THE NATURALIST AND COLLECTOR 
75 
(Cutrcnt 
iterator*. 
Howto Know The Wild Flowery A guide to 
the Names, Habits, and Haunts of our Common 
Wild Flowers. By Mrs. William Starr Dana. 
New edition, with 152 illustrations. Chas. 
Scribner’s Sons, New York. Cloth, crown 
8vo; $1.75 
In this book the classification of plants as 
regards their color, time of blooming, etc., 
is first reduced to a satisfactory system- 
It describes over 450 species of our wild flow¬ 
ers in such a clear and original manner that 
anyone, whether versed in the technical terms 
of botany, or not, can readily identify the com¬ 
mon plants that are met with in his rambles. 
The book has had great popularity,’ as is evi¬ 
denced by th fact that it is now in its twenty- 
seventh thousand. In this new edition var¬ 
ious additions have been made, which makes 
it all that could be desired for a field book of 
botany. If the book would be introduced in 
all schools where elementary botany is 
studied much of the natural aversion to it 
would be overcome and the study made one 
of great interest to all. In connection with the 
descriptions of the flowers many charming 
bits of scenery are described. The illustrations 
are well drawn and true to nature. 
The Naturalist's Dtrectory, compiled by S, E- 
Casino. Published by S. E. Casino, Boston. 
Paper. 12mo; price $2.00. 
This work has passed through several edi¬ 
tions and is too well known to need any spec¬ 
ial comment. In this edition, however, a liew 
departure has been made. In addition to the 
regular alphabetical arangement all the names 
have been classified according to states and 
the subjects in which they are interested. The 
directory contains the names of over 5,500Nat¬ 
uralists in the United States and Cauada. 
Such a directory is an absolute necessity to 
every Naturalist and the one compiled by Mr. 
Casino is undoubtedly the best and should 
be in the hands of all collectors. A new edi. 
tion will be issued about March, 1896, and 
all should send their names and specialty 
for insertion. 
* 
* * 
With the July number the Iowa Ornithologist 
completed its first volume. It has been an in¬ 
teresting and instructive journal from the 
start and is worthy of all the praise which 
may be bestowed upon it. It is published in 
the interest of the Iowa Ornithological 
Association and is one of the best journals 
now published. 
*** 
Wild Beasts, by J. Hampden Porter. A study 
of the habits of the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, 
etc. Illustrated. Chas, Scribner’s Sons, New 
York. Cloth: $2.00. 
•‘Wild Beasts” is a popular account of the 
characteristic habits of the elephant, lion, 
leopard, panther, jaguar, tiger, puma, wolf 
and grizzly bear. It is written in an attrac¬ 
tive style and abounds in andecdotes of the 
species under consideration. Many thrilling 
accounts of hair-breadth escapes of hunters 
are vividly described in the book, some of 
which almost make one’s hair stand On end 
and the hand clasp convulsively an imagine- 
ary rifle as we read of the narrow escape of a 
hunter from the fierce attack of an angry 
beast. So strongly drawn are, descriptions 
that one gives an involuntary sigh of relief 
when the narrative is finished. The illustra¬ 
tions are spirited and natural and furnish a 
counterpart to the text in this respect. 
The Bird's Calender , by H. E. Parkhurst. 
With 24 illustrations. Chas. Scribner’s Sons, 
New York. Cloth 12mo; $1.50 
Purely literary works usually touch so 
lightly on the essential points of science and 
reference books are necessarily so technical 
that there has existed an apparently unpass- 
able gulf between them. In ’‘The Bird’s Cal¬ 
ender” this objection is overcome and the vol¬ 
ume made one that is interesting alike to the 
closet and field Naturalist. It holds the rea¬ 
der’s attention from the start and one is loth 
to lay it down unfinished. It is the diary of a 
year’s observation in Central park. The book 
is charmingly written in a clear and attrac¬ 
tive style. The descriptions are unique and 
highly interesting. The descriptions of the 
park during the different seasons are par¬ 
ticularly bright and appeal very strongly to 
the artist and lover of nature. The illustra¬ 
tions in point of clearness, accuracy and ar¬ 
tistic beauty have never been surpassed. 
They are full page half-tones and are printed 
in an exeellant manner which corresponds to 
the brightness of u he text. 
