The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-15
SOME OF THE new BOOKS
A Nature Wooing.


geologfst OF Indiana. is suggestive of a
number OF similar books and authors who
have made the endless branches Of the
tree of nature their study or pastime. The
first English bucolic of this kind was writ
ten over a century ago by a preacher
naturalist who throughout his life scarcely
left his own parish. Hundreds of field clubs
and of natural history societies. of anti
quarian and nature-study clubs, have sc-
knowledged their indebtedness and their
origin to Gilbert Whites Natural History
and Antiquities OF Selborne'' Q7S9) In
deed, the suggestions of White, and in the
United States little later. the work on
birds Of Wilson and of Audubon. have been
a continuous stimulus to the loving and
anectionate study of nature. Later came
the work of Canon Kingsley. of Hugh Mil
Ter and OF Archibald Geike giving a power
ful impetus to the study of geology in both
England and the United States The re-
searches Of Agassiz on glaciers and on the
natural methods OF study in natural history
and OF his Swiss compatriot, Professor
Guyot, or Princeton, in physical geography,
permeated profoundly the two great col
leges OF the East. hitherto devoted almost
entirely to the classics, to theology and to
Asa Gray. the eminent botanist. and the
Irst In these strongholds OF conservatism
10 boldly advocate the theories of organic
development just discovered by Darwin and
visited the United States and gave courses
or lectures. which. with their writings.
became such impetus to the study Of
the physical and biological sciences that for
time IL seemed as IL culture in the sense
OF language and literature-a knowledge
OF the best that has been thought and said
In the world-would become lost as a means
OF education. The common topic of dis
cussion in clubs and schools were What
"A he "a IL
Gus functions of the articular appendages
OF the crawfish and the transformations of
insects and radiates.
Poetry partook of the same Impulse
there was no better physicist and biologist
In England than Tennyson, as is known to
every serious reader OF I'm Memorom"
Wordsworth was discounted: the Primrose
by the Rivers Brim' gave way To the rid
ole OF the Flower In the Crannied WALL
and now Kipling prays for a poetic voice
TO sing the power of steam" a new
school OF nature writer's arose I'm the
United States because there was a new
movement toward nature. and demand
tnat physics, cosmogony and biology
should nave new and more direct and
spiritual treatment; a consideration i'm har-
mony with evolutionary doctrine. The
methods of observation and the style of
record which were established by White
IN MS observation in his dooryard and
parish were intensified by the discoveries
and teachings OF the great naturalists men,
TONED, ard while we have the works in our
own Iand or Thoreau, CoueS, Burroughs,
john Muir, Maurice Thompson, Blatchley
and others all the lovers of quiet and re-
nsctive nature studies agree in acknowl-
edsinS their debt to Gilbert White. Nature
studies are now either formally or informal
~ part or the love and interest of five out
OF every six men and women of the edu-
Gated classes. Every possihe-and even
inpossible-effort has been made 10 inlpart
them 10 the children of elementary
schools. Much has been accomplished, but
much crude work has been done by teach
ers without knowledge of nature except
from textbooks.
w
OF the kind by Indiana's State geologist
HIS Gleanings from Nature contained
pleasant and accurate accounts of animals.
pirds and insects, and is we'll worthy a
place In the series of books used for sup
Elementary reading In our public schools
IL Is not the work of poet. like the BY
novelist-geologist, Maurice Thompson
%hicn Is written In the literary vein of
which both Burroughs and Thompson were
masters. Nor does it contain the large
Tlews and sweeping congratulations of
though these are clothed in a Language
SO direct and simple that the STORY of a
sha non, and the story of stone give
the child mind an idea of the great truths
OF biology and geology as interesting to
read as the fairy tales of Hans Andersen
Mr. Biatchley is a close observer and re-
corder or facts In the whole range of nat
ural history and as a result his State
ge0loglcal reports and his little books of
lie, G,leanlnsS and Wooings" are of great
10 the general reader. He says in 1.-THE
Moolngs am not specialist I'm any
branch of natural history, nor do / ever ex-
pect to be, but / wish TO know myself as
being In ageneral way an MISUNDERSTANDING
concho-entomo-etc.-g ist, and be able to
fnsI '' reIat sLeasiS as time goes on the mu-
OF natures objects" And this is
just what the schools should teach
what the average man should know-soyne
INNS or every department of life and of
the world out of which life springs Such
a knowledge is found in Tennyson' in Em
efson. In Franklin. In Agassiz i'm Jordan
and such knowledge in some degree
Should be and is part of the culture of
the object of the schools and colleges To
make specialists in single branches of ma
ture study. as chemistry or biology alone.
even though we admit that these subjects
properly taught. have disciplinary value
AKIN or even equal to the classics Nature
iifeIon a aI,i nature literature should lead to
70 the woods or fields or streams he may
cast on his years as the snake his
rs perpetual youth. I do not desire RI
grow old too soon. and so will seek I'm the
way that ! have chosen that fountain of
youth which Ponce de Leon sought for in
VAIN on the coast where am recruiting INV
energies for a brief season" This abrief
season was Tor Mr.: Blatchley the month
OF march, 1879 at "Ormond by the Sea -
where he met the advancing spring. The
DOCK of his observations is just published
N@'otuAc II uDiiSlitilS company, lndiananOliS)
Tor the present holidays. and IL well ac.
CORDS with the statement of Thoreau-au
autnor well read and often quoted by Mr.
Biatchley-" books of natural history make
tne most cheerful reading / read i'm AudII-
pon with thrill of delight. when the snow
covers the ground. of the magnolia and the
fiorida Keys and their warm sea breezes.
OF the breaking up of winter i'm Labrador
ana 4 owe an accession of health to these
"reminiscences of luxuriant nature How
mucn more than federal are these States
Mucn more is doing than Congress knows
Of What journal do the persimmon ~
hawk" a psiiihieu
In "A Nature Wooing" we find the iour.
mas or many plants and animals-of the
gopner. the great aux, whose homes MI
fiatchley found in the gigantic kitchen
middens or Ormond: Of the Chameleon al
aoorisinal pottery. of the insects (nnany
new TO seience). and of the geology and ths
people What the author did not sc" sec ' he
mas Judiciously quoted. but very Ii,tla has
escaped his eyes. Occasionally the a,tho,
moralizes, for at the time he was cara.nr
ana somewhat morbid. and in thase e.,
paragraphs emily Is the book buroensorna ."
the nature lover. who, as a rule can M -
his own reflections. OF, better Vet raaS
those OF Thoreau. who was the s6,a ~
server and analyst of both nature ara ' y,
human nature. But these parts ore III, W
skipped. along with the lists Of .o,o.a. 80