No. 518] NOTES AND LITERATURE 



125 



of each animal as is necessary for identification. My theme is 

 the living animal." 



We have here, in the author's own words, the scope and pur- 

 pose of the work, which is restricted to the sixty species of mam- 

 mals found in the province of Manitoba. They chance to in- 

 clude, however, most of the game and fur-bearing animals of 

 North America, and these have been followed into such varied 

 environments as the Barren Grounds of northern Canada, the 

 heavily forested districts to the southward, the Rocky Mountains, 

 the Great Plains region, and the arid southwest. 



The introductory matter deals with the physical features of 

 Manitoba, the life-zones and faunal areas of North America (il- 

 lustrated with a full-page map), and with the general plan 

 adopted in treating the species. The descriptions of the animals 

 are brief but diagnostic, and with the accompanying illustra- 

 tions serve to give one a fair impression of the species as seen 

 in life. The incidents of its history are set off by side headings, 

 which are numerous, and vary in accordance with the diverse 

 traits of different species: all are defined in the introduction, 

 which fully connotes the author's view-point in preparing these 

 life histories. The geographical range of each species is shown 

 by means of maps, based on patient research and indicating 

 present knowledge of the subject. 



Mr. Seton's "Life Histories" should be of interest not only to 

 the naturalist, to the woodsman and to the general reader, but 

 to those interested in the psychology of animals. Mr. Seton 

 thinks that "no one who believes in evolution can doubt that 

 man's mind, as well as his body, had its origin in the animals 

 below him"; and with this thought in view he has sought 

 "among these our lesser brethren for evidences of it — in the 

 rudiments of speech, sign-language, musical sense, esthetics, 

 amusements, home-making, social system, sanitation, wed-law, 

 etc." But he adds: "As much as possible, I have kept my 

 theories apart from my facts, in order that the reader may judge 

 the former for himself." 



His method of treatment may be illustrated by reference to his 

 account of the gray wolf, to which animal forty pages are given. 

 These include, besides the text, comparative characteristic out- 

 lines of gray wolf, coyote and fox as seen at a distance; a full- 

 page plate of the animal from a drawing from life; a full-page 

 map of the range of North American wolves; a full-page plate 



