The Portland daily press., 1880-03-20
Magazine Notices.

AppletonS ) journal Tor April contains pa
per giving an inside history of the Suez Canal,
that is likely to create little sensation at the
present moment. The figures given of the cost
OF the canal are in themselves startling. but the
revelatio ion of the means taken to secure the
completion Of the work, of the disaster il
brought upou the Khedive, and the ruin upon
the trade and finances of Egypt, affords very
extraordinary chapter of history, which at the
present juncture should be we'll pcndered.
The other contents of the number are of varied
interest. A paper on Huth's just published
Life of Buckle and an examination of the ten
dency of New Fiction are the distinctive liter
ary articles. A series of papers by the famous
Dr. Richardson, of London, ON Health at
Home, begun in this number, are full OF valu-
able practical suggestions. The second part of
the striking story, The Return of the Princess,
is given, and The Seamy Side is concluded.
There is paper on Middle-Class Domestic
Life in Spain; on Stage Anomalies, with some
good anecdotes; one on Forgotten Aspects of
the Irish question; on the religious sect of In
dia known as the Jainas; on q National The
atre, and editorials on number Of current top
les.
Monthly in the variety, readableness and sub
stantal excellence of its articles, well sustains
its reputation. Its first paper, by Mr.. c. NJ.
Lungren, on Progress and Poverty. is an elab-
crate discussion of the views of Mr.. George,
presented in his recent work under that title.
The paper treats of certain important and fun
damental problems of economical science, with
great clearness of conception and perspicuity of
statement. There has recently been a curious
and extraordinary outbreak on the planet Ju-
piter, which Mr.. Henry j. Slack describes and
discusses in an illustrated article under, the til
tie OF What is Jupiter Doing? DR.. Albert j.
Leffingwell contributes brilliant and power.
full paper on The Scientic Aspects of Free viii.
1t brings out in a new light some of the aspects
OF that hitherto obscure and much-befogged
question, which is shown to have its very prac-
tical bearings Professor Jevons treats of Ex-
perimental Legislation in most instructive
chapter on the science of law-making which he
holds to be just as truly an experimental science
as chemistry. That, in the hands of our politi-
clans, the experimenting is blind and the sci
ence very poor he thinks is nothing against
the method. Professor HI. L. Fairchild con-
tributes very entertaining illustrated paper
In the department of natural history on Curl
GUS Ways Of getting Food. Those who are in
terested in the bearings of scientific analysis on
artistic questions will be pie ased with the sub
tile and lucid discussion of The Pleasure of
Visual Form, by Mr.. James Sully, now lead
ing writer on aesthetic science. 1t will be fol-
lowed up in the next number. An illustrated
article by Professor E. Ray Lancaster, The
Cryfsh, treats of that instructive creature,
now suddenly become so celebrated through
the publication of Professor Huxley's latest
work. Teachers and parents will be inter-
ested in the article on Learning to Write. A
Consideration of Suicide, by j. III. Hopkins,
handles very difficult problem with great
ingenuity and force. The subject has larger
bearings than is commonly supposed. Much
interesting information is given in the contri-
button by Ellen Prescott, ON Vegetable Phos-
phorescence. W. j. MCGEE devotes an elab.
crate paper to Croll's Climate and Time, in
which the interactions of geology and astrono-
my in controlling terrestrial phenomena are
very clearly presented. A Living Honey
comb, Size of Brain and Size of Body, and The
Textile Plants of the World, are fresh and in
structive articles; and the full biographical
Sketch of DR.. Charles f. Chandler, which is
accompanied by an admirable portrait. win be
read with pleasure by everybody. The editor
deals with the Interoceanic Canal Question in
an independent and incisive way which will
just now command attention. The Literary
Department, Miscellany and Notes are as
usual copious and attractive. This number
contains the index to the sixteenth volume
New York: d. Appleton & Co.