Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California. By James M.
Hutch- ings. (Chapman and Hall.)—The best part of this entertaining book is
the engravings, upwards of 100 in number, and executed in San Fran- cisco from photographs under the author's superintendence. They certainly give an extraordinarily high idea of the beauty of the natural scenery of California, and especially of the Yo-Semite Valley. The narrative is simple and unassuming, and though the arrangement of the matter is not always very orderly, there is no bad taste, or exaggera- tion, or forced joking, so that the information which the book contains can be got at pleasantly. A waterfall 2,550 feet in height ought to attract lovers of tho picturesque, especially when the trees are in pro-
portion. By the bye, it is rather amusing to the hear that our cousins over the water do not approve of the name Wellingtonea Gigantea for an American tree, and call it the Washingtonea Gigantea.
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