The North American Review, that brilliant pot-pourri, contains in the December number more heterogeneous elements than ever before, its contributors ranging from Senator John G. Carlisle and the poet Swinburne to the Marquis of Lorne and-Ignatius Donnelly!

Senator Carlisle's paper is on "The Recent Election." Its character and tone are apparent to those who read the papers and are familiar with Mr. Carlisle's views.

Mr. Swinburne contributes a criticism-an enlogy rather, of Victor Hugo based on descriptions of his travels as published in his posthumous works.

Mr. Robert P. Porter, President Harrison's unfortunate appointee to the superintendency of the last census, writes on "Partisanship and the Census," the article being an attempt to defend the recent count of the American people.

An Englishman and an American write on arbitration and on the future of warfare, and it is Sir Lyon Play fair, belonging to the nation which, with its "hearts of oak" and mighty ironclads, has ever ruled the waves, who advocates peace, while Captain Zalinski, of the commercial republic, is the prophet of warfare.

The Marquis of Lorne writes on the "Partition of Africa," Erastus Wiman on "Over Production in Sumitres," Dr. Paul Gider on "Dr. Koch's Discovery" and Ignatius Donnelly evolves a new cipher from Shakspere's works in the shape of the words "Francis Bacon, Sir Nicholas Bacon's Son" occurring over and over again.

Mrs. Burton Harrison, whose most recent title to fame is the authorship of "The Anglomaniacs" attempts to write an essay in a novelist's style with unfortunate results. Her subject is "Maidens and Matrons in American Society." The maidens receive further attention in a symposium "Shall our Daughters have Dowries?" by C. S. Messinger, Harriet Prescott Spofford, Amelin E. Barr, Mrs. Beecher, Mrs. Livermore and Mrs. Rollins.

Various notes and comments conclude the number.