Canadian-born author Grant Allen is probably best known today for his fiction, including over 30 novels and dozens of short stories. He was particularly noted for a variety of mystery stories that appeared in The Strand and other magazines. Allen was also a scientist and naturalist, and wrote several series of articles on various aspects of nature. These often included detailed photos. Insect behaviors and adaptations were of particular interest to Allen, as can be seen from the series below. "Glimpses of Nature" ran in The Strand from 1897 to 1899; "In Nature's Workshop" ran from 1899 to 1900. Another series, "Moorland Idylls," appeared in The English Illustrated Magazine.

Moorland Idylls

This series appeared in The English Illustrated Magazine in 1895.

Moorland Idylls 1: The Nightjar

Moorland Idylls 2: A Rabbit of the World

Moorland Idylls 3: A Flight of Quails

Moorland Idylls 4: A Butterfly Episode

Moorland Idylls 5: Our Winged Housefellows

Moorland Idylls 6: The Gnarled Pine Tree

Moorland Idylls 7: A Desperate Struggle for Life

Moorland Idylls 8: A Heather [and Lizard] Episode

Moorland Idylls 9: A Summer Stroll

Moorland Idylls 10: The Arcadian Donkey; A Life and Death Struggle

Moorland Idylls 11: Nests and No Nests

Glimpses of Nature

Glimpses of Nature 1: [Aphids] The Cows that Ants Milk (1897B)

Glimpses of Nature 2: [Soldanella] A Plant that Melts Ice (1897B)

Glimpses of Nature 3: [Spiders] A Beast of Prey (1897B)

Glimpses of Nature 4: [The Butcher-Bird] A Woodland Tragedy (1897B)

Glimpses of Nature 5: Marriage Among the Clovers (1897B)

Glimpses of Nature 6: Those Horrid Earwigs (1897B)

Glimpses of Nature 7: [Wasps] The First Paper-Maker (1898A)

Glimpses of Nature 8: [Ants] Abiding Cities (1898A)

Glimpses of Nature 9: A Frozen [Pond] World (1898A)

Glimpses of Nature 10: [Gnats] A British Bloodsucker (1898A)

Glimpses of Nature 11: [Gorse] A Very Intelligent Plant (1898A)

Glimpses of Nature 12: A Foreign Invasion of Britain (1899B)

A look at various invasive insect pests.

In Nature's Workshop

In Nature's Workshop 1: Sextons and Scavengers (1899A)

The various beetles and other insects that dispose of the dead.

In Nature's Workshop 2: False Pretenses (1899A)

Insect mimicry.

In Nature's Workshop 3: Plants that Go to Sleep (1899A)

Plants that "hibernate" for the winter.

In Nature's Workshop 4: Masquerades and Disguises (1899A)

More animal mimicry.

In Nature's Workshop 5: Some Strange Nurseries (1899A)

How various creatures provide for their eggs and young.

In Nature's Workshop 6: Animal and Vegetable Hedgehogs (1899A)

Besides prickly mammals such as hedgehogs and armadillos, this article covers some prickly fish, insects, and cacti.

In Nature's Workshop 7: The Day of the Canker-Worm (1899B)

In Nature's Workshop 8: Armour-Plated Animals (1900B)

Related Articles

[Spiders] Underground Passages and Trap-Doors (The Strand, 1898B)