J. B. Dumont : Les Grands Travaux du Riede. (Hachette
et Cie., Paris.)—This is another of those modern French quarto volumes which seem to have been published in anticipation of the advent of a race of giants, disposing of pockets equally gigantic. It is profusely illustrated, and consists of eighteen chapters, the titles of which will give an idea of its contents :—" Railways," "The Mont Cenis Tunnel," " The St. Gothard Tunnel," " Metallic Bridges," " The Great Railway Lines," " Mountain Railways," " The Metropolitan Lines," " The Suez Canal," " The Panama Canal," " The Corinth Canal," " Harbour Works," " Packets," " Ironclads," " Telegraphs," " Artesian Wells," " Metallic Con- struction," " The Eiffel Tower," " Modern Towns." As may well be expected, a large space is allotted to the achievements of French engineers, many of them, no doubt, very able men ; and French inventors seem from the book to have had almost always the first idea of everything. Still, there is no chauvinisme, and a comparatively small amount of mis-spelling of English names,— "Merthyr Tydwill " and " Rotten Kow " being perhaps the most glaring instances. The engravings alone, many of them admirable, would make the volume worth buying for those who may have space for it on their tables.
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