... ' 'ITALAN OPERA COMPANY. The revival of the enterprise known as Her Majesty's Italian Opera Company, alluded to yesterday, does not necessarily imply that Italian opera itself, like the fabled Plicenix, is about to renew its existence. Pending the long-talked-of production of Signor Verdi's Ot4llo, Italian opera appears still in a moribund condition. But opera in Italian isquite another thing; ...

... | Inlieu apparently, of the Thursday morning performance of opera which is usually given here by touring Iyric com- panies for the benefit of country visitors, Mr. Mapleson's company gave on Saturday a so-called morning concert in the Town Hall, at popular prices. The performance, which commenced at half-past two o'clock, was exclusively vocal in character, and the programme was so ...

... . Last evening this society gave the second of its current series of concerts in the Town Hall, the programme con- sisting of Eanileggers dramatic cantata Fridolin,' and Mr. Anderton's The Norman Baron. the principal vocalists were Madame Georgina Burns, Mr. Barton MicGuckin, Mr. Robert Grice, and Mr. Watkin Mills. Mr. A. R. Gaul, Mns. Bac., was at the organ, and Mr. Stockley conducted. ...

... | TIE DE OF LINCOLN AND THE STAGE. Speaking at a dramatic entertainment given bv the hbovs of the Lincoln Diocesan School. on the occasion of !the distribution of prizes on Tuesday night, the Dean of Lincoln Far. I1ucleri said sometimes he had heard ex- ception taken to these nerfordiances. It had been said that they %vere making the boys actors, and that they were using them to that which was ...

... ITALIAN OPERA SERIES. The closing night of the series on Satuday was de- cidedly the best in point of attendance, if not also as regards the performance, but even so the audience was quite inadequate to the merits of the company and the entertainment, and it is much to be feared that the venture must have proved a sub- stantial loss to all concerned in it. The opera, Mozart's Nozze di Figaro ...

... I BOXING-DAY AfUSEMENTS. The provision this week of amusements for the inbabi- In tants of Birmingham and their visitors is fully UP to ug the average. In feet, with- the o-pening, of a new theatre, ad and the addition of English Opera to the list of Christ- te mae entertainment', with other novelties of a minor l character, a step in advance of previocs years seems to have been made. We ...

... NEWBOOKS. MIncrOIES, FEMENs, AND MousD9. By E. L. TsocssUss.AR. [London: Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co.] The realisation of the immense importance of the infinitely little is one of the most striking modifica- tions of the modern conception of the system of nature. The microscope is constantly revealing a new world, and scientific investigation shows ever more and more clearly that creatures ...

... NKEWV BOOKS. JOHs PAosnrxr'S Curs&. By JUamNt HAW- THORNE. [London : Cassell anld Co.] This is a story of the wrecking of lives by the use of opium. John Parmelee is a bank cashier, wyhose wife, talking narcotics first ill illness, beeomes a shive to the habit, with lucid intervals of shame and sclf-reproach. In one of these she leaves him, and ho is unable to trace her. Parmelee, in hisis ...

... MADAME B.OVARY. Provincial Manners. By GOSTAYR FLarLEn.T. Translated from the Frenclh Edition DThfiinitive by ELEANOR MARX- AvEINeG. TLcndon: Vizetelly and Co.] Those who do:, not read French need feel no exuberant gratitude to Mirs. Mlarx-Aveling for placing this book in their hands. Flaubert's skill ill the realistic painting of detestable subjects is well known. The translator claims for ...

... THR}EATENING OUTLOOK. T THE RUMOURS ABOUT THE CZAIR. The Poll Mtall Gazettc says the ridiculous stories tele- graphed from Vienna and elsewhere about the madness, the timidity, &c., a-c., of the Czar are almost too absurd to require constradiction. It may, however, be as well to state that the Czar is perfectly well, in possession of all his faculties, adored by all his family and those who ...

... The entertainment provided by Mr. Hamilton is always welcomed in Birmingham at this season. As usual, Mr. Hamilton has secured Carzon Hall for the holidays. and last night gave the first exhibition to a tolerably large audience, The entertainment retains some of the features which were most popular in former years: but there is a large admixture of novelties, judiciously selected and most ...

... SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE 1. SHOW. - The eighty-ninth annual exhibition of fat stock, held under the auspices of the Smithfield Cattle Club, was opened Yesterday, at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. It cannot be said that the show is at all equal to that of last year or the year before ; but, nevertheless, it will compare very favourably with the exhibitions of some previous years. In the first ...