432 



NATURE 



[January i, 1920 



the presence of methyl alcohol in alcoholic mix- 

 tures or in ascertaining- its amount. 



The author deals with the question of alcohol 

 as a fuel, especially in the internal-combustion 

 engine, and gives details of the results of special 

 investigations which have been made in America 

 and in Australia to elucidate its relative advan- 

 tages as compared with other forms of motor 

 spirit. Lastly, his chapter on the physiological 

 effects of alcohol gives a careful summary of our 

 present knowledge of its action on the human 

 organism, mainly based upon the report (published 

 in 1918) of the Committee appointed by the 

 Central Board (Liquor Traffic) of the L^nited 

 Kingdom. It is a well-balanced and impartial 

 account of established fact concerning a most 

 important subject, intimately related to the 

 national welfare. 



The book is well illustrated ; indeed, this, per- 

 haps, constitutes its only demerit ; the necessity 

 to use so-called "art" paper throughout in order 

 to reproduce the large number of "process" 

 figures adds greatly to its weight, and thus de- 

 tracts from its general utility. We would will- 

 ingly have dispensed with many of the pictures, 

 some of which add little or nothing to the attrac- 

 tiveness or usefulness of the book. Its conveni- 

 ence in handling, and as a work of reference, 

 would thereby have been increased. 



A GREAT ARTIST OF NATURE. 

 A Naturalist's Sketch Book. By Archibald Thor- 

 burn. Pp. viii-f 72 + 60 plates. (London: Long- 

 mans, Green, and Co., 1919.) Price 6 guineas 

 net. 



ALL artists are more or less influenced by the 

 work of some previous craftsman whose 

 technique they admire, and it is no detriment to 

 the achievements of so superb an artist as Archi- 

 bald Thorburn to say that on him has fallen the 

 mantle and style of Joseph Wolf, the greatest 

 artist of bird and mammalian life the world has 

 ever seen. Thorburn himself admits this influence, 

 and renders an adequate tribute to the bygone 

 master. Yet, whilst the care and delicate handling 

 of birds, mammals, landscape, and natural 

 features bear some similarity in their rendition to 

 Wolf in treatment of form and sense of beauty, 

 Thorburn 's style is all his own and distinctly 

 original. In one respect, at least, and that a 

 most important one, he excels even Wolf for 

 the beauty, accuracy, and strength of his 

 colour. This has never been surpassed by any 

 artist of ancient or modern times in water colour. 

 In the work before us we aie presented 

 with a series of finished sketches, mostly in 

 NO. 2618, VOL. 104] 



colour, and drawn direct from life. Having 

 for his models the most restive and elusive of 

 all sitters, the average artist is content to draw 

 roughly in pencil characteristic poses, and then 

 has to rely for colouring in his details of feather 

 and fur on such skins or stuffed specimens as he is 

 able to procure. - Thorburn, it is true, uses only 

 such aids afterwards to correct the coloured 

 sketches he makes direct from Nature, and thus 

 he obtains the proper lighting and the real effect 

 of fur and plumage as it is in Nature. Thus he 

 gives us a perfectly satisfactory representation of 

 the creature depicted, and with all the effect of 

 true colour without ultimate studio work, which 

 is always liable to inaccuracy. No one, unless 

 he is an artist himself in this difficult line, has any 

 idea of the rapidity, skill, and accuracy of observa- 

 tion that are required to be always successful, and 

 whilst it may be said that even Thorburn occa- 

 sionally fails slightly in his drawing, 99 per 

 cent, of his work is beyond criticism, and 

 perfectly successful. 



In no family of birds is Thorburn more com- 

 plete in his knowledge than in the case of the 

 game birds and raptorials. His eagles, falcons, 

 grouse, partridges, and black game are drawn 

 from life with a dexterity that is amazing. He 

 puts a wealth of colour and a "bloom" on his 

 plumage that we who know these birds best are 

 left in wonder at his skill. There are just the right 

 softness and rotundity all done with a few un- 

 laboured washes. Details of the plumage in the 

 form of primaries, secondaries, scapulars, and tail 

 are, in the case of each species, rendered with 

 exactly the right number of feathers. No point 

 that is characteristic of any species is lost. .-\ 

 golden eagle in repose shows just the one fluffy 

 feather on the flank, and in flight the striking 

 whites of the under-feathers, which show only 

 when the bird is in movement. We do not need 

 to be told that the series of sketches of game 

 birds, hawks, owls, and smaller perching birds 

 are drawn direct from life, because here, in this 

 beautiful volume, we who are naturalists see them 

 as they really are in all the beauty of life and 

 movement. Perhaps Thorburn is more successful 

 with creatures in repose than in intense action, 

 but this may be due to the fact that the public 

 prefers birds and mammals in their quieter moods, 

 and he likes to render them so. 



Probably the artist's work is most successful 

 because he takes such infinite care with all his 

 details before attacking his finished pictures. If 

 he has to do a plate for some work, one or two 

 coloured figures from life are not sufficient. He 

 draws carefully all the " soft " parts, such as feet, 

 bills, and eyes, directly from some de^id or living 



