The herald., 1897-08-15
FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROAD
SIDE; THE FLOWERS SHRUBS

| FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROAD
SIDE; THE FLOWERS, SHRUBS,
BIRDS AND INSECTS. BY F. Schuyler
Matthews, 12mo. New York: d. Apple
ton & Co.
They who have been fortunate enough
to see Mr.. Matthews Familiar Trees and
Their Leaves" and Familiar Flowers of
Field and Garden" will realize the treat in
store for them in this new volume. 1t is
not too much to expect that this treatise
upon common things will have wider
popularity than any preceding one, for the
theme admits of a much broader and more
familiar treatment. At the outset let US
say that the volume has an index that
comprises every bird, beast, plant, tree,
flower and every insect treated of, while
Illustrations of plants, flowers and bird
notes abound all through it's pages.
There surely could be no larger field for
the study of nature than the highway,
for one who keeps to this will be able to
see most of the things worth seeing in
the wide world. Everything that grows
may be seen at or from the roadside, and all
living creatures come out to it. All these
growths and all these creatures change
with place and surroundings, but If we
| follow the highway we shall come to them
all in time and mark the infinite variety.
| No only do the birds of the same species
change with latitude and longitude, but
| their very songs are more or less varied
with climatic changes. always variety,
endless variety; never any senseless repe-
tition in Nature; she gives us a serial story
which is never fully told. Month succeeds
month, chapter succeeds chapter, and
ever there is something new"
And so here we have a volume that tells
us in an easy and natural way more about
/ the common things of Nature than any
other recent volume that we can recall.
supplementing our own observations and
experiences, and fully interpreting many
things we never half understood. Even to
the records of the bird songs. our faithful
chronicler has worked out this highway of
knowledge-a highway that leads us into
many states, for his tastes are cosmopoli-
tan. 1t is, indeed. volume that deserves
place in every library in the land.
! The Forum for August will have pecu-
liar attraction for our people by reason Of
the very powerful paper by Senator White
against Hawaiian annexation.
Mr. Ruskin's health has improved, and
he is interesting himself in the publication
of the addresses delivered by him at oxford
on landscape painting.
| our readers Will be pleased to hear that
the French Academy has awarded Nine.
Blanc prize of 1900 francs for her inter-
esting book on American women
4 + +
4 To perpetuate the memory of Tennyson.
a cross of granite, thirty-two feet high.
has been reared at the summit of Fresh:
water Down, and will be known as the
Tennyson Beacon. Raised by subscription.
this memorial was handed over to the
corporation of Trinity House on August
6th when the inscription on it was un-
veiled by Lady Tennyson-
+
The late Prof Huxley's biography, writ
ten by his son, will be published in the
fall by Messrs. Appleton.
y 4 =
Messrs. T. Y. Crowell & Co. announce
an English translation by Miss Isabel F.
Hapgood of the Polish novel by Miss Mar
guerite Poradowska, entitled ''Demoiselle
Micia."
+ + 4
Sunbeams for August opens with par
ticularly interesting article, How Found
the Seminoles," by Frederick A. Ober, the
well known traveller and writer. A story