238 
NATURE NOTES. 
the memorj-. Studies of Nature on the Coast of Arran (Longmans, 6s. 6d. net) 
is the kind of book we expect from Mr. Milner — thoughtful, refined, appreciative, 
sympathetic. We see the scenes he depicts and the people he talks with ; we 
enjoy his unhackneyed and always appropriate quotations, showing that the study 
as well as the open has its attractions for the author ; and we thank the artist, 
Mr. W. Noel Johnson, for the beautiful illustrations which give an additional 
attraction to pages already attractive. 
Perhaps more strictly Selbornian is Dr. C. C. Abbott’s Travels in a Tree-top 
(6s.), sent us by Messrs. Elkin Matthews and John Lane before their dissolution 
of partnership. “ I climbed an oak this midsummer morning ’’—this is how Dr. 
Abbott set out on his travels — and from his exalted post he watched the crows, 
who resented his intrusion, and the big black ants, who went to “ the very tips 
of the tiniest twigs,” apparently “with aimless feet.” As to the crows — are 
popular rhymes altered in their way across the Atlantic, whence Dr. Abbott 
hails ? We are accustomed to say of magpies — 
“ One for sorrow. 
Two for mirth. 
Three for a wedding. 
Four for a birth : ” 
but in transferring this to crows, our transatlantic friends have considerably altered 
its phrasing, for Dr. Abbott gives — 
“ A single crow betokens sorrow. 
Two betoken mirth. 
Three predict a funeral. 
And four a birth.” 
This is not an improvement on tradition, and “ betokens woe ” would be better 
in the first line. 
After a little. Dr. Abbott comes down from his exalted post, and sets off up 
creeks and on Indian trails, goes for a winter night’s outing, strolls into an old- 
fashioned garden, and generally has “ a good time ; ” coming to an end among 
the dead leaves. There may be some who will complain that our author is not 
Mr. John Burroughs, but he is a pleasant companion all the same, who knows 
what he is talking about, and is able to point out many interesting things to those 
who will take him as a guide. 
A less favourable specimen of the same class of book is Dr. W. C. Gray’s 
Camp Fire Musings (Edinburgh, Douglas : 6s.) It is beautifully printed, and 
illustrated with portraits of the apparently real folk whose adventures are 
recorded, and as an account of experiences, some of which are novel to us in the 
Old World, is not without interest. But there is too much fine writing and too 
little observation ; too much imagination and Americanized Grant-Alienism, 
and too little fact ; even “ the new humour ” finds a home in these pretty pages. 
If Dr. Abbott fall short of Mr. Burroughs, Dr. Gray is by no means up to Dr. 
Abbott’s standard, from a Selbornian standpoint. 
Our home guides, Professor Boulger and Mrs. “Owen” — the use of pseu- 
donyms always seems to us unnecessary save as a disguise, and this reason is 
non-existent when the secret is an open one — come forward to help us for 
October and November in The Country Month by Month, and doubtless by the 
time this notice is in print will be prepared to lead us by the hand through 
December. The anticipation of November this year is fortunately worse than 
the reality. “ London is shrouded in fog,” says our guide ; but it is not, so far : 
indeed, some November days this year have contrasted favourably with many in 
July and August. Chrysanthemums and lichens form the subject of Professor 
Boulger’s talk, while Mrs. Owen, as usual, chats pleasantly about the birds of 
the month. We are glad to see that Messrs. Bliss Sands and Foster are going to 
issue these monthly instalments in quarterly volumes. This series is likely to be 
in demand for some time to come, and in this form will be very convenient. 
The “ Son of the Marshes,” who is so often quoted in the little volumes just 
noticed, is to the fore with another book, of which we shall say more in a later 
notice. At present we will call the attention of his numerous admirers to From 
