The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-10
Interpreting John Burroughs


undated. says MIR. DALLAS STORE ShAhP
IN the November NUMBER OF that haga-
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whatever the literary quality OF our o'her
nature writers no one OF mem has come any
mare man MI no"Ho' oA. 70 'na'u 'n's' -
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T,r. ~, nrs.oro.. so,. a. , vso,. and
# +. scyona sI.,u,, N. mos, com ue,e. the mos,
revealing OF all our outdoor literature His
pages lie open Ike the surface OF a pond senSp'e
TO every wind or calm a. the Ky holding the
sur winged and pinned to the golden knob OF a
sps,ieriock
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though JOHN BURROUGHS has written
great deal about birds he is not an
ornithologist; and he is not. in the sense
that Mr. FRANK CHAPMAN is an ornith-
ologist Nor, we suppose. is JOHN
BURROUGHS geologist. although he
knows more about geology than most
= educated men" Nor. again. il he
meteorologist. although he is a better
weather prophet than Mr.. WILLIS l..
MOORE. 1t may pain the admirers OF
the naturalist TO tell them that he is
not an ornithologist. But who has
spent more time in the company OF
birds or knows them better? Not
GILBERT WHITE nor THoREAr nor JET
FRIES was more intimate with them.
Here is Mr.. SHARP's Interpretation in q
few words of BURROUGHS the man:
To take the earth as one nnds Il. to plant
ones self In II. 20 plant ooe's rooftree In H. 10
tai IL. TO understand it and the laws which gov
u
to love IL sn-is the heart OF Mr.. BrnRouoHss
religion. the piih Of his philosophy. the conciu.
sion OF his books.
t"a' ooh-, ~ ""oo"n' oshsS III" no'u"
INTO the library NO other NATURALIST
IL so richly endowed with the git of
making the reader see with his ewes and
share his sympathy. We have some
times Thought that Mr. RJ-Rpornus aaw
more IN the WOODS than most OF us. how
ever alert and keen OF vision We are.
For him the trees seem to be tenanted
ana tuneful with oirds, with the rare
species as well az the FAMILIAR. Mr..
SHARP believes tnat JOHN BURROUGHS
really gets gilmspe OF all the birds he
descrioes' others nave wondered how
ne couid crowd so many varieties OF birds
INTO one morning WALK ana their own
oIhdhess they nave lainehted' Inc IN
terpreter enlIghtens us:
His reply 90 these complaint. IL .irnIne.n,
being in no manner q defence. but an exquisite
1o
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ss the Wild nature underEoes a literary change
by the addition ~ toe writer's self 10 the nature.
-h's win Inc sweet ~ar' u" by the addition Of
A' 'e
Is this an admission that JOHN Bur-
RoU0Hs did not see during his walk all
the birds he writes about Apparently
so. hut who can doub, that he has seen
all Of them AT various times and often
Certainly il would be tedious TO assign
each bird 10 i's day and place. 10 give
the reader a catalogue and time table. |
That would not be literary. although il
might be- ornithological Nature liter
allure Is the happy term tina, Mr.. SHARP
coins IN describe the b,oks ~ .Joux