New-York tribune., 1903-03-22

and the two loves, the love of nature and the
love Of fiction. sought to be blended in the
animal story-books. such Mr.. Charles q. ID.
Roberts's Kindred OF the Wild" Mr. William
Davenport HuIbert's Forest Neghbors," Mr..
Thompson Seton's wild Animals l Have known
and the Rev William ]. Longs School of the
Woods"
1t is Mr.. Longs book than any ofn the
Others that justifes the phrase sham Natural
History" and it is to It and to Mr.. Thompson
Setons wild Animals 1 Alone Have Known II
may be allowed playfully to amend his title to
correspond with the facts that shall devote the
major part OF this article
For instance. take his story of the fox. Every
hunter knows that the fox, when pursued by the
hound, will often devices that look like
cunning tricks to confuse and misead the dog.
How far these devices the result Of calculation
we do not know. but hunters generally look upon
them such. Thus a fox hotly pursued will run
through flock OF sheep This dodge probably de-
lays the hound little but 1t does not often
enable the fox to shake him. Mr. Thompson Seton
goes several better, and makes his fox jump upon
the back of a sheep and ride several hundred
yards OF course no fox ever did that. Again.
the fox will sometimes take to the railroad track,
and walk upon the rail, doubtless with the vague
notion Of eludng his pursuers. Mr.. Thompson
Seton makes his fox so very foxy that he de-
lberately lures the hounds upon a long trestle
where he knows they will be just in time to meet
and be killed by passing train. as they are The
presumption is that the fox had watch and a
timetable about his person.
The incident Of the mother fox coming the
farmhouse at night to rescue her young. and, find
ing him held by chain. digging hole and bury
ing the chain thinking she had thus set him free,
is very touching and pretty. ana might well he
true, 1t shows how limited the wit of the fox
really is. But. finding herself unable to Hberate
her offspring. that she should then bring him
poison is pushing the romantic to the absurd. .
Mr.. Thompson Seton constantly aims convey
the idea to his reader that the wild creatures drill
and instruct their young even furnishing them at
times for disobedience orders His imtator. the
Rev. Mr.. Long quite outdoes him this line.
going far to call his last book the School
OF the Woods
Mr.. Long doubtless got the hint of his ridiculous
book from Mr.. Thompson Seton's story of the
crow. wherein he speaks Of a certain old pine
woods the crows fortress and college: I1ere
they find security in numbers and In lofty yet
sheltered perches. and here they begin their school
ing and taught all the secrets OF success in
life. and in crow life the least failure does
not simply begin again. II means death"
Now the idea was a false one before Mr.. Long
appropriated It, and it has been pushed such
length that It becomes ridiculous There is not a
shadow Of truth in it.
There is a school of the woods as | have SAID.
just much there is a church of the woods or
parliament Of the woods & society of united
charities of the woods. and more; there is moth
ing IN the dealings of animals with their young
that in the remotest way suggests human instruc-
ton and discipline. The young OF ali the wild
creatures do instnctivey what their parents do
and did. They do not have to be taught: they are
taught by nature from the start The bird sings at
the proper age, and builds its nest, and takes its
appropriate food without any hint all from its
parents. The young ducks take to the water when
hatched by hen readily when Matched by
duck, and dive and stalk insects, and wash
themselves just their mothers did. Young
chickens and young turkeys understand the
nous calls and signals OF their mothers the first
| time thev hear them. At the mother :
alarm note they squat: at her call to food they
come, on the first day the tenth. The habits
of cleanliness Of the nesrngs established from
! the first hour OF their lives When bird comes
to build its first and first brood, it
| knows how TO proceed well 1t does years
later, or as its parents did before 1t. The fox Is
afraid Of q trap before h las had any experience