The Zoologist/3rd series, vol 1 (1877)/Issue 11/Notices of New Books
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.
If we except Shakespeare and his works, on no subject probably have more books been written than on Fish and Fishing. A complete catalogue of such works would fill a volume, and one would imagine that it must be extremely difficult, even to the most enthusiastic angler, with all his quasi discoveries, to say anything new on such a well-worn theme. Scientific ichthyologists have furnished us with the classification and natural history of the finny tribes; ardent fishermen have detailed their most successful modes of capture; enthusiastic lovers of nature have discoursed pleasantly of their rambles by lake and stream; and learned bibliographers have dived into all kinds of curious literature and brought to light many a quaint remark long buried in the literature of angling. The author of the book before us has not confined himself to any particular line of this sort. He has fished much, and read more, making notes by the way, and the little volume which he now offers to his brother anglers and the public he describes as a selection of "notes" from his commonplace book on angling, and from the enormous mass of piscine and piscatorial memoranda and extracts which have gradually accumulated round him. These "notes" are, therefore, of a somewhat miscellaneous order, and if they do not always contain anything very new, they are presented to us not unfrequently in a new dress, and with comments by the author which deserve perusal. Indeed the chief merit of the book before us, in our opinion, lies in the comparisons which the author draws between his own experience and that of others who have written on the subject before him. He quotes older authors on various knotty points, narrates the result of his own experience, and endeavours to reconcile or account for the curious discrepancies which are occasionally to be met with in the published statements of enthusiastic fishermen.
His first note, headed "Ichthyology," deals with the classification of fish, and their structure; and various speculations are made as to whether fish hear, sleep, and feel pain. On these points, however, the author does not speak very positively, apparently not having made any original experiments in the matter, but contents himself for the most part with quoting the opposite opinions of others.
In his second note, "On the Literature of Fishing," which occupies between thirty and forty pages, a brief account is given of some of the most notable books on angling, the subject being divided under the heads of, " Authors before Izaak Walton," "Walton's Contemporaries," "Authors after Walton to end of 18th century," and "Authors from 1800 to the present time."
The merits of "Fishing as a Sport" may be taken to be so universally recognized and admitted at the present day that our author's third " note," under this heading, might have remained unpublished without at all detracting from the value of his book; but Mr. Manley, like many another enthusiast when riding his hobby, cannot resist a desire to indite a defence of his favourite field sport against every attack, real or imaginary, that can be made against it.
The same may almost be said of the note on "Fishing as a Fine Art," upon which so much has at various times been written. But the progress of angling as an art has really been no greater than might have been expected, considering that amongst field sports it is the least expensive to indulge in, and consequently attracts the largest number of disciples. The more a subject is studied the more is art in connection with it likely to be developed.
Space will not permit us to notice in detail the dozen or more chapters which are devoted to as many different species of Biitish fresh-water fish. Suffice it to say that Mr. Manley seems to have made personal acquaintance with them all, and at times to have been very successful in luring them to his creel. His notes on each, although somewhat discursive, are pleasantly written, and his illustrations of fish, in the style of those in Major's edition of Walton, although not so good, add much to the attractiveness of a very readable volume.
We gather from the author's Preface that this series of Sketches has been compiled with the view of affording general readers, and especially the young, some popular and yet trustworthy ideas regarding some of the most interesting groups of the animal world. The work may, in fact, be regarded as a Natural History textbook, adapted for use in Nature's school at large, and as a guide to the use of the observant powers, through the due exercise of which all true ideas of Nature are acquired.
To give the reader a notion of the varied contents of the book we cannot do better than quote the headings of the different chapters, which are as follow:—"A peep at Animalcules;" "Life in the Depths;" "Concerning Sea-Anemones;" "Sea Eggs;" "A Gossip about Crabs;" "Shells and their Inmates;" "Butterflies of the Sea;" "Cuttle-fish Lore;" "Odd Fishes and their Common-place Neighbours;" "Curiosities of Insect Life;" "Curious Animal Companionships;" "Animal Disguises and Transformations;" "Animal Armouries;" and "Footprints on the Sands of Time."
Many of these chapters are extremely interesting. They are well illustrated, and, above all, possess the great merit of conveying accurate information, which is more than can be said of many so-called "popular" books. We should like to notice some of the chapters in detail, but the limited space at our disposal prevents us from doing more than cordially recommending the volume to the notice of naturalists.
Although we have reason to believe that at the present day there is not so much reckless indifference to the sufferings of animals as formerly existed, there are nevertheless many persons who have little thought or regard for the pain which they cause or permit animals to endure. Horses arc overworked and driven when lame; sheep and cattle are overdriven and left without water; dogs are neglected and left to wander without food about the streets; cats are shut up in houses or turned out of doors when families leave town for the autumn. These and many other cruelties are perpetrated, not always wantonly, or even intentionally, but for want of the exercise of a little thoughtful humanity.
Thanks to the efforts of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelly to Animals, the law now takes cognizance of all wilful acts of cruelty which are brought to its notice, and offenders are duly punished whenever they are convicted.
But prevention is better than cure, and it is desirable to impress upon the young the duties incumbent upon them towards animals. Gentle treatment is usually rewarded by a return of affection; at the very least there is a satisfaction in seeing that the creatures dependent on us are happy. Even wild animals may be lamed, and will show their affection when treated with a kindly attention lb their wants.
To impress these truths upon the young is the object of the book before us; and the stories and anecdotes which the writer has collected aptly illustrate the views which we have briefly expressed.