One of the Critic's "Forty Immortals" writes as follows to the Literary World: There are certainly some curious features about the Critic's list of forty American Immortals. One of these is the fact that its pyramid rests, unlike those of Egypt, upon the apex. Mr. Francis Parkman certainly ranks very near the head of our living authors, whatever may be his sins in the way of political pessimism, yet he stands at the very bottom of the Critic's list. It moreover appears that he would not have occupied even this humble position but for the fact that two or three gentlemen who had more votes turned out to be foreign-born, and therefore ineligible. Another singular aspect of this post-office academy -making is the fact, of which I am informed by a fellow immortal ranking high on the list, that he and certain others owed their high places to a special "boom" organized without their knowledge by some young admirers and parishioners,-these particular immortals being clergymen. There was also a special scientific "boom," he said, accounting for the especially high position of Dr. Asa Gray and others. These "booms," throwing, perhaps, 25 or 30 votes, were, of course, perfectly innocent transactions, but they had a controlling influence upon the list; and this suggestion gives to the proposed academy a curious combined flavor of Wall street and Tammany Hall. [Ex.