The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-09 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS.

Wild Sports in the Far West. By Frederick Ger-
staecker. Translated from the German, by H.
Weir. Routledge.
Esperanza; or, The Home of the Wanderers. By
Anne Bowman. Routledge.
The Story of the Peasant-Boy Philosopher. By
Henry Mayhew. David Bogue.
Leaves from the Diary of an Officer of the Guards.
Chapman and Hall.
A Practical Treatise on the Choice and Cookery of
Fish. By Piscator. Second edition. Longman
and Co.

First Steps in Economic Botany. By Thomas
Croirixen Archer. Lowel Reeve.
Tirik ports in the Far West isaiientertaining
narrative of the adventures of a sportsman
America. It is translated from the German l
North
of
Frederick Gerstaecker, by Harrison Weir. In the
preface the author says that it was not his original
intention to publish the contents of the diary he
had kept during his travels for the amusement of
his family hi Germany. Encouraged, however, by
the interest excited by some extracts published in
the periodicals he undertook to revise and correct
his notes, and to mould them into a continuous
narrative. He has endeavoured to portray faith-
fully both the condition of the settlers and his own
adventures. He warns the sportsman " that many
an adventure that reads admirably on paper is in
reality the reverse of romantic." The book
will be most attractive to this class of readers,
of
as there are many accounts encounters
with bears, wolves, panthers, It is ornamented
with tinted illustrations. Espeeranza ; or, The
Home of the Wanderers, is alsot on_ the subject of
American travellers.
Travels
b
Bow-
man, the authoress of " Tra'vt of RoylaAniroe"Boofw-a
family who emigrated to South America, and is a
very
interesting narrative, and will be peculiarly
fascinating to youi, readers. Another work, of a
more instructive character, also intended for juve-
nile readers, is entitled, The Story of the Peasant-
boy Philosopher, by Henry Mayhew. It is
'founded on the early life of Ferguson, the shop-
-herd-boy astronomer, and its object is, by connect-
ing scientific information with the story of a boy's
life and efforts to awake in the reader's mind a
desire to pursue the study:—Leaves from the Diary
of an Officer in the Guards, having appeared
in a periodical, are now offered to the public in a
collective form. In the present stirring times of
war the effect is curious to turn to sketches of the
last campaign. They are varied and striking, and
will no doubt 'meet with a favourable reception.—
A Practical Treatise on the Choice and Cookery of
Fish contains complete and elaborate directions for
choosing and cooking fish, with remarks upon their
respective qualities. Its object is to supply instruc-
tions which have been hitherto wanting, as the
author searched in vain in six modern cookery
books of the highest merit for something about
the qualities of the John Dory. The fact of this
being the second edition proves that the want
existed, and littlethatthisssto volume has satisfactorily
First Steps supplied it. Economic Botany, by
Thomas Croxen Arcl,ier, is an abridgment of that
4
author's work on popular Economic Botany,"
which has attracted much notice. The abridg-
ment has been undertaken at the'suggestion of the
the Department Heads of of Science and Art,
with a view of making the subject available to
pupils of all classes. It is a valuable and instruc-
tive little work, ;lid gives a concise summary of
the outline of the science.

EXETER HALL.—The members of the Sacred Harmonic
Society recommenced their performances last night, and
with increased prospects of success. Mr. Costa is still at
the head of affairs as regards the orchestra, which,
whether vocally or instrumentally, is as numerically
strong as it has ever been since he has been invested
with the conductorship. The band and chorus consist
of the usual 700 performers, including, we are specially
informed by the society, the sixteen double basses,
which doubtless form a by no means inadequate founda-
tion for such a colossal superstructure. The disposition
of the forces seems to have undergone no change. Mr.
Costa, when he entered the orchestra, was received as
he usually is received upon these occasions—that is, with
all the signs of a large and cordial popularity. The hall
was crowded in every partl and the season has apparently
opened well.