The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONTION, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 13, 1864.

LITERATURE,

Beppo the Conscript. By T. Adolphus Troilope.

Two vols. Chapman and Hall, Piccadilly.

Beppo Vani, the son of a rich Romagnole farmer,
fal:s in love, as is usually the case in novels, with
Gailia, a poor cousin sheltered in his father's house.
The old man designs him to marry the daughter of
a neighbouring notary, but that young lady has a
lover to whom she is attached, a Captain Bersag-
lieri, and she and Beppo quite understand each
other, Ligsa being aware of his attachment for his
cousin. To prevent a marriage between his son and
niece, old Vani manages to get an engagement for
the latter with a certain Signora Dossi, a retired
actress, as half companion, half servant, and she be-
takes herself to her new situation without giving
her lover the slightest encouragement, because,
although deeply attached to him, she is too proud
to have it supposed that she entrapped him into an
improvident marriage. 8.,pp0, however, is drawn
for the conscription, and by the advice of a burly
priest, inimical to the new Government, fUes to the
mountains to avoid joining the army. Guilia learns
the danger to which he is exposed; induces him to
surrender himself, thereby avoiding th 3 fate of a de-
serter, and ultimately they are married, Beppo
securing as his share of the paternal property the
ready money of his father, while the farm descends
to his younger brother, a most unamiable person,
and we leave him advanced to the rank of corporal.
The style of the book is loose and disjointed, and
it abounds in most unlikely incidents.

The Quarterly Journal of Sc(nce. No. 11. Apr
1864. Churchill.

The appearance of a new scientific journal will
be hailed with satisfaction by all readers of solid
tastes and learned leisure. It is, too, a very able
and well written production, dealing in subjects
by no meaus beyond the range of well edu-
cated persons, and conveying a good deal of
varied information assisted by explanatory plates
and unencumbered by unnecessary technicali-
ties. The number before us has six able essays,
in addition to a full report and discussion of
the proceedings, &c., of scientific societies. It opens
with an article on " The Mammals of Madagascar,"
which introduces us to quite a new range of
zoological peculiarities. Many of the animals de•
scribed are of a very singular character, and very
different from the species found in Africa, which is
only distant two hundred miles. The writer points
out many remarkable facts concerning the distri-
bution of the Fauna of this island, and observes that
the anomalies presented to us by the forms of life
there prevalent aro so striking, that claims have
bees put forward in its favour to be considered as
a distinct primary geographical region of the earth.
The accompanying plate, drawn by J. Wolf, cer-
tainly display many singular-looking creatures.
This interesting paper is followed by a very learned
article by Sir John Herschel on the Solar Spots. It
is fall of valuable information, as might have been
expected coming from the pen of so eminent an
authority. Sir John Herschel gives us some par-
ticulars of these curious phenomena, such as the
following singular fact :—" The sun is not equally
spotted at all times. Many months, and sometimes
whole years have elapsed without the notice
of a spot. In others, for months, nay years
together they have been remarkable for num-
ber and magnitude. It seems to have been
a very general belief up to the epoch of
Professor Schwabe's observations that this variety
was purely casual, and altogether irregular. But
the evideuce obtained by M. Schwabe, observing
from 1826 t 0,1860, on an average 300 days per an-
num, during each of which the number of groups
and single spots was registered, clearly established
a periodicity. Thus in 1833, 1843, 1856, very few
groups were seen, and on nearly half the days of
observation the sun was spotless, while in 1828,
1837, 1818, 1859, and 1860, the number of spots was
extraordinary, and not one spotless day occurred;
while the intermediate years exhibited a regular
alternate increase and decrease. A period of from
ten to twelve years' duration was thus indicated."
This single instance serves to show us in some de-
gree how tireat is the labour, how unwearied the
application of a man of science who devotes himself
to his calling. The record of another kind of sci-
entific industry is found in a paper " Oa the Rise,
Progress, and Prospects of Steam Navigation," by
Mr. Samuelson, C.E. It is a highly interesting
article, and demonstrates forcibly the difficulty at-
tending the first introduction of any important
change or improvement. Those in power are too
often unwilling to countenance any innovation;
they prefer to keep to the old ways and good old
times which havelet them prosper without regard
to the common good. This feeling is a great bar
to the progress of improvement in any enterprise.
The application of steam to navigation has proved
to be of the greatest benefit to mankind by bring-
ing distant lands and people near together, and so
quickening the progress of civilisation. Steam,
indeed, has been the forerunner and promoter of
the telegraph—one great invention suggesting a
still greater or more wonderful. A new discovery
is mentioned among the " Chronicles of Science" in
this number which bids fair to rival or excel gutta-
percha and indiarubber, possessing, it is said, the
elasticity of the one and the ductility of the other.
It is styled balata, and is the dried juice of the bul-
let-tree (sapota mulleri), and it is hoped will be a
good insulating medium for telegraphic purposes.
Among other articles of special interest we may
mention that on Milk,
which is highly suggestive,
and " An Essay on the Relation of Light and Heat
to the Vital Forces of Plants."

Luttrell of Arran. Part 5. By Charles Laver.
The interest of this story increases as its develop-
ment progresses. The bold, almost fierce, character
of Luttrell is well portrayed. The author has in
all probability drawn the character from nature,
and in describing his hero he is only presenting his
readers with a true picture of one of the many high-
spirited Irishmen, whose misguided ideas of netional
regeneration brought desolation and ruin both to
the country and their own fortunes. Charles Lever
thoroughly understands the character he is describ-
ing, and in some of the expressions which fall from
Luttrell, we find how misfortune and reverses force
men to read the dark side of lite's history with re-
signation and humility. Luttrell having decided
to let his son leave him under the auspices of an
American merchant captain, explains his reasons
for so doing to his friend, Sir Gervais Vyner. When
requesting that gentleman to be the guardian of
his boy in case of the death of his father, he remarks
in conclusion, " How pride of birth with prosperity
may lead to intolerance and oppression, but leash
it with poverty, and it will conduce to violence,
perhaps to crime. Say nothing of this
guardianship to your wife, lest it should lead her
to talk of me, or, at all events, wait till I am gone.
Talk of me then they may, for there is no voice so
eloquent to defend as the wind that sighs through
the long grass over our graves." Poor Mr.
M'Kinlay finds himself in troubled waters, he
executes his client's commission satisfactorily, more
however by good luck than management, being
haunted during his trip to Arran by his evil
genius in the form of the Yankee excursionist,
who, however rough and reckless he may be, pos-
sesses a good heart and fearless sririt. The Ame-
ricans are indebted to Charles Lever for doing
justice to some of the better characteristics of the
American people, at a time when civil war has so
forcibly pourtrayed less enviable ones. Miss
Georgina contrives to worm every information out
of the unfortunate M'Kinlay, the lawyer gives
place to the lover, and the young lady having gra-
tified her curiosity, of course throws her informer
overboard; these disclosures will, however, lead to
further complications hereafter.

Ihe Social Science Review. New Series. No. 4.

10, Whitefriars-street.

This very sensible and well written periodical
commenced a new series with the new year, and has
certainly not lost in interest or character. Its
principal article is a continuation of the valuable
essay by its editor, Dr. Richardson, "On the
Diseases of Overworked Men." As in this busy
whirling life of ours too many of us come under that
denomination, the information regarding the pre-
disposition to disease, the exciting causes, the
symptero, the means of prevention and cure, B:c.,