Wild Life Stories. By S. L. Bensusan. With 8 Illustrations
by R. H. Buxton. (Hutchinson and Co. 6s.)—Wild Life Stories depicts in a series of prettily written tales the lives and adventures of various British mammals and birds. But Mr. Bensusan makes his creatures converse like human beings, and we have sparkling dialogues between rooks, foxes, sparrows, bats, magpies, otters, and owls about matters quite outside the know- ledge of these animals. There is no question here of studying the psychology of beasts. Whether what our author has done can be defended on literary or artistic grounds we know not. We are quite sure that it makes very bad natural history. And, indeed, Mr. Bensnsan has too much the feeling and knowledge of a true naturalist not to perceive this; for he apologises in his preface for committing "a grave offence." Aesop was guilty of a similar crime, and his fables have become classics; so these tales will certainly please many readers, for of their kind they are good. To the zoologist they will hardly prove acceptable.
Previous page
