TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11103, 23 October 1901, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A book entitled "Living, The Camera Animals of tine World," in - which a London firm is now the Jungle, publishing, constitutes a record in photographic ait, quite apart-from its value as a contribution to natural history. It is. illustrated throughout by" photographs, taken in all parts of the world, and many of them absolutely, unique. Some of nature's wildest and most, dangerous-- animals have V'satf' for their photographs amid their natural surrounding's; even,fishes have been, "snap-shotted" in their, natural element,. and. with, the aid of the microscope the ineect world has been included among the subjects of the insatiable photographer. In the..compilation of the pictures assistance has been rendered by photographers and naturalist? in almost 'every part of the world. - Friendly critics laughed when the idea was first suggested,, regarding it as impossible.to photograph living animals in their natural haunts. The results obtained, however, have shown that this is hot impossible. A wonderful collection, of photographs has been secured; the value of which from an educational point of view amply justifies the original, conception. A large share of the. work was done by Lord Dekmere, an enthusiastic! sportsman and, photograpker, who spent two years in the wilds* of East. Central Africa; accompanied by two J Europeans and about 200 natives, and took scores of photographs of wild animals. On one occasion the tripod was set iip in front of a man-eating lion, at a distance of not more than 150 yards. The animal, peering round a bush, watched the proceedings with evident amazement, but the photographer coolly went on with his work and duly "snapped" the monarch of the forest. Then the lion strolled leisurely towards the camera, and the operator prepared to bolt for the nearest tree; but the animal's curiosity was apparently soon satisfied, for be turned abruptly and departed—and tihe incorrigible photographer "snapped" him again as he madp off. Less fortunate, was the operator who had the sublime audacity to photograph a rhinoceros at short range. The offended brute tossed tiu> camera in the air, and smashed it to matchwood, but the photographer happily escaped unhurt.

London was completely A Lost Lady puzzled, when the last With mail left, over an extra£lo,ooo. ordinary case of "lost * identity." The story reads like the romance of some imaginative novelist instead ,of plain, cold fact. A poor old lady named Miss Ann Glover was found early ona morning by a policesergeant in Threadneedle street, surrounded by a crowd. She-was taken before the Lord Mayor on & charge of "wandering, apparently insane," and was committed to the City of London Infirmary. Here comes the remarkable part of the affair. After the old lady entered the Infirmary the authorities there discovered no less a sum. Jhan £10,000 in bank notes, sewn up in her corset, but although Miss Glover knew quite well that she was the owner of £10,000, she could not say where she came from, or who her relatives were. As to •how she became possessed of the notes, as to how she hand been living, the London police, according to late Home papers, knew absolutely nothing. Many people would like to claim kinship with a lady worth £10,000; yet, according to the latest advices, amazing though it may seem, no one had established the identity of the wealthy wanderer. Nor could she herself throw any light on .the problem. There was nothing much the matter with her, it was stated, except a loss of memory, but that was complete. It is doubtful whether she can be called a lunatic, but the authorities, not knowing what eke to do with her, have committed the old lady to a

lunatic ; asylum. Meanwhile, the police ;\vhave been besieged- with enquiries frombi;;^ ' Glovers of all' grad«s, who wish to r in the "Old Lady of Threadneedle street'? r V i their long-lost aunt. Every reasonable - case has been enquired into, but the "lost". - .' ! Miss Glover has remained absolutely unknown. It in suggested that the old lady's is one -of tlwse strange cases of loss of the sense of personal identity with which physicians are familiar, and which has formed the theme ol more than one wellknown novel—e.g., "The Cigarette-maker's Romance, , ' by Marion Crawford, and "The Bight of W»y," Gilbert Parker's latest* story.