Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
THE FIRST FORTY YEARS OF WASH

THE FIRST FORTY YEARS OF WASH
INGTON SOCIETY. Portrayed by the
Family Letters of Mrs. Samuel Harri-
son Smith (Margaret Bayard. From
the collection of her grandson, j. Hen
ley Smith. Edited by Gaillard Hunt.
illustrated. New York: Charles Serb
ners Sons. Washington: Ballantyne's.
1t is not difficult to see in this volume
one of the most important books Of the
year. Margaret Bayard Smith was wo-
man Of unusual endowments and life
offered her exceptional opportunities. She
came to Washington bride, in 1900. Her
early married life was thus contemporary
with the early days of the existence OF
Washington city. Her husband founded
the National Intelligeneer, which came to
be an influential journal. Their home was
a center of the best social life that the city
afforded. There was not man of promi-
nenee In the national life OF the time with
whom these interesting people We're not
acquainted. Jefferson, who was Mrs
Smiths ideal statesman, was an intimate
friend. Henry Clay. William Writ, the
Madisons. the Calhouns, Harriet MartiHeau
the list of their friends reads like rec
ord of the makers of the national life in
the first part of the nineteenth century.
Mrs. Smith, by her native endowments of
quick sympathy and shrewd perceptions.
as well as by her cultivated power of ex-
pression-for she was a successful writer
as well as social power-was eminently
well htted to leave an account of the
things she saw. In the form of that most
valuable species of contemporary records
-letters-her comments upon passing
events have been at last given to the
world: The resulting volume VIII be vel
coined by the historical student, by Wash
ingtonians who will be charmed to read of
the beginnings of their city's life. and by
those who are concerned merely with And
The author has the feminine perception of
details, quick sympathies and the gift OF
humor. These qualities make a delightful
volume of The First Forty Years OF
Washington Society"
THE BIRD; IT'S FORM AND FUNCTION.
By c. William Beebe, author of Two
Bird-lovers in Mexico" With over
$40 illustrations, chiefly photographed
from life by the author. New York:
Henry Holt & Co. Washington; Bal
lantyne.
The story of the evolution of birds, when
unlocked from technical language, yields
as much of poetry. beauty and interest as
any other phase of nature. and this book
considers birds from such a standpoint.
The treatment is popular, and the volume
is intended for all nature lovers and stu
dents, as an accompaniment of the iden-
LITIGATION book.
thor, who is the curator of ORTHODOXY of
the New York Geological Park, passes to
the wonders of the feathers, the frame
work and the skull. The food of birds and
how they get it leads to the most in
teresting aspects of nutrition, the breath
of life, the high-Strung nerves and the mar
velous muscles of these strangely interest
ing creatures. The five senses are taken
up from comparative point of view, and
the external parts-beak, wing, body. foot
and tail-are very fully discussed as to the
meaning of their forms and functions. One
of the principal objects is to show the vital
relation Of birds to other forms of life upon
the EARTH The last two chapters relate to
the eggs of birds and the life within-the
latter a popular account Of the most In
teresting facts of embryology.
The unusually large number of photo
graphs expressly prepared fer this volume
of the greatest value in illustrating the
comparative and evolutionary aspects of
the subject
FIGHTING THE POLAR ICE. By An
thony Fiaia, commander of the Zieg-
Ter polar expedition, author of Troop
C. In Service" With an introduction
by WIS. Champ and reports by Will
liam J. Peters, Russell w. Porter AMI
Oliver s. Fassig. Illustrations from
photographs and sketches by the au-
thor Also nine from paintings Ia
color by Russell w. Porter and ].
Knowles Hare. New York: Double
day, Page & Co. Washington: Wood
wardI& Lothrop.
The record Of the two years spent above
the S1st parallel by the second Ziegler po-
lar expedition. this book is in many re-
spects the most significant contribution to
the subject since Nansen. 1t tells the story
of the expedition which sailed under Mr..
F'iala's command from Trondhjem, Nor
way, June %. 1903. Three attempts north
were made and an opportunity was afford
ed for heroic and loyal devotion. Notwith-
standing the failure of the attempt, valua-
BILE scientific results were obtained. Espe-
cially interesting Is the story OF the hero,
Capt. ]. Kjeldsen Of Tromso, Norway, who
effected the timely rescue Of the members
Of the Ziegler expedition. Mr.. Fiala makes
very clear what it means to combat the
terrible obstacles of the Arctic, and has.
with a newspaper mans instinct, developed
the human-interest side.
BY ITALIAN SEAS. By Ernest C. Peix-
otto. Illustrations by the author. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons. WASH
inGton: Woodward & Lothrop.
Ernest c. Peixotto has been known chiefly
as the artist whose sketches in pen and
ink or wash have Illuminated articles and
stories of travel. but in his new book, "By
italian Seas" he gives proof Of ability to
describe as pleasantly and picturesquely
in words. as in drawings, the countries
are thirteen chapters in the book, taking
up the Riviera. the Dalmatian coast at
Fiume, Mostar. Ragusa and other places.
Sicily, Naples, Venice, Malta and Tunis,
and he has illustrated them with seventy
or more drawings, varying from little
sketches of out-of-thesway corners to large
drawings that give more comprehensive
idea Of the country and of the towns. The
subject has been treated from the stand
point Of lover of nature. being but a
record Of the charm that he found in seek
ing spots and sensations away from the
beaten tourist track.
THE DOCTOR; a Tale of the Rockies. By
Ralph Common, author of The Sky
Pilot" New York: Fleming H. ReveH
1.-THE Doctor Militant" Ralph Common
might with reason have called his latest
romance. For 1t Ia the physician from his
sterner, more heroic side, who Is the central
figure In the story. From their childhood In
Canada to their maturity of manly and
womanly work in the Rockies the lives Of
Barney. of Dick Boyle and OF Margaret
Robertson are bound together with that of
the beautiful exotic lola. The tragedy
that ensues, and the working out Of char
acter and seif-devotion, are Inevitable from
kta oSr oR