PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 61

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED

The Pall Mall Magazina for November cpens with an inte-esting article — rendered more interesting still for colonials by tho two coloured plates which illustrate it — <>v "The Ragged Regiment." It is no forloi-i learguard of Kouropatkin's or saved slursmer* of Dr Barnardo's, however, who ftrrm the Ragged Regiment concerning which M.Max Beerholm writes, but the stranjo collection of wax ofngißs preserved in the chapel of Abbot Islip, Westminster Abbey. There are several v&ry admirable articles, widely diverse in their style and topics, but all admirably illustrated. Notable among these 'one may mention "Unmapped Europe," by HUaire Belloe ; "Queer Industries in Paris," by M de Nevers ; and "Stories for Stained Gla=«." The fict."on. as usual, is crisp and good, short stories having it all their own way, nnd standing abovo tho signatures of popular writers. Frederick Dolman contributes "London's Historical Houses," with- an article on many mos-" noteworthy dwellings ; "Studies in Peison- ■ aCty" is devoted to the consideration o£ Mr William Crooks, M.P., and in "A Famous Battlefield" Count Lutzow writes well on "Sadowa, And the Seven Weeks' War." In poems and gonn&ts there are some absolute gem 1 ?, notably one by , Laurence Housaiian, the delicate qualities of whose verse are cs fresh as> they are unfailing.

Tho New Zealand Illustrated Magazine - has two or three well-written articles by various writers. Mr Messenger always writes pleasantly and capably on Nature topics, and his "Bird-jiestiu.g .in the Bush' is no exception. It is a thousand pities that his illustrations ar-e so painfully elemental. Joyce Jooelyn has a very readable article on Wordsworth, embroidered with well- , chosen quotations. The terribly overwritten and over-illustrated topic of the St. Louis Exposition is served vp — and alas, with no i.'iuee qiquarite of style to disguise its monotony — as the opening skctob. Part II of the somewhat interesting " Visit to t'xs Greenstone Country," written by Charles Heaply in 1862 is given, and the remaining ' contents follow (he usual lines.

Cassefl's Popular Gardening has reached its thirteenth number, and No.'s 12 and 13 have come to us through Mr Prictor. In No. 12 "The Handy Man in the Garden" has some romarkablv good and ingenious ide^s, illustrated, as usual, by woodcuts so clear and simple that "he who runs may read." -The propagating of- ferns, striking of begonias, arrangement of floral decorations for the house; cultivation of gloxinias, etc., are all topics dwelt with in a plain and common-sense manner in this number. Nor does this by any means exhaust the . contents, for the more utilitarian questions • of- making and keeping of lawns, cultivation of oelery, and other matters are dealt with. In No 13, a strongly practical tone i» observable^— the illustrations of* several , kinds of fruit gatherer?, all simple and feasible to the home carpenter, leading the way ; " Pears far Small Gardens," the :- "Storing of Winter Vee'&tabiies," and a, number of the handy man's ingenious • "fixings," being excellent features. The ; flower .garden and greenhouse also have their due -share of practical advice and in- - formation. If one • could fmd fault with! this excellent publication, it might take tbr form of anticipating some difficulty in looking up the- various topics — no index being affixed to the numbers. Life for November is a remarkably good r<umber — full of interest, packed with admirable selections from first and foremost journals and periodicals, and 1 ranging over a cui-iouily wide field of interests and! topics. Tho illustrations to the various . departments are improving in selection as well as ia technical excellence ; thus the pictures accompanying "The Wonders of Modern Bridge Building " and some other articles are executed ;n; n a fine sepia tint, and there is a more or less successful attempt to reproduod two of Joe&ph Ponnell's exquisite illustrations of "Mont St. Michel;" from a recent number of the Century. In the mattar of caricature there is a very good! collection within the pages of this month's Life, and one observes with pleasure howwell the work of the Australian caricaturist stands comparison with, that of his fellowl'.umourist of older countries. la the matter/ of portraits, Life presents it.3 readers with an excellent and comprehensive collection of men notable at the moment in the question, of "What Has Been Done to Prftpare Australia, for War?" We have, however, saxl suffioent to show that in the November issue, Life reaches quite a flood-tide of excellence in arrangement of selected and popularity of original 'matter. The Review of Reviews for November , bears on its cover the portrait of Mr Lloyd" George, Welshman and pro-Beer, to whom. - thi? character sketch of the month ia devc led. A lengthy criticism on Marie , Corelii's latest nov?l, together with an attempt to specify the cause of her popularity with the British public, constitutes the "Book of the Month." The question of "The Congo Atrocities,' the "Vaccination of the Soil " with Professor Nobbles nitragin bacteria, and the merging of that, partial failure in the magnificent scheme of Dr George Moore, of America, and some other special topics added to the usual resume of the "contents of contemporary reviews and magazines, comprise the number.

Two useful reports are to hand from the Department of Agriculture — the report of the Dairying Division for 1903-4 and the twelfth annual report of the Division oji Biology and Horticulture. The utility of each is enhanced very materially by a number of excellent illustrations.

The death is announced of the Earl of HarSwicke, TJnder-secretary of State for "War; aged 37 years.