The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-19
Recent Publications.

ture. EBoRAcUs.
Recent Publications.
ID. Appleton & Co., of New York, send in,
through Dresser, Mcclellan & Co. of Portland,
pleasant series of lectures by Arabella b.
Buckley, entitled The Fairy Land of Science.
Miss Buckley is an English lady, and was for
many years secretary to Sir CHARLES LyelI, in
whose employment she met many of the lead
ing scientific men of England, and became fa-
miliar with the most advanced scientific thee
ries. Her style is clear and very interesting,
and she gives scientific reasons for many
familiar things. For instance, what Teuny-
son calls
"The scream of the maddened beach dragged down
by the wave,''
she says is caused by the stones grating against
each other as the waves drag them down.
Large stones make confused noise smaller
stones kind of scream; while gravelly beach
makes hiss. The descriptions of the life of
flower, the city of the honey-bee, aud the for
nation of coal will be very charming to youth.
full readers. S. B.
Another book from the same publishers,
through the same Portland firm, on a similar
subject, is Ocean Wonders, by William E.
Damon. 1t is still more interesting, as the
author evidently writes the results of his own
studies He gives practical directions about
constructing aquariums, and describes the
rarest and most desirable specimens with
which to stock them. His description of the
octopus or devil fish is somewhat less dramatic
and thrilling than those of Victor Hugo and
Jules Verne, but not less surprising. He
thinks jules Verne's description was nearer to
nature, while Victor Hugo's monster was really
q little fellow compared to the big swells In
the Pacific. For his own contribution, he says
he has seen full.grown octopus at tho Ber-
mudas spring out of water few feet in front
of his boat aud run up perpendicular rocky
cliff, resembling the Hudson River Palisades
at their steepest point, for more than two hun
dred feetl The object of the run was to catch
red crab that had run up the rocks for safety.
The devil fish caught the crab, and ran faster
than man could on a level the author thinks
The Idea of a live bright-red crab, and OF fish
chasing him ashore seems to be what Mrs. Par
tngton calls "paregorcal." but the authors
favorite element appears to be cold water. and
he let's Us down little by saying that the
octopus may be tbrottltd by graspipg him
around the throat, which our readers are earn
estly advised to do if they ever find themselves
in his grip. The Pearly Nautilus and Paper
Nautilus are cousins to the al oressid. 1t seems
that swimmers on our coast are liable to attack
from something almost as dangerous, the
Cyanea Caoillats, species of medu.a, COM
monty called "the singer" This animal
throws out five filaments aud paraly zes the
swimmer fifty feet away. Seen on the waves
1t resembles livery large handful of lions
name and silver paper" Many swimmer
who has been supposed to have been "taken
with the cramp and in the water drowned"
like Holiness tall young oystermaD, may have
been the victim of this pertidious monster.
SB.
Wild Life in Southern Country Boston :
Roberts Brothers, Portland: Loring, Short &
Harmony is a rare piece of literary work, a
model of fresh and artistic simplicity of express
sion and keen dellcacy of feeling. IL is an un
common achievement to write so minutely, so
vigorously and so charmingly of common
things, with no tendencies to tediousness or to
egotism; with spirit and rightress that paint
every feature of aquist landscape with perfect
distinctness to the reader; and 60 to combine a
series of beautiful sketches that they give q
vivid general impression of the charm, variety,
and quality of English country life. The style
is admirable, abounding in uupremeditated DO.
etry which does not at all result from any con-
scous effort, but is simply the influence of the
scenes and associations of lovely land upon a
singularly frank and receptive mind. Whether
he describes landscape and still life; the busy
tribes of bird and inject, and the gentle crea-
lures of the wood; or the quaint immemorial
traditions of speech and custom Of the country
folk-the author is equally happy in his work.
1t is not uncommon to write a volume of delicate
glorifcation of little things, of fine and sug-
gestive treatment of detail; or again of such
faithful research 10 natural history as, for ex.
ample, Thoreau and, after him, Mr.. Burroughs
have made; but it is rare to find work of tn s
class so utterly unaffected, spontaneous and
delightful; filled of the unstinted humanity OF a
gentle and generous nature, to whom not only
all mankind is kin, but who finds nothing alien
Gin the life of the rain on the grasses" the in.
nocent brief day of the bird and the brown, shy
hare; and who gains fresh strength in the whole
some touch of mother Earth.
Two more volumes of Mr.. Gladstone's Clean
ings of Past Years, are published by Messrs.
Scribuer of New York. cortland, Loring,
Short & Harmopl They are of much literary
interest, and also have value as proving the
large, liberal mind of the author, who enters
into the affairs, social and political, of foreign
nations with the animation of philanthropy
which inspires him in the public matters of
his own couLtry. His style has the irresistible
force of earnest and manly conviction; aud the
scope as we'll as the depth of his reflections is
impressive. The articles upon Historical and
Speculative subjects are as learned as they are
devout and liberal The volume Of papers upon
Foreign Affairs is written with great vigor and
with the warmth, directness and intelligence
of a statesman who reads the prolress of the
world in its history. Tbs abuses of the state
prosecutions Of the Neapolitau Government
dated in the years 1872; the Hellenic Factor
in the Eastern Problem, two other papers upon
the Eastern question; aud rapid sketch of the
condition If Germany, France and England in
the year 1870, form the contents Of this notable
volume, which derives too, much interest and
value from the practical lsbors of the author,
that go fully support aud illustrate his theo.
ries.
A volume of Rev. Joseph Cooks Monday
Lectures Boston: Houghton'& Osgood; Port
land Loring, Short & Harmony contains those
upon the subject of Marriage, written IN Mr..
Cook's usual manner, with good intention and
unpleasantly excited rhetoric.
Mr.. Hialmar Hjorth Bo5eseu's novel, Fal-
conberg, recently appearing as a serial in Serb.