FOREST AND STREAM 
105 
DR. W. T. HORNADAY’S WORKS. 
No man in the United States 'has labored more 
earnestly and with more enthusiasm in the con¬ 
servation cause than Dr. William A. Hornaday, 
Director of the New York Zoological Park. His 
pen and voice have been devoted freely to this 
work, and while, like all men of firm purpose and 
zeal he has made enemies and stirred up contro¬ 
versy with people who otherwise are with him, 
his motives have never been questioned nor im¬ 
pugned. We believe also that the world is in¬ 
debted to Dr. Hornaday for what he has done 
already, and more particularly that future genera¬ 
tions will be under a much greater debt for what 
will have been saved in the way of game and 
wild life, through reform and amendments of the 
law inspired by him. 
Dr. Hornaday has recently issued in the form 
of four volumes an amplified and more complete 
form, his fireside edition of American Natural 
History. The books are published by Charles 
Scribners’ Sons at $7.50 per set, and are done in 
the usual perfect Scribner way. They contain 
over 400 illustrations, and quite a few colored 
pictures of wild game, etc. 
The distinguished author needs no commenda¬ 
tion at the hands of Forest and Stream, nor will 
we enter into a technical but useless discussion of 
the books m the way of splitting hairs over minor 
matters or disputed points in natural history. The 
work is written in a style that will make it popu¬ 
lar with young people, but it must not be inferred 
that the books are juvenile, for they are quite as 
interesting and instructive to the ordinary man 
or woman as to the younger generation. 
The usual natural history is about the driest 
and deadest contribution to literature that can be 
imagined. It is either too scientific or it falls 
into the foolish form of half romance, made 
popular by some of our imaginative wild life 
writers. Dr. Hornaday’s is a straight out natural 
history, written in plain language. 
Now, a natural history, while it may be either 
of the two descriptions named above, is not com¬ 
plete, if we are to judge from what Dr. Horna¬ 
day has given us, unless it contains also what 
might be termed a history of present conditions 
of wild life and prospects of its future existence 
or extermination. Therefore he has incorporated 
in the work a number of chapters along the lines 
of his well known “Our Vanishing Wild Life,” 
and shows beyond peradventure of a doubt that 
unless something is done to stop the destruction 
of our game, the next generation will have none 
worthy the name. Perhaps there are people who 
might hold that a natural history is not the place 
to write such matter, but when we come to think 
about it, what better vehicle could be employed 
for the purpose? 
Iherefore, if Dr. Hornaday’s book presses home 
the fact that the animal or specimen discussed is 
liable to become extinct within an altogether too 
brief period, through the foolishness of man, the 
warning will not have been in vain. We wish 
that a set of Dr. Hornday’s new 
edition could be placed in the 
hands of every growing boy in 
America who is at all interested 
in outdoor matters. It would be 
a fine thing if the fathers of 
these boys would read and study 
the several volumes also. 
Dr. Hornaday as stated, is a 
man who has been called over- 
zealous, but all great causes need 
the over-zealous. They have 
made possible reforms that have 
benefited mankind; the world is 
better because such men are born 
into it. We might soften the 
harshness of some of the dis¬ 
tinguished author’s criticisms and 
statements by setting forth that 
much that he asks for in the way 
of conservation is already being 
accomplished, but that is not to 
the point. Strong language is 
needed to advance strong issues. 
His may be a voice crying in the 
wilderness—certainly it is crying 
for the perpetuation of the things 
of the wilderness—but encourage¬ 
ment is essential in this case 
rather than criticism. We com¬ 
mend therefore the efforts of Dr. 
Hornaday, and hope that his new 
books will find a circulation 
worthy of their high purpose and 
real value. 
BIG GAME FIELDS OF 
AMERICA. 
The George H. Doran Com¬ 
pany, of New York has just 
brought out a book by Daniel J. 
■Singer that is a happy combina¬ 
tion of natural history and big 
game hunting that has not been 
before seen. As the title implies 
it is restricted to the American 
continent and handled, as is the 
subject in this work, one needs no 
wider range for sufficiently varied 
hunting. The primary charm of the work 
that undoubtedly it was a history made from 
a trip and not a trip made from a story. 
Mr. Singer went shooting for pleasure and 
found so much of unusual interest that he 
kept ten notes, which he wove into a book upon 
his return. The scope of the book, geographi¬ 
cally, ranges from British Guinea to Wrangell, 
Alaska. The much hackneyed South American 
hunting is gracefully and originally handled 
In addition to shooting experiences a chap¬ 
ter is devoted to the natural history of the 
Jaguar—a subject heretofore only glossed over. 
The author has done his best work in telling of 
Alaskan hunting. This territory has never before 
A HANDSOME, SLEEK YOUNG MURDERER. 
Courtesy 
(Illustration From “Big Game Fields of America. 
of the Geo. H. Doran Company.) 
IS 
been treated so simply and yet with such compell- 
ing interest. It furnishes a Baedecker for any 
sportsman with his eye on northern shooting. Mr. 
Singer has proved himself equally well versed in 
getting his game and getting the attention of his 
readers, of whom this book entitles him to many. 
An interesting chapter from this book entitled 
The Prowler of the Night,” will be given in 
next month’s Forest and Stream. 
I’m a-longing for the dear old hidden ways. 
In my dreams their hallowed spots again I see. 
Then I live once more those by-gone camping 
days, 
And enew, I catch the forest mystery. 
