Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-14
LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD
Containing n Thousand Photo
graphs from Nature.


Once upon a lime Biographies and books
Of natural history were illustrated with pic
lures Of wild beasts that never were on
sea or land. They bore the names OF
actual animals, but were evolved-like the
German professors elephant-from the ar
lists inner consciousness When museums
Of natural history came into being these
grotesque fancy sketches gave place to pic
lures made from stuffed specimens, which
were less interesting than the old wood
cuts, but truer to the life-as true to life
as the picture Of a dead beast could pos-
sibly be. Then came the artist, who was
2 hunter also, and could draw a wolf. for
instance, that the VOLTS family would
praise for its LIKENESS and critics who had
never seen a wolf would admire as a spir-
tied work Of art. Witness the rise of
Seton-Thompson and the vogue Of "Wild
Animals l Hav Known" But now comes
the photographer with his kodak and the
snapshot, showing the stag at bay, the
wildcat leaping, the rattlesnake coiled to
strike, bids fair to supplant, for practical
purposes the handiwork of the cleverest
artist, So mighty a nimrod as President
Roosevelt has come out in favor Of the
hunter who hunts with the camera only,
especially in the United States, where the
big game that was once abundant is now on
the highroad to determination.
II is the use of the camera that gives its
great and unique value to Living Animals
Of the World" a popular work on natural
history. Of which Messrs. Dodd, Mead &
Co. have just begun the publication. The
text Of this elaborate work, though scien-
tihcally accurate, is written In a thor
oughly popular style. but It's interest is
dwsrfed by the extraordinary attractive
ness of the Illustrations. Each Of the
twenty-four sections is to have a colored
cover and frontispiece, several full-page,
half-tone plates and many smaller pic
lures, all reproducing photographs taken
direct from the birds, beasts and fishes
they portray. To have filled a volume
with pictures Of domestic animals only
would have been a simple task, but many
members of the cat family, Of the dog
family and OF other subdivisions Of the
worlds fzuna exist only in a wild state
and have had to be tracked to their re-
spective lalrs. The South Sea islands, the
interior Of the Australian continent, the
jungles Of India, the wilds of Soath Amer
lea, the plains and mountains Of the
United States and the desolate wastes Of
Arctic America have been visited by the
devotees Of science and sport, who have
returned laden not only with pelts and car
cases, but dry plates and films.
The supply of Photographic material
drawn upon for this monumental work
was virtually unlimited. The duchess Of
Bedford was among the most liberal con-
tributors TO it and so was Hon. Walter
Rothschild. for whom photographs have
been made In all parts of the world. One
Of the pictures shows Mr.. Rothschild him
self with a silk hat on his head. riding
one OF his enormous tortoises; another
shows his our-in-hand Of zebras broken to
harness. Several Of the views Of wild ami
mails taken by Lord Delamere in Africa
with a t~elephoto lens gives vivid glimpses
Of life In the jungle.
There is something new and startling In
the sight Of lions. leopards. balloons, gi-
RATES., rhinoceroses and zebras caught in
the act. az it were. In the heart of their
native wilds. Not the least curious and
valuable Of the pictures are those Of fishes
in their natural surroundings. actually
taken from water. in sea and stream. For
these the editor Is indebted to DR.. r. w.
shufeldt Of Washington.
some OF the best plates were made at
the New York 1000" others at the Eng
lish and continental geological gardens.
while others stnl were obtained from the
owners Of private game preserves and from
the directors Of the public collections OF
Europe. An element Of humor appears in
the pictures OF Carl Hagenbeek's trained
animals performing their feats and Of
orang- outangs and other apes at play.
Though the strength Of the work may be
said to lie In its presentation Of wild anil
mails photographed In their habitat, the cd
itor has not disdained to introduce museum
specimens where pictures Of living crea-
lures were not to be had. In this way the
work has a completeness which otherwise
could not have been obtained. At 1t stands
It is an unrivalled portrait gallery OF
furred. hnned and feathered animals. The
iHustrious number 1000 and MI, with the
text. $50 quArto pages.
The work viii be issued In twenty-four
weekly parts at the nominal price OF 10
cents per section. or Is cents by mail.
Parts 1, 2 and 8 now ready at the once of