J 18 CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



ed, and that cheap literature should be encouraged and increased 

 by every possible means. It is then, and then only, that we can 

 expect our labourers, as a body, to be steady, sober, well-informed, 

 and industrious — then alone that we can hope for a material reduc- 

 tion of crime in every shape, and the prevalence, in every class, of 

 that comfort and happiness which ought to be the lot of all. We 

 might say much more on this engrossing topic, but we fear we have 

 already been guilty of a breach of courtesy towards our author, and 

 therefore speedily proceed to make amends for our negligence. 



Upon the whole, it must be conceded that Mr. Hill, with all his 

 enthusiasm on the subject, has conducted the discussion, in every 

 department, with that impartiality and desire for truth which ought 

 to be the prevailing feature of a work on so important a topic. He 

 displays throughout considerable ability, and his observations on 

 methods of instruction, both general and particular, are, for the 

 most part, sound and excellent. The style is modest, and well 

 adapted to the subject. We must, however, " pick a crow" with 

 Mr. Hill on one important point. Let us whisper in his ear — 

 Whi/ have you refused the assistatice of Phrenology ? This sci- 

 ence is only once mentioned in the whole work, and that merely in- 

 cidentally. Surely Mr. Hill has not investigated the claims of 

 Phrenology to the rank of a science ; had he done so, we feel con- 

 vinced that he would readily admit its value as an accessory to the 

 attainments of the teacher. To adduce a single instance ; would 

 not a recourse to this science have saved an infinity of trouble and 

 expense to the governors of the normal schools, by determining, at 

 a single glance, the fitness or otherwise of a young man to become 

 a teacher of youth ? We hold that Phrenology is the true science 

 of the mind ; whether or not it is so should have been determined 

 by our author before writing his work, and, if we are not strangely 

 mistaken, his impartial investigation would have convinced him of 

 the truth of our position. The only grave desideratum which now 

 exists in his work would then have been supplied. Mr. Hill de- 

 serves, however, the united thanks of every well-wisher of his spe- 

 cies, and we have much pleasure in recommending his National 

 Education to the attention of all who believe that to educate the 

 people is to increase their welfare and that of the country at large. 



British Oology ; being Illustrations of the Eggs of British Birds, 

 with figures of Qthose of] each species, as far as practicable, 

 drawn and coloured from Nature ; accompanied by descriptions of 

 the Materials and Situation of their Nests, Number of Eggs, 8^c. 

 By William C. Hewitson. Newcastle-on-Tyne : Currie and 

 Bowman ; and Edwards, London. Vol. H., royal 8vo. 



It is with pleasure that we resume our critical analysis of Mr. 

 Hewitson's beautiful work on British eggs. The volume before us 

 contains forty-four plates, illustrating those of fifty-four species, 

 and representing eighty-eight examples. Many of these are very 



