From the publisher:
The wonders of plant and animal life told with rare literary charm by Uncle Paul in conversations with three children. Besides such stories as the ants' subterranean city, the spider's suspension bridge, and the caterpillars' processing, he unlocks the mystery behind thunder and lightning, clouds and rain, the year and its seasons, and volcanoes and earthquakes.
Table of Contents:
1. The Six
2. The Fairy Tale and the True Story
3. The Building of the City
4. The Cows
5. The Sheepfold
6. The Wily Dervish
7. A Numerous Family
8. The Old Pear-Tree
9. The Age of Trees
10. The Length of Animal Life
11. The Kettle
12. The Metals
13. Metal Plating
14. Gold and Iron
15. The Fleece
16. Flax and Hemp
17. Cotton
18. Paper
19. The Book
20. Printing
21. Butterflies
22. The Big Eaters
23. Silk
24. The Metamorphosis
25. Spiders
26. The Epeira's Bridge
27. The Spider's Web
28. The Chase
29. Venomous Insects
30. Venom
31. The Viper and the Scorpion
32. The Nettle
33. Processionary Caterpillars
34. The Storm
35. Electricity
36. The Experiment with the Cat
37. The Experiment with Paper
38. Franklin and De Romas
39. Thunder and the Lightning-Rod
40. Effects of the Thunderbolt
41. Clouds
42. The Velocity of Sound
43. The Experiment with the Bottle of Cold Water
44. Rain
45. Volcanoes
46. Catania
47. The Story of Pliny
48. The Boiling Pot
49. The Locomotive
50. Emile's Observation
51. A Journey to the End of the World
52. The Earth
53. The Atmosphere
54. The Sun
55. Day and Night
56. The Year and Its Seasons
57. Belladonna Berries
58. Poisonous Plants
59. The Blossom
60. Fruit
61. Pollen
62. The Bumble-Bee
63. Mushrooms
64. In the Woods
65. The Orange-Agaric
66. Earthquakes
67. Shall We Kill Them Both?
68. The Thermometer
69. The Subterranean Furnace
70. Shells
71. The Spiral Snail
72. Mother-of-Pearl and Pearls
73. The Sea
74. Waves Salt Seaweeds
75. Running Waters
76. The Swarm
77. Wax
78. The Cells
79. Honey
80. The Queen-Bee
