein d'indulgence et de bonte, que les savants et les naturalistes ont fait a mons fils, pendant son sejour a Paris, ses parents en conserverout toujours un precieux souvenir' (Translation: 'Without ceasing to concern myself with natural history, which has been the study and the charm of my whole life, I have for some years returned to that of mathematics to try to read and hear the works of your famous colleagues, and not to be entirely excluded from what is most interesting and most certain in human knowledge. By means of characters and palpable signs which I owe to the zeal of my son for all that can be useful to me, I have found nothing up to now in this new study, which should have made me regret the time that I devoted to it: I am only sorry not to have deviated sooner, that an occupation where the aid of the eyes was not absolutely necessary was precisely that which could best suit me. I doubtless have neither the pretension nor the slightest hope of making any discovery on a road so worthily travelled and of never having anything except some miracle to teach my masters. But if in the course of my research on bees I have the good fortune to perceive some new trait in their history…….I read Sir with the greatest interest your beautiful and astonishing research on fossil bones, allow me to take this opportunity to thank you for the infinite pleasure that I took in this reading and to ask you to kindly put me among your most sincere admirers. I will not finish this letter, Sir, without telling you how grateful we were for the welcome full of indulgence and kindness which the scholars and naturalists gave my son during his stay in Paris, his parents will always keep a precious memory') and in a postscript remarks 'Lorsque la seconde edition de mon livre sur les Abeilles paraitra je vous prierai Monsieur d'en offrir un exemplaire de ma part a l'Institut et je prendrai aussi la liberte de vous offrir un en le recommandant a votre indulgence' (Translation: 'When the second edition of my book on bees appears, I will ask you, Sir, to offer a copy from me to the Institute and I will also take the liberty of offering you one, recommending it to your indulgence'). With address panel to the verso of the final page, bearing the remnants of a red wax seal (small area of paper loss and tear where originally broken). A letter of excellent association and content, not least for its references to bees and the blindness which afflicted Huber. Some light age wear and a few minor tears to the edges, about VG