159 
A BOOK FOR NATURE LOVERS. 
Wild Nature Won by Kindness, by Mrs. Brightwen, Vice-President of the 
Selborne Society. London (T. Fisher Unwin). In a recent issue of Nature 
Notes we drew attention to the number of members of the Selborne Society who 
are at the present time writing books inculcating the principles which we all desire 
to uphold and disseminate. There is not one of these publications more likely to 
give pleasure to all true Selbornians than the volume before us. Mrs. Brightwen 
is well known as an ardent supporter of many good causes ; but there can hardly 
be any into which she throws her heart so thoroughly as she does into the work of 
our own Society. The fact that she mentions her connection with it on the title- 
page of her delightful little book is some evidence of this ; but far stronger proof 
is found in the contents of the work. She tells us that for twenty years of vari- 
able health, the companionship of the animal world has been her constant solace 
and joy, and she now wishes to convey to others a little of the happiness she has 
enjoyed all through her life in the study of Natural History. This indeed she 
does most effectually. She gives us a series of biographies of wild creatures 
which in various ways have come into her hands, and tells of their habits and 
adventures in a bright, easy style ; so that it is almost impossible not to become 
interested in their fates — indeed, often to take much more interest than we find in 
the careers of those “ featherless bipeds ” who are generally the sole subjects of 
biography. To be a pet of Mrs. Brightwen’s does not necessarily entail captivity. 
She seems to live amidst beautiful surroundings, where every harmless winged, 
and fourfooted, and creeping thing is not only unmolested but cherished. And 
she is evidently rewarded by an amount of tameness and confidence in her pro- 
tection which we often read of in legend or history, but which in our times is so 
rare that too incredulous sceptics declare it to be impossible. 
The most remarkable instance of this power of attraction is seen in the story of 
the snake who glided in through the window of the drawing-room in whicl^ she 
sat, and coiled itself round upon her dress, where it seemed to go to sleep. It 
made no objection to being stroked and handled, but when taken outside and 
placed upon the lawn returned again and again to the friend whom it had chosen. 
Some of Mrs. Brightwen’s favourites were denizens of her garden, who through 
constant attention and kindness became almost domesticated. The titmice, 
robins and squirrels thus became members of the family, all behaving with mar- 
vellous docility to their mistress, although occasionally they fought fiercely with 
each other, Robin meeting Robin in sanguinary duel, Tits flying at each other 
sometimes like feathered furies, while one Squirrel thrashed another so severely 
that the conquered one lost half his ear, and had to be sponged and doctored as 
if he had come off second best in the prize-ring. 
Starlings, Wild Ducks, Jays, Cuckoos and many others became pets on account 
of some accident or loss of parents, which would have caused their deaths had 
there not been some friend to come forward and substitute artificial for natural 
nurture. Of all these very interesting anecdotes are told, and the different birds 
are invested to a remarkable degree with an individuality which shows how care- 
fully their habits were studied. But Mrs. Brightwen was on familiar terms with 
many creatures which seem much more unlikely to be tamed than those men- 
tioned. Roman Snails, Egyptian Beetles, Butterflies, Spiders, and even an Ear- 
wig (!) shared her interest, and behaved with wonderful propriety during their 
pleasant imprisonment. Some really startling instances of intelligence and attach- 
ment are given of animals from whom no one would have expected such qualities. 
There is only one creature upon whom Mrs. Brightwen never succeeded in 
making any impression — Fluff, the Guinea-pig. “He is the only instance of an 
animal I have ever known who seemed to be literally without a single habit, 
apparently without affection, without a temper good or bad, with no wishes or 
desires except to be let alone to doze away his aimless life.” 
The sketch we have given leaves but a very faint impression of the varied 
beauties of the book. The account of the cat who carefully tended a young star- 
ling ; the sensational adventures of the delightfully pugnacious ‘ ‘ Rab Minor ” — he 
would have been dear to the author of the greater “ Rab” — are exactly the 
things to delight youngsters. Indeed we know of few books better suited for a 
