Lake Umbagog.
1907
August.
accurately, so forcibly and withal so very sympathetically
that no one at all familiar with the creature can fail
to recognise the general truthfulness of his description.
Even when his imagination leads him into realms of
which neither he nor any other man can have definite
knowledge it seldom or never betrays him into using
false coloring. He is too good an artist and by far too
well trained a naturalist to fall into any such error.
Yet he has been classed with the "nature fakers" by some
of his critics. It is because of this injustice that I
have mentioned him by name in this connection while
avoiding naming any of the others to whom I have
referred. After saying all this of him it is perhaps
unnecessary to add that I believe the best of his essays
will be regarded as classics long after the now popular
writings of certain of his contemporaries and imitators will
have quite ceased to be read or even remembered.
"Nature Fakers" (5)