PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2171, 3 October 1895, Page 36

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

The Pall Mall Mag«Jsine for September is in no vray behind its predtewsors in *rtiatic beaaty and interest. A very One photogravure after Grenze's pointing " Cele-te " forms the frontiapiece, end i* worth tbe pries of the whole mogKz'ue. '• The Haunt* of Coo', and Heron " is au exquisitely illustrated article, the first picture, by A. B^rraud, b^iug BvecUllv bowitiful, arid the smaller ones, by Vanderljn, very gracful and att's'ic. Grant Alien still discourses on "The Evolution of Early Italian Art," and the excel leut illustrationo hew, too, add very much (o the interest of t.he ktterpr««B. lha cew ferUl «tory, "His Honor and a Lftdy," by Mis* Duncan, starts well. There are som«! good short ttories, among them one by the Australian author B. Hornnng, »nd " Withoub Prejudice," by Zangwill, is as crisp and pungent as usual. By the way, the tiny silhouettes and thumb nail itudies which form a kind of m ti&tic commentary to thoao notes are wonderfully clever. Number seven of " Beautiful Britain" recalls a remark made in the writer's heacinff by an English tourist the other day : " Goiu' to bo a big smc^s that ' Beautiful Britain.' Seen all the nnmbera at Home ; k«epß up to hitfh water mark all through." Tho present number is coM a uly up to veTy "high vrat r ma-k" iv tho artuti'j boaufcy of tho Hlußtr-'vtioas. The moßb beautiful views are those of Ockwull's Mwior, Tbe Ruins at Canterbury, and Dartmouth CMtle, though perhaps tha pictures of The East Corridor at Windsor Castle, The Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbi-y, aud Tho Oaka may awaken more ganeral interest. There is no d .übfc colonial people should feel distinctly grateful to Messra Prictor and Onmby for having auch a collecbk n of exquisite and historical pictures pinced within their, reach.

•' Orerland to Milford Sonnd " ia tho titlo of a pamphlet of 36 pages by Mr D. A. Jolly, of Cromwell, which h^s been forwarded to us. So much ha* befn published connrrning the Clinton Valley route tt-at ib would ba unreasonable to expect Mr Jolly to have anything btartlingly fresh to cay. He has too much experience of camp life to burden his readers with too many details. He tells the story of tbe trip he made very well indeed, and the stories told round the camp fire tren better, but he might have spared the infliction of such » well-known chestnut as "How Bill Adams Won the Battle of Waterloo." „, n , We have received from Mr E. W. Cole, publisher, Melbourne and Sydney, a little papei Icovered work oa "Australian Zoology," by Mr G. Metcalfe, M.A., teacher, New South Wnlefl. Tho author wm led to publish owing to the absence of a general work on the forms of animal life peculiar to Australia. Me Blttcalfe candidly admits that the information given was obtainsd in a fragmentary form, and from a variety of public sources. Much of tho space is devoted to srakei, and in this respect the work has no doubt a speoial value in Australia. Ib ia in many refpscts a creditable publication, and tb.B attempt to supply a felt want is deaeriring of recognition ; but dow that a beginning has been made, the author should not rest content until he h»s enlarged the publication and added later details. Tno Trad for September cocnes aa usual with much that is fresh and much that ia iatevt sting. The musical supplement contains Mcore'a sweet old song "She is far from tha land where her young hero sleep*," " Mazurka de Chopin," and " Baarnbande," by Corelli.

It 19 said fhere are now abont 1000 labourers working on the Panama Canal, and two dredgers are at work on the Panama side of the isthmus. There is money enough, it is alleged* to keen 10.000 men. working for two years.