evating his favorite study to the
dignity of a science.

An interesting volume of travels has been published by William
Holdredge, entitled _A Winter in Madeira, and a Summer in Spain and
Florence._ The author is understood to be the Hon. JOHN A. DIX, although
his name is not appended to the volume. His description of Madeira will
be read with interest, as an authentic account of a state of society,
concerning which we have little information from modern travelers. His
remarks on Spain and Florence are of a less novel character, but are
every where distinguished for good sense, clearness of expression, and
correctness of taste.

A neat volume adapted to the holiday season, is _Gems by the Way Side_,
by Mrs. L. G. Abel (published by Wm. Holdredge), consisting of choice
selections from favorite authors, with several tasteful embellishments.

An excellent service has been done to the cause of good learning by
GEORGE P. PUTNAM, in the publication of a handsome volume, entitled _The
World's Progress, A Dictionary of Dates_, edited by himself. The
preparation of a work of this character demands such rare patience of
labor, such habits of accurate research, such soundness and delicacy of
judgment, and such devotion to the interests of knowledge, without the
hope of great fame or profit by the enterprise, that the pioneers of
literature who undertake it, are entitled at least to the cordial
gratitude of every student and lover of letters. In the present volume,
Mr. Putnam has collected a large amount of information, from distant and
various sources, and arranged it in a lucid order, adapted to aid the
investigations of the student, and to promote the facility of general
reference. It consists of a series of tabular views of ancient and
modern history, compiled from a previous manual by the Editor, and the
full and accurate tables of Talboys--an Alphabetical Dictionary of
Dates, founded on the well-known work of Joseph Haydn--a Chronological
List of Authors, from the Companion to the British Almanac, with
additions--a Table of the Heathen Deities--and a general Biographical
Index. The task of the Editor has been performed, with diligence and
fidelity, although, as he intimates in the preface, it can not be
presumed that such a volume can be free from imperfections. We might
direct his attention to several obvious errors for correction in a
future edition; but we presume they have already been discovered by his
vigilant eye.