PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 24

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

The February nurubcr of tho Pali Mall Magazine ensures a warm welcome for ifciolf amoDg all lover* of art by reason of the exquisite photogravure which appears as febs frontispiece. It ia a very fins reproduction of Stsinfleld's spirited picture, "On the Dogger Bank," and is wtll worth frainiug. Oae of Christian B-iirke's dainty poems, " The Soug of the Four Winds," is beautifully illustrated, and the same C3rnmenfc applies to an interesting article on " St. Michael's Mount," a memoriam poem on Robert Louis Stevenson, an article on the " Art of Book-binding," and that; very excellent comedy of Anthony Hope, " Rupert of Henlziu." There ia no doubt that in the beauty of its illustrations and the excellence of its techinal details the Pall Mali Magazina is the m&gftzina de luxe of our day — the public may well sigh for more millionaires with the tastes of Mr William Astor. The Art Journal for February is a superb publication, replete with beautiful illustrations and containing several articles of artistic interest of a very high quality of excellence. How the publishers manage to turn out monthly such a splendid publication for an insignificant eighteenpence a copy ib is not easy to understand. In the present itsue tha two most; striking pictorial accompaniments are an original etching — a very iia-s one. too — " St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall," by David L*w, and a perfect specimen of photogravure, " Mrs Mark Carrie," from & masterpiece by Rovnney. This p'cture has quite lately been added to the National Gallery, and ia justlr looked' upon as a great acquisition. Tho gallery, uofcii lately without a Rood example of Rooinej's portraiture, is now enriched by the addition o? one of his finest efforts in thai br&uc'n of art. The reading matter is exceptionally good, and includes several articles of great "educative v&lup. One of these, upon "Illustrations and Illusfcr-ttors," and another, a firs!; instalmsnt, upon " The Present Condition of Avt in Scotland," illustrated, we havß found n»O3fc interesting. " Tha D-jcoratioos of London Club V wi'b/flne photo-engravings from pencil drawings), is well calculated to give a good notiou ot the internal casingj of th&=e exclusive and aristocratic institutions. Arto'lier paper well worthy o! careful perusal is that upon the arlisfc " Leslie Thomson," while quite a number of other v&lu*bl«» items go tGwirds the composition of an admirably choice issue of an always superior wad ino I **; artistic magazine. The January number of the Ludgate, while conventionally io'lowing the mode oC the moment in its dttective and sori*l stories, manages to sandwich in b'-tween its fiction a vast number of bright, if scrappy, articles. " Much brevity and much illustration" would seem tuba the ln-.ttoof our med^.rn light brigade of magazines, and the Ludg&te contrives to do an immense deal. We f«<el inclined to oscliim, "What! all this foe sixpence? Thi-i ('elicious frontispiece of bewitching girlhood ♦hrowu in!" We peep into "A Fra.nc;«caa Friary," we " Cliat about China," we look through " The' Grimmest Museum on Earth," ride iv " Coaches that Carry the Mails," hear " The Cry of the ' Children," and shady " Tb.3 ' Fashions of the Mogtb," to say nothing of tbe number o ? stories and r*pi?,odes wh'ch form the .fiction of this wonderful sixpence worth. We thank Messrs W. J. Prictor aad Co , publishers, for the copy under norire. The February number of the Review of Reviews gives us •• John Ru^kin : Poet, Painter, and Prophet" as tha character ?keteh, while • the topic of the month, treated iv Mr Stead's most vigorous sty!p, i 3 entitled "Give Us This Day Our Daily Br-asd," and deals with the various aspects of the industrial RtruggJe, aud the mean*! of meeting those grave issue* which confront British trade. F->r the bo'.'ks of the month the choice has fallen upon (1) " The Autobiography of Joseph. A' cb. " ; (2) Mark Twain's " More Tramps Abroad." The U3ual review of late evenfc3 and a, synopsis of the contents of leading m»gazine3 and reviews complete thfi number, though we must nob omit mentioning the coutitraafic* of " Fights for the Frag" and aho Prince Raujit*inhjt's report of the third and fourth test ma.tche«. Austral Light for Match presents its ra&ders with a varied bill cf far«=, and caters for the doctrinal and intellectual sustenance of the head of the household, the taste for fiction and rioefcrv of mother and daughter?, "News and Notts" fjr the boys, and a dainty " Irish Fairy Story" for the little ones. The opening paper on tbc election of "-Sb. Pater's Successors," by the Rev. Thomas Qainn, will assuredly make interesting reading foe Catholic and Protestant alikt 1 . The Windsor Magazine for Fi'brua r y is ss usual strong in powerful short tales, appropriately and interestingly illustrated. Among the features of the j umber is an interesting sketch on *• Hunting Musk Oxen • near the Pole," by Lieutenant R. E. Peary, the Arctic explorer. Portraits of Lieutenant and Mrs Peary accompaay the article, which is also, capitally illustrated. "A Wonderful Parliamentary Portfolio " comprises a well-selected series of noted men of the British Parliament, with a chat about its contents, by Walford D. Green, MP. Max Pemberfcon'6 tale, " Cronetadr," fully maintains its interest. The Colonial Inventor for March contains much calculated to interest those with a scientific benb. The work being done in California by Mr R. H, Postlethwaite, formerly of Dunedin, in introducing our system of river dredging is interestingly described. The now cold hydraulic tyre-setter recently exhibited in Auckland is illustrated and described, while tbe progress of oil engines as motors for water carriage in Auckland also comes in for some attention. A number of other subjects are also interestingly dealt with. j