34 
REVIEWS AND EXCHANGES. 
Vagaries. By Axel Munthe, author of “ Letters from a Mourning City.’’ 
John Murray, 1898. 
Although this does not belong to the class of book that I usually see noticed 
in Nature Notes, that is to say, it cannot be called a work on Natural 
History, yet I think that many Selbornians will be glad to know of it. The 
author admits that he has had a good deal of difficulty in settling on his title, for 
he says in his preface “ Essays is much too important a word for me to use, and 
stories it certainly is not, for I cannot remember having ever tried to invent 
anything.” The name that he has eventually chosen, however, fits the book very 
happily, and in his “ Vagaries” he takes us with him to many places and scenes, 
and we are introduced to his friends with such delightful freshness and spirit, 
that they immediately become our friends too. No one could help, for instance, 
wishing that they might meet Don Gaetano, the organ grinder, though the little 
monkey is no longer sitting huddled on the organ dreaming of burnt almonds, 
and her master, who nearly starved himself to keep her alive, has not, I think, 
ever brought himself to fill up her place. These are only two out of Dr. Munthe’s 
large number of friends and acquaintances, some of them with sad enough lives, 
such as Monsieur Alfredo, the author of endless tragedies, whose story is a 
tragedy itself, and others, like the German poet at Capri, who are most amusing 
company to listen to. Then there are many dogs, donkeys and creatures of all 
kinds, for Dr. Munthe is a teal lover of animals, and in “ Zoology ” and in many 
other bits scattered up and down the pages, he shows himself to be a keen 
observer and naturalist also. Here is a charming picture of a Capri lizard. 
“ From out the ivy covering the old stone wall behind us a little quick-tailed 
lizard pteeped every now and then to warm itself in the sun. Whenever you 
catch sight of one of these little lizards you should whistle softly ; the graceful 
little animal will then stand still, gazing wonderingly around with her bright 
eyes to see from whence the sound proceeds. She is so frightened that you can 
see her heart beat in her brilliant green breast, but she is so curious and so 
fond of music — and there is so little music to be heard inside the old stone wall ! 
You have only to keep quite quiet to see her emerge from her hiding-place and 
settle down to listen attentively. Something rather melancholy is what pleases 
her best ; she likes Verdi, and I often start with ‘Traviata’ when I give concerts 
for lizards.” 
His views on sport, as revealed in the chapter headed “ BLackcock 
Shooting,” would not find very ready acceptance everywhere, nor would he be 
a welcome guest at many shooting parties, as this quotation will show. “They,” 
the shooters, “ became absolutely furious when with my unfortunate absent- 
mindedness, I happened to let out that I had made a little private excursion 
before sunrise, and by chance had come across some blackcock. * But had you 
not time to fire at them ? ’ they cried, shaking me by the arms and pulling at my 
coat. ‘ Ves, of course, I had time to fire, but the blackcock had akso time to 
get away.’ ‘Did you not aim at the thick of the covey?’ they yelled. . . . 
‘ No, I think that I aimed at a little cloud, and for the matter of that, I think 
I hit it, for a moment later I saw that the sky was beautifully blue.’” What 
happened next must be read ! it is evident that Dr. Munthe’s sympathy for the 
condemned blackcock had proved too strong for his enthusiasm as a sportsman. 
On another subject, however, that of the persecuted birds of Capri, everyone 
must be in agreement with Dr. Munthe. A mountain slope on that island has 
long been used by migratory birds as a resting place where the tired crowds 
drop down for the night ; but when morning comes the numl)ers that go on their 
way are sadly diminished. The greater part have fallen victims to the nets and 
traps spread for them by the people of Capri, and thousands of thrushes, larks, 
pigeons, &c. , are thus destroyed every season. I have been told that Dr. 
Munthe has a scheme for purchasing this bit of ground and turning it into a 
sanctuary for birds, and so putting an end to this wholesale destruction. If, as 
.seems likely, “ Vagaries ” is to make this jwssible, I wish the book every success, 
for its own sake as well as for that of the birds. 
Helen C. Marisdin. 
