Trarezz Pantras.—Three of the series of "Temple Primers" (J. M.
Dent and Co., Is. net per vol.) are before us Greek and Roman Mythology and Dreamland. By Professor H. Stending. Translated from the German by Lionel D. Barnett, D.Litt.—We are not ready to accept Professor Stending's theories as to the origin of religion. One• difficulty in the way is the fact that in our dreams we accept the presence of the dead as a quite natural phenonemon, which is to be regarded with no sort of terror. But a difference of opinion here does not affect our appreciation of this little book. When we have got past the introductory portion we can follow with consieerable pleasure and interest our author's treatment of the subject. He links together the topics of which he treats with considerable skill. The discussion on pp. 41-43 on Artemis, a . puzzling personage in her triple character, may be cited as a good instance of his manner. When we come to the authorship of the Homeric poems, we see with satisfaction that he holds that, at least, the " nucleus " of the Iliad was "the creation of a single poet." The note at the end of the chapter seems to us less satisfactory. The view that the Iliad and the Odyssey were the oldest of the epic cycle may not be "tenable," if that means "demonstrable," but there is certainly no reason to give any other of the epics precedence over them. We should not, in this case at least, be doing wrong if we held by Aristarchus. After all, he had, and we have not, the whole poems by which to judge. The Roman mythology is briefly treated, less than twenty pages sufficing for it. This is, of course, due to the extrusion of the native element by Greek legends and worships. The most characteristic Italian deities were what are called here "native spirits and deities closely akin to the spirits of actions." St. Augustine has a curious passage about them in the "Do Civitate Dei." The Italian Diana and Mamers had also an independent existence apart from Greek myth.—The Child : his Nature and Nurture. By W. B. Drumtnond.—The author begins with a striking observation on the "helplessness" of the human infant. The phenomenon is commonly regarded from the point of view of the pirent, and no doubt the ethical training implied by it is a very important matter. Mr. Drummond sees in it the " educa- bility " of the infant, a gift, he says, "given to the brutes in measure, but given to man without measure." One practical conclusion—of which indeed it is impossible to exaggerate the importance—is the capacity for combating sinister inherited influences. Were the infant as self-sufficing as some young animals, it would be almost, and soon become altogether, beyond the range of influence. In short, Mr. Drummond recognises the advantage of "child study " when he sets himself to deal with "child care." His book is an admirable example of practice judiciously inspired by wise theory.—First Azd to the Injured and Ambulance Drill, by H. Drinkwater, M.D., is the work of one who tells us that he has been an instructor in this subject, and an examiner of ambulance classes for nearly twenty years. He goes directly to the point and keeps strictly to the practical aspect of his subject. The illustrations seem likely to be useful.
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