minute questions involving prolonged research on part of Minister to
whom they were addressed. Before the smoke had quite cleared away BENN
rose, remarked, "I assure the honourable and gallant gentleman he is
totally incorrect," and resumed his seat.

The Major gasped. After devotion of precious time to looking up material
for his conundrums, after skill and labour bestowed in shaping them, was
this the result? Every hair on his head bristled with indignation. His
voice choked with anger. His eye, accustomed to survey other
battlefields, gleamed on the laughing faces that confronted him.
Unseemly merriment increased as he attempted to put Supplementary
Questions, which got unaccountably mixed up between Section 72 of the
National Insurance Act, 1911, and the provision of Insurance Regulations
(No. 2) (Scotland).

[Illustration: THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER as seen by his opponents
and by his admirers.]

If the Major survives shock more will be heard of this.

_Business done._--In Committee on Army Estimates.

* * * * *

A BOOK OF THE DAY.

_The Life-Story of a Turnip._ By Ato Mato, F.R.V.S. Illustrated in
colour. Messrs. Tuber, Root and Co. Price 3s. net.

(Reviewed by A. D. Ryan, M.A.)

There have been autobiographical studies of the animal world; why not of
the vegetable? This is a delightful monograph, executed with consummate
skill and verisimilitude throughout. The author, who holds the
Professorship of Cereal Metaphysics at the University of Tokio, has
devoted the greater part of his life to the study of the vegetable
kingdom; and we need hardly remind our readers of the exceedingly
interesting treatise, entitled "The Psychology of the Cabbage," which
appeared in a recent issue of the _Carnifugal Quarterly_.

It is indeed time for a more scientific treatment of vegeto-animal
phenomenon; and Mr. Mato is the pioneer of a science which, we hope,
will soon receive the attention which it undoubtedly deserves. The
present volume is in its way a masterpiece. The author has successfully
avoided treating his subject from a too human point of view, and we are
paying him a very high compliment when we say that the more we study the
work the more we are impressed with what we may best describe as the
"vegetability" of the writer's mind. The book is racy of the soil; it is
written in a charming and convincing style, and bears the stamp of
imaginative originality. An acquaintance