REVIEWS. 
353 
going into gushing eulogies of a particular hotel establishment, placing himself, 
to those who do not really know that nothing could be further from his 
intention, in the attitude of a clever touter seeking customers ? Why did 
Mr. G-rindon leave his wild flowers and archaeology to devote himself to the 
following mawkish and Bradshaw-like sketch of a country hotel? — “That 
noble edifice, which, calling itself the Palace Hotel, will some day be a first 
class sanitarium. It is of this building that, by the courtesy and liberality 
of the proprietors, a view is prefixed as frontispiece to the present volume. N o 
other at Southport is so truly a sea-side place, being quite away from town 
disturbances, yet enjoying the advantages of a railway station close at hand. 
The look-out in all directions is very pleasing — that over the water par- 
ticularly so ; and from the gallery at the summit is obtained a panoramic 
view so vast and varied, that Southport need never be contemned again for 
its features. The sand-hills immediately beyond form in their wild and 
everchanging aspect ample substitutes for a corn and pastoral country . . . 
In winter the snow beautifully flecks their northward and eastward slopes, 
while the southern and western ones bask in the sunshine ; mosses of all 
shades of green and coppery gold strew the firmer parts in the little islands 
of sweet brightness, and the light that lies on the round pools is always purple.” 
If Messrs. Howe & Palmer would excise the space at present devoted to 
the too exuberant and active fancy of the author, and would publish the 
really useful portions of his book in the form of a convenient pamphlet, they 
would benefit the public and preserve Mr. Grindon’s literary reputation from 
the critical onslaught to which it is now so liable. 
HANDBOOK OF ELECTRICITY, MAGNETISM, AND 
ACOUSTICS* 
L ARDNER’S “ Handbook” series has enjoyed a world-wide and deserved 
reputation, and we are pleased to see that the publishers have just com- 
menced the issue of a new edition. For clearness of text and ampleness of 
illustration no works on natural philosophy have ever excelled those of the 
eccentric author of this series. No doubt in other points, as, for example, 
in scientific perfection and explanation of theories, they have been far sur- 
passed by other writings. Indeed this has always been the fault found with 
Dr. Lardner’s natural philosophy, and it therefore behoved Messrs. Walton & 
Maberly, in issuing a new edition, to take this into consideration. That the 
publishers have provided against the objection is evidenced by the fact that 
the volume just presented to the public has been revised and edited by Pro- 
fessor Foster. The book could not have been entrusted to any one better cal- 
culated to preserve the terse and lucid style of Lardner, while correcting his 
* “ Handbook of Natural Philosophy.” By Dionysius Lardner, D.C.L. 
“ Electricity, Magnetism, and Acoustics.” Revised and edited by G. Carey 
Foster, B.A., F.C.S., Professor in University College. London : Walton & 
Maberly. 1866. 
