XX 



THE GUIDE TO XATURE.— LITERARY XOTICES 



Insects:. Their Life-Histories and Habits. 



By Harold Bastin. New York: Fred- 

 erick A. Stokes Company. 

 This book appeals to lovers of insects on 

 account of its mechanical make-up and the 

 superior quality of the illustrations rather 

 than for the text. The latter is as good as 

 that found in most books pertaining to in- 

 sects, but many of the illustrations are far 

 superior to those usually supplied. They 

 are remarkably good. The book as a whole 

 is attractive. 



The Stability of Truth. By David Starr 

 Jordan. Xew York : Henry Holt and 

 Company. 



Here is a real book, a book that says some- 

 thing worth saying and worth reading. As 

 one peruses it and notices the impressive sen- 

 tences, many of which might be quoted as 

 aphorisms, it becomes so full of meaning that 

 it irresistibly appeals to one's sense of the 

 fitness of things. The book is so full of 

 "meat" that it reminds one of the old lady 

 who said that she does not like Shakespeare's 

 plays because they all are made up of quota- 

 tions. We shall take the liberty of quoting 

 from time to time, in this magazine, some of 

 the expressive statements that seem so well 

 adapted to attract our students' attention to- 

 ward "The Stability of Truth." 



The Protozoa. By Gary N. Calkins, Ph.D. 

 New York : The Macmillan Company. 

 The Protozoa not only claim the interest of 

 the professional naturalist, but also that of a 

 wider circle of nature students who, with the 

 aid of the microscope, have always found here 

 a fascinating field for observation and re- 

 search. In writing the present volume, em- 

 bodying a summary of the more recent dis- 

 coveries concerning these minute animals, the 

 author has aimed to keep in mind the needs 

 of the latter class of naturalists, as well as 

 those who search more deeply in the unicel- 

 lular organisms for the solution of many 

 morphological problems which remain un- 

 solved in the higher animals, or for vital pro- 

 cesses which afford a transition from the 

 manifestations of life in its simplest expres- 

 sion to life as seen in the lower forms of 

 invertebrates. 



While it is in the main a technical book, 

 it contains much of popular interest regarding 

 these wonderful organisms of which few peo- 

 ple have any knowledge. Is it not amazing 

 that there should be a world formed of myri- 

 ads of animals so widely extended in every 

 vicinity that are yet absolutely unknown to 

 ninety-nine per cent or more of the human be- 

 ings that live so near them? These Protozoa, 

 if they were large enough to be visible to the 

 naked eye, would attract the attention of the 

 entire community. The greatest show on 

 earth never held one-hundredth part of the 

 interest that exists in these little creatures so 

 queerly formed and with actions so peculiar. 

 It is literally true that nature is to be ad- 

 mired most in the things that are seen the 

 least. 



The Philosophy of Art. By Edward How- 

 ard Griggs. New York: B. W. Huebsch. 



This philosophic, artistic and classical writer 

 in his book as in his lectures shows what art 

 is, how it comes out of the life of man, and 

 what specific function each of the great ideal 

 arts fulfills in relation to the human spirit. 

 He says of art what applies as well to nature : 



"It would seem that the splendid energy 

 which has built up our wonderful material 

 civilization is now to find expression in the 

 life of the spirit, with the promise of equally 

 great achievement there." 



This Wonder-World. By Agnes Giberne. 

 New York: American Tract Society. 



This book contains much valuable mate- 

 rial and is written in the spirit of our motto, 

 Per Naturam ad Deum. The gist of the 

 whole thing is in the following quotation: 



"Think a little about the extraordinary 

 world in which they live 



"Perhaps the thinking, once begun, will go 

 on. Perhaps you will begin to see for your- 

 self, to study nature, for yourself, to find 

 out for yourself some of the hidden marvels 

 that are' all around on every side. 



"Somebody may say to you, 'Oh, what is 

 the use. What does it matter? Why need 

 we care how things are made, so long as we 

 can enjoy them?' 



"But that seems to me a very poor and 

 shallow way of looking at the question. 



"When a world has been created and given 

 over to us, so full of wonders, so full of 

 beauty, so perfect in its finish, surely the 

 least that we can do is to be interested in is 

 make and in the manner of its working. 

 Still more so when we remember Who made 

 it." 



The Summit of the Tears. By John Bur- 

 roughs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin 

 Company. 



In this latest book the author, a naturalist 

 who Is more than seventy years young, prac- 

 tices what he preaches when he says : 

 "There is no other joy in life like mental and 

 bodily activity, like keeping up a live inter- 

 est in the world of thought and things. Old 

 age is practically held at bay so long as one 

 can keep the currents of his life moving. 

 The vital currents, like mountain streams', 

 tend to rejuvenate themselves as they flow. 

 .... Nature is always young, and there is 

 no greater felicity than to share in her 

 youth." 



The first two chapters— entitled "The 

 Summit of the Years" and " 'In the Circuit 

 of the Summer Hills,' " — are to the reviewer 

 by far the best though the others contain 

 much of charm and instruction. It is evi- 

 dent that Mr. Burrough's interest In all na- 

 ture increases as the years go by, while he 

 admits that his special interest in birds de- 

 creases. We are glad to note that he is 

 more and more actively living the funda- 

 mental principles of The Agassiz Association 

 which takes into consideration not the point 

 of view of a specialist but of one who puts 

 himself in loving relation to all nature. 



