82 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [i, 2, march, 1905 



size the natural-history point of view. Of these chapters, " A 

 Brief Survey of the Animal Kingdom," states the most important 

 facts of animal classification in very simple language, and is evi- 

 dently intended to help children place the various common types. 

 The chapter is too brief to serve for more than this, and if used in 

 connection with animal study should be supplemented by fuller 

 explanation and illustration. 



In the chapter, " Mother Nature and the Jointed Stick " the 

 description of the use of the vertebrate skeleton and the muscular 

 control of the body is introduced by means of an analogy which 

 confuses rather than clarifies, but the structural comparison be- 

 tween the human and other vertebrate skeletons is interestingly 

 shown by a number of ingenious diagrams. 



Chapters of special value for arousing interest in animals in 

 their natural environment, and for fostering a desire to protect 

 and study them in their wild state are, " Animal Tracks in the 

 Snow," " How some Animals become Extinct," and " Hunting 

 with a Camera." 



The remainder of the book is made up of stories of animals in 

 captivity and as pets of man. The stories are well told and are 

 full of interest, pathos and humor together with many accurate 

 and valuable observations of animal ways. In this connection, 

 it is not obvious why the chapter on the mounting of large ani- 

 mals is introduced. This undoubtedly gives us a glimpse of an 

 interesting and difficult art, but does not aid in furthering the 

 aim of the book as stated by the editor. 



The book is full of interest and will be especially enjoyed by chil- 

 dren of about ten or eleven years of age, and portions of it may 

 profitably be read to still younger children. As far as school use 

 is concerned, it would seem of most value if used by the teacher 

 for supplementary lessons on animal life, by reading aloud por- 

 tions of the book and discussing the story or sketch with the class 

 in such a way as to bring out certain characteristics of animal life 

 or structure. 



The second volume under consideration is " Cat Stories." 

 This volume is made up of eighteen short stories and rhymes 

 about cats exclusive of other animals. For this reason the book 

 will not appeal so well to the interest of children as the more 

 varied volume " About Animals." The stories are rather more 



