British North America.

Dufferin and Ava, Marchioness of.—My Canadian Journal, 1872-78. Extracts from my letters home, written while Lord Dufferin was Governor-General. 8vo. PP. xviii.-417. London: John Murray. 1891. (Price 12s.) [Presented by the Publisher.]

In submitting her Journal to the public, the authoress states that it is rather a record of the past than a description of the present, inasmuch as the first pages were written twenty years ago, and it is more than twelve page 120 since the book was closed. Although during that period the hand of progress has been busy building, adding to, and improving in almost every part of the Dominion, these notes and impressions of the experiences of Lady Dufferin during her residence in the country still possess considerable freshness and interest. No attempt has been made to record any part of the business of the Governor-General, and public events are alluded to only as they affected the movements or social arrangements of the Viceregal party. Lady Dufferin speaks throughout in high terms of the scenery of the Dominion, and of the kindness experienced from the many friends met with, who added so materially to the happiness of her daily life in Canada. Several illustrations from sketches made by Lord Dufferin and a map add to the value of the work.

Annual Report of the Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada. Vol. iv. New Series, 1888-89. Roy. 8vo. Montreal. 1891. [Presented by the Director.]

This account of the work of the corps of the Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada during the period named embraces a large number of valuable reports relating to the geology, the mineral resources, and the natural history of various portions of the Dominion, from British Columbia and the North-West to Hudson's Bay and Nova Scotia. Many of these reports are of more than ordinary importance, containing, as they do, information which is not available in any other form. Mr. Ellis's report on the mineral resources of the Province of Quebec forms quite a history of the several mining industries of that province, from their inception to the present time, and containing information not only to be found in the Reports of the Geological Survey, but collected from leading articles and reports by experts in the different branches of mining, and published in the scientific journals both in Canada and the United Kingdom. A statistical report on the mineral production of Canada during 1888 is contributed by Mr. H. P. Brumell, and Mr. G. C. Hoffmann's annotated list of minerals occurring in Canada embraces all such as have been identified with any degree of certainty as occurring in Canada. The whole work, consisting of about eleven hundred pages, has been carefully edited by Dr. Alfred R. C. Selwyn, C.M.G., the Director of the Survey.

Monck, Frances E. O.—My Canadian Leaves: An Account of a Visit to Canada in 1864-1865. 8vo. Pp. 867. London: Richard Bentley & Co. 1891. [Presented by the Publishers.]

Mrs. Monck was the wife of General the Hon. Richard Monck, a brother of Viscount Monck, who was Governor-General of Canada, at the period with which this diary is connected. The contents of the book deal with the experiences of the authoress whilst on a visit to Canada, but there is very little information of any value or interest contained in the three hundred and sixty pages of which it consists.