59

Fine Pieces
on Wildlife

Sportsman's Country by Donald
Culross Peattie. (Houghton
Mifflin, $3.)

Sensitive writing about nature
is always a treat and it
is a pleasure to report that Mr.
Peattie is near the top of his
form in this little book.

There are 12 chapters in the
volume. They begin with "Bob-
white Country" and run through
gray squirrels, trout, jack rabbits,
Valley quail, woodchuck,
white-winged doves, bass, mule
deer, red fox and hawk to
"Marsh Country."

Every sportsman--and nature
lover--will have his favorite, I'm
sure, but because I admire the
bobwhite quail above all other
game birds, the opening chapter
is the one I like best.

Let's look at that chapter:

Mr. Peattie examines Bob's
ornithological background at the
outset (deciding he is more partridge
than quail), comes out
strong for Bob as the "sweetest
game bird" of all, records the
bird's calls (and there are amazing
variations), studies his habitat
in minutest detail, discusses
conservation practices and then
goes into Bob's personal habits.
And when he gets through you
have read one of the handsomest
essays now in print on this
feathered jet.

So it goes throughout the
book. Mr. Peattie probably has
taken a closer and longer look
at more game birds than any
other naturalist in America and
these chapters are the clotted
cream of his observations.

America's sporting literature
has grown marvelously in recent
years and this volume
(though not a shot is fired in it)
deserves a place on the shelf
with any sportsman's favorites.
I am providing room on my
shelves for it beside Col. Harold
Sheldon's superb "Tranquility"
books and I couldn't pay it a
higher compliment.

There is a felicity of style,
an awareness of the place of
wild creatures in our supercivilized
world and an implied
acknowledgment of the shotgunner's
and angler's viewpoint of
them that should endear Mr.
Peattie to every sportsman who
had tried to explain the fascination
of hunting or fishing to
people who deplore both pastimes.
--VPH

"Retirement without the love
of letter is a living burial."
--Seneca.