782 Recent Literature. [August, 
ancient period (zupa or pleme) has gradually changed into the 
modern tribe, bratstvo or brotherhood, and in which manner all 
the family relations have assumed another shape also. _ It is true 
that many of these Slavic practices and customs are barbaric or 
have originated in a barbaric age, that some of the superstitions 
are exceedingly repulsive, and that the position of woman is far 
from what it ought to be or even from what it is now among the 
nations of Western Europe. Nevertheless a certain spirit of poetry 
hovers over these populations, which are isolated from the rush 
of the world’s commerce and have been so long subject to the 
iron rule of the Turk. Their love for music, poetry, dance, 
mimicry and fairy tales lets them forget many of their tribula- 
tions and miseries of everyday life, and here in Krauss’ book are 
gathered the most naive and surprising utterances of the popu- 
lar spirit. - The long and useful alphabetical index was made by 
a young lady of the village of Mikanovci, whose name is men- 
tioned in the preface —Alvert S. Gatschet. 
Kincs.ey’s Mapam How anp Mapam Wuy.—Charles Kings- 
ley was no ordinary man, and no ordinary writer, and the repub- 
lication among the Globe Readings of his little work, Madam 
How and Madam Why, will doubtless be welcomed by many of 
the class of little ones for whom it was written. It is true that 
to an adult the impersonation of method and reason as “ Madam 
How” and “ Madam Why,” and that of analysis and synthesis 
as giants seems too metaphorical and somewhat old-fashioned, 
yet the charm of the style cannot be denied. A deeper objection 
to the title is, that we do not know the “ how ” or “ why” of any- 
thing—we name the forces which move nature’s scenery, but we 
understand them not. No one knew this better than Charles 
Kingsley, as may be seen by what he has to say with regard to 
analysis and synthesis. As a book for American children the 
value of this treatise is impaired by the fact that all the allusions 
and illustrations are European, or rather British. 
EYFERTH’S NATURGESCHICHTE DER MIK CHEN SUSS- 
WASSER BEWOHNER. —This is a handy book for the student of 
fresh-water microscopic life, animal and végetable, and appears 
to be tolerably well brought up to date. The leading authorities 
_ are given, while short family descriptions, a key to the genera, and 
a brief characterization of the genera and of quite a large num- 
ber of species give all that is necessary to enable the observer to 
place any particular form among its relatives. The work is well 
indexed, and illustrated by seven full-page plates. 
1 Madam How and Madam Why, or First Lessons in Earth-lore for Children. BY | 
New York, Macmillan & Co., 188 
_* Die Einfachsten Lebensformen des Thier-und Pflanzenreiches, Naturgeschichte — 
der ischen Stisswasser bewo i B. EYFERTH. 
er rohner, Bearbeitet von Braun- 
2 schweig, Von Goeritz und zu Putlitz, 1885. 
oo joe eee 
