Nov. 14, 1884.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



409 



Nerves and Nerve-Troubles. By J. Mortimer Gran- 

 ville, M.D. (London: W. H. Allen & Co. 1884).— 

 Dr. Mortimer Granville has written a little book which 

 should be procured forthwith by everyone who has arrived 

 at the years of discretion. In language as simple and 

 perspicuous as it can be, he points out the nature and 

 origin of so-called "nervous" disorders, and gives the 

 soundest advice as to their treatment, and efpecially as to 

 their prevention. The chapter on " What is ' a cold 1 ' " 

 will convey some novel information to the mass of those 

 who read it. 



The History and Mystery of Sacrifice. By St. George 

 St. Clair, F.G.S. (Birmingham : Cornish Brothers.) — 

 With a considerable portion of Mr. St. Clair's pamphlet, 

 we are precluded from dealing here ; referring as it does 

 to a fundamental dogma of the Christian faith. We may, 

 however, say that the part in which he deals with the 

 origin of sacrifice possesses a considerable amount of in- 

 terest from an Anthropological point of view, and may be 

 read, not without profit, by many who will wholly refuse to 

 follow the author in his inferences fr-om it. 



In the Watches of the Night. By Mrs. Horace 

 DoBELL. Vol. IV. (London : Remington & Co. 1884.) 

 — As we have spoken somewhat disparagingly of Mrs. 

 Dobell's previous volumes, we may in fairness say that the 

 poetical element is more conspicuous in her fourth one than 

 in its predecessors. But why will she be so utterly de- 

 pressing ? The book before us is one long-drawn sob from 

 beginning to end. 



A Short Handbook of Natural History. (Charles G. R. 

 Griflatb.) — This is really the expansion of a programme 

 originally issued by the Chester Society of Natural Science 

 giving details of the Classification of the Animal and Vege- 

 table (with a glance at the Mineral) Kingdoms. It will 

 be found handy by any one wishing to possess such a classi- 

 fication in a compendious and portable form. 



A Manual of Bee-keeping. By John Hunter. Fourth 

 Edition. (London : W. H. Allen & Co. 1884.)— It 

 aeems but as yesterday that the barbarous fashion of ruth- 

 lessly suffocating the busy little inhabitants of our hives, 

 for the purpose of obtaining their honey, prevailed through- 

 out the length and breadth of the land ; yet now, the 

 ancient straw " skep " only lingers among a very few old- 

 world, benighted cottagers. How pleasant, profitable, and 

 instructive bee-keeping on the modern system is, let all 

 who practise it testify ; and assuredly no better guide to its 

 mysteries could be found than the ex-Honorary Secretary 

 of the British Bee-keepers' Association. Mr. Hunter's is a 

 book to make an Apiarian of the veriest urban dweller ; 

 and if bees could be kept in back-yards, no doubt its 

 perusal would have the effect of adding wooden hives to 

 other less pleasing objects which form the landscape visible 

 from the windows in rear of London houses. 



A Few Remarks on Railway Permanent Way. By 

 Clement E. Stretton, C.E. (Leicester : The Author.) — 

 Mr. Stretton points out the defective condition of a good 

 deal of our permanent way, and makes very practical sug- 

 gestions for its improvement. Among other illustrations 

 appears one (from a photograph) of the awful accident which 

 occurred at Huy&tetten, on Sept. 3, 1882, through the 

 failure of the permanent way and the " spreading " of the 

 rails. 



The Queen and her Relations. (London : H. G. Davies.) 

 — Those loyal subjects who may feel an interest in tracing 

 the descent of her Majesty from Alfred the Great and 

 William the Conqueror, or who are desirous of possessing 

 a list of all the descendants of poor old mad George III., 

 can do so by reference to the compendious little chart whose 

 title he;ids this notic. 



Competitive Examination Papers in Arithmetic. By 

 N. 0. Potter. (London: Moffatt k Paige.)— Mr. Potter's 

 series of questions seem well-selected and carefully gra- 

 duated, involving tests of gradually increasing difficulty. 

 Any student who can work all his examples through, may 

 go with a light heart into the presence of an examiner. 



The Social Emaiicipalion of the Gipsies, by James Simson. 

 (London: Baillifere, Tyndall, k. Cox. 1884.)— We have 

 tried very hard to understand this queer little pamphlet ; 

 we fear, however, with but scant success. Its author seems 

 to rank among the great unappreciated, and is irate seem- 

 ingly with the English press for its failure to estimate the 

 value of his conclusions that John Bunyan was a gipsy, 

 and that Mrs. Carlyle had gipsy blood in her. Really, 

 though, Bunyan is mixed up in such a way with snakes 

 swallowing their young alive for protection, ic, that we 

 speak with some diffidence. 



Slyboots. By Beata Francis. (London : Hodder & 

 Stoughton. 1884.)— All little people who make pets of 

 domestic animals will be delighted with Miss Francis's 

 " Slyboots." The wily artifices of Slyboots to secure a 

 supper for his wife and family form the groundwork of the 

 introductory chapter, the succeeding ones being devoted to 

 the history and mystery, manners and customs, excellencies 

 and failings of the whole of the livestock of Mrs. Jerkins's 

 farm. The moral of these various stories, without being 

 obtruded, is rendered obvious enough. The repentance of 

 Miss Rosy toes for the troubles which her vanity brought 

 upon her lover, and the tragic ending of the close friendship 

 between Sandy the cat and Johnny the pigeon will be 

 among the most attractive parts of the story for the young 

 folks. 



The Adventures of Oliver Ticist, by Charles Dickens. 

 (London: W. Kent ife Co.) — A cheap and daintily-printed 

 edition of our great English novelist's terrible and powerful 

 story. The very thing to take on a journey, as it may be 

 carried easily in the pocket. 



Aunt Judy's Annual Volume. Edited by H. K. F. 

 G.\TTT. (London: Bemrose k Sons. 1884.) — Biography 

 and botany, songs, poetry, tales, essays, and sketches, as 

 bright and fresh as ever, will cause dear " Aunt Judy " to 

 be as heartily welcomed as of yore in the nursery and play- 

 room. Here is a perfectly delightful present for a good boy 

 or girl. 



We have also on our table, from Messrs. Cassell k Co., 

 European Butterflies and Mollis, History of the Franco- 

 German War, The Library of English Literature, The 

 Countries of the World, Cassell's Household Guide, Cassell's 

 Popidar Gardening, The Book of Health, Old and New 

 Edinburgh (very interesting, and modelled on their weU- 

 known Old and Neiu London), Cassell's Illustrated Alma- 

 nack for 1885, and Recent British Battles. Also The 

 American Naturalist, Science, Ciel et Terre, The Journal of 

 Botany, Mottoes and Motives, On the Manufacture of Gas 

 from Oil, The Medical Press and Circular, The Practical 

 Confectioner, The English Household Magazine, The Kansas 

 City Review of Scie7ice and Industry, Our Monthly, The 

 Life-Boat, The Hindu Excelsior Magazine, Bradstreet's, 

 Society, The Tricyclist, and The Gazette of the Travelling 

 Tax Abolition Committee. 



JATA.— In " Graphical Projection of an Eclipse of the Moon," 

 383, col. 2, line 3, for "5°9'17"-1" read "59'17"1." In 



ErR.4 

 on p. 383, 



the same column, lines 19 and 15 from the bottom, a comma should 

 have been inserted between the letters " E " and " K." In line 

 ten from bottom, for " R T " read " R I." In line 4 from bottom a 

 comma shonld have been placed between " S " and " T." In letter 

 1500, line 15, " midnight " should be " midday." In p. 382, col. % 

 second line from bottom, for " less " read "greater." In reply to 

 W. Cave Thomas, p. 392, col. 2, " Nood " should be " Rood." 



