1885.] Recent Literature. 781 
race, by A. Graham Bell. The greater part of the volume is 
devoted to the report of the eclipse expedition, the interest of 
which is enhanced by the photographs reproduced in its pages. 
Caroline island is a genuine atoll, of the type described by 
Darwin and Dana; while the frontispiece gives a bird’s-eye view 
of the low circular island, the four accompanying illustrations 
will convey an idea of the scenery of a Pacific atoll. e sur- 
face of the island is covered with palms and undergrowth, in- 
cluding a large number of young cocoa palms planted by the own- 
ers of the island, who keep a few people on the island to cultivate 
them. Beside the eclipse and other physical data, the botany of 
the island is described by Dr. W. S. Dixon, U.S.N., and Professor 
W. Trelease ; Dr. Dixon also adds notes on the zoology of the 
island. The few butterflies have been named by Messrs. Arthur 
Butler and H. Stricker. The whole presents an interesting mon- 
ograph of an atoll, Plates xxvilI-xxxi are from electrotypes of 
four of the views taken on the island. 
Dr. Krauss’ Stavic Customs.—In his latest publication, the 
ethnologist Dr. Friedr. S. Krauss has taken up the subject of 
the tribal and family relations, of domestic life, courtship, mar- 
riage, married life, divorce, adoption, widowhood and hospitality 
among the Southern Slavs of the Balkan peninsula. From the 
title, “ Sitte und Gebrauch der Siidslaven” (Customs and uses 
among Southern Slavs)! we would certainly expect a full treat- 
ment of other subjects of popular life, also, as of legal customs, 
agriculture, pastoral pursuits, etc., included in the volume; but 
what is offered is so well marked with the stamp of learning and 
thoroughness that we do not grudge with the author for the rest, 
expecting to find it in subsequent volumes. The work was un- 
dertaken in 1883 under the auspices of the Vienna Anthropolog- 
ical Society, and carried out through the munificence of Baron 
Ferd. von Andrian-Werburg. A considerable literature already 
exists on the subject, as may be collected from the preface of 
another important work of Krauss (on the Folklore of Southern 
Slavs, a serial, of which two volumes have hitherto appeared), 
but the author is perfectly independent of his predecessors, has 
himself visited a large portion of the countries described, an 
speaks several of their dialects. The “Customs” are inter- 
spersed with many quotations from Slavic poets and from popu- 
lar poems, of which the authors are unknown, sometimes also 
with quotations from the original languages. But he avoids on 
purpose ethnologic comparisons with facts taken from non-Slavic 
especially non-European institutions, as the conditions under 
which they originated may not always be the same as the ones 
observed at home. It is interesting to see how the tribe of the 
1 Sitte und meant der ag peng Nach heimischen gedruckten und ungedruck- 
» Kra 
ten quellen, von Dr. F. S. Krauss. (Wien, 1885. A. Hilder, publisher. S8vo, 
xxvi an I pages. 
