New-York tribune., 1906-04-14
zdveatmres IN the Forest and ON
the Sea.

-ET LOG oF. a SEA ANGLER. Sports ana Aa-
70 ventures in Many Seas with Spear and Rod. Ry
Ssonchton Miflin & Co. ID "o''
,.TNAI, SNAPSHOTS AND HOW MADE n,
& Co '''
-ES RACE or. THE SWIFT BY Edwin Carlyle
livingston Bull- l2Elo, PIP. l5l. Little. Brown
& co.
Ar Beebe has given us a chai ming book II
he record Of a winter spent with his v-ifa
:, wexioo. in careful observation of the wild
..-ss IN their own haunts. He writes of the
s.s,be-ed creatures with most engaging sympa-
~ and understanding-2nd not only Of birds
so- he watched as well the four-footed gentry
~ nroxled near his camp. Here are vivid
.t,ures of his visitors-the silver gray fox. that
,nsntlv crouching or the sand by night. was so
80 its color that he was invisible until he
,,ored. the armadiIlo. numbering along in his
,ore5 overcoat: the ring-taied cat tiny
Ao,nr with an enormous magnificent black and
.nte tail curling and furling gracefully
s-ound him: the queer lizard, the iguana. who
.-ov-s 2 new tail when the old one by chance
rs broken. These and many more learned to
I've their confidence to the benehcent stranger
r. left AZ nisht on a convenient bowlder such
.alicste titbits from his dinner. There was
ans creature that hushed every other:
=. -,rr, a hand of little carrivores were max
tar
doves which had furnished our supper suddenly
I'M minute al strangely quiet Then new
sornd came 10 our ears We had never heard any
t6iag IKE it. and yet we shuddereo- Why. we did
~. fnow unless al its mystery.
"a eoft sitheTing as II something scraping
TgsE gse moon 5o was bright and opened the tent Flap,
moi q sound save an OCCASIONAL click from barn
cul fving abov, silent wings. The strange
5o:e gls,g gsSl fo-T n 1ppesred great boa Was
making lis way 20 The water The great creature
we, fiiiv Ten reet in length: hut the sight of this
huge serpent unconsslons Of being & Eatehea f pass
is native Jungle was thrilling How keen must must
alarm 50 long before our dull hearing told Of the
h. approach. 1t passed, and flowing smoothly as
er litbe and full OF subtle irresistible power II
seemed of the masters Of the jungle, confident
ana unafraio!
As for the birds Of Mexico they are always.
Is described by the author. either beautiful or
amusing or grotesQue. A resplendent sight, in
deed, was the band of yellow headed blackbirds
IN the cactus country, with the last rays Of the
setting sun reflected from five hundred golden
breasts" As glorious in color We're the vermil-
ion hycatchers-"a male IN fun plumage seemed
10 outburn every other scarlet object in nature"
me oldest thing on wings is certainly the
rnotmot-an Uncommonly pretty bird in fits dress
Of cinnamon. black. emerald green and pale blue
but q bird with peculiarity. That is its pre-
posterous habit II picking off divers barbs Of its
Two long central taifeathers near the end. so
that these feathers are made 20 look like pen
dulums They all do II, gentleman notnots as
well as their spouses so that the custom can't
be assumed % be analogous 10 the Chinese foot
binding habit. The author chronicles also the
queer proceeding Of the little green parrakeets
when frightened. They fly TO curious tree
bearing long. four sided fruit Of green color.
When Standing motionless on its branches they
look SO like the fruit that they can't be distin-
guished from il.
IN Collecting the papers on his experiences as
sea angler along various portions Of the Amer
iran cosst-mainly on the Florida reefs-Mr
Holder has done a thing for which all who de-
light in manly sport should thank him. Incl
oentally he has produced an excellent piece Of
itefature-a book Of absorbing interest The
stories Of the taking either with rod or spear Of
the big fishes Of the Southern waters are now
ana again as animated the tale Of duel in a
Dumas romance, and through all runs the
wholesome spirit Of the true sportsran-,he
SPIRIT Of fair play 10 the splendid game. Camp
life Oh those hot Florida keys is full Of strange
happe1lngs-Witness The authors stumble one
DAY into great hogshead buried in the sand at
Ue bottom OF which was q human skeleton. Il
Was q remnant, perhaps, Of pirate days. a find
Is strange was an old Spanish cannon Of the
se'enleeIlth century, which by successive dives
NE campers managed to draw from the depths
OF the reef and bring 10 shore. The curious or |
beautiful fishes Of the coral reefs are described /
con amore by III. HoIder-angel fishes devil
hshes, parrot fishes. morays like sea serpents |
with mouths and fangs like a boa constructors |
sha iempers like a fiend's. Less exciting |
Aough quite as amusing as his narratives Of en-
counters with the big fish IN deep water is his |
description Of Jack beat'-the pursuit Of a |
3aao! u ssrdines by a school Of cavaIlies. or |
Aoks, "a dne fish Of indomitabe spirit" The |
beach was lined with a mass Of sardines and
mo this mass the jacks We're pIungIng.
As ] waded out into the thronr the iacl,s co,,-
si az .s.grea me- they repeatedly struck my legs
i,f,a5 ggaS-y caught Dig ielioWs by the tail and /
;t-slei4-s they apparently had driven the sardines
Isashore saa where they formed an almost solid line
tsigec with great fury with Tie result that they
saw many as fty cavae OT lhf SANDS; froI
fL 10 WE'VE ana some doubtless fifteen pounds
-e--l1.i-s lp and down the white coral sand so
sssgghfg The water again, their slvery sides the |
go5 81 So - 81 lheir packs and the flashes Of vivid
trsorSt,s.-.+i .-.+i ms pIese4lng an animated and
sSsgL Ne Spectacle. ! had heard Bob speak Of /
t- t1s distant and had considered II reef FISH 1
sserg,i; o1J mere vas the reality confound the
he dame ne They had heard the deafening roar from
ttcksSt Asy' ana II short time were in the
!rfo - ~ %, ~ Ihey pulled up the boat, rushed /
sra ne ne beat catching the Jacks by the tails |
isrs ssea mem out upon the sands by the score
,..-lg Li demand al any and all times. Other
ma -Is began 10 appear every gull, pelican and /
if-ae 'eI SeI nird on The reef within radius OF
s1d seemed 10 scent the prey, and the
Fos,e =. ere soon covered with them. creating a /
~ 49, olincult 10 describe and beyond the hounds
ne es-l1llpn Of those who have not observed il.
seks 90 continued for twenty minutes then the /
ier 10 worn out satiated with slaugh-
but s-M - or -ke cavalry. and finally disappeared: |
a. - io1g time the sardines hucged the shore /
them 'Ne "Ios 10 gorge themselves upon |
1he big Jack the author calls the incarnate |
s1''t OF War. a fighter who never discovers he |