BOOK REVIEWS 243 



pictures. It is a mixture of chapters descriptive of what the 

 author has seen and done and of directions to the child as to 

 what it should look for out of doors. The author himself 

 appreciates the situation and Chapter 10 opens thus : "I have 

 had many a person ask me 'What is the best way to learn 

 about the out of doors' and I always answer 'Don't try to 

 learn about it, but first go out of the house and get into the 

 out of doors. Then open both eyes, use both of your ears and 

 stand in one place stock still as long as you can and you will 

 know the out of doors itself, which is better than knowing 

 about it.' ' And herein is expressed the difficulty with the 

 nature reader. It so frequently leads teachers to give chil- 

 dren something about the out-of-doors when they should go 

 out of doors and the teacher even possibly believes that she is 

 instructing in nature-stury. Chapter four on Things to See This 

 Fall and Chapter seven on Things to Do This Fall are among the 

 best in the book, but they are all too brief. The book is an 

 excellent little supplementary reader, but it does not solve 

 the nature study problem. 



Through the kindness of Messrs. Ginn & Company, one 

 of the articles of this number is illustrated by the reproduc- 

 tions of plates from Plumb's Types and Breeds of Farm Ani- 

 mals. It is an opportune time, therefore, to make note of the 

 book in our review column. As the name of the book would 

 indicate, there are taken up in succession the various kinds of 

 animals that are raised on the farm. The history of each breed 

 is briefly considered, its distinguishing characters are pointed 

 out, the proper method of handling the animal and its ex- 

 cellencies and inferiorities are noted. It is hardly a book to 

 be read throughout except by a breeder, but it is a very valu- 

 able book for reference. Charles S. Plumb is professor of 

 animal husbandry in the College of Agriculture of the Ohio 

 State University and ranks as an authority. It is not dis- 

 tinctively a nature-study book, and yet may well be added to 

 the book shelf in those schools in which agriculture and nature- 

 study are closely allied. The book is abundantly illustrated 

 and very attractive in its appearance and style. ($2.00). 



Nature Sketches in Temperate America is the title of a 

 very attractive book from the press of A. C. McClurg & Com- 

 pany (price, $2.75)). 



The author is Joseph Lane Hancock, a Chicago physi- 



