The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

New Books.
indeed, was supposed by J. F. Campbell and others to be
lost. These are Campbell's, Macfarlane's, Maclagan's,
Sage's, and Sir George Mackenzie's Collections. The
whole series is simply invaluable to the student of Ossianic
lore.
Mr Kennedy writes the memoir of Dr Cameron, which
extends to 155 pages, and he does so in a manner and with
a feeling that only the Roman word pictas fully, and our
term "filial affection," lamely and metaphorically, expresses.
It is an excellent production, and, though rather out of
keeping with the severely scientific character of the rest of
the volume, we have no doubt the general public will
greatly enjoy it. Our only criticism would be that Mr
Kennedy should have enlivened his pages with a few
clerical anecdotes. This is a criticism which also a Glasgow
correspondent makes, who relates one or two tit-bits about
the worthy and reverend doctor. We will quote one to
show Dr Cameron's keen, if at times sarcastic, humour.
Our correspondent said to the doctor one day : " Your
friend, Mr So-and-so, is teaching Gaelic in the So-and-so
College
Gaelic !
this session." The doctor rejoins " : Teaching
Oh, is he ? When did lie learn ?" And this, too,
about a quondam candidate for the Celtic chair ! His sense
of accuracy almost amounted to a disease. In a highly
appreciative review of the ReliquicB which appeared in the
Glasgoiv Herald, the writer relates an amusing instance of
his fastidiousness, to the following effect :—Some years ago
a Glasgow printer had an article from the doctor's pen in
type and corrected, when he received in the forenoon a
telegram ordering the deletion of an apostrophe after a
particular Gaelic word. In the afternoon a telegram again
arrived from Brodick, which read : " this forenoon."
Stet apostrophe deleted
The second volume promises to be even more scientifically
important than the first, and more interesting as well
to the general reader. The famous Fernaig MS., written
by Duncan Macrae in Kintail two hundred years ago, is to
be reproduced in full. This M.S. of various vicissitudes
has, we understand, been generously gifted by Dr Skene,
its late possessor, to one of the editors (Mr Kennedy), and
the forthcoming edition of it will not fail in excellence and
accuracy of materials. It is written in phonetic Gaelic,
which makes it all the more important as giving the exact
pronunciation and idiom of the time. An unpublished