The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-31 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

is made one—a bad one, perhaps, but the
most convenient—of regular education and
trained intelligence. In the question as to
military promotion, however, the great diffi-
culty is to find a substitute for the system
which now prevails. This "An Officer does
not attempt. To say that officers are to be
promoted by merit is to say nothing; for
merit is so indefinite a term that, with the
exception of gallantry in the face of the enemy,
it will seldom be accorded by the voice of
unanimity to one individual, and the objec-
tion to the present system, that officers are
discontented at seeing others promoted over
their heads by purchase, must become
doubly strong when the neglect arises not
only from the re, any:tate (loud, but from the
alleged existence of some individual inferiority.
In the marines and the ordnance, according
to the evidence of Lord Raglan, merit has
come to signify simply seniority, and these
are the arms of the service in which promotion
is slowest, and in which the superior officers
are so aged as to be unfit for active duty. Thus
wo find that in the marines the service of a
colonel reaches to fifty-two years, of a lieute-
nant-colonel to forty-seven, and a captain to
twenty-nine. Then as to promotion from
the ranks, we hold the suggestion to
adopt the French system as wholly im-
practicable, considering the present materiel
of the British army. In France young men
of the lower ranks of life look to the
army as a profession ; in England they have
adopted it hitherto as a necessity ; and every
commanding officer knows that not unfre-
quently the most courageous man in the ranks
would be the last whom he would wish to see
promoted to a mess-table or to wield power
over his fellows.

The suggestions on " The Staff" are reason-
able and sound. It is, indeed, an anomaly
that that portion of the army charged with the
administration of its government and direc-
tion in the field should not be prepared by
any regular and especial course of study or
training except four years' regimental service.
There are, if we recollect rightly, valuable
suggestions on this subject in " Napoleon's
Conversations with Las Cases."

If this little pamphlet deals with some of
the defects of our army, the second work,
" Hart's Annual Army List," is a noble re-
cord of gallant and effective services, whether
in spite of, or in consequence of, the system.
In our " little wars " in which we have been
so frequently engaged some of the most pe-
rilous services have been rendered by our
troops, and this full and satisfactory work
gives, from authoritative sources, a record of
those of the most distinguished officers, and
complete lists of all corps, imperial and
colonial, with the institutions connected with
the army. The index is copious and correct,
and altogether the work (now in its sixteenth
year) is the most satisfactory list of our
military establishment published.

PEBIODIC.AL

WE can only glance at the contents of those maga-
zines which have reached us this month. Blackwood
is certainly an excellent number, the table of con-
tents embracing some able articles upon various
subjects. "The State of the Militia" thoroughly
exposes the lamentable inefficiency from the mis-
management of the Government of that admirable
reserve force. Deficient in numbers and wanting in
discipline, left by the Government even without the
means of acquiring instruction in their several duties
(for it is here quoted as a fact, that one drill-sergeant
last month was considered by the authorities as
sufficient to instruct and drill a regiment of four
hundred men!), the effectiveness of the force is
entirely neutralised, and, unless some stringent
measures are forced upon the Government, the
militia system will be ruined, and the force
become utterly useless to the country, by the con-
catenation of eminent blunders which the late and
present Ministry have committed. "How to Dress
Him" is a cleverly-written paper upon the manifest
absurdities of the present system of clothing in the
army. " Psychological Inquiries" is an able review
of Sir Benjamin Brodie's interesting little volume,
while " Charles Dickens," "Canadian Notes," " The
Death of Nicholas," are full of interesting and
instructive matter. The charming romance of
" Zaidee " is also continued, and " The Story of the
Campaign" is brought down to the late attack of the
French upon the advanced redoubt.

311

The Dublin University Magazine of this month,
continuing the subject of the " Barrier States of
Europe," gives us the history of Poland in a few
pages, and, without solving the question of the re-
constitution of that country, decides that an lade-
pendentbarrier state from the Baltic to the Euxine is
the only security that we can hope will realise a last-
ing peace, and for ever prevent the further encroach-
ments of Russia. There are also sonic good literary re -
views,Grote's "Greece" and "SI iers Political Sketches,"
among others ; while the fourth part of the " Dra-
matic Writers of Ireland" includes reminiscences of
Murphy and Hugh Kelly. Some light and amusing
tales, and a poem upon a Scotch legend, contribute
their share to sustain the character of this magazine.
In Fraser we have more literary reviews than any-
thing else, good enough in their way, but scarcely
the staple matter for the pages of a magazine. Yet
we have one political article upon Lord Palmerston,
the Committee, and the Conference, in which these
three subjects are summarily disposed of in a few
pages. The other matter is light and amusing, the
review of the " Oxford Essays" being the best.
The Fifth Part of the Royal Gallery of Art has
also been issued. It contains three engravings from
pictures of the royal collection at Osborne. " A
Summer Noon: Hampton Court," by Wingfield,
engraved by Conzen ; "Ariel," by Townsend, en-
graved by Sharpe; and "The Gate of Metwalleys,
Cairo," by Roberts, It.A., engraved by Challis. The
engravings are certainly not of a very high excellence,
but the work bids fair to form, when concluded, a
fine collection in itself of engravings of works of
a high class in art.

The Angler and His Friend; or, Piseatory Colloquies
and Fishing Excursions. By John Davy, M.D.,

F.R.S. London : Longmans.
DR. DAVY, in this elegant little treatise upon the de•
lightful art of angling, mingles with his observations
more practical remarks than we have hitherto met
with in works upon the same subject. The whole
art of fly-making, as well as fly-fishing, culinary hints,
observations upon the present defective state of the
law with regard to private fisheries, and remarks
upon travelling and travellers, are introduced in the
conversations here recorded, which abound also
with poetical descriptions of scenery, and accounts of
piscatorial successes and disappointments in the
English and Irish lakes. Not, the least interesting
portion of the book is that which c(•ntains Dr. Davy's
remarks upon the natural history of the different fish
which he pursues : their marks and peculiarities,
their migratory tastes, and the precautions necessary
to insure success in artificial breeding, are all dis•
cussed in a pleasant and practical tone. Of the
senses of fish, Dr. Davy decides that they possess
five in common with mankind, of which that of sight
is the most acute and of touch the most obtuse. He
represents all the species as voracious, and as desti-
tute of " natural afiection"

Hence, I think, on the score of s.osiitiveness, you need
have no compunction of conscience in becoming an angler ;
and were you acquainted with the habits of fish in all their
details, you would, I am sure, be quite at ease on the sub-
ject. I allude now to the two great Ilmotions by whieh as
individuals they are supported and their species male-
tinned ; vix., their mode of feeding and of breeding ; both
carried on in the most inhuman way, according to our
ideas of humanity. Take the example of a trout : its food
is entirely animal matter, and its favourite food living
animals, which it sieres and swallows entire ; and so in-
discriminately voracious is it, that, with the exception of
the poisonous toad, there is no living creature that comes
in its way it will not devour, from the frog or mouse to the
common fly and gnat, from the slimy slug to the stony-
incased larva, and not even sparing its own kind, it being
no uncommon occurrence to take a large trout with a
smeller one in its stomach In manner of breeding they
can hardly be said to show any parental affection, at least
the salmonidte. Their eggs are deserted, after having
been properly deposited in • suitable bed of gravel, left to
the mercy of chance to be hatched, and the young fish
conseqnently never know their parents, who, Baturu-like,
often feed on their helpless offspring.
Fish undoubtedly sleep :
As to sleep, fish, I believe, do rest and " steep their
senses in forgetfulness," and this probably more by night
than by day. I am led to this conclusion from obser•
vations on very young fish. These, •bent the darkest part
of the night, when confined in glasses so as to be easily seen,
I have noticed immoveable, resting on the bottom of the
vessel, and quite regardless of an approaching object, not
stirring till they have been almost touched; so different in
this respect from their manner when awake by day.
Perhaps their hours of rest vary in some measure according
to their age and wants : probably old and large fish, like
the larger carnivorous beasts, the lion and tiger, rest by day
and then sleep; we know that night is their principal &eft
ing•time.
We have not space for more extracts, but we cor-
dially commend Dr. Davy's pleasant conversations to
every angler, as much for real practical information
as for lively description and agreeable adventure.

Velasquez and his Works. By William Sterling.
London: J. W. Parker and Son.
Tana life of Velasquez has already partly appeared
in the pages of Mr. Sterling" previous work, "The