NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 9

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

"A Now Zealand Naturalist's Calendar." Bj Geo. M. Thomson, F.L.S., F.C.S. Dunedin: B. J. Stark and Co. 3s. 6d.

-j Mr. Goo; Mr who',is a'member of the new Parliament, has long been known as an ardent naturalist, and in this very pleasant little book ho collects and arranges a series of articles which:he contributed to a southern journal on his favourite subject. "Naturerbooks," when sincerity hargoiieto .their making,. are" always fasoiuating, even \ when 7 they want tho .literary.finish of Jeffries; or- the learning -of ■• Burroughs.'-'- Mr. '/Thomson makes- no-pretence, at. fineness ; of style, but he has a gift, of clear and simple exposition which lifts his book far abovo tho level of the.dry compilations and'sentimental Sermoriisings'that make up tho bulk of the New Zealand writings on natural history. By 'devoting-, a chapter to each month of-the year, Mr. Thomson is able to invest hisbook with a' very 1 pleasant variety, without injuring .the orderliness of his treatment. Nor has he; wh'ileproducing a volume that will give pleasure-to common unscientific people, made any sacrifices of scientific 'accuracy. His book is.scientific as well as popular. He discusses ,tho seasons, the weather, the crops, the birds, the flowers, and tho trees; hut Tie by no means neglects the seashore as a rich field for observation and , study. , It is impossible not,to . bp impressed. with the industry, enthusiasm, and careful , observation that have produced this excellent littlo volume. The really, successful- "nature-book" is tho kind that sets tho reader ltinging, in his delighted surprise at tho quantity of ■unsuspected. all about him, to go a-hunting for himself. This is , ' tho effect' which 'Mr. Thomson's book has had upon the piesent writer. Wo trust that this delightful diary will have the success it deserves. , ■ ''Notes on British History." Parts I. and 11. By William Edwards. London: Rivington's.. 2s. each. . These vory useful text-books are the outcome of an attempt by tho headmaster of the Middlesbrough High School' to correct the current methods of teaching history. As he says, "the difficulty :arises largely because in text-books, tho •"chronological order is usually followed, and events and movements of icbnsiderablo duration are treated not as wholes, but ns portions of tho reigns over which they extend." He has accordingly compiled two littlo volumes of notesbrief, and, partly condensed information and partly merely directive —-in which, whilo keeping as closely as possible to chronological continuity, he treats each subject, whether a movement or event, fully nnd separately. Theroign of Henry IL, for ex-

ample, is preceded by carefully-classified and sub-divided notes on "tho settlement: .of England," and tlio subsequent headings are, "Henry 11. and tho Church," '.'Henrv 11. and-tho Barons," "Tho Legislation of Henry II.," "Henry 11. and Ireland," "Tho Rebellion'of tho Young Henry," "Henry'll.'s. Foreign Policy," and finally a summary under the heading "Henry II." This is a method which permits the best possiblo treatment of _ historical developments. To keep to our citation, for example, thore is given in sixteen pages a complete view of all tho events of Henry's reign in their proper relation to each other, and a clear view of the movements'in the Church, in the law, and in tho general policy of England. Characters and causes aro niado the subject of notes drawn from events. The period' covered* is from tho beginnings to tho year 1660,- and the scheme lends itself to a continuation up to tho most recent times. Headmasters who care to seo a bright, effective, and very thoughtful method of getting -at the roots of history should not fail to pay attention to these volumes. ..' . ■..••.. "With Undo Sam and His Family. About People and Things American." By Mr. and Mrs. Grattan Grey. , Australasian .Edition: George Kobertson and Co. ' Although this book has for frontispiece a photograph of President Taft, tho travels nnd impressions of which it gives a slovenly ■description were mainly formed during Mr. M'Kinley's presidency. Mr. Gratton Grey, was, chief of the Hansard staff of the New Zealand Parliament,' till his! views at the commencement ofi tho South African Wai brought htm into official disfavour. In this, work, which looks so up-to-date, we follow Mr. and Mrs. Grey from 'New Zealand to San Francisco, where "it.. happened—we hardly know how—that our coming to America was announced in the newspapers some time before our arrival." Years have not staled, for Mr. and Mrs. Grey, the joy dorivod from being interviewed by water- | front reporters, tho welcome by a foreign' element at war with their own land, and the "outburst of friendship and affectionate regard" from "the warm-hearted, people of San •Francisco, who lost no time in calling upon iis," etc., etc. They recall every incident of the reception, and contrast it with their "scandalous Jingo persecution in New Zealand." Apropos of tho arrival in America, they throw in some facts about the ancient Norse, discoverers and later explorers, and go on to describe San Francisco as it was before the fire. We are told'.a hundred trivial tilings about the wonderful. Americans; how they used to say, "Did you feel it?" after an earthquake shock;, how they always call shops.stores; how cleverly their waiters balance trays, and tho prodigious quantity of iced water, melon,-" buttered toast, and "mush" which an American gentleman can consume. Tho authors have an unstinted admiration.for American, as,distinct from British ways, and spend'much time in pointing tho contrast.. As often as they can, they throw in little chapters which convey an "object lesson to Australia," and preach to that benighted country on the "all white" question, immigration, and othor problems, in a manner truly kind and condescending. In a rather formless manner, -they iind room for some exciting chapters on the crimes of Mormonism, ajhistory of tho eastern states (which occupies the middle of tho book), a discussion of the colour problem,'and other subjects moro or loss important. '-One. conjectures that considerable , portions of th 6 book were written in the form'-, of newspaper, articles, or for some similar, arid pieced together afterwards 'without" much pains ..to avoid small repetitions'./. The''book' l is- wrifj- J ten in. the most;.slipshod -journalistic 'style, and illustrated ! by. .some •' familiar -blocks, and others that are'from photographs taken by Mrs. JGrey"; It,- woii.kU be' unfairV-to 'sajy that*tho bopk. is uninteresting." 'It, is .sometimes .'.informative,' -and "more often its trivialitiesiantl;.'absurdities.'■ haybthe same inconsequent; , ', as 1 to .the-"snippet" • press; •:■ A" preface, dated April, 1909, repeats the harmful heresy that "Uncle Sam has, .to,a great'extent,, interposed himself as a buffer between Australia and;the nations of tho East.". '_■■'■ •' .' '*'Catherine, , the' Arrogant'," by Mrs. Bi M. ; Croker. Methuen's ' Colonial Library. .'. Whitcombe and. Tombs. 2s. .6d. and 3s. ' 6d. ■•■■■' . '..';- "'.■;-. • .•>....-•;■■■,:■•:;..■•';: ; This is,one of those odd novels whero you cannot bo-quite sure whether to admire or (Condone the main incident in the story until you , arrive. , at the end of the talo,.and discover whether the man , in the episode is to be regarded as hero or villain. If hejs the hero, then his conduct was quite excusable, but if he is the villain, then it is obvious that ho acted the part of a bounder. As it happens, the man turns out to be tho hero, and so tho reader must twist his ideas of good faith just', a little bit, and sympathise with the unfortunately married man wlio te,kes advantage of a girl's ignorance to , havo a pleasant littlo romance of mystery, , and goes off with her heart in his pocfcpt, not to meet her again till she is introduced,'as the companion of his invalid; wife. :.,> Apartirom this crookedness, tho book, is.,a ; delightful one, not quite as good, perhapsj';'as "The Cat'spaw, but ranking next.to it .among Mrs. Croker's recent and. as usual, the writer excels.in her bright:)ittle sketches of the lttmerouspedplo' among whom the horoine's lot is cast. They areas a rule just a degree more interesting than the people one meets with in lifo, because without exactly caricaturing them, Mrs. Croker lays stress on those little queernesses in their character that tho ordinary observer might not' notice, interesting though other people's failings always aro. It is astonishing what variety Mrs. Croker has in her collection, how cleverly she distinguishes between tho half a dozen old maids living in lodgings or hotols. The best character in'the book, that of the old lady-who engages Kathorihe tho Arrogant, her old friend's impoverished daughter as maid-companion * and with her travels for years in country houses and foreign hotels,, .is most entertainingly drawn. •

"Lyrics tsi Leisure." By Dorothy Frances M'Crae (Mrs:,C, ; E.' Perry).;. Melbourne:; Lothian. Is. '-,-■■• . ... . ' '. i." : '■/:'":■'■':'•'.; ;■ The first temptation, on summing up one's, impressions; of the' little booklet : in' which Mrs. Perry has collected her '■■ "Bulletin" verses, is to say that she is only a gentle rhymer with pretty outlook,'and with nothing l whatever to say. But reservations are necessary. Much of the verse is of this quality' (from "Tlie Portrait"): I loved you truly, Clare; But I had secret ties, . : Chains that were stronger, dear, T,han your soft witcheries ~-■ . < Because I'lovo yon'so, ' • Sweet Clare, I could but go. ' It. is curious that such rubbish should he written, amazing that it should bo considered worth, reprinting, by a can' welcome Spring like this: ' Spring. Has "come and'lilac blowß, Wattle and peach blossom; Every maiden wears a rose On her happy bosom. ..,.-■ Spring has come, and freezias too, ; ,; Sunshine and Lent lilies;. - :' Itountains doff their veils of blue. Crowned with greon each hill is— and who can , touch hands with Romance in tho acute memory of "Remembrance": 1 The stars that lit the tranquil skies, ' The blind man singing on the quay, ■ Tho city's thousand golden eyes. Tho moonlight's silver mystery; Tho long ■ reflections tremulous, The gems of light on spar anrl mast, The sailor's cries which camo to us, The garden perfumes as wo passed. . , But it would bo breaking a butterfly to insist terribly on tho commonplaceness of Mrs. Perry's tinkling on the old, old themes, It is enough to note the fact, and to add that she can rhymo "gondola" with "afa-r," and "climb" witli "pine," can leave unrcvised suoh slovenly little absurdities as — Like a wild wave arise and beat : Above the 1 bed of buried bliss. But measured by her best,-Mrs. , Perry is a claimant for praise,-.us '.'flaunted," which wo print on this page, bears witness.