The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.
MAUND.ER'S TREASURY OF NATURAL
HISTORY.
asunder I
Another " Treasury" from the indefatigable
Already he has given us a `°Treasury of
o
" Treasury of History," a " rea-
81111owledge, ' a T
of Biography," and a " Treasury of " Science,"
each of which volumes is almost a library in itself:
But evi lently desiring to give us a treasury of
"Treasures," Mr. Maunder has not yet abated his
exertions,e or suffered his zeal and energy to diminish,
has now presented us with a fifth specimen of his
digenee. The 44 Treasury of Natural History" is
tbeluset.described in its own words, as set forth in its
which declares it to be " a Popular Dic-
tionary of 'Animated Nature, in which the zoological
characteristics that distinguish the different classes,
ifeneral and species, are combined with a variety of
id.nastetierne.sttsin, g information, illustrative of the habits,
and general economy of the animal king-
In order to render the work more
attractive to the general reader, it is embel-
.l'bed with nine hundred wood-cuts, represent-
vg the principal animals described, besides a
the Whole animal world, from the butterfly to the
41eithallt, are grouped together with most artistic
The " general reader " will, moreover, find
abundant amusement in the countless anecdotes illus-
trative of the habits and customs of various animals
scattered throughout these pages, while the naturalist
Will find his taste consulted by an introductory
enumeration of the various divisions, orders, and sub-
orders of the animal kingdom. The subjects have
Work arranged alphabetically, so as to render the
svfork a zoological dictionary, where the pecu-
liarities of any individual animal can be learned
en a moment's inquiry. The personal ap-
Pearance of Maunders' treasuries, their com-
pact form, the sober elegance of the bind
41, and the peculiar excellence of the typo-
trePhY—are too well known, and too generally
relat3 ap-
ed, to require comment or commendation. It
. aufr eient for us to say that, in its general charac-
teristics, this new corner resembles and equals its
Pt edecessors, while its individual peculiarities render
iworthy to rank beside them. In these closely.
Printed double-columned (but withal most legible)
1:6-Pages, are condensed, the information, the in-
' I.lr,eati, and the intelligence of a whole naturalist's
ravY• The stores of Cuvier and his confreres have
been ransacked with most scrupulous care, and rifled
With
1, unscrupulous avidity—their scattered gems of
tilli.uivledge, are here collected, and constitute the
beef treasures of the "Treasury." Mr. Maunder has
ei
careful to acknowledge all select materials, and to
append to them the author's name. But if many of the
rns of the " Treasury" have been amassed from other
:res the selection and the arrangement alone
must have constituted a peculiarly arduous and diffi-
. lt labour—a labour which greatly increases the
_cebt of gratitude already due by the public to the
in,niversal lexicographer. Appended to this work is
v,a Syllabus of practical taxidermy," which gives co-
us instructions as to the best methods of preparing
isd Preserving specimens of natural history; to which
added a Glossarial Appendix," or dictionary of
Words. These appendices render the
Treasury" complete.
THE
KELLYS AND THE O'.KELLYS; or,
ANDLORDS AND TENANTS. By A. Trol-
(°PPe. 3 Vas.
t It 'night be supposed, from the second title of this
°oh, that " The Kellys and the O'Kellys" is a poli-
tic l
a novel, and the first chapter, which relates to the
trial
tr, of O'Connell, tends to corroborate such a sup-
WB4ti°ll. Having perused the entire work, however,
e can assure those who may only have seen the title,
4Sluiced at the commencement, that " The Kellys
1,•;u O'Kellys" his absolutely nothing to do with po-
-"ca---that it is no treatise on the relative positions
°f landlord and tenant—that it is, in fact, neither more
id'Or less than a genuine picture of Irish life. That
work,
at once conveys the best description of the
hinvh, and constitutes its highest eulogium. The
E ot is exceedingly simple, its chief interest is excited
octhe difficulties which beset Lord Ballandine (the
41-elly) and Martin Kelly in their several endea-
vours to
obtain an heiress as a bride. A half-friend-
, P subsists between Lord Ballandine and his
tea
.on.act Martin, " for shure they were all
sad- family, at least so the Kellys said,
o,Juever heard (writes their historian) that the
(4. Kellys denied it." The most interesting portion
the tale is that which relates to the humbler heroes.
skue Kelly's, and more especially old Mrs. Kelly, are
y Irish, and consequently possess those
fPOWers of attraction which are inseparable from the
rn-hearted, genial, mirth-loving Hibernian. In
ini,.4ving the fortunes cf Lord Ballandine we become
4 witted in all the mysteries of " The Curragh," and
quainted with the peculiarity of the Irish " turf."
Dte Blake, the
friend, though by no means the dis-
nd of Lord Ballandine, is an amusing
s,..wu! somewhat anomalous character not quite a
indier what anomalous
quite a gentleman.