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REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



The Green Algae of North America is the title of an elaborate and care- 

 fully compiled memoir by Mr. Frank Shipley Collins, issued by the Tufts 

 College, Mass. It is illustrated by numerous plates, and is a very creditable 

 piece of work. 



The Old Cottages of Snowdonia, by H. Hughes and H. L. North. Ban- 

 gor : Jarvis & Foster. 75 pp., 3/6 net. 



Most visitors to north-west Wales must have been struck with the variety 

 and beauty, yet simplicity, of the Welsh cottages. The authors of this 

 book have the advantage of a knowledge of architecture, and are keen 

 draftsmen, consequently their numerous sketches of exteriors and interiors, 

 with details of doors, etc., as well as plans of the buildings, are of permanent 

 value. Their descriptions are charmingly written, and it is clear that they 

 areTfaithful disciples of William Morris. Simplicity is the greatest lesson 

 taught by the study of these cottages. The volume is in every way well 

 produced. 



The Norfolk and Suffolk Coast, l)y W. A. Dutt. T. Fisher Unwin. 

 413 pp., 6/- net. 



This is one of ' The County Coast Series,' and is an admirable and 

 cliarming guide to that exceptionally interesting coast between Kings 

 Lynn and Ipswich. The author has the advantage of being personally 

 familiar with the places about which he writes, which is an advantage ! 

 His work amongst the pre-historic and later antiquities also enables him 

 to speak with more accuracy than usual with regard to the various 

 relics of the ancient country with which he deals. He also refers to 

 coast erosion, local history, natural history— in fact, practically everything 

 than an educated visitor is likely to wish to know. The book is admir- 

 ably illustrated, many of the views having been carefully selected ; these 

 alone give quite a Dickensian tone to the volume. There is a good index, 

 and the price is very reasonable. 



Old English Towns, by William Andrews. London : T. Werner Laurie. 

 238 pp., 6/- net. 



In this the late William Andrews has written an account of the principal 

 features in connection with twenty-seven of the old towns of this country. 

 The exigencies of space prevent more than a very meagre summary of the 

 history of each place ; and the author has evidently given more prominence 

 to ' curious ' information than to a really sound and scholarly history of 

 the places dealt with. He has also had no idea of proportion ; the account 

 of an old miracle play at Hull (where the author lived) taking up almost 

 as much space as that devoted to the entire history of Leeds — a city which 

 ' is certainly not an attractive place I ' The book, however, is probably 

 not written for the serious student, but rather to help to pass a few hours 

 in the hands of those who like to know a little of the past history of our 

 country, and it will serve this purpose well. It is not too technical, and 

 the illustrations are very well chosen and well reproduced. 



The Mineral Kingdom, by Dr. R. Brauns, translated, with additions, by 

 L. J. Spencer. London : Williams & Norgate. 



It is a pleasure to draw the attention of geologists, collectors, teachers 

 and others to this admirable publication, which is being issued in twenty- 

 five parts at 2/- net each, seven of which have already reached us. We 

 hope to refer to the work again on its completion, but in the meantime 

 we can say that it is by far the finest of its kind on the market, and it is 

 certainly the cheapest. The coloured illustrations of minerals, usually so 

 difficult to reproduce with any degree of accuracy, are very fine, the colours 

 and even the metallic tints being perfect. There are to be ninety-one of 

 these plates in the complete work, which is 4to in size, and will have 

 440 pages, with nearly 300 illustrations in the text. The fact that 

 large editions have already appeared in German, Russian, Italian and 

 Bohemian, speaks well for its popularity, and English readers are to be 

 congratulated that the work now being issued is in the capable hands of 

 Mr. Spencer of the British Museum. Several British minerals are figured. 



