The Journal of Philology, Vol. XXIL, No. 43. (Macmillan an
Co., London ; Deighton, Bell, and Co., Cambridge.)—Mr. Platt's remarks on the legend of Iphigeneia are learned and ingenious, though we are unable to recognise any connection between the "totem system" of the American Indians and the mythology of Hellas, and decidedly protest against the expression, "the Hebrew myth of Jephthah " (unless Mr. Platt can prove the Scripture narra- tive to be untrue, which would be a rather difficult task). His opinion that a " hecatomb " originally meant the sacrifice of every hundredth animal in the herd, subsequently any solemn offering, and finally, perhaps through a false etymology, one of a hundred victims, is much more sensible than the received explanations, and is very ably supported. Mr. Platt has rendered an important service to Greek learning by his paper on "Bentley's Notes on the Odyssey," though there must be either an inaccuracy or a misprint in B. 269, which is to us unintelligible. Mr. Lindea,y's remarks on the shortening of long syllables in Plautus exhibit much learning and good taste, but it should be impressed upon students of languages that every spoken language has a strong tendency to abbreviation, both in spelling and in pronunciatior This is fostered by the hurry of business, by social frivolity, and, in the case of proper names, by the disrespect arising from democratic sentiments. Our own mother-tongue has received many grievous assaults of this kind. Fully to appreciate Mr. Postgate's paper on the various readings in the fifteenth Book of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" would require both a painstaking perusal of the text and a careful collation of several editions of the poem. We certainly approve of his preference of locus to locus in v. 383, but consider ideas satisfuerut—" and that ought to have been sufficient" in v. 109—perfectly good Latin ; no emendation is needed. He exhibits sound judgment in suggesting that inde should take the place of lands in v. 138, the poet's theory being that the use of animal food arose from the sacrificial banquets. Mr. R. Ellis has proposed two very neat emendations of passages in Propertius and of one in Ennius, and has given such good reasons for his view that we hope it will be adopted by all future editors. His emendation of v. 373 of the " Iphigeneia in Aulis " is merely conjectural, and requires more support to justify its adoption, Reiske's reading 74pous being much more to the point. His proposal regarding v. 865 will, we think, he generally approved. The contributions on Mice the Levite and on Nonius do not seem likely to interest any readers save those who. may be designated inveterate linguistic antiquarians. Mr.
Brennan has given us three very judicious rules as to the mode of obtaining a correct text by a comparison of manu- scripts, and has worked these principles well out in the application of them to Eschylus ; but while fully appreciating his diligence and sagacity, we believe that the investigation of
-various readings has been frequently pushed to a wearisome and profitless extent by no means conducive to really cultured scholarship, or to what Bacon terms the fruclus Mix. And we venture to apply the same remarks to Mr. Housman's long and able paper on the Manuscripts of Propertius, though be has certainly done much to secure the correct understanding of that very attractive poet. On the whole, we consider this number of the Journal of Philology well worthy the attention of scholars. The journal is meant for experts.
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