The sun., 1910-05-08


expedition 20 the AbaEy aAvannas the next
winter they were able 20 study these bros
=o-s s=hs.s.iyely and were preparing
20 trap apscimens 20 bring home when an
accident 70 Mra. Bsshs unfortunately
up@gt their plans. They securOd numoer
Of photographs. which AFo included IN me
numerous Illustrations that enhance ne
attFaetivunals Of the book. UnhAgIplH
the limitations of rVprOductiOn rsnoer
many pictures unsatisfactory In the eK-
trome.
A constantly recurring n0te In the rec
ord b the marvellous adaptation 70 i's
purposs Of protective oOloring IN AnimAla'
birds, butasrdlas and insects in this rop-
ioal jungle. and the olsvernaas with vhloh
The birds locate thsir nests In order 70
secure safety from their innnnlerabs
foes. For example. the Oriole or CAS-
siqus. a huge black and yellow beauty
alwayB builds his psndnlOuo neat In soh-
tary tree which fairly ovorhangs some
thAtohed hut. or elss . whole colony y
clustered oloas about one Of tho huge
wasps nesaS which hang high among the
branches Of the forest, 20 near that tno
homas of The lnsscts and the birds rattle
against each other when the Wind blows
The birds seem immune from The danger
Ous sting Of the Wasps, their protectors
against monkeys aud other foes and The
waaps pay no attention 70 furious shaking
Of the limb by q bird. though the gentlest
swaying Of The bOugh by a human hand
stirs them 10 instant and aggressive ao-
ton. Among the curious insects found IN
this enhancing wilderness wAs one OF the
sO-caIled missing links.' the perip@tus,
a woFmliks caterpillar or caterpillarilRe
worm. The animals were lees agitsttng.
catching porcuplnss and sloths being. our
authors quantity say. about ~ exciting
sport a. picking blackbeFries. Some OF
the most interesting passages refer 10 me
waya Of tho ants. which our keen eyed
and keen wittsd authors considered at
tsntivsly on every possible occasion. In
soma Of these chapters, which are written
BY Mr.. and Mra. Beebe in collaboration.
acientifc facts about birds. hah. insects
and animals are aRrecAbly mingled with
brief sketches Of natives and their ways
but the chapter entitled "A Woman's Ex-
perienos in Veneulela.' by Mn. Beebo
alone. reveals people and customs and
adventures In a thoroughly aatisfying a.
well a. DELIGHTFULLY."- clsver manner. There
we're many unnatural history expert
snoes.- ahe says. some diaagreeAble.
some aReeAble. but all 20 wholly delight
full In their charm Of strangeneas 70 the
woman who enjoyed them that the picture
Of our wilderness ssems incomplete with
out them We can only regret that she
did not furnish q corresponding chapter
on the Guiana journeys.
The description Of the cook on the Vsns-
zuelan sloop IL funny. The cook Ia al
ways called Maestro and Re was a
whole labor union all by himself: he in
sisted that he was a cook, nat a sailor;
would do nothing hut cook, even when an
extra hand was required in an emergency,
and really could not do that, The ami
abls captain was full Of legend and sipor-
stitlon. and told them endless tales Of
adventure and Of black magic arts by
which yOu could send scOurges ~ rats or
deadly diseases or departed spirits 20
your enemies. 20 make life unendura ble;
while Flo. the mate. enthTallsd the crew
with dramatic and sentimental tales fit
for a -thrllsr.- A. the famous pitch
lake Mra Beshe heard about a gOdfor-
saksn httls port On the wcSt coast Of Co
lomhla. TO which the fare from Panama is
SO. whils the fare from II 20 Panama is
siOO. because you would pay any sum
gladly to get away from Il, ~ the steam
ship company evidently Understands. The
authors happsned 20 le at the pitch lake
at an exciting crisis pOlitically-every-
thing In Venezuela more or less Is poliii-
cally founded On that famous lake-and it
was not etiqustts 20 smile even when the
patriotic YeneEuelans ~ the headquar-
ters where they were guests made such
statements a. ths iolloWing: -venezuela
loads not only all the South American
countries but all thnse % North Amsrica
as well In literature, art. science and
commsrce. When our Gen. Blank went
20 New York the greatest ovation ever
paid 90 any General in tho world was
given him. New York remained anazedl'
Once, Mrs. Beebe coniesses, shs dis
gracsd herself by looking amused: but
what could have moved her II she listened
70 the above with becoming gravity Il is
hard 90 imagine Perhaps Il was con
nectsd with the boasts Oi IT. CoHstiH- |
eiOnai as to tho ease with which yenezuela
would srass the United States from the
face Of tho glohe Assursdly she en-
countsred the finest specimen eHtant Of
the Anglomaniao at GuanOcO. a big black
Trinidad negro who was full Of the SUI
periOrity oF one who had seen the world.
for he had Onos beer tO England as state
room steward on one Of the big steamers
and now dropped his his. called his wife
Lady Mackay- and on Sundays wore a
mOnOcle.
There was no priest, no school. no doc
tor az Guanoco The two young West
Indians at the pitch lake headquarters.
neither much more than twenty years
old. oficiated at all funerals. regardless
of sect. prescribed for all diseases and
spent their time in wondering when poli-
tics would cause them to he superseded.
Fortunately neither here nor during their
Guiana expeditions did our authors suffer
any III effects from the climate or condi-
tons The climate was delightful. more
bsarabls than that % New York in sum-
msr. though they were near the equator:
and the much dreaded insects were far
lsas terrible ~ pests than they had antioi-
pated OF Georgetown, where they spent
enough time 90 know il thoroughly while
preparing for their trips they say. The
cttvr i .va - a.. vy,r,.f .st-..st.-- l. a