BOOK KEVIEWS. 507 



middle parts of the last century — a life, however, which did not differ 

 much from that led by the labouring classes in the other parts of the 

 south of England, one which is now rapidly changing, and which in the 

 course of a few years will not be remembered personally by anyone. 

 Many old cottages and their contents are figured ; they, of course, 

 were in existence years before the dawn of the nineteenth century. 

 Some of the views of the former are most charming ; they were all 

 photographed by the authoress, who has evidently a keen eye for the 

 beautiful in other things besides flowers and gardens. The old furniture, 

 vessels, and other household implements, china ornaments, samplers, &c, 

 are all given ; none is forgotten. The portraits of the inhabitants are very 

 good, showing the dress of the period both of men and women. What a 

 pity it is that the smock-frock — a most useful, becoming, and cheap article 

 of dress — -is so seldom seen now ! A copy is given of an amusing auto- 

 biography, written by an old woman, and a photograph of the writer. 

 Altogether this is a fascinating book, and should be very instructive to 

 the rising generation who, accustomed to gas, electric light, &c, know 

 nothing about rushlights, snuffers, and many other household gods of the 

 same period. 



" Timber : a Comprehensive Study of Wood in all its Aspects, 

 Commercial and Botanical." Translated from the French of Paul 

 Charpentier by Joseph Kennell. 8vo., 437 pp. (Scott, Greenwood, 

 London, 1902.) 12s. M. net. 



This is a useful work, though much of the information is more 

 applicable to foreign than to home forestry. The qualities of the various 

 timbers reported on, and uses to which they are applied, form an in- 

 teresting and instructive chapter, and point out in what a variety of 

 ways the wood of various trees can be profitably utilized. The amount 

 of damage caused to woods by insect and fungus pests is rather, we 

 think, underrated, while the descriptions of injurious forest insects is 

 meagre in the extreme. Timber-merchants and fencers will read with 

 interest and profit the chapter on preserving timber, and the various 

 tables of the weights of wood previous to and after treatment are both 

 concise and valuable. The application of wood to the art of dyeing, 

 and dyeing and staining wood, hardly appeal to the British consumers 

 of wood ; but accessory products, in the matter of bark for tanning 

 purposes, is a chapter that will well repay perusal. 



" Wayside and Woodland Ferns : a Pocket Guide to the British Ferns, 

 Horsetails, and Club-Mosses." By Edward Step, F.L.S. Small 8vo., 

 137 pp. (Warne, London, 1908.) 6s. net. 



As a compact and well-illustrated pocket guide for the student of our 

 native ferns and their allies this little book of some 140 pages and an 

 equal number of interleaved plates — photographic, coloured and plain — 

 can be highly recommended. The illustrations are capitally executed, 

 though some of the photographs lack sharpness of definition. The 

 descriptions of the species and their habitats are clear, full, and correct, 

 and their determination when found should therefore be easy to the 

 student. The author purposely confines himself to the normal forms, 



