THE STOAT PACK.
The Stoat Pack. By G. S. Desmond. Illustrations by Ivor J. Symes. (Alston Rivers. 5s.)—The elderly reviewer may be for- given if he is diffident in criticising a child's book. But having in the present case read aloud some parts of Mr. Desmond's work to a child of seven who has a taste for wild life, we need only say that it was listened to with open-mouthed interest. There are perhaps a few needlessly unintelligible words, but the stories of what went on in the field at night when man, the animal's greatest enemy, was out of the way are told in a most vivacious fashion, with much feeling for wild nature and a good knowledge (we believe) of the beast's point of view. It is the story of tragic deaths, desperate fights, and breathless escapes from danger. We are made to enter perfectly into the feelings -Of the stoats, rabbits, badgers, hedgehogs, owls, kestrels, and adders whose adventures and habits are described in detail. Mr. Desmond has an accurate knowledge of the beasts' ways and doings. Has he good authority for saying that the barn-owl eats shrews, but the wood-owl does not ? The illustrations have no great artistic merit, but it may well be that children will accept them without criticism.
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