The Treasure of the Oxus. By 0. M. Dalton. (British
Museum.) —This volume is of more than usual interest. The "Oxus Treasure" is part of the bequest which Sir A. W. Franks made to the. nation. Its history is curious. It came from a collec- tion of valuables taken by robbers from some Bokhara merchants on their way between Kabul and Peshawur, and partially recovered by the promptitude of Captain, now Colonel, F. C. Burton. It fell into the hands of some dealers at Rawal Pindi, and some spurious articles were mixed with it. Sir A. W. Franks bought it, so to speak, en masse. Examination revealed some forgeries. Still, the bulk is undoubtedly genuine, and is referred by Mr. Dalton to the flourishing period of Persian history, the time of the Achaemenian dynasty. These matters and various questions relating to ancient Persia are ably dealt with in the introduction. A second part deals with other objects of the same kind acquired by the Museum.—With this we may mention the Catalogue of the Collection of English Porcelain, by R. L. Hobson, B.A. Here again the nation is greatly indebted to the patriotism of Sir A. W. Franks, the larger portion of the objects comprised in the collection having come to the Museum by his bequest.
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