sketches the public can gain from this con- 

 tribution a better idea of our principal mam- 

 mals than from any other available publica- 

 tion. It should awaken a generally greater 

 interest in our native manunals, and this will 

 help build up a desire for the conservation of 

 the harmless and useful species such as has 

 resulted from the public education in relation 

 to our bird life. On the other hand it is im- 

 portant to be able to distinguish those mam- 

 mals, chiefly of the order Rodentia, which are 

 thoroughly inimical to human interests. Peo- 

 ple at large must laiow how to cope with these 

 enemies. It would seem that a full knowl- 

 edge of the natural history of such animals is 

 essential to determining the most successful 

 means of controlling them and to applying 

 these means properly to the varying conditions 

 throughout the country. Nelson's accounts of 

 our injurious mammals are full of stimulative 

 suggestions along these lines, and while the 

 work as a whole can not be considered as an 

 " economic " publication, its influence will go 

 far to secure adequate popular consideration 

 of these matters. 



The species are taken up in groups, in so 

 far as this can be done safely. Each biog- 

 raphy, of which there are 119, is, as a rule, a 

 composite applying to a number of near-re- 

 lated forms, thus simplifying matters of pre- 

 sentation, and avoiding repetition. A marked 

 feature of the book is the degree of concen- 

 tration attained ; there is no trace of padding, 

 and no room for baseless speculation, senti- 

 mentalizing or humanizing, such as character- 

 ize many current " nature " books. At the 

 same time the style is animated and thor- 

 oughly entertaining, a gift of composition 

 which Nelson has exercised in many preceding 

 contributions. Here is an instance, unfortu- 

 nately a rare one, in which a man who really 

 knows the field has put out a popular book on 

 a natural history subject. 



