52 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. (VoL. XXXIX. 
of the Mamozekel.” The only distinctly new point of view in the 
volume under discussion is the study of domestic breeds in a wild 
environment. “The Alien of the Wild," describes the fortunes of a 
bull who is born and reared in the wilderness. London has how- 
ever already entered this field in Zhe Cal of the Wild. 
In Prof. Roberts’ earlier volume there is an interesting essay on 
the evolution of the animal story, a sort of confessio religionis of the 
literary naturalist. We quote two sentences. “They [the naturalists - 
of the new school] are minutely scrupulous as to their natural history, 
and assiduous contributors to that science. But above all they are 
diligent in their search for the motive beneath the action." It is 
significant that Prof. Roberts, to judge from this essay, seems unac: 
quainted with the school of which Hudson (7%e Naturalist in La 
Plata), and Belt (Naturalist in Nicaragua) are noteworthy examples. 
The present volume contains a prefatory note in which Prof. Roberts 
replies briefly to the charge, made by Burroughs, “of ascribing to my 
animals human motives and the mental processes of man." This 
prefatory note is an important contribution to the literature of the 
animal story controversy, inasmuch as it reveals the fundamental dif- 
ference in temperament between the scientist and the literary artist. 
Prof. Roberts claims that a boyhood spent at the edge of a great 
wilderness fits a sensitive, sympathetic nature to portray wild life 
truthfully. It certainly has fitted him to call up in his fellow-men 
the mood which he himself experiences in the forest gloom. It does 
not necessarily fit him to tell us how the animals themselves feel. 
Whether in this particular volume, he has always, as he claims, been 
at particular pains to guard against ascribing motives on insufficient 
evidence, it is impossible to prove one way or the other. But when 
we read (p. 140) that all the wild kindred near a lumber-camp, which 
had spoiled their hunting, despised the camp dog as a renegade and 
traitor, and that they would have felt more satisfaction in taking ven- 
geance on him than on his masters, we wonder how Prof. Roberts 
knows their minds so intimately. That the dog was killed by a 
wild-cat seems to have been the only fact in his possession. He 
says that the wild-cat went off, “elated from his vengeance.” Most 
juries of scientists would, we fear, sustain Mr. Burroughs’ charges. 
For Prof. Roberts’ skill as a Ben artist we have a great admira- 
tion. His story of “The Truce,” in the present volume is a thor 
oughly admirable piece of work. The book is isch illustrated by 
‚Charles Livingstone Bull. 
