NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
55 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
Nature in Books : some Studies in Biography, by P. Anderson Graham. 
London (Methuen & Co.). We have here an extremely suggestive volume of 
essays, written by one who has a keen sympathy with his subject, and considerable 
literary power and appreciation. The writers whose nature-studies are passed 
under review are Jefferies, Lord Tennyson, Thoreau, Scott, Carlyle, Burns and 
Wordsworth. To each of these a chapter is devoted, headed respectively — “ The 
Magic of the Fields,” “ Art and Scenery,” “ The Philosophy of Idleness,” “ The 
Romance of Life, “ Laborare est orare,” “The Poetry of Toil,” “ The Divinity 
of Nature.” The “ Introduction ” which precedes these is in some respects the best 
chapter in the book ; the beginning of the first essay is the worst passage in it, and 
calculated, in our opinion, to prejudice the reader unfavourably. Mr. Graham 
there describes the banks at Coate as adorned with “ the gowan, the speedwell 
and forget-me-not ” in the month of October ! The “gowan ” — unless (which we 
do not suppose) Mr. Graham shares Mr. Micawber’s ignorance “ as to what a 
gowan may be ” — is known to southrons as the daisy, and we do not see why 
the name which was good enough for Chaucer, and for many a poet since, should 
not have sufficed. The forget-me-not certainly never grew upon a hedgerow bank, 
although the speedwell may have put in an appearance out of due time. But if 
Mr. Graham does not know plants, he knows Jefferies, who did ; his essay on him is 
thoroughly appreciative, and will delight the admirers of that model Selbornian. 
He appreciates Lord Tennyson, too, though he indulges in the speculations which 
young men (and some older ones) affect as to the permanence of his work — as it 
any test but that of time could satisfactorily settle the matter. There is, indeed, 
throughout the essays that tone of superiority which suggests that Mr. Graham is 
a young man ; which fact being allowed for, his book is a very charming one, and 
will, we hope, accompany many holiday rambles in the summer which we all 
look forward to this year. 
In Delagoa Bay ; its Natives and Natural History (George Philip & Son, ps. ). 
Mrs. Monteiro gives us an account of what she terms this “ benighted region ” of 
Delagoa Bay, which supplies us with another illustration of the story of “ Eyes 
and No Eyes.” “ Benighted” it may be to civilized eyes, and in some aspects ; 
but, .as everywhere else, there is amply sufficient to furnish interesting material for 
observation. Even that kind of civilization which has, as its outward and visible 
signs, a railway, a library, a botanic garden, a barracks, a prison, a lawn-tennis 
ground, “ many additional canteens” and a “fine new cemetery,” is not want- 
ing, although a “daily paper — that sure sign of progress” has not yet made 
its appearance. Recognising “the proper study of mankind,” Mrs. Monteiro 
devotes the earlier portion of her book to the Kafirs, of whose domestic life she 
gives many interesting particulars ; she is properly severe upon the encouragement 
to drink afforded by the whites — “ it seems shocking to see ship after ship arrive 
with rum forming the principal cargo.” The Kafirs are cruel to birds after 
fashions of their own, and Mrs. Monteiro sometimes enforced .Selbornian princi- 
ples by striking arguments. “ Once,” she says “ I caught two young fien'ds 
calmly picking the feathers from living birds ; luckily I did catch them, and 
administered punishment.” Perhaps the little Kafirs were making preparations 
for some “sport” analogous to pigeon-shooting. Birds, reptiles, insects, and 
flowers all shared Mrs. Monteiro’s attention, so that the Kafirs named her 
“ papalata,” meaning “ one who collects everything.” Many illustrations add to 
the attractiveness of this interesting book. 
In noticing last month the books sent us by the Religious Tract Society, we 
omitted to mention Ants and their IVays, by the Rev. \V. Farren White (3s. 6d.). 
It contains a summary of many of the observations of Sir John Lubbock and Dr. 
McCook, but is by no means a mere compilation. Mr. White has himself 
kept and studied ants, and a large number of original observations and drawings 
find a place in these pages. Moreover, as an appendix, there is a descriptive 
monograph of British ants, believed by the author to be the most complete 
published, which only wants a fuller citation of authorities to be a thoroughly 
scientific numeration. This is an excellent example of what a popular natural 
history book should be. 
