NATURALISTIC PERIODICAL LITERATURE OF AMERICA 49 
The stories or life histories of the birds are all in a child’s language 
and do not have the enthusiasm and eagerness which one would 
expect in such an enterprising periodical. The reference to ‘‘ Mr. 
Nuttall’’ which is made, is characteristic of the nice and very re- 
strained manner of expression. But the pictures did much for the 
periodical, and it became very popular. In the first volume are 
some poetry selections, but they are all unsigned. In the second 
and third volumes the outstanding poems selected are from Alice 
Cary, Lowell, Scott, in “‘ Birds of Killingworth,” and, a bit later, 
J. T. Trowbridge, and Bryant, with his ‘‘To a Water Fowl.” 
There is a naiveté comment in volume three which is worth 
pausing on. ‘‘Some subscribers wonder whether the supply of speci- 
mens may not soon be exhausted. Of North American alone there 
are more than twelve hundred birds.’”’ Nature at that period of our 
interests and history was looked upon as something which was very 
great, very detailed, very difficult to understand. Man could never 
fully grasp it all, but he might delve into a little corner of it and 
secure a little knowledge about it. In 1898 under the title of ‘‘ Birds 
and All Nature,’ a few animals and other out-of-door habitants 
were introduced. The magazine was doing precisely what the 
naturalist clubs all over the country were doing. They were 
broadening their scope and widening their influences. They felt 
a need to study nature as a whole rather than to look for their study 
at birds alone. The July number, 1898 makes the statement that 
each number will present at least two birds, four animals, and an 
extra in the way of a bat, flower, insect, or geological interest. 
Here too, the statement is made that ‘‘Birds’’ is one of the most 
popular magazines ever presented to the American public. It is 
read and admired by over 100,000.’’ And at that time it was only 
one and a half years of age. I think that record is decidedly worth 
pausing over. It certainly shows how eager people were at that time 
for just such a popular presentation of nature as this magazine 
gave. With all of its faults, its childish language, its rambling 
nature, still it was the greatest magazine of its time, and of many 
years to come, if not at the present time. And the influences which 
had stirred people’s enthusiasms for nature was to be found in 
such men as Thoreau, John Burroughs, John Muir, and the pioneers, 
Wilson and Audubon. The following is a list of contents for the new 
series which began with 1906. 
