This book is a collection of various writings, some lengthy, some more than a sentence, wherein animals are the subject or at least figure prominently - all by Mark Twain. It is a delight to skip through the book, reading Twain's typically dry, amusing takes on the birds, beasts, fish and insects he encountered on his travel about the world. My only complaint with the book is that it often leave the reader wanting more and it does not lend itself to discovering the source and placement of the writings. ( )