Curious Facts in the History of Insects is Frank Cowan’s wide-ranging collection of the legends, superstitions, beliefs, and omens connected with insects, spiders, and scorpions. Cowan gathers folklore from many cultures, along with notes on the use of insects in medicine, art, and food, and accounts of their remarkable behavior.
Part natural history and part folklore, the book is a delightful compendium of curiosities about the smaller creatures of the world and humanity’s varied responses to them. It reflects the Victorian taste for instructive miscellany and the comparative study of belief. For readers interested in folklore, the cultural meaning of animals, and the history of popular natural history, Cowan’s entertaining and well-stocked collection remains an enjoyable source.