New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AN ATTEMPT TO WRITE BIRD MUSIC.

w
WOOD NOTES WILD. Notatons Of Bird Music b BY
Simeon Pease Cheney. Edited by John vance
Cheney. PIP. wilt. 2G1. Lee shepard
Disputes upon the point whether birds sing IN
sense answering 10 a technical use OF the word VIII
probably be long drawn out. The two parties to the
contest argue from totally diverse points OF view
Those who declare that birds do sing are wlihns 10
accept an approximate record In ordinary musicai no
tation, which really amounts 10 little more uhah "a
memorandum Of the impression made by the bros
voices in each case on single person TINS serves W
bring up In recollection IN imagination the ao'uai
performance of the birds Those who deny that bifus
sing In any sense OF course, compare the bru voice
with the human voice, and are unwilling 10 grant inuoh
license in the definition OF words. The sciehuhc 'uc
q, This hook Is therefore, a matter largely for the
futnrc 10 determine The editor has euppiemeh'ca ue
authors notes and descriptions from the literature vi
the subect which IS as yet rather meagre lie ma
found comparatively few attempts at the musical no,a-
tion Of bird songs. Mr. Cheney. was, III iact' Us no
himself said. almost the first in the HELD MS '""i"s"
GOOD faith and earnestness admirable Every PaSo
OF these essays attess his love for the ltue iea'ereu
creatures that fitted about his home ensconced IN
NewEngland grove He listened with rapt attention
TO the mathis and vespers of the robin ana the Due
bird and waited In the silence OF the hleht or to
cry Of the owl The cluck OF the barnyard fowl; the
seemingly articulatc cry Of the why poorwliI' 'he
Bob Bob White" of the quail rare he says, III YER
mont: the drumming OF the grouse the tipsy caro
OF the bobolink all the sounds of hedgerow and farm
wall and woodland TO him a constant dehght' ii
he has not succeeded in opening new chapter Oh
scientific study, II not for lack OF Watchiu ell
thusasm.
Few persons OF distinction left the material for their
own biography in more charming form thah 'ha'
shown by the letters of Lady Mary Wortey Montagu
With paragraphs selected and arranged In the ouer Oh
time and with running commentary sufficient 10
turn the miscellany into readable narrative Mr. Ar
thur r. Ropes has succeeded In giving not only por
travail of the woman whom Pope admired ana ha'ed
with all the intensity of which he was capable, but
also a series OF vivid pictures OF English society ana
poll,ics in the time OF Anne and George as well as
of travel on the Continent and In the East In these
days II is wcarsome TO read all of any ones letters
and gratitude must be felt for work that renews the
memory OF 5 brilliant a woman at her best. The
author rarely INDUCES In contemporaneous criticism,
but with the popular novel of high life In view, here
is n passage worth remembering. speaking of Lady
Marys fondness for the writings OF samuel Richard
son and her contempt for his art he says; Especially
severe was she on his painting Of high life and polite
society," OF which his knowledge could not but be I'M
perfect; and 1T is well to note this criticism when we
authors of to-day. especially las IS natura foreign
ers like NJ Tame taking Richardson's lapses into vul-
ganty as typical OF the English society Of the time.
Perhaps the proverbia New-Zeaander grubbng among
the rubbish OF some circulating library will credit
highly unntecstng. and for the most part desperately
respectable peege with the personal beauty and moral
deficiencies Of the Greek GODS
A full summary Of From Chaos to Man." the sec
opd OF Mr.. Garrett p. Servisss fascinating lectures in
the Urana series, has just been put into print ard
makes pamphlet OF "a duodecimo pages The first Of
these talks, a Trip to the Moon,' is to be issued |
soon in similar form. 1t is striking revelation Of
Mr. Servlss's happy faculty Of presenting scientific
topics that when he accepted the responsibility OF de-
scribing the beautiful scenes presented in the In
eo1fer he
practically become a business failure into popular
success. At the same time, though modestly profes-
sing TO be an amateur, he equally excited the In
terest and commentator OF recognized authorities In
astronomy and geology by the research the accuracy
the judcious method and the vivid style which char
scterized his descriptions. He has therefore served
both the public and the cause science by these pic
tnres I'm a gratifying way.