two great families of animals of which the cat and
the dog are the best known representatives. In connection with the cat, we have descrip- tions of the habits, &c., of the lion, the tiger, the leopard, &c. The dog has fewer near relations, but then he is more important in himself, and
requires a more detailed notice. All this is given in the form of conver- sations between a mother and her children, a common but not an easy
method of writing, which is here managed with unusual skill. The scientific part of the descriptions, without being in the least technical, seems accurate and complete, and there is plenty of relief in anecdotes, descriptions of life and scenery by which the habits of animals may be illustrated. We may specify as particularly interesting the account of the Esquimaux and their dogs. The illustrations are spirited, the little medallions on the cover particularly so.
Previous page
