Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-04
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
/. C. NJ.
MY TROPICAL AIR CASTLE. Frank
M. Chapman. D. Appleton & Co.

M. Chapman. D. Appleton 81 Co.
Chagres River, damned, wrought an
astonishing change in the features of
the Panama Zone. Checked in its
natural flow, to meet a purpose OF
canal construction, the confounded
river spilled itself in reckless urgency
over the surrounding land. Wide
bodies of water took the place OF green
fields. Valleys became lakes; h1lltopS,
islands The shore line OF these,
maze of cove and creek seeking inlet
to the jungle depth and greenery that
had been left by such strange and
tightly behavior on the part OF tull-
grown river, supposedly sedate stream.
Upon such an outcropping OF land
from the surrounding sea is Barro
Colorado. A red clay hill-summlt
made over into an island of hospitable
scope and promise. A veritable Noahs
Ark of place besides, to which in the
great overflow bird and beast retreated
for safety. Not all the animals OF
earth marching in two by two" to DC
tive abundance of animals native TO
this tropical quarter.
This Ark Of Refuge, this Barro Colo
RADIO, has become happy hunting
ground for the explorer of indigenous
life, plant and animal; for the scientist
bent upon research within these fields.
Barro Colorado has become a sanctuary
by legal enactment. 1t has been for
mally organized as an institute Of re-
search. And Barro Colorado looks eX-
actly like an Ultima Thule for the
hunter of native characteristics and be-
haviorS on the part of local flora and
fauna. Remote, serene, undisturbed,
prollfic-asking only to be left in peace
and safety, here is paradise for the
tribe of original Investigators
1t is upon Barro Colorado that Frank
M. Chapman, curator of birds in the
American Museum of Natural History"
built his tropical air castle in order
to add still further to his already large
knowledge by Mature Studies in Pan
anna" Not birds alone, you see, become
the preoccupation of Mr.. Chapman at
this particular point of rare opportu-
nifty, but, instead, the whole natural
life of the place moves spontaneously
into the engrossing quest of this ex-
perienced and trained investigator
So with the birds, this scientists
prime preoccupation, come the other
animals of the summit isle. And in
company with both of these is a mot
ley of plant life inextricably inter-
woven with their own existence to
which the author pays adequate due of
acceptance and defined relationship.
X X X X
The prime object of this book is to
give the news-the authentic animal
and plant news of Panama. To give
such dependable news acceptably it
must be fresh, simple, communicable
with its general theme one of substan-
tial, inherent interest. And here you
are with a story that is 100 per cent
fact, rounding up the animals of Barro
Colorado in an economy of daily eX
istence that is tremendously absorbing
Not heavy line in the entire record
and scientists are sometimes dreary
under their dead weight of pure truth
Not this man. A good teacher, with all
of his other powers, Dr. Chapman, the
daily stories all done, gives, finally his
list of birds for the ready use of the
student Surprising, at the outset, to
meet so many that we already know
Not only surprising. but warming, too,
as 1t is to meet in strange crowd this
and that one whom We have known be-
fore. Makes for geniality and better
acquaintance all around. So it does
here. And with the birds there are
other interesting inhabitants on Barro
Colorado. Monkey, puma, peccary,
ocelot, tapir, coat, and so on and so
on. One story, as charming as it is
pitiful, has to do with the conquest of
Claudia" a waif of a monkey, who
fell into the hands" of DR.. Chapman
when she was only a baby and upon
whcan he expended all of his arts of
kindness and understanding; Every
thing was moving forward with Claudia,
seemingly domesticated and happy,
until one day there came the "call of
her tribe" And at this point DR..
Chapman makes confession that he
ought to have let her go-and so he
ought. But, I suppose in missionary
mood, he refrained from giving Claudia
her freedom-and Claudia died of the
refusal. However-this is about the
only count against this man, making
nature studies in Panama" And the
book is not only solid body of useful
information along it's own line, but it
is also a clear delight-save for
Claudia-from the first page to the
last one.
Now and then DR.. Chapman falls into
a sort of beatitude over his good for
tune in Panama--over its richness of
material, over the rare opportunities of
fered by this fact, by the freedom, by
the aloofneSs of his human relations.
In such moments he climbs to a high
place and looks off toward Taboga,
whence Pizarro sailed, and toward old
Panama, scene of Morgan's raid"
Looking below hin1--'to see bullring
and ballfield at a glance and the cities
Of Panama and Ancon lying side by side
is to contrast wildly expressions of
two cultures. The wide-spreading,
graceful pavilions of the Gorgas Hos
pital tell an unequaled story of mans
conquest of disease, and the narrow sill
yer line of the canal leading to the
Mirafiores locks is, in part, one of the
fruits OF this victory. The administra-
ton building. the orderly rows of at
tractive dwellings. the docks ana ma
chine shops at Balboa are all parts of
the machine through which Canal Zone
life functions flaWleSsly. The airplaneS
above their field. the troops at Amador,
the fortified islands beyond and the
men-of-war at anchor in the bay are
symbols of protection and hence of
peace. And as entered the forest and
was greeted by the eXquiSitely pure,
mellow, appealing notes of the wren I
had come to hear, asked myself could
one find deeper inspiration from the
beauties of nature, the romance of his
tory. the works of man, and the songs
of birds? A high note of JOY that Is,
certainly all the more joyous, for hav-
ing produced work that is sound in
useful knowledge, that is beautiful and
companionable throughout its fun
course.
y y X X
SEED OF LIBERTY: The Story of the
American Colonists. E. Keble Chat
terton. The Bobbs-Merrill Co.
This great story-it is a truly great
story-ends with Americas Declaration
of Independence in its adoption on
July 4, l776. 1t begins far back, long
before Columbus-begins with the sea
strivings of hardy mariners, who in
their rude craft, gained little by little.
scant and precarious mastery of the
waters.
AS knowledge deepens and broadens
IL becomes manifest that every con-
siderable human achievement is sourced
in remote beginnings whose ultimate