23 JUNE 1894, Page 26

Puzzles Old and New. By Professor Hoffmann. (Frederick Warne and

Co.)—" The Natural History of the Puzzle," writes our author in his preface, "has yet to be written." He does not. himself attempt a task so arduous, but contents himself with compiling a huge collection of puzzles of all kinds. There are some four hundred in all, Mechanical, Dissected or Combination, Arithmetical, Word and Letter, Puzzles with Counters, Puzzles with Lucifer Matches (there are no less than nineteen of these alone), Wire, "Quibble" or "Catch," and "Miscellaneous." In fact, there are,enough to drive a whole nation into lunacy. Some people, it is true, like this kind of amusement. To such, this volume should be a blessing of the first order. They cannot. possibly want anything more up to the end of their lives.