New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-19

The female bird makes her nest by preference
In the hut Of the fowler. He aids her as well as
he can, with eye to future profit. Sometimes
she even takes possession Of the oven. she
lines her nest with down from her breast lays
her eggs. and then her host turns roboer. Inc
down and the eggs. particularly the FORMER are
worth money to him. He rifles the nest ana the
disappointed duck looks for safer place 10
make her second nest. 1t is now. according TO
Brehm. that she plucks the down from the
drake According to the story. he Is usually so
much irritated by the performance that he de-
serts his mate altogether.
The birds flock to the crags upon which they
have their nests In clouds, and the tumult
caused by their voices and wings is indescriba-
Bile But the bergs Of Scandinavia are rivalled
by the Arctic plains the tundra Of European
and Asiatic Russia. On these monotonous
plains there is plenty Of life though not OF great
variety. But the tundra is practically closed to
the naturalist in summer. not only by the fact
that It is one vast marsh. but by the mosquitoes.
Brehm took unusual interest in these pests lie
found that when they were at their feast Of
blood their hind legs could be pulled OF With
out disturbing them: that they could even be
cut in two. like Munchausens horse without
Immediately stopping their operations; and that
sors. they manifested surprise rather than pain.
But the effort to destroy them or to evade them
was vain. His conclusion was that not winter
with its SHOWS not the ice. not poverty, not in
hospitality but the mosquito was the curse OF
the tundra Moving southwark to the steppes
of Central and Western Asia, the author con-
tradicts those who describe these as barren. or
as lacking in variety. The plains are clothed In
the summer with brilliant flowers, and the con-
trast of the seasons is more startling and vivid
than anywhere else on earth. In plain and for
est in bird life and animal life. Siberia is far
richer country than Is usually supposed. The
author describes with the enthusiasm OF a
sportsman the methods of the chase known TO
the civilized and uncivilized residents Of the
country and the traps and bows which they use
The cost Of ammunition prevents the exclusive
use Of firearms Where they are used. hunts
men carry instead Of bullets leaden wire OF
suitable thickness. from which they cut or bite
small cylinders These are rammed down on the
powder without even the patching used with
old-fashioned rifles in America. The gunners
aim is usually good. and he is happiest when he
not only kills his game. but saves his lead for
another shot. An Ostiak hunter treasures ca
gerly the canine teeth Of the bears he Kills as a
charm which gives him courage, strength and In
vunerablty: and the maiden OF the Ural Is as
covetous of the fourth claw of the bears right
fore foot as Mr. Bryan Is Of the hind foot OF the
rabbit The bravest hunters reject all weapons
but the knife in chasing bear: and the author
names woman IF Moschowa who had killed
thirty of these animals in this way. hirghiz
sportsmen train eagles to strike down foxes and
wolves, and in other ways they evince the traits
of the aristocratic falconers of past age in
Europe. On the whole. Brehm gives pleasant
picture OF Asiatic Russia. He denies the worst
tales Of misery among the exiles, and even goes
so far as to name portions Of Germany where
the peasantry have a harder life than falls to
the lot Of the Siberian.
Experience in both continents leads the author
to transfer the name "steppe" from Asia to the
great plains Of Central Africa He has not been
initiated by others in this, and the dense forests
of tropical Africa as we'll as the tall grasses and
other plants Of the open country have very
different struggle for life from that known to the
North II seems characteristic OF Brehm that
he found all climates worthy OF praise III ne
was pleased with the rnonotonous tundra. he is
not less delighted with the prvations OF the
Sahara Desert He remembers with satisfaction
his troubles with sand storms and with the tan
TALKING mirage If ne enjoyed the Kirghiz tent
with its luxurious rugs, the herlooms OF race
he Is equally content in Nuba watching the
naked children play Follow your leader. or
himself shooting the rapids of the Nile There
is quite as much study Of human as OF animal
life in this book 1t closes with the narrative or
a trip for eagle-shOOting on the Danube with Inc
lamented Crown Prince Rudolph A clearer
picture Of what the Danube is like In Hungary
would be hard to find In print From the North
Pole to the Equator is Fascinating DOCK.