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sion of a pious hope that "The Guide" will not follow their 

 habit of " delineating a metropolitan wealth," we read the follow- 

 ing : " It will not deal entirely nor frequently in ' glittering 

 generalities,' although it hopes to sparkle sometimes, and at all 

 times to glow steadily with the fire of nature's inspiration, fanned 

 by the breezes that swing above the fields and toss the clouds 

 across the sun. The sight of a leaf lying on a cluster of bluets 

 in a grassy meadow will be more welcome, and will more thor- 

 oughly merit a full-page illustration, than will a thousand fur 

 rugs of (sic) a roomful of priceless tapestries. It will be a guide 

 to nature, not a sign-post to point out the useless things that 

 unlimited wealth can buy. A description and picture of an in- 

 visible object as it appears under the microscope will give ' The 

 Guide ' greater satisfaction than the portraits of forty bulls of 

 Bashan." Thus Mr. Edward F. Bigelow, editor. 



The whole tone of the paper is one of enthusiastic love of 

 nature, and this will almost atone for distressing shortcomings. 

 The task of bridging the gulf between the natural scientist and 

 the general reader is always difficult. There is the tendency on 

 the one hand to write dry facts in a colorless style ; on the other 

 to dispense highly readable but dangerously colored " Nature 

 Faking." It would be a delirium of optimism to expect " The 

 Guide " to bridge successfully this gulf, for bigger and stronger 

 efforts have failed. But an editorial enthusiasm that allows the 

 publication of " astonishing experiences " with foxes will be 

 nothing daunted by the failure of previous efforts. And it is a 

 matter for congratulation that an editorial assurance which sees 

 no very urgent necessity for apologies for this first issue, did not 

 turn out something much worse. 



There is doubtless room for a paper that will print nature 

 items of " uncommon interest." And an editor who can impro- 

 vise upon the theme of a climbing tendril is sure to please a 

 certain class of readers. But neither of these facts would seem 

 to furnish any very vigorous reason for the existence of " The 

 Guide" as an interpreter of either the esthetic or scientific phases 

 of nature work. 



The magazine is a well-printed and illustrated sheet of thirty- 

 two pages with the usual advertisements. Norman Taylor. 



