s, with green heads, point out the
positions of the Russian army; and in the same manner, with
red-and-white-headed pins, he distinguishes the stations of the different
kinds of troops of the Turkish host.--_Literary Gazette_.

THE OPERA OF "OTELLO."

Othello is altogether unsuited to the lyrical drama, and supposing the
contrary, Rossini, of all composers, was the most unfit to treat such a
subject in music. The catastrophe in the English tragedy is necessary; we
see it from the beginning as through a long and gloomy vista. We weep, or
shudder, we draw a long sigh of despair, and feel that it could not have
been otherwise. But in the opera, Othello is a ruffian, without excuse for
his crime. We have suddenly a beautiful woman running distracted about the
stage to a symphony--and a very noisy symphony--of violins, and butchered
before our eyes to an allegro movement.--_Foreign Review_.

* * * * *

FRENCH NOVELS.

When last in Paris we were curious to know wherefore M. Jouy had written
such exceptionable and abominable stuff as his last novel; and the
gentleman to whom we addressed ourselves, answered, in a light lively vein;
"Oh! M. Jouy has a name, and the booksellers pay well; and as they are
very stupid, and depend on names for the sale of their books, he wrote
down the first matter that came into his head."--_Foreign Review_.

* * * * *

AMBER.

Polangen, the frontier town of Russia, is famous for its trade in amber.
This substance is found by the inhabitants on the coast, between Polangen
and Pillau, either loosely on the shore, on which it has been thrown by
the strong north and westerly winds, or in small hillocks of sand near the
sea, where it is found in regular strata. The quantity found yearly in
this manner, and on this small extent of coast, besides what little is
sometimes discovered in beds of pit coal in the interior of the country,
is said to amount to from 150 to 200 tons, yielding a revenue to the
government of Prussia of about 100,000 francs. As amber is much less in
vogue in Western Europe than in former times, the best pieces, which are
very transparent, and frequently weigh as much as three ounces, are sent
to Turkey and Persia, for the heads of their expensive pipes and hookahs.
Very few trinkets are now sold for ornaments to ladies' dresses; and the
great bulk of amber annually found is converted into a species of