Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-12

lectuality-,a good deal of the former and
an overpowerinS amount of the latter.
Mr.. BrandeS cons ders that 1.-The secret OF
the art of Frances historical style is tina;
he thinks and speaks in the spirit of the
age which he is portraying. He ex-
plains also. however. that 1t is a ways as
the Great We writer that he touches his
tory. and it is for that reason. despite his
great gift as an investigator. that he has
not become a historian. but a novelist and
story writer. The author of the present
review has selected passages from the
works of NJ. France with such fine dis
elimination as to make his little book de-
lightful reading, apart from its value a
pen portrait of the greatest writer OF the
France of today. 1t needs but a glance
at the frontispiece picture Of Anatole
France. photographed from a bust by
Lavergne. to feel the picturesque irony OF
majestic equality. forbids the rich as vel
as the poor TO sleep under bridges. to beg
in the streets and to stea' bread.
GAN MACLAREN" The Life of the
Rev. John Watson. DID BY W. Rob
ertson Nicoll. New York: Dodd
Mead & Co.
The author of this appreciation was the
cause of developing Rev. DR.. Watson
from a local into an international guam
tity. Recognizing that he possessed eX-
ceptional literary talents, Mr.. Nicoll IN
1890 wrote to the clergyman, then engaged
in pastoral work in Liverpool, asking him
for an occasional contribution to the IN
positor. of which he was editor. A cor
respondence enSued on the subject which
resulted in 1893 In the publication of the
chapters which grew into what later was
known as Beside the Bonnie Brter
Bush Immediately the reading public
recognized the arrival of a new force III
fiction, and from that moment DIR. Wat
no
came one of the most widely read writer's
in the world When he came to America
in 1896, after having followed 1.-The Bon
ME Erier Bush with The Days Of Aud
Lang Syne,' he was greeted by large au-
diences throughout the United States. In
this volume Mr.. I>icoll sets forth the Cir
cumstances of DR.. Watson's life in appre-
ciative terms inspired by warm friend
ship which covered many years. lie holds
that Watson's distinguishing characters
tic was his great humanneSS. his intense
sympathy with people. his large gener-
osity toward all classes. His biograp her
notes the singular happiness OF DIR. wat
sons life, happiness which he in meas
ure shared with the world by giving II
the product OF pen inspired at all times
with true philanthropy.
ANCIENT TALES AND FOLKLORE OF
JAPAN. By Richard Gordon Smith.
New York: The Macmillan Company.
Washington: Brentano's.
Some travellers believe that the old
Japan. the Japan of poetry and color.
of native tradition and simplicity, is
passing, and that new Japan is evolv-
ing which will throw into the back
ground all the beautiful elements that
have made the mikado's land and people
so attractive to the western world.
Without subscribing to this view. it is
possible to regard the present volume
as of value in preserving in artistic
and attractive form some Of the folk
lore tales of ancient japan. The author
kept voluminous illustrated diaries for
twenty years spent in travel and sport.
the last nine of them being almost en-
tirely in Japan. while co Letting sub
jects of natural history for the British
Museum. This work threw him into
close relation with the people, and gave
him access to their thoughts to an un-
usual degree. In reproducing this VOL
ume of over fifty of these traditions
and tales. the author has summoned to
OF marked ability. The author notes
the fact that Mr.. Mono Yuki was
doubtless at times Jared by having to fol
low with his brush sketches of Mr.. Smith
keeping him awake in reflection On
the crudeness of the European sense of
art" Certainly there is no diminution
of the Japanese quality In Mr.. Mono
Yuki's exquisite colored plates.
BIRD LEGEND AND LIFE. BY Mar
garet Coulson Walker author of
BIRDS and Their Nestlings." New
York: The Baker & Taylor Com
pany.
The birds have always inspired the
poets and the story tellers,. and
throughout the literature Of all peoples
in all ages run references to the crea-
lures of the air in categorical terms.
The author has in this volume collected
some of these legends and supersti-
tions, studying them from the point OF
view of the lover of birds and seek
ing to ascertain their sources She
notes how in ancient times some races
believed that the souls of the dead
passed into the bodies of the small
creatures. particularly the birds The
Aztecs. for example. held firmly to the
faith that all good people as reward
of merit We're changed into feathered
songsters. These and many other tales
and traditions and myths are set forth
in this work. which is richly lllustrat-
ed with photographs Of birds in the
open This is book that every BIRD
student will thoroughly enjoy.
CAMPS AND CRUISES OF An ORNI-
THOLOGIST. BY Frank NJ. Chap
man. curator of ornithology, Amerl-
can Museum Of Natural History. $50
Photographs from Nature by the Au-
thor New York: d. Appleton & Co.
Mr.. Chapman's adventures in the field
i'm the course of his studies Of North
American birds for the American Museum
of Natural History have been of a char
ac;er TO demand publication, and after
serial prints of some Of the papers the
story OF his seven years Of work is now
told in this volume. In the course of this
work he visited many parts Of the United
STATES chiefly the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts studying the jays meadowlarks.
nighthawks in his travels near home: the
bird II e of GARDENERS and CObbs Islands.
tbe bird life of Florida the Bahamas. the
Rocky mountain and prairie regions, Ca
fornia and western Canada. His methods
were necessarily inspired chiefly By
patience for his purpose was 10 obtain
close range pictures OF the blrds during
the nesting season. when they are of the
greatest interest TO ornltholoslsts. 10
accomplish this he built blinds and shell
ters close by the homes of the birds some
times spending hours and ev n days in
an effort to obtain photographs of them
on their nests and to study their habits.
One Of the most interesting papers is that
describing the tlaminSos OF the Bahamas.
As a result of his experiences in this
uuest he has been enabled to disprove
some misconceptions regarding the fiamin-
go and to obtain some photographs that
are marvellous in their rarity and their
disclosure of bird habits. This book Is
one that every nature lover and student
o. bird life should possess
CUPID, THE SURGEON. BY Herman
Lee Meader. Illustrations by Pal.
phiiadelphi;. Henry .AltemuS Com