Birds and All Nature, Vol. 5, No. 5, May 1899: Illustrated by Color Photography

In Short

This volume is an issue of a monthly magazine dedicated to natural history, specifically focusing on birds, animals, and botany. Through a series of descriptive essays, poetry, and technical notes, it documents the habits of creatures ranging from the cedar waxwing to the baboon, while also discussing the utility of coffee and the ecological importance of trees. The magazine has lasted as a fascinating window into the 1899 worldview, where scientific discovery frequently intersected with moral instruction and a profound, often romanticized, appreciation for the natural world.

The Story

The narrative arc of this collection is not one of a single plot, but rather a collective journey through the diverse tapestry of the natural world as understood at the close of the nineteenth century. It begins by highlighting the delicate, courtly beauty of birds like the cedar waxwing, establishing a tone of reverence. The text quickly moves into practical and historical examinations, tracing the global migration of the coffee plant from the Jardin des Plantes to the plantations of Brazil, detailing how human industry and nature have long been intertwined.

The narrative deepens as it explores domestic and wild struggles. One particularly poignant section follows the dramatic, anthropomorphized plight of a bird couple, "Mr. and Mrs. B," whose domestic discord and poor nest-building choices lead to a night of terror during a storm. This story acts as a bridge between mere observation and a moralizing reflection on the dangers of vanity and poor planning in the animal kingdom. The focus then shifts to the "feeble folk" of the mountains—the conies—and the defensive, often misunderstood behavior of owls in a town sanctuary.

The collection then pivots toward the human impact on these environments. It features a passionate defense of birds against the destructive "fad" of egg collecting, urging school children and game wardens to act as guardians of nature. This leads into more philosophical territory, where the writers ponder the "concealments of nature." Here, the text argues that nature is a fortress of secrets, and only those who work with the intensity of "gladiators" can unlock the mysteries held within everything from a raindrop to the law of gravity.

The journey concludes with a broad look at the utility and majesty of trees, characterizing them as the silent, sheltering patriarchs of the earth. From the practical uses of wood in human civilization to the specific botanical wonders like the cineraria, the collection ends by cementing the idea that nature is a source of both material provision and spiritual solace. The final pages, comprised of indices, offer a retrospective view of a massive, ongoing effort to categorize and catalog the natural world, leaving the reader with the sense that while the magazine issue ends, the study of the earth’s endless variety is a permanent human endeavor.

How It Unfolds

The observation of beauty The collection opens with a detailed, appreciative look at the cedar waxwing, emphasizing its silky plumage and regal crest. This sets a standard for the meticulous, almost portrait-like quality that the writers strive to maintain throughout the volume.

The history of commerce The focus shifts to the coffee plant, tracing its journey from an exotic beverage to a global staple. The narrative illustrates how a single plant, saved by a captain sharing his own water ration, became the progenitor of vast, productive groves.

The drama of the nest A story of a bird marriage provides a human-like drama, contrasting the comfort of a well-built home with the peril of poor decisions. It highlights the vulnerability of songbirds to the elements and the importance of instinctual wisdom.

The struggle for survival The text examines the lives of the cony and the owl, dispelling local myths about them being nuisances. It argues that even "feeble" or predatory creatures occupy a vital, legitimate place in the environment that humans should protect rather than persecute.

The philosophical inquiry The volume transitions into a broader reflection on the "concealments" of nature. It posits that the natural world is a series of caskets, and that human progress depends on the relentless, often sacrificial, pursuit of the truths hidden inside them.

The People

While this is a collection of essays, several figures emerge as central to the text’s worldview. The "School Taxidermist," Fred May, stands out as a bridge between the old-fashioned collector and the new, conservationist spirit; he is a man who wants to stop the "fad" of egg-robbing to ensure that children can learn from, rather than destroy, bird-life. Then there are the "people" of the forest—the baboons and tarsiers—who are described through the personal encounters of travelers like Dr. Brehm and Mr. Whitehead. These animals are characterized by distinct personalities: the baboons are portrayed as curious, prone to intoxication, and surprisingly brave when defending themselves against dogs. Finally, the "Woodman" serves as a symbolic, recurring figure—a personification of the human relationship with the forest, caught between the temptation to fell the tree and the gratitude required to protect its shade. These figures are not characters in a novel, but rather representatives of a shifting human consciousness that is moving from viewing nature as a resource to be harvested toward viewing it as a mystery to be preserved.

In Its Own Voice

"There is no more beautiful bird in our northern states, if there be in the whole country, than our waxwing."

The writer establishes the high aesthetic value placed on native species in the opening essay on the cedar waxwing.

"The voyage was long, and water becoming scarce two of the plants perished, but Captain Declieux shared his ration of water with the other plant, and it lived to become the ancestor of all the coffee groves in America."

This sentence highlights the historical and romanticized account of how the coffee plant reached the Americas.

What It's Really About

The central theme of the volume is the tension between human curiosity and ecological responsibility. It argues that while humans are naturally driven to catalog, consume, and study the physical world—from the chemistry of caffeine to the nesting habits of birds—this drive must be tempered by a moral duty to protect. The writers suggest that nature is an "adamantine" mystery, a vast system of secrets that requires both scientific rigor and a respectful, almost religious, awe to understand. The underlying question is one of legacy: will we be the generation that destroys the beauty of the woods through thoughtless collecting and interference, or will we be the stewards who learn the "voices" of nature and ensure their survival for the future?

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the slow, observant pace of classic nature writing will find this volume deeply rewarding. It provides a unique, unvarnished look at the Victorian mindset—a time when scientific inquiry was still wrapped in poetic, sometimes flowery, prose. Modern readers may find the intense anthropomorphism of the birds and the occasional moralizing tone to be a product of its era, yet the fundamental passion for biodiversity and the critique of "fad" collecting feel remarkably contemporary. It is a book for those who want to slow down and view the world through a microscope and a pair of binoculars simultaneously. You will walk away with a sense of the immense, interconnected scale of the natural world and a reminder of how much of it was being discovered and documented just over a century ago. The difficulties—such as the occasionally archaic language and the period-specific attitudes toward "animal intelligence"—are part of the charm, acting as a time capsule that reveals as much about the human heart as it does about the cedar waxwing or the coffee bean.