The Boy's Own Annual. (Boy's Own Paper Office.) — This is, as
usual, a volume of abundant and excellent reading. There are serial tales, as "The Finding of the White Elephant," by Mr. David Ker ; Dr. Gordon Stables's, "Cruise of the Good Ship • Boreas ; " " The Cygnet's Head," by R. W. K. Edwards ; and " Drere of Lonemouth Grange," by the Rev. A. N. Malan ; the two latter being stories of school-life. The miscellaneous contents strike us as well chosen. There are instructions for the benefit of boys of a mechanical turn, hints about fishing in fresh water and salt, and other matters that concern useful employment and amusement. Three coloured plates, representing respectively the freshwater fishes of England, English butterflies, and birds' eggs, require special notice. In the fishes plate we have only to observe that the colouring of the gudgeon seems far too light. The birds' eggs plate is supplementary to a larger description that appeared in the same periodical some time ago. It would be as well, we think, to give from time to time a brief conspectus of the Wild Birds' Protection Acts. Boys may easily transgress the law with- out knowing it We have also to notice with especial praise the Robinson Crusoe map. It seems that the journal offered a prize for the best map giving the island as Crusoe describes it. Defoe seems not to have had an absolutely consistent idea in his head. But the prize-map overcomes the difficulties as well as may be, and is an excellent piece of work.
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