A Bird of Passage. By B. M. Croker. (Sampson Low
and Co.) —A writer who can lay the scene of his story, or at least of part of his story, in the Andaman Islands, begins with a certain advantage ; and when be takes us to Ireland and gives us the beat part of a volume without so much as hinting at Home-rule and agrarian outrage, be conquers our affections at once. We have enough, and more than enough, of political pamphlets in novel shape ; but genuine Irish scenes, such an we used to have in happy days gone by, are a delightful novelty. All the novel is good ; but this part is particu- larly happy, and we thank the author very sincerely for it. Helen Denis is always a charming girl, bat when she goes to market for her Irish cousins and sells the family butter and vegetables, she excels herself. The men do not strike ns as being particularly good, and " Apollo " Quentin is too unmitigated a rascal to be swallowed (the stealing of the ring to use as a proof of a nomexiating engage. ment, muses belief) ; but the novel is worth reading.
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