New-York tribune., 1910-09-24
q Valuable Book by Ernest
Thompson Seton.


cravings hv the author. Large Svo. pt-
xxx. xii, 1.26.- Charles Scribner sons
M earon's rzvo sizable volumes, with
slei- c.ustal illustrations numbering
aenrlv six hundred. present the results
II thirty years Of closest and lovingly
q. we'll as intellectually interested OBJ
se-vatiou. Scientifically correct. as he
assures us. and IN this regard Of the
greatest serv1cea bleness TO the zooioglst'
ne hunter and the sportsman VINO
hunts with hIs eyes alone or with
.amera. they are at the same time deS-
tined for popular reading. being aoap1eo
10 this wider mission with all their
authors well known skill with pen and
pencil. on this side the work may "elI
be called the elimination Of The animal
studv movement which began some M
teen years ago and which counted MI
Seton anong its ablest leaders
Il had its per4od Of exaggeration,
when animals were raised 10 almost
nm euuslitv with man in powers OF
reasoning and feeling, but on the whole
me movement has been Of service TO the
animal world because il taught man.
rasn OF tomorrow, 70 respect the rights
n c1Jr weak brethren without speech. 10
So the beauty and ingenuity Of their
solutions Of the problem Of existence
sn6 70 svuus1hize with them as fellow
E-ruEriers for survival in q world that
rests the fttest 10 the utmost Here and
there one encounters IN these pages sug-
Eestions Of the rough material from
which Lobo and Blanca, Molly Cotton
tai. Tahb and many others Of Nj Sc
TONS animal heroes and heroines. We're
shaped. but Il is presented without the
hctional raznbus. And most Of what is
he-e set down is new. The point Of view
rs-nslns the same. however. Saws Mr
Ee-on n his preface
As rhts Is & book Of life histories or
habits 7 have occupied myself IS little es
possibls with anatomy and have only SO
neoessz-v for ideurlfcgtion Ny theme IS
tbe lfuinc oa5na0L No one who believes n
svolucon can doubt that man u3Ino as
--en es his body had lis origin N the an
mails below hin. Otherwise expressed, We
nay say that 5UST ss surely as We mo
Ryneng The wild animals the germs or be
Einn-ngs OF mans material makeup 50
Furely may We 1no there also The 1ounoa-
lions and possibiliIi OF what he has at
iendS new interest TO the 6oings Of animals
n their home life. sno ! have sought
among these our lesser brethren Tor eVl-
dsnces Of Il
Although the scope Of the book Is lin
tied 70 the sixty species that are found
IL Manitoba. this takes IN AL the large
tand mammals Of the United States ex-
rept about dozen among them being
sve Of the big game. NJ. Seton fol
lowed these sixty species into al parts
II their ranges, covering the continent
from Labrador 20 the Mexican Gulf and
from Mackenzie 10 California TIE AMI
mails discussed are the deer family, in
-ludirg wapiti. moose and caribou, the
suteIopes. the buffalo; rodents-sqUir-
rels. the beaver, mice. gophers, the por-
-l1pine rabbits, prairie hares. etc: the
rarnivora. from bear and wolf 20 fisher.
skunk and raccoon- the bug eaters and
arher nsectivora-sf1rews and moles;
snd the bats. The descriptions are clear
and well adapted for purposes CT easy
Identification. special attention being
paid to the points that distinguish them
from their nearest allies. The measure
raenrs given are those Of adult male
specimens and there is considerable in
formation concerning the horns and ant
GERS Of the rUminants, including the
record trophies Traps are illustrated
and explained, while, finally, Mr- Seton
talks on the subject OF speed, warning
his readers that the swiftness Of motion
If wild animals is much exaggerated in
popular opinion He says:
In general 7 have found that the wild
animals are less swift than Is commonly
supposed and thai their strong point Is
the QuiCkneSS with which they can get UP
speed Their ''muzzle velocity" Is. indeed
e matter OF life and death for most pre-
dacious creatures. especially Ihe cats. give
first cash Furthermore, ! have been con
tinually impressed by the sulallness OF Cif-
ference IN their speed The few seconds
that one animal saves IN making -ts mile Is
evidently of vital Importance The scale
have attempted is founded OF =he ami
rnsl's best rate for a mile A rate that is
representative has been chosen rather Ihan
the phenomenal or the highest record Of
Rgceforse- best speed. al rate Of "a miles
hound 30. Texas Sackrabbit. IS; common
fox. 26; Northern coyote. p; foXhounG. -
American gray wolf. 70 miles
Mans record for one hundred yards is
81 the -ate OF 1wenty-one and one-third
miles an hour His best speed for a
nile amounts 10 fourteen miles an hour;
tis average IS twelve miles. Most strik-
sng IN this list Is. perhaps. the low
standing Of the gray wolf
Turning from the animals themselves
70 their daily life. NJ. Seton takes as his
beading guide the intelligence that IS
seen IN their solution OF their own prob
ae-ns OF existence. which reach from
food. the range and migrations. 10 So
r.iahIlfrv (Which the author distinguishes
from mere gregariousness without eff
x.ient mutual help, the home habits Of
sanitation. and, IN an ascending scale
organization, development of the prop
r-ty instinct and ownership marks the
habit II storing food. means Of conmu-
z1icsfior. aEnusements. mating and 90
,n1estic affection. education. aesthetic
sense. morality. vice ard crime Para
sites and commensalisn. odd partner
ships. and finally the relation Of animals
1o nan. as helpers or hindrances TO agrl-
culture snd commerce, conclude the list
Of aspects Of the subject presented here.
n reviewing this volWminOus work.
packed with interesting Information, on
It's popular side. one can only dip into
& here and there 10 bring up an item