My faithful "Co." has been looking through the works of reference. He complains that _Dod's Peerage, Baronetage, and Knighthood for 1890_ is carelessly edited. He notes, as a sample, that Sir HENRY LELAND HARRISON, who is said to have been born in 1857, is declared to have entered the Indian Civil Service in 1860, when he was only three years old--a manifest absurdity. As _Mr. Punch_ himself pointed out this _bêtise_ in _Dod's &c., &c., for 1889_, it should have been corrected in the new edition. "If this sort of thing continues," says the faithful "Co.," "_Dod_ will be known as _Dodder_, or even _Dodderer_!" Sir BERNARD BURKE'S _Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage_ is, in every sense, a noble volume, and seems to have been compiled with the greatest care and accuracy. KELLY'S _Post Office Directory_, of course, is a necessity to every man of letters. _Whitaker's Almanack for 1890_ seems larger than usual, and better than ever. WEBSTER'S _Royal Red Book_, and GARDINER'S _Royal Blue Book_, it goes without saying, are both written by men of address. _The Century Atlas and Gazetteer_ is a book amongst a hundred. Finally, the _Era Almanack for 1890_, conducted by EDWARD LEDGER, is, as usual, full of information concerning things theatrical--some of it gay, some of it sad. "Replies to Questions by Actors and Actresses" is the liveliest contribution in the little volume. The Obituary contains the name of "EDWARD LITT LEMAN BLANCHARD," dramatist, novellist, and journalist, who died on the 4th of September, 1889. It is hard to realise the _Era Almanack_ without the excellent contributions of poor "E. L. B.!" "Co." furnishes some other notes in a livelier strain:-- _Matthew Prior._ (KEGAN PAUL.) If you are asked to go out in this abominable weather, shelter yourself under the wing of Mr. AUSTIN DOBSON, and plead a prior engagement. (Ha! Ha!) You will find the engagement both prior and profitable. Mr. DOBSON'S introductory essay is not only exhaustive, but in the highest degree interesting, and his selection from the poems has been made with great taste and rare discretion. _In the Garden of Dreams._ The lack of poets of the softer sex has been recently a subject of remark. Lady-novelists we have in super-abundance, of lady-dramatists we have more than enough, of lady-journalists we have legions--but lady-poets we have but few. Possibly, they flourish more on the other side of the Atlantic. At any rate we have a good example of the American Muse in the latest volume by Mrs. LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON. This little book is full of grace, its versification is melodious, and has the genuine poetic ring about it, which is as rare as it is acceptable. It can scarcely fail to find favour with English readers. BARON DE BOOK-WORMS & CO. * * * * * EPIDEMIOLOGICAL.