New-York tribune., 1905-02-09
LITERARY NOTES.

G. E. Mitton's book. 1.-The Dog (the Macmil-
Ian Company. has a somewhat misleading title'
until the reader notes that it is published in
series OF animal Autobiographies. The VOL
ume is not, as one might first suppose treatise
on canine manners and customs, but is an en-
tireIy conventional narrative of the old fash
toned British variety in which a pet dog named
Scamp relates his adventures. from puppyhood
10 old age under various masters and mistTesses
IN all ranks Of life. He is first owned by
young lady with a love affair, is stolen by
bicycle thief with a little lame boy and. after
a number Of vicissitudes. eventually finds his
way back TO his original mistress-now safely
rnarried-and settles down 20 a life of innocuous
6esuetude There is nothing OF the modern
nature book" about Scamps misadventures it
IS just a plain dog story, such we have often
read in childhood's happy hour. with another set
Of incidents It is illustrated with a number Of
highly coIored pictures Of the style affected by
makers Of Inexpensive trunks TO decorate the in
side of the lids for the purpose Of distracting the
purchasers attention from the poor quality OF
the workmanship.
A glance through the currenr volume OF
'-Whitaker's Peerage-1905" CThe Macmillan
Company is rewarded with some interesting in
formation In regard TO claimed and disputed
baronetcies The editors complain that in
low upon every one Of our esteemed Non
arch's frequent travels and visits" and
which have IN fact necessitated omtting
from the present edition mention Of many Of the
past services Of nobility of older titles there
IS q constant Increase IN the number Of "aspir-
ants 70 the dignity of q baronetcy." While ad
1nitting that there are possible few among
these who are genuinely entitled 10 the style
which they claim, the publishers declare that.
taking them IN bulk. it is evidently safe 10
saw that those who are not downright impOstors
are the deluded victims Of a Impractical idea
The Messrs. Whf- aker have accordingly decided.
from now on. print the names Of ali claim
ants. whether as baronets peers. 'in the small
est type" Australia seems to furnish fertile
soil for raising claimants" Under the title
Read Baronetcy." space Is given TO the claim
made by the late James Cecil Read and 'possi-
bly, persisted in" by his William Vero, Of
Arawa- Waverley, n. S. w. with the following
comment:
As usual in such cases, the claim is based upon
aufhorisy Whatever makes the slightest mention Of
such ne asraan aaq Is Gn nxspaoe @ Which gfaveS
charges ell with resting N gross ignorance. 1t
tenders in the colony for in January. 1894 there
was the report Of the death OF Sir James RaEii3
a '.soi-sisant'' knight Sir H. D c. Chapelle: and
ayct1tous Tasnanian knight fine quarter for
inpostors. the Anupooest
Far more interesting than the above outburst
Of characteristicany righteous British indigna-
tion is the bit of literary history tucked away in
another Of these paragraphs ''in the smallest
type" Under Laurie we learn that there is
claimant to a baronetcy. an older Maxwelton
line than that Of the present holder of the title,
but one whose contentious are apparently not