In the month of January, 1880, Mr. George M. Barbour, then acting as Correspondent of the Chicago Times, accompanied General Grant and his party on a tour through Florida; and he describes himself as so favorably impressed with the "Land of Flowers," that he shortly afterward returned thither with the idea of making himself a permanent home which should put an end to journeyings that had previously embraced nearly every other section of the country, East, West, and South. During the year following his return, he travelled extensively through the State, accompanying the Commissioner of Immigration on an official tour through Middle and South Florida, and the Assistant Commissioner on another tour through North and West Florida; and during these and other journeys he enjoyed such favorable opportunities for learning the real facts about the State, that he was induced to act on the advice urged upon him by the friends whom he made in the course of his travels, and write a book embodying both the results of his observation and experience, and the facts gathered from many residents, old and new. The present volume," he says, "is the result of personal observation and study; and is written with a sincere desire to do justice to all parts of the State, and to describe accurately and with precision its real resources and advantages. It is written for Florida entire, and not in the interest of any corporation, speculative scheme, or special locality. Having no land to sell, and no personal interest of any kind to further, the author has found little difficulty in following Othello's injunction naught to extenuate nor set down aught in malice.'" His sole aim in writing the book, so he assures us, is to give as clearly and specifially as I can such information as may prove helpful to the three classes of readers to whom the book is addressed; the tourist who comes for amusement, sight-seeing, or sport; the invalid, who comes in search of that more genial climate which shall prolong his days in the land; and, even more especially the settler, whose aim is to make himself a home under pleasanter and more promising conditions than those which he encounters on the stern soil or amid the harsh blasts of the northern sections of our country."

NOTICES.

"

Florida ;" 'A Trip through the State with Commissioner French;" A Trip through North Florida with Captain Fairbanks;" 'Jacksonville, Fernandina, and St. Augustine;""The St. John's River;" The Ocklawaha River, Silver Springs, and Ocala ;" "The Indian River Region and the Inland Lakes;" "The Gulf Coast and Key West ;" The Sanford Grant and Orange County ;" "Random Sketches: An Ocean Voyage in Winter-The Atlantic Coast of Florida—The Southern Coast;" "Climate and Health— Suggestions for Invalids ;" 'An Historical Sketch;" "Florida Folks and Families;" Orange Culture;" Other Tropical and Semi-Tropical Fruits ;"' "Field and Farin Products ;" Vegetable Gardening ;" "Live Stock ;" Fur, Fin, and Feather,' "Insects and Reptiles ;" Opportunities for Labor and Capital ;" "A word of Friendly Advice to New-comers;" and "Routes to and through Florida."

"

Prefixed to the volume is the following "Testimonial," which is signed by the Hon. Wm. D. Bloxham, present Governor of Florida; the Hon. George F. Drew, ex-Governor of Florida; the Hon. Seth French, ex-Commissioner of Immigration, and Samuel Fairbanks, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration: "It is known to the undersigned that the author, Mr. George M. Barbour, has traveled over almost the whole of Florida, under circumstances peculiarly advantageous for enabling him to acquaint himself with the varied resources of the State and with the attractions which it offers to the three classes to whom his work is addressed-Tourists, Invalids, and Settlers. Our knowledge of his abilities as a writer on Florida subjects, and of the opportunities he has enjoyed in preparing his book, are such that we can commend it as at once trustworthy and comprehensive-greatly superior in these respects to anything hitherto published descriptive of the entire State and its soil and productions."

There is a large and excellent map of Florida in the volume, which also contains a considerable number of beautiful and characteristic illustrations.

THE SUN. By Professor C. A. Young, Ph.D., LL.D. With Numerous Illustrations. International Scientific Series, Volume xxxiv. New York: D. Appleton & Co.

It has been said of Professor Young that he knows more about the sun than any other living man, and certainly none of his predecessors has given so lucid and exact an account of it as is to be found in the present volume.

Avoiding the hackneyed methods of exposition and the thrice-familiar illustrations, he imparts freshness to his subject even when he is doing little more than repeat the statements of previous writers; but as a general thing his work may be said to embody the latest results of astronomical research, and while his theories are the newest that have obtained currency among scientific men, his facts also are novel and interesting. In his preface he says: "It is my purpose in this little book to present a general view of what is known and believed about the sun, in language and manner as unprofessional as is consistent with precision. I write neither for scientific readers as such, nor, on the other hand, for the masses; but for that large class in the community who, without being themselves engaged in scientific pursuits, yet have sufficient education and intelligence to be interested in scientific subjects, when presented in an untechnical manner; who desire, and are perfectly competent, not only to know the results obtained, but to understand the principles and methods on which they depend, without caring to master all the details of the investigation." He adds that he has tried "to keep distinct the line between the certain and the conjectural, and to indicate as far as possible the degree of confidence to be placed in data and conclusions."

In the several chapters which the book contains, he explains and discusses seriatim "The Sun's Relation to Life and Activity upon the Earth ;" "Distance and Dimensions of the Sun;""Methods and Apparatus for Studying the Surface of the Sun;" "The Spectroscope and the Solar Spectrum;" Sun Spots and the Solar Surface ;" .99 66 Periodicity of Sun-spots, their Effects upon the Earth, and Theories as to their Cause and Nature;" "The Chromosphere and the Prominences;" "The Corona ;" and "The Sun's Light and Heat." In a concluding chapter he gives a sort of tabulated summary of the facts detailed in the previous chapters, and an Appendix contains an account by Professor Langley of some exceedingly delicate and interesting experiments which he has lately been making upon radiant heat.

The illustrations of the volume are numerous, interesting, and helpful.

DOMESTIC FOLK-LORE. BY Rev. T. F. Thiselton Dyer, M.A. Cassell's Popular Library. New York: Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co. Several highly entertaining volumes have appeared in "Cassell's Popular Library," but this is the most readable of the series. In its widest signification, "Folk-lore" embraces all popular traditions, proverbial sayings, customs, and superstitions; and its study is apt to carry one back to the childhood of the world, and to those primitive races from which

so many polished nations have sprung. That part of it which Mr. Dyer has undertaken to survey is but a small section of the total area; but no other portion is quite so interesting, and there is none which is so suggestive for the historian and psychologist. The special object of his little book is to show that, in one form or another, superstition dwells beneath the surface of most human hearts, and that every department of Domestic Life has its own Folk-lore. Birth and infancy, childhood, love and courtship, marriage, death and burial, the human body, articles of dress, table superstitions, furniture omens, household superstitions, and common ailments-each of these furnishes the theme for a special chapter; and others deal with popular divinations and that miscellaneous and widely prevalent household lore connected with witchcraft, second sight, ghosts, dreams, and nightmare. An inmense number of curious and characteristic facts is brought together in illustration of these and similar topics; and, as the author justly says, most of them, apart from their antiquarian value, are interesting because they illustrate those old-world notions and quaint beliefs which marked the social and domestic life of our forefathers.

WIT AND WISDOM OF BENJAMIN DISRAELI, EARL OF BEACONSFIELD. Collected from his Writings and Speeches. New York: D. Appleton & Co.

As might have been predicted by those familiar with them, the writings and the utterances of Mr. Disraeli lend themselves with remarkable facility to the process to which they have been subjected in preparing the present volume. Whether writing a novel or participating in a great debate," Disraeli was primarily a wit and an epigrammatist; and it might be asserted with a good deal of plausibility that he will be longer remembered by detached utterances such as are here brought together than by any of his more sustained and complete efforts. For though he could not portray a consistent character or depict a probable situation, he could "touch off" salient characteristics with wonderful cleverness and pungency; and though he could not reason out a syllogism" upon his feet, as some of his oratorical rivals could, no contemporary equalled him in neatness of retort or excelled him in occasional outbursts of flashing rhetoric. To bring together a selection of these sparkling phrases was a happy thought, and the anonymous compiler has done his work well, arranging the extracts under a large number of topical heads, and indicating clearly the source from which they are derived. To our mind this is the most amusing and satisfactory book to which the famous name of Disraeli has ever been attached.

DR. R. BUDDENSIEG, of Dresden, who has for some time been searching the libraries of Eastern Saxony for Wiclif manuscripts, has been so fortunate as to find some in the Gers

dorf Library at Bautzen. They were found among some manuscript works of Huss.

IT is stated that the Rev. Alex. Cameron is preparing an etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language. Such a work would be welcomed by Gaelic students, as etymology is the weak point in the standard Gaelic dictionary issued more than fifty years ago by the Highland Society.

CAV. NARDUCCI, the esteemed librarian of the University of Rome, is endeavoring to persuade the Italian Government to print a general catalogue of the books in the public libraries of Italy. Should this important undertaking be agreed to, its fulfilment will be a great step toward the compilation of the universal catalogue of literature which has more than once been advocated at the meetings of the Library Association.

THE surplus of the funds subscribed for the monument to Pushkin, unveiled last year at Moscow, which amounts to 20,313 roubles, is to be devoted to founding three prizes in honor of the poet, the first for works of erudition upon the history of the Russian language and literature, the second for original literary com. positions or translations in verse, and the third for critical analyses of Russian literary works. At the time of his death the late Dr. John Hill Burton was engaged upon a new edition of the "Book Hunter," which has been for many years out of print, and which now fetches a high price. Mrs. Burton has resolved to complete the revision, and to preface the new edition with a memoir of her late husband. The Book Hunter" will be reissued as an édition de luxe, printed on hand-made paper,

with portrait, view of the author's study, and other illustrations.

A NEW international magazine is to be started at Leipzig, styled Auf der Höhe. It will be edited by the well-known chronicler of Galician life, Sacher-Masoch. Among the contributors are to be Madame Adam, M. Alphonse Daudet, M. Renan, M. Saint-Saëns, M. C. Vogt, Count A. de Gubernatis, Herr Kirchoff, and various Dutch, Danish, Polish, Vámbéry, S. Scanzoni, Prof. Bluntlschli, Prof.

Servian, and Swedish writers.

THE second volume of fac-similes of AngloSaxon MSS. is now being passed through the press at the Ordnance Survey Office, Southampton, under the direction of Mr. W. B. Sanders. It will contain fac-similes of from fifty to sixty charters, chiefly from the collections at Wells, Exeter, and Westminster. Two of the reproductions of large charters belonging to Westminster will be especially noticeable as showing the capabilities of photozincography in dealing with records of very ancient date.

THE second volume of the collection of rare and inedited Italian works which is being published by the house of Sansòni, in Florence, contains twenty-two popular comedies, such as were acted by the bands of strolling players that formed a distinguishing feature in the social history of the sixteenth century. The volume has been edited by Signor Adolfo Bartoli, who has supplied a very valuable Introduction. The next instalment of this series will

contain, among other material, the poems of

Guido Cavalcanti and the Poesie burlesche of Lasca.

PROF. WILLIAM TAYLOR THOM, of the Hollins Institute, Virginia, has printed his Examination Papers in Hamlet and the Answers of two of his pupils-Miss Emma A. Mertins, of Alabama, and Miss Hannah Wilson, of South Carolina-to see whether they are thought good enough for one of the small sets of prizebooks that the New Shakspere Society gives yearly to some thirty colleges and schools. The answers are so creditable, and their arguments against Hamlet's madness so good, that not only have the society's books been sent to the writers, but the Director has added to the prize two copies of Griggs's fac similes of the First and Second Quartos of Hamlet.-Acad

emy.

THE Government of Crete has, in accordance with a resolution of the General Assembly, offered a prize of 40,000 groschen for the best history of the island in modern Greek. To this sum the Governor-General, Johann Photiadis Pasha, a man of high culture, offers to add 10,000 groschen. The subject of the com

petition consists of two parts, the first of which is the history of Crete from the earliest times up to the acquisition of the island by the Venetians in the thirteenth century; the second is the history of the island under the dominion of the Venetians and the Turks. The history must be based on a thorough study of original authorities. Manuscripts for the first part are to be sent in to the Governor between the Ist and 13th of August, 1883. The prize for the best work is 20,000 groschen. Manuscripts for the second part are to be sent in between the 1st and 13th of August, 1885. The successful work is to receive a prize of 30, 000 groschen.

AT a recent meeting of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, M. Duruy read a chapter from the forthcoming volume of his History of Rome," dealing with the persecution of Diocletian. He adduced a large body of evidence to prove that it was not against the Christian religion, but against revolted subjects, that the law was enforced. Insubordination began in the ranks of the army; and the sentence of condemnation against the mu

tineers makes no mention of their religion. But the populace at Rome became excited. Two conflagrations that broke out in the Imperial palace, and a military revolt in Syria, were alike attributed to the Christians. Diocletian himself was still in favor of mild measures. He would have left to the Christians their civil rights, forbidding them only access to the army and to the magistrature. But his colleague in the empire, Galerius, shared the popular feeling; and the well-known edicts of persecution were issued, and sternly carried

out.

But, even so, religion was never used as the pretext. The/sentences were all for violations of the civil law. It was the suppression of a political revolt, rather than an outbreak of religious fanaticism; and, if atrocities were committed, there was also much mercy shown. Nevertheless, said M. Duruy, the political measure had two faults-it spilt blood unjustly and it failed in its object.

SCIENCE AND ART.

ACTINIUM, THE NEW ELEMENT.-Dr. Phipson has succeeded in isolating the new metallic element actinium in the form of oxide, and in the form of sulphide. The oxide of the new metal was isolated in a state of purity late on September 3d, and the results of this interesting investigation were communicated to the British Associaion by telegram on the 5th. The oxide of actinium is white, with a tinge of salmon-color; it is very slightly soluble in caustic soda, and in this way is separated from oxide of zinc. It does not change color when

exposed to the air, like oxide of manganese, nor does it appear to be affected by sunlight. It is not precipitated by ammonia from solutions containing ammoniacal salts. The sulphide, as precipitated from neutral or alkaline solutions by sulphide of ammonia, is pale canary yellow, not soluble in acetic acid, but readily so in mineral acids, even somewhat dilute. It darkens in about twenty minutes when exposed to sunlight, and then becomes quite black; this does not occur if the sulphide is protected by a piece of ordinary window glass. It is this curious actinic property that led to its discovery, and induced Dr. Phipson to call the new metal actinium. The remarkable properties of the sulphide of actinium, especially with regard to those rays which are cut off by glass, point to a possibility of our learning much with regard to the nature of the spectrum by a study of its action on sulphide of actinium: but it must of course be borne in mind that a glass prism could not be used. It is likely, however, that some other transparent medium may be employed, or diffraction Probably before long Dr. Phipson will be in a gratings may, perhaps, be pressed into service. position to inform us as to the relative transparency of various media for those rays which affect actinium; but there is more labor involved in studying a new element than might be supposed by those who are unaccustomed to laboratory work.

44

HEADACHES.-The approach of the winter season will, with a large number of people, be inaugural of a recurrent headache, for which they are unable to account at all satisfactorily, but which experience has taught them to expect as surely as fires and snugness" are rendered necessary to personal comfort. It would be well if all such sufferers were to understand the rationale of the complaint that periodically attacks them, and be wise in time to ward off the return of their old malady. In every case where the headache is not dependent on some organic disturbance, and when it is felt only during the colder months of the year, especially in large towns, it is undoubtedly due to the vitiated atmosphere of rooms lighted by gas, and rendered "snug,' by close-drawn curtains and draught-excluding doors, while a brilliant fire is maintained for heating purposes. This latter is, indeed, the only preventive under the circumstances, of an absolutely poisonous condition of the air, which is very seriously contaminated wherever a gaslight is employed for illumination. The remedy for the evil is in efficient and constant ventilation, a necessity that every householder should see is secured in all the rooms of his dwelling before they are transformed into winter habitations.-Medical Press and Circular.

"

ELECTRICITY AND FLOWERS.-M. Laroque, in a note to the Academy of Sciences at Paris, mentions a curious phenomenon noticed by him during a thunderstorm on June 25th last, which took place at Montmaurian, in HauteGaronne, France. He noticed that one of a tuft of lilies (the tallest of them) was surround-. ed by a diffuse, purple-colored light, which formed an aureola round the corolla. This light lasted eight or ten seconds. When it had vanished he approached the lily, and found, to his great surprise, that it was totally deprived of its pollen, while the surrounding flowers retained theirs. The electric fluid had scattered it.-Electrician.

POMPEIIAN DISCOVERIES.-The results of the further excavations that are now being carried on at Pompeii appear to be of considerable importance. A correspondent of L'Art writes to that journal "" that every day brings something new to light," and that quite recently the researches have assumed a new and exceptional interest. Several important works of art have been discovered in the Region IX., in which the workmen are now busy. In particular is mentioned a fountain in the form of a temple, adorned with bands of mosaic, depicting the birth of Venus and other classic myths. In the centre of the fountain is a statue of Silenus on a pedestal, supposed from its excellence to be the work of some Greek artist. Several such fountains have been found at Pompeii, but this claims pre-eminence from its size, beauty, and admirable preservation. In the same house wherein it was found have also been exposed some beautiful frescoes, superior in style to any yet discovered, of the late Roman period. They represent various Greek myths, and are described as striking in design and careful in execution-evidently the work of an artist gifted with true perception of beauty and decorative effect, though somewhat defective in drawing.

Some

CAUSE OF SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS. months ago we heard a great deal about the increase of myopia or short-sightedness in our public schools. Professor Cohn has been led to investigate the causes of the increase of the same disease in the German schools. He finds that in village schools the malady is almost unknown; but as the towns are approached, where it may be, he supposes, greater calls are made upon the pupils, the number of cases gradually increases. More than this, the number increases from the lowest to the highest class in all these institutions, the short-sighted pupils becoming more so as they attain the higher honors. Professor Cohn attributes this lamentable state of things not to over-study so much as to badly constructed

schools, furniture ill adapted for school work, bad writing, and bad type. This last item he considers of special importance, and urges that a reform should be commenced without delay. He suggests that inspectors of schools should gauge the type of the books in use at each particular school, and that those printed in type below a standard size should without hesitation be rejected.

EFFECT OF COLD ON VEGETATION.-Many investigators have at different times endeavored to test the action of extreme cold upon vegetation; but the seeds experimented upon have usually been those furnished with a thick skin. The effect of a temperature of minus one hundred and ten degrees upon seeds of a larger and softer kind, such as the Indian chestnut, has lately been determined by Herr Wartmann. The chestnuts were each protected by a covering of tinfoil, so that they might not be injured by the chemicals employed to reduce the temperature to the degree named. After being subjected to this intense cold for two hours, the chestnuts were planted-with the result that they germinated in the normal manner. It would be thus seen that this resistance to cold is not a peculiar property possessed by certain seeds but is common to all. In the meantime, another scientist, Herr Howath, has been experimenting on the effects of extreme cold upon animals which are subject to the so-called winter sleep. He found that marmots, hedgehogs, etc., when subjected to great cold artificially, although not thrown into the hibernating state, recovered from a low temperature which must have killed most warm-blooded animals.

ANALOGIES BETWEEN HEARING AND VISION. -Some analogies between the sense of hearing and that of vision have recently been suggested by experiments instituted by Herr Urbanttschitsch. He placed tubes in the ears of the person experimented upon, and then brought near one ear a loudly sounding tuning-fork. This fork was then touched so as to considerably diminish, but not to stop its vibration. Its sound could not now be detected by the same ear-which seemed to be fatigued by its previous experience-but was plainly audible by the other ear. This fatigue seems to last from two to five seconds, and only affects the ear if the sound repeated is of the same pitch. If a different note be sounded, it is heard equally well by both ears. Such experiments as these are highly interesting and useful, as turning attention to a branch of science about which little is known. Diseases connected with the sense of hearing are unfortunately very common indeed, and doctors agree that the cases generally are of a very unsatis