New-York tribune., 1903-03-21
BEASTS AND BIRDS.
Queer Wags and amusing In
stances.


III WOODLAND INITIATES, By E@s BtGneh
1sno. pp. "a The Baker Taylor Company.
A BOOK OF BEASTS AND BIRDS. Written and
illustrated With Photogrsphs IrGn AZ Life 1n 1s
Emported By Charles scribner's Sons
"a collection Of notes made at different times
and in VARYING SURROUNDINGS from the back OF
& fsvorIte Hobby@-such is Mr.. P1gous own
Characterization Of his book 1t shows tnat ne
has gone far aneId for the pages devoted 20
the wild birds that visit or nest IN ro4Flns
London are succeeded by others describing niro
,,e. m the Rrosds In Holland and on the rocky
coasts of Britain. These chapters are fuH Oh
anecdotes and picturesque description. and are
made vivid by e genuine love for the suo'ec~
The list of the wild birds observed IN tne EreA'
English city is of surprising lehsIn' w.
than twenty species were observed near nSue
Park in the course Of a year by one pereon-
THwnv and barn owls are SAID 10 DC A04i''
common in Kensington Gardens; there TOO arc
seen and heard quantities OF song-thrusnes; ana
even q nightingale sang there morning @A'e'
morning q few years age. Among tne many
other birds that appear In one park or announcer
ara stsrlinRs galore and the omnlpresehe
sparrow Members of the latter tribe dehght
In nesting in the hollow parts OF great men
statues; and their impudence In all dlrecuohs 10
rnesxureless. Here is al instance; "A gentieiii0N
was feeding with breadcrumbs q WOOD pleeoh
in St James's Park One OF the BIRDS 1eatheFS'
.r ,,nder+aII covert which was rufied and out
OF plsce caught the eye or spaFTo"' AIio
snsrrov few down, seized it in its oeak' ana
,,,,Ias tts best The feather did not yield az
o,ce and the pigeon walked of with onenoeo
dfenftv The sparrow followed. still hoiolns
on; and IN the end few of triumphant with the
trophy to its nest. We'll! If that oont laNe
the cake for cheek was the comment ol
r,asStns laborer TIM Expressive Silence
compIeted the sentence" As for the stafhnes'
II ts estimated that over a thousand have Oeen
seen roosting together on the peninsula III 81
Jsmess Park Wood pigeons abound IN tne
,s+x,-no+ syv,sys with safety to the inhabitants,
as shown BY the story of the lady who lately
took for q few months a house in Chesrer
scuare Everything appeared 20 be IN perIece
order but the servants presently began 10 coiil-
plain of mysterious rappings and Wnlsperlhes
at night; then they declared they were III anu
gave warning. When, at last the idoS neis'
felt her health going and had to seek country
cir the house was investigated An unHolloeu
h,le ,n the outer wall was discovered-a hole
through which multitude OF pigeons hao mace
awsy in and out 1.-The spaces between hoorlhg
and rafters were a big dove cote, evidently OF
several years standing" and were packed WIN
young birds dead birds in various stages OF oe-
cav and all the debris inseparable from such
haunt
Mr PiEott's observations among the olros VI
the Farce Islands furnish many queer ano
amusing details. he was particularly Impressed
bv the regular and orderly manner IN which the
5inan.nt species divide their nesting grounds,
and bv the strictly honorable fashion in which
they respect their boundaries. Not so honest
Sc the Shetland scouties (Richardsons skuaJ'
II is il fact 6 double-dyed dece1Ver OIL a Olro'
which when hard pressed by the Naturalist
deliberately leads on to the nest OF the guns
il despises. and then goes through an elaborate
pantomime of distress. Again and again. says
the author I'VE made sure that at last we were
10 see the true skua's eggs, and aS often found
ourselves looking at the nest Of some common
gull"
But before returning to Serw1ck we were 10
he treated TO an even more amusing specimen |
of the cynical humor OF the scoutie.
One Of our party had for some time Watcneo
p bird which evidently had eggs close by, and |
at last, when its suspicious seemed TO De lulleQ
TO sleep, saw it light on rougn spot noI |
very far of. There it stopped In ostentauous |
concealrnent. every and then cautiously |
lifting its head and peering over the grass In
his direction. He marked the spot and walked |
straight up to it; this time pretty sure that |
he had got what he wanted When he was al |
most there the scoutie rose with derislve |
chJckIe from a black-backed gulrs nest Where |
as he had been slow in coming, she had Whlled |
away the time by sucking one of the eggs.
A more pardonabIe dodge is that CT the infant
r!nged plover-the tiny thing when 1t imagines
tha% danger is near will grasp dead leaf be-
tween its legs, and. rolling on to Its back
lie completely hidden under it until the danger
is past" The author has many admiring things
to say concerning the wonderful protective COL
oring of the sea fowls eggs. An Illustration is
the story Of the enthusiastic collector who made
G long Journey to take with his own hands
the eggs of a certain bird which he had learned
could be found a uountainside- He saw
the birds rising close by, but though his eyes
were trained. and he searched with painful
care he could not discover the nest on the
Eround-unti1 suddenly he put his foot on 1t,
breaking every egg!
Mrs Bignelrs new book is a prettily gentle
and thoughtful series Of chapters on various
lovabIe aspects Of nature and animal life 1t
does not rank with her robin book, MT Chupes
and Miss Jenny" though the same sweet and
wholesome feeling animates both. Her most
engaging woodland intimates" are Madame
Jolie-Queue, the energetic. high-tempered dis
cipIinarian Of the squirrel family. her badgered
children and meek husband. Mr. Rufus Their
comings and goings about the house Of their
literary friend are described with much spirit
Gnd humor-
Mr.. Gambler Bolton is known to Americans
the maker of splendid photographs Of wild
animals in captivity; his little book shows that
he deserves to be equally well known as writer
On the curious ways OF beasts. His chapters on
ehe pet animals of English royalties are un-
fnnportant-though would not willingly for
get the Kings pathetic care Of his constant
companion, the little dog that once belonged to
his son, now dead. Mr.. Bottoms studies of ami
mails In their native wilds and in the Zoo have
6 Iivelier interest He corrects many miscon-
ceptions among them that of the animal paint
ers who "de magnificent lions In their native
lsirs with profuse names. forgetting, or not