Wild Animal Stories by. a Great Naturalist and an Intrepid Hunter 'Those who have read "Green Mansions" will need no. other "re-ion to Hudson's "Book of 'As-Fabre made the insect kingdom his own, so has Hudson written of the larger animals—bats, squirrels, foxes and What not. And. just' as he: has made them His friends and com: unions ¢o he inlakes them, through the written page, ours also, A cheap edition of this work at 2/~ has now been published by Nelson and makes entrancing reading to every animal lover. "One. of the shortest of the essay in this book "Oristiano," a horse. An essay that suggests the origin of some of the variant moods and tem= pers of our own China pony, and tone that may help us to know and understand him better, The natural Wietory of snakes and the stories attaching to them are always fascinating reading, the more so when they are graphically told from first hand observation and experience. In Major P.M, Stewart's new book "Round the World with Rod and Rifle," one of the most interesting chapters consists of snike stories, Hudson the naturalist rather discounts the fascination exercised BY snakes on their prey, but admits ite possi. bility. Stewart the hunter tells of snakes he has met from the headwaters of the Amazon to the jung-leg of Burma and relates the incident that happened to one of party of seekers for wild rubber in Brazil, They missed him in the eerie stillness of the jungle, called, bot no answering shout' replied, Presently they saw him sitting perfectly still, his gun across his ness, gazing fixedly at a mass of dark leaves within n fow feet of him. They called again, but for maturing awhile in the cellars he took no heed; remained us if of the mind. They begin with the year 1900 and they are chiefly con cerned with the many and various public-spirited—movements and patriotic institutions with which Lord Meath las been associated. These are memoirs for those of a Patriotic and philanthropic bent, Minor Celebrities Major Troup is an athlete of minor distinction. We mean no disparagement in saying this; it isa fair description. Tt ts a pleasant feather in anyone's cap to have played cricket, Rugby and hockey for a county; but it is doubtful whether that distinction, however, enviable in private life, gives a man any claim upon public attention. He says that he has unwillingly written up the log of his life, but having promised various friends, ete, ete." Such promises need not, be" taken seriously. However, Major Troup fortunately went to India as a youth, and his India rapidly. experiences are worth reading—
Mr. Frank Rattigan wished to call his book "The Life of a Nobody," and he hopes that his chronicle will be read as the records of a modest man reluctant claim attention. Tt would have been more in Keeping with that. idea to bite sifted his matter more carefully, and to have waited other 30 yeas before budgetting his experience. He is not a clos observer of character; his port of Kitchener is the kind of portrait of which all the traits might have' been anticipated. "Those who did not know him well judged Lord Kitchener ce be absolutely cold and hard... but, ete." His contact with Egypt, Roumania and the war has been too superficial to inspire a good book.
Miss Rosamund Boultboe is a journalist and she has met many famous people, like most of her profession. Her memories extend from 1914 to the' present day. She acted as a special reporter during the war in Canada, USA. England, France, Norway, Rouma Russia, Italy and Switzerland. She has seen Rasputin, who reminded her of "Svengali:"" she has got on with Lord Beaverbrook and Stophei Leaceck: Mr. Oscar Browning. has entertained her in Rome; the Queen of Rovmania has received hor. Her turned to" stone.
'The bow of their Tittle boat was almost touching the shore, when, following his gaze, they beheld' the fearful cause of their. comrade's strange behaviour. The head of a monster snake was protruding from amonget those leaves, and its eyes were fixed with deadly intensity upon their friend. Involuntary, in horror at the sight they back: ed the boat farther from the Dank, then raising their shot guna they fired all four barrels into that nightmare head and blew it to pulp. The bushes swayed and cevadkled. under the dying con. vulsions of the monster, and their wondering companion with a sigh tooked wonderingly at them as awakened from a deep sleep... "The reptile's skin hen dried measured 81 feet 8 inches and took two men to: earry it when wound upon a pole, Major Stewart is the type of sportsman of whom one likes to read.
He shoots only when there is ropability of hitting a vulner-lo spot and killing: his quarry outright. But though one of the prine'pal charms of the book lies in the accurate descriptions of the beasts and fishes he has studied in different parts of the world, one is also given the atmosphere of the countries he visits, their scenery and the customs of their peoples.
As Colonel Sleeman writes in his introduction to Major Stewart's adventures, his "Round the World with Rod and Rifle" covers a period of 20 years' wandering and contains the material for 20 ordinary books.
Thornton, Butterworth's have produced the work in fitting dress and illustrated it. with 76 photographs taken by the author and dozen plates in photogravure by Eaton Woodville. It is a book that will be well thumbed by every lover of the chase, and will find a place in every naturalist's library, Tt is published at 21/-, A. special winter number of the Studio is to be devoted to the art of book illustration as practised in France. Last year, it will be reniembered, British book illustrations Were the subject of a special number, book is written with expert vivneity, bat the "form being now -auto-Diographical, "it, has encouraged her to pint of' dnd link up unnecessarily—impressions which, ephemeral la themselves, are more suited to the daily Press—The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.