CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Central A?ps. Being the seoond part of the "Alpine Guide." By John Ball, M.R.I.A., F.L.S., &c. (Longman and Co.)—In this volume
Mr. Ball describes the whole of the Swiss Alps, with the exception of the Pennine chain, from the great St. Bernard to Monte Rosa, which was included in the first part of the " Alpine Guide." So far his work is
comparatively easy, and it is sufficient to say that this volume is quite equal both in fulness and accuracy to its predecessor. The same can- not be said of chapter xi., which treats of the Lombard Alps and the chain which divides Lombardy from the Tyrol "The editor has to acknowledge his °len ignorance of a great portion of this district, and his ill-success in obtaining useful information from other sources."' But nevertheless this is the part of his work which is the most credit- able, and that for the very reasons which make the work itself imper- fect. It opens to the English mountaineer an entirely new district of rare beauty and scientific interest, from which he bit been hitherto debarred by the paternal suspicions of the Austrian EFFiernment. Mr. Ball hopes much from the enterprise of the Italian Alpine Club, but our English explorers ought to provide us with a groat deal of the infor- mation we want. Mr. Ball has left them no excuse for keeping the beaten ways.
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