PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Ten Years' Imprisonment in the Dungeons of Naples. By Antonio Nicolo.—This book is a true piece of autobiography. The author was a young medical man who excited the suspicion of the Neapolitan Govern- ment and was imprisoned for ten years. It is tee painful to dwell on the details of that imprisonment, which are, however, given here with as little vindictiveness as possible under the circumstances. We gladly follow Signor Nicol& with Poetic) and the rest of the prisoners who were sent by the Government of Naples from Procida to the United States. Their voyage in the David Stewart is like a chapter of romance and is well told here. The discovery of young Seftembrini in the disguise of a steward, and the subsequent change of the vessel's course against the wish of Captain Prentiss, and their arrival at Cork, are portions of a very impressive and sacking tale of our time. Signor Nicole describes with vivacity the kindly enthusiasm of the Irish and English people of all classes in the cause of the Neapolitan exiles. He himself seems to have had his thumb dislocated in a tumultuous shaking of hands at Bristol. His Italian warmth of feeling is called forth by the genuine kindness he has met with, especially in Cork—where he is still residing—unless, indeed, he may have gone, since he wrote this book, to join Garibaldi or Victor Emmanuel'a army in Naples. He will carry the best wishes of his Irish and English friends with him to his liberated land.

The Intellectual Severance of lien and Women, by James M'Gregor Allan, is a vehement and rather clever little book about the influence of the sexes on each other. It is especially strong and severe on the flimsiness of female education, which, according to the author, separates the thoughts and feelings of men from those of their wives. The immo- rality of men, and the silliness of women, are denounced in good set terms, and much is said that is quite true, and should be said forcibly or not at all. Still, there is a tone of bitterness in the exaggerated com- ments on woman's want of intellectual sympathy with man that almost destroys the effect of the truth told. For instance, among the cultivated classes in England, the following is not true—" Women rarely interest themselves in those topics of conversation which employ the energies of thinking men. When such are mooted in their presence, they either sit silent, or endeavour to change the subject. If they do talk, they display ignorance, and repeat the ideas of others. Married women reproduce the ideas of their husbands. Women, in general, are echoes of the last speaker. They have not a quick perception of humour, and originality frightens them." From internal evidence, we presume, the author of this book to be an American.

l'he Hand; its Mechanism and Vital Endowments, as evincing Design. By Sir Charles BelL Sixth edition, revised.—The present edition of this admirable treatise is reprinted, with some additions, from the fourth edition, which was the last revised by the author. The additions con- sist of a lucidly-written general account of Sir Charles Bell's discoveries in the nervous system—discoveries which are among the most valuable ever made in physiology—and of an Appendix of Additional Illustra- tions, extracted from the author's essay on "Animal Mechanics," and from his annotations on Paley's "Natural Theology," in the edition which was the joint production of Lord Brougham and himself.

Introduction to the History of French Literature. By Gustave Mas- son.—The author speaks so modestly of this little volume, that we feel it to be a duty as well as a pleasure to claim for it a much higher rank than that which he would assign to it. His purpose in writing it was, "simply to supply a text book for the use of public schools and universi- ties," and accordingly he has compressed its large subject within the narrow limits of two hundred small pages ; but so skilfully has this been done, that the work appears to have suffered no loss of freshness, free- dom, or grace, in the process. It is as full of matter as the driest com,. pendium for the use of schools' but differs from the common run of books of that class, as much as a bank of flowers differs from a hortus- siceus. We should be glad to know that M. Masson was engaged upon a larger work on the same subject ; but meanwhile, we are grateful for what he has given us, and cordially commend his little book to all stu- dents, by no means excepting those who are most conversant with French literature.

Little Ella and the Fire-King, &a., is a collection of original tales for children, very prettily illustrated. They are all fairy stories, or aae.k gorical and supernatural tales, are gracefully written, with a certain amount of originality in the tales themselves, such as to make the volume very charming to young readers, although the moral is a little too trans- parent to satisfy a critic in this style of art.

Kingston's Annual for Boys, 1861.—We had occasion, last year, to speak in praise of the first volume of Kingston's Annual for Bays; and we are glad to be able to say that the second volume is as good as the first. The story of "The Three Midshipmen" is continued, and ought to satisfy any boy, however eager for moving accidents and hair-breadth

escapes. The chapters on Natural History are good, and the biogra- phies are well selected. The frontispiece is a portrait (a long way from the life) of the Prince of Wales, in his Oxford cap and gown.

Texts for Talkem By Frank Fowler.—A much better book than any one would suppose from only reading the preface. It is the same kind of book as Guesses at Truth, and consists of detached paragraphs, contain- ing thoughts or suggestions, sometimes new-lookitig, oftener old and familiar, but generally well put. For example, we will give two that we find on one page- " It is a humiliating thought to the lover of literature for its own sake, that nine-tenths of the publications in the world would cease, were it not for the advertisements of hucksters, chandlers, usurer; and such folks." Why are we attracted by successful, and repelled by unlucky men ? It is not because of some feeling we have, that there are hidden qualities in each, deserving of the good or bad fortune achieved ? " • Homely Hints. By the Author of _Little Things, is a useful little book for the use of women, principally young women, who desire to make home happy.

Dunboy, and other Poems. By Timothy Daniel O'Sullivan.—There is true poetic as well as true Hibernian furor in this little volume of verse. The author is one of those hish Americans who are more Hibernian than the Hibernians themselves in their hatred to the English. Several of the short poems in this volume are full of natural grace ; others that are devoted to loving regrets and praises of Erin, mingled with indignation against her "tyrants,' are not so good as they might have been if the indignation had not marred the verse. It is a great pity that an Irish- man should be taught that his patriotism is best shown by leaving his country and railing at England. If he would but stay at home, and use all his energies in working at whatever his hands finds to do in his beau- tiful but beggarly country, it might be more profitable to himself than volumes of curses against Ireland's only true friend.

The Laboratory of Chemical Works. By G. W. Septimus Please.— This little book, which seems to be, in part at least, a reprint from one of the minor weekly- journals, is made up of bits of desultory, superficial talk about some of the facts of chemistry. Its matter is not much, and the smirking insipidity of its manner is rather unpleasant. Its state- ments cannot always be relied on. In a paragraph headed "Utility of perfumes in the sick chamber," they are falsely commended "not only because they hide the mat odour" [what is that?] " but because—what is far more important—they act as a prophylactic in the atmosphere. The odorous substances of flowers are all antiseptic in a high degree, and being diffused into an atmosphere charged with malarious gases, they destroy their poisonous effects." This is grossly untrue. In the two pages on "Deodorisers and Disinfectants" no mention is made of char- coal, the best and cheapest of all deodorisers, for it is an everlasting one, and may be used anywhere without inconvenience, to the entire extinc- tion of all bad smells. Whether or not there exist any bodies which can properly be called disinfectants, is still an unsettled question, and until it is decided, the use of the word disinfectant should be discontinued, as possibly deceptive and conducive to grave practical errors.

Booxs.

Our Exemplars, Poor and Rich ; or Biographical Sketches of Men and Women who have, by an extraordinary use of their opportunities, benefited their fellow-creatures. Edited by Matthew Davenport Hill, Recorder of Binuing- ham. With a preface by Lord Brougham.

Diary of an ex-Detective. Edited by Charles Martel.

The Hooded Snake ; a Story of the Secret Police. By Watts Phillips.

Le Censeur : or English Errors in Speaking French. By Madlle. E. D. G. Third edition, first series.

Cordon Training of Fruit Trees,Diagonal,Vertical,Spiral,Horizontal,adapted to the Orchard-house and Open-air Culture. By the Reverend T. Collings Br6haut.

Poems. By Walter Whitmore Jones. Second series.

Trades' Societies and Strikes. Report of the Committee on Trades' Societies, appointed by the .National Association for the Promotion of Social Science. Daridson's Book of Anthems: containing 27 Anthems in vocal score, the entire words and music, with suitable accompaniments for the Organ, Har- monium, and Pianoforte.

Old Friends and Even: Acquaintances, By Agnes Strickland. Second series.

Synoptical Tables of the Parts of Speech, and Leading Principles of the French Language.

Will Adams, the First Englishman in Japan. A Romantic Biography. By William Dalton.

Agatha : a Fanciful Flight for a Gusty Night. By George Halse. With Illus- trations on Steel and Wood by Hablot K. Browne.

Paradise and the Pen. By Thomas Moore.

Lavinia. By the Author of" Lorenzo Benoni," itc. In three volumes. Stories in Verse for the Street and Lane : being the second series of "homely Ballads for the Working Man's Fireside." By Mrs. Sewell.

From Southanspton to Calcutta. By Cadwalladar Cummerbund.

Winds and Storms : with an Essay on Weather and its Varieties. By Thomas Hopkins, M.B.M.S.

SERIAL.

-ample Bar : a London Magazine for Town and Country Readers. Conducted by George Augustus Sala.

ALMA:UCH.

The Volunteer Artillery, Engineer, Hout.ted Billes,"and Rifle Corps Army Almanack for 1861.

Musics

Evening Chimes." Song. The Words by C. W.; the Music by LW.

THE MAGAZINES.

We have to welcome a stranger, not a little one, into the ranks of the Monthlies. Temple Bar is the title given by Mr. George Sala to the new serial ; in size the largest, in price the cheapest of its class. The articles are multifarious in character, some of them being average contributions to fiction only, but others aspire to a higher position, as, for instance, the paper on "Francis Bacon," in the form of a criticism on Mr. Hep- worth Dixon's new work. "Notes on Circumstantial Evidence" is a readable paper, in the course of which the evidence against Lord Dun- donald is analysed. "Criminal Lunatics" offers some excellent sug- gestions for amendments in our jurisprudence. The other articles are pleasant reading ; we wish we could say as much for the poetry.

Blackwood resumes the topic of "Iron-clad Ships of War." The "Romance of Agostine " is concluded; "Norman Sinclaies" auto- biography reaches the eleventh chapter. "Our only Danger in India," attempts to east the horoscope as to the future of the Indian Army. "Social Science," "Theories of Food," and "Alexander Carlyle," are all papers likely to amuse and instruct. Fraser is naturally a melancholy number this month, for the memory of Mr. John Parker, Junior, is yet green. A. K. H. B. adds to his paper " Con- cerning Screws," a genial testimony to his late friend's worth, and another wiiter employs his pen "In Memoriam." Two articles, "Modern Com- petition" and "Thomas De Quincey " are noticeable, the former for its exposure of the tricks of trade, the latter for the justice of its criticism. The Dublin University opens with an article, "The O'Connors and Cowley Welleslcys," which carries us back to the early days of two families since noted in history. " Robert Owen and his Social Philoso- phy" is somewhat late in appearance in the columns of a monthly, but still the topic is usefully handled. The " Work-a-day World in France" and "Old Paris" put together give us accurate notions of the present and the past of our neighbours. The Cornhill begins with a second letter from Paterfamiliaa, in which that fatherly personage querulously expresses his views upon English Middle-Class Education. Mr. Trollope gives Lucy a great triumph over Lady Lanni in " Framley Parsonage," which leaves off at the sick oed, where we trust Lucy will not catch infection between this and next month. The "Criminal Law" and the "Detection of Crime" is a seasonable paper, and opportunely discusses several difficulties now oppressing our criminal proceedure. The other papers are worthy of the Cornhill, and specially we note Mr. Thackeray's estimate of Thomas Hood.

Macmillan has several good articles ; one on the "English Evangelical Clergy," written in a fair spirit, opens up the consideration of some grave questions which we may not touch ; but the paper deserves perusal equally from the friends and antagonists of the Evangelical party. Mr. Henry Fawcett discourses in an impartial manner on Mr. Darwin's "Origin of Species," which is fairly placed before the reader as well as the arguments against it. The Sew Monthly has more than the average number of papers, but the most of them are fictions, and, with the exception of one, " Modern Rome," there is a lack of appropriateness in point of date. Subject to that observation the contents of album are above its own usual average