The next best thing to spending a night in the
woods (or possibly a better one, since cramp, midges and weariness are all enemies of the observer) is to spend a day with Mr. Arthur Thompson's Nature by Night (Ivor Nicholson and Watson. 12s. 6d.). In it he describes the habits of all the diurnal and nocturnal creatures of this country, wages war against traps, and defends soundly but never sentimentally the Little Owl, the mole, the slow-worm and the badger. The last-named animal has a chapter to itself, and this, one of the most delight- ful in the book, contains the results of many nights of watch, fulness. The author writes : " It is an eerie experience lying flat in the darkness of a large wood surrounded by badgers in ignorance of one's presence. In the uncertain light, only the head and body can be seen. The black legs do not show at all, and the animals seem to be floating to and fro. . . . It is most curious to see two of the phantom shapes seemingly float towards each other, meet in the darkness. sniff noses and pass amicably on their respective ways."
The voiwne is full of observations like this : it combines humanity and balanced thought, information and anecdote, humour and beauty—in short, it is one of the most fascinating books of its kind to be published since White's History of &Thorne. Each one of the many photographs taken by the author is beautiful, many are unique, and it is difficult to thank him enough for all the time, patience and care that have gone to the making of his book.
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