The publication of _The National Cyclopædia of Useful Knowledge_ has just been completed by the issue of { 342} the twelfth volume. We notice this useful condensation of _The Penny Cyclopædia_ principally, however, for a feature which we hope to see more widely extended, namely, that of issuing it in a strong and handsome half-binding, at the moderate charge of one shilling per volume extra. The practice of publishing books in a bound form (more especially such books as are intended for very general circulation) is one which we have no doubt may be widely extended with great satisfaction to purchasers. It has, generally speaking, been, up to the present time, too closely confined to books of high price, adapted only to wealthy purchasers, whom the words "bound by Hayday," or "morocco extra," with the necessary increase of price, charm, rather than discourage.
There is perhaps no work to which, at the present moment,--when the World's Fair is about to commence, and we are sure to be visited by hundreds, or rather thousands, of our Gallic friends, with whom we shall be in daily and hourly conversation,--we can more appropriately call the attention of our readers than to the second division (_Partie Française-Anglaise_) of M. Tarver's _Dictionnaire Phraséologique Royal_, in which we can assure them they will find the readiest solution of all those phraseological queries which may arise during their intercourse with our lively neighbours. A very cursory examination of its pages will serve to convince the inquirer of the great learning and patient industry of M. Tarver; and his interest in the work will not be diminished by the reflection that the name of its accomplished author will be found in the obituary of the present week.
When noticing, a few weeks since, one of Captain Knox's interesting volumes, we spoke of the undying popularity of White's _Selborne_. A proof at once of this popularity, and a means of increasing it, will be found in a new edition of this delightful book just issued as one of the volumes of _Bohn's Illustrated Library_. It is entitled to its place in this series on account of forty admirable woodcuts by which it is illustrated; and to a place on the bookshelves of every Naturalist, for the sake of the additional notes of Sir W. Jardine, and its present editor, Mr. Jesse.