New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-01

The Macmillan Company.
LESSONS WITH PLANTS, Suggestions for ses-
Forms 1S s"c Of Weset.uon. BY L. II. Bsiley. With
denenticns from nature hX h9laWSS osn.
Duodecimo pp XXI |sA Inc "Ae'"'''-'
pany.
y1RsT LESSONS WITH rL an t,.5 Ss,ns s ey
Dr.. Z. III mo Macmillan Company.
INSECT LIFE to Nat ua sfuay
eom.tosE With Ta,ny primal llusi5.tGSn:; en-
srav.d by Anna :,otsf2rd Comstock- Du0oec'm''
11rT HISTORIES OF AMERICAN INSECTS FL, ~
Clarence Moof~s Wed: With twenty-onc 5uii-
n Sl' sp snd Ha anf IN s Mnellan cSmpan
~. man o, ,sarn,na and Of enterprise who shall b
M first TO establish a science Of scientists will ado
NJ little to the interest and charm Of intellectual
MA Certainly tho scientists now constitute sur
ncfrntly NUMEROUS body to be classified anely1eo
and 1enornlzsd from. according to their own mcth-
ods O. observation and induction II would Do IN
NsrestinT investigate tho prevailing olnsronce VI
tanner betw.sn biologists and botanists cheInis"
ana nhyslctans; II would DO particularly interesting
"a notA the effect o| and climate on scienunc
man and distinguish German from French Nus
aim fr>,m Itelnn. scientific habits OF MIND ouch
Facial difference aro pechsps nowhere moro marked
Than amrns informal sssnyists on outdoor itrs TOT
suoh ssxnyis.a R7vs to temperament freedom OF
Willingly allows himself. Among ouch informal
diartsts OF natural ph.nomsns even oorsory
reader can distinguish certain oinerence Ds'"ee'
a british ana American mind.
With ell his individuality, Sir Herbert Maxwen "
evo,c.ly Iritish ond in nothing more % than IN
his versatility Of interest AL the ouahues which
no hns manifested IN history. biography and POLITICS
he brings sug,,.stivsly and portinntly into play
when dealing with the immature but Abort lilo OF
meadow lekc and woods Cnliko his American
cousin he never sacrifices 10 tho verbal JuR8ieTy
which too often for style the rca1 lie ana
character Of the natural world about him. Nor. on
che other hand does he forget in the fields tho IN
0uoncc md companonshp Of his books and his
study In his Memories Of tho Months" the appro-
pr1stcncss Of his style from something better
Than cleverness It comes from trained poise OF
mind a highly educated and deliberate critical
sense Of things and power TO associate AL the'
he has learned with all that be II learning He
can DO at ono and the same time man OF letters
and a delghter In outdoor life His learning. his
4astes his traditions of culture ne rolatss to the
facts of his immediate surroundings and reconcnea
scuteness Of observation and soundness OF Judg-
mept with tho charm which comes from an alluSivs
style and literary temper Even over Thoreau'
with whom In most respects he does not even invite
comparison, he has one advantage; he Keeps tho
rroporttons of life better Even IN . book on out
of-doors no connects and unites tho natural sur-
roundings with the social life OF man and sup
prossos no part Of his nature TO force the
growth OF another. In brief no broadens the whole
intellectual horizon without overlooking. obscurns
or distortng any object in tho foreground OF the
scene and for tho sentimental grooming over nature
with which many writers try TO bsguus thNr
soaders substitutes honest observation. stmu-
hating curiosity comment and manly hu-
moneness Of spirit. The volume IS Handsomely
illustrated.
n patriotic American sought to mako tho most
favorable contrast possible between the British and
the American es.ayist outdoor life. no would
turn cs like as not, the wonderfully sincere and
ingenious work Of the late Mr. Gibson. 1t would DO
hard TO find elsewhere q moro minute and ntcrpro-
tattvs appreciation Of tho sort Of things In animal
and plant nfc which. by their beauty and oddly,
can DO made to appeal to tho unscientinc mind 1t
~roul1 certainly DO hard to ind moro freshness,
spontandty and natural grace OF style. From two
common British faults Mr.. Gibson was updsniaoly
free Ho nevor fell into the Englishman's conscious
prov riety o; tono. which to American eyes often
approaches rr Ssdshnsss. and 10 mover uttered com
rnonplacoe with an oreculor air OF wisdom: indeed
throughout his work there Is tho enthusiastic aoan
don Of child One British virtue. howovsr, he
Lacked Nimblo md agile no was Of intellect. he
did not possess breadth and scope of Judgment nor
maintain deliberate balance OF interests. On the
contrary so thoroughly absorbed he in the i'fe
az the humber animals and plants that one sus-
boots he WIS quito out OF his element elsewhere
Ho We incapable OF assigning to them O relative
place. To him thsy wcrs always supreme. And b.
causo they were supreme they were cclor~d and
transformed by his humanizing and anthropomor~
phizing whimseys. He was always reading into
tfem MS own charming qualities OF m'nd ana no"rt
at the Same time that no was initiating thSir own
quick ness and alertness. Indeed. natural hfa ap-
pcocd not 80 much to his Imagination n 10 his
fancy Ho WIS absorbed in nature as child Is ab-
sorbod IN It's playthn.,s. With all his minutness
Of KNOWLEDGE no never fully and unqualinedly
fnccd the two great facts Of tho natural world the
struggle for existence and the survival OF the Mt
lost Ho exaggerated and nstinctivsly Transformed
tho natural world and to tho using OF IL as tho
sour,o and stimulus OF his own acute. poetic inge
nuity dyvotsd all his eneNs~s end interest In
thosI characteristics none OF his volumes surpassed
his last My Studio Nek,hbors describes in Sfoo-
tomato ast>i tho minute life within stones throw
Of New-lmsl>nd country house, and Eye spy,
With the sNr1e sincerity and charm. intorprets sim,
jar life to Children.
The birds which take active part IN the story
Of "Citis~n Eird morS human than the people
Tho children. however ask the sort OF questions
which convenient ohildrsn might DO supposed
20 ask. and the adults proffer information which
active boys and xirls would 1nd Of very direct
interest whom cut in the fields. The authors Miss
Mabel Ossood Wright and Mr.. Elliott Coucs, have
certainly written comprehensive sort Of story. and
one which to a child not Discriminating IN masters
Of the Imagination will be likely to prove a. inter
estns as q volume in the Badminton Librrry. No
healthy boy could demand greater interest
Miss Clara Dillinsh,m Pierson has tho gift Of
story telling That the WY lively characters Of
her tales ara be.s and bsotlSs. spiders and snas,
and that q moral turks in her plots. in no way
detracts from the frsshn>ss and spontaneity Of her
fancy. "Amonr the Meadow People" IS imbu.d
with the vivscity and humor Of a child That Miss
Pierson con keep to the child spirit and yot sug
gsst as she does IN the story Of Puzzled Ctcada,
the possibility Of immortality Is conclusive proof
of her tact and skill.
The object Of Miss Kate Louise Brownb PLANT
Baby and Its Friends" is to furnish for primary
grades a render which shall call Towing attention
20 Nature In her various moods" Miss Brown ap-