Daffodil and the Crodxaxicans. By Augusta Webster. (Macmillan.) —Daffodil is
a little girl who, by help of finding an elf-cup, and fal,
filling certain other conditions, is able to visit a certain frog-world under the water, and to return therefrom with her experiences. The etiquette of the world of the Crokxaxicans (the "inimitable Croiixaxi. cans," as they call themselves), their high-bred contempt for beetles, human beings, and other inferior creatures, and all the curiosities of this under-world are described by Mrs. Webster with much ingenuity. We are bound to say that we should have liked to have had the fun a little more laughter-compelling. There are amusing things in the book, of course, as, e g., the passage which reminds us of Sancho Panza in Barataria, when the Professor of Everything restricts Daffodil's dinner to what will not interfere with her power of learn- ing ; the verses, too, are humorous. Mrs. Webster is sure to do well this part of her work, whether it be the grave or the gay that is wanted,—and there is some effective satire on various shams, political and other ; but on the whole, we must confess to a certain dis- appointment, which was all the greater because we had high expecta- tions of pleasure when a writer of Mrs. Webster's genius condescended to amuse us.
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