BOOK NOTICES. 



Aristotle was perhaps the greatest nat- 

 uralist of early times, and but slight ad- 

 vancement was made, in zoological science, 

 from his day to that of Linnaeus, who made 

 the first attempt at grouping animals ac- 

 cording to structural characteristics. Cuvier 

 followed with a more thorough and sys- 

 tematic classification, making use of dis- 

 section to determine the relations existing 

 between them. Then came de Blainville, 

 who first took up the elements of form 

 among animals. 



Scores of naturalists and scientists have 

 since given their life work to the building 

 up of modern zoology, and no branch of 

 science has been more rapidly and steadily 

 advanced. 



But the thorough and systematic study 

 of comparative anatomy, from the artists' 

 point of view, is still more recent. Ten 

 years ago there was no text book on this 

 subject; and this fact, in conjunction with 

 his natural bent, induced Ernest Seton 

 Thompson, the animal painter, to devote 

 several years of ardent toil to the produc- 

 tion of " Art Anatomy of Animals," a most 

 delightful, thorough and original book. 

 It is so artistically designed, so compre- 

 hensive, so redolent of deep study and care- 

 ful research, so full of nature and of fact, 

 as to be at once instructive and fascinating 

 to students of science and of art. It is really 

 fortunate that no earlier writer or student 

 had put forth such a work, for necessity 

 was, in this as in many other instances, the 

 mother of production, and if Mr. Thomp- 

 son had found a book on animal anatomy 

 when first he felt its need, he would not 

 have made this. Hence we might never 

 have had so good an one; for few men have 

 been so well equipped as he for such a 

 task. His artistic gifts, and his years of life 

 among and with the wild animals of the 

 Northwest, as well as his love for and close 

 association with dogs, horses and cattle, 

 have fitted him, as no other man was ever 

 fitted, for the work. Another reviewer has 

 said: 



" What can an artist learn of the outward 

 form of animals, if he live only in the dis- 

 secting room? 



He may, indeed, obtain an accurate mus- 

 cular outline; but it will be an outline of a 

 cold, rigid corpse, devoid of the soft and 

 rounded form, the delicate tinting, and the 

 breathing grace which invests the living 

 animal. A feeling eye ,viil always discover 

 whether an artist has painted even his de- 

 tails of attire from a lay figure, or whether 

 he has depicted the raiment as it rested on 

 and drooped from the breathing form of a 

 living model. 



The zoologist will never comprehend 

 the nature of any creature by the most 



careful investigation of its interior struct- 

 ure, or the closest inspection of its stuffed 

 skin, for the material structure tells little 

 of the vital nature, and the stuffed skin is 

 but the lay figure stiffly fitted with its own 

 cast coat." 



In the preparation of " Art Anatomy," 

 not only the body on the dissecting table 

 but the living, moving, breathing form was 

 always kept in sight. 



No anatomical description of the animal 

 is given, other than those that influence the 

 outward form. Over ioo drawings by the 

 author, contribute to the value of this most 

 admirable work. 



The illustrations of the anatomy of the 

 hair deserve special mention, while the 

 nerves, glands, muscles and bones are 

 clearly defined in a manner to make plain 

 their influence on the outward form, as also 

 the expressions, emotions, and movements. 



The figures selected are pleasingly fa- 

 miliar. The general character and meas- 

 urements of many of the animals are fully 

 and elaborately given, and are placed in so 

 simple a form as to be easily comprehended 

 by those whose knowledge of animals is 

 limited. At the same time, the most minute 

 details, in these as well as in the illustra- 

 tions, are so carefully and perfectly traced 

 as to challenge the criticism of the greatest 

 painter, sculptor, naturalist, or taxidermist. 



" Art Anatomy of Animals," by Ernest 

 Seton Thompson. Macmillan & Co., New 

 York and London: Price $10.00. 



G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and 

 London, announce the publication of " The 

 Encyclopaedia of Sport." This work has 

 been planned to cover, as nearly as practic- 

 able, the whole range of sports in which 

 English and American sportsmen and read- 

 ers are alike interested. The book is edited 

 by Mr. F. G. Aflalo, who has secured con- 

 tributions from the leading authorities, on 

 both sides of the Atlantic, while other con- 

 tributions are from men who have not be- 

 fore been induced to come into print with, 

 their personal experiences or suggestions. 

 The minor and unsigned articles are also 

 the work of experienced sportsmen, and in 

 order to insure all possible accuracy of de- 

 tail, they have been submitted to the careful 

 revision and scrutiny of experts. The scope 

 of the subject matter includes articles on 

 topics which, while not in themselves to 

 be classed directly under " Sport," may 

 easily become important in connection with 

 sport, such as " First Aid to the Injured," 

 "Veterinary Work," " Taxidermy," etc. It 

 has been the aim of the editor to secure 

 contributions which, while authoritative in 

 all their technical details, are thoroughly 

 readable as descriptive narratives. 



76 



