24 OCTOBER 1925, Page 42

RUMINATIONS. By Arthur McDowall. (Heinemann. 6s.) Ma. McDowALL laments the

restless spirit introduced into life by our swiftly moving and complex machine age ; he contends that the cow has an undeniable attraction, with her slow movements, and the possession of a tempo which she imposes upon all who come in contact with her. He writes with much care and at times with an ironic humour on many entertaining subjects, but somehow we never feel that we have been brought into any close acquaintance with him. Without this sense of personality, the book remains somewhat tame and trivial fare.