A Venetian Bestiary, by Jan A Venetian Bestiarv, by Jan NIorris (7T1anmes & lhuedson, 0.95:J Of all the things onc can love in this wicked world, Venice and animals are in the top ten. Jan Morris is inextri- cably entwined with both in her loves and her writing. This pretty and, of course, beautifully written picture book captures thc animals of Venice from the ubiquitous cats and barge dogs to St Theodore's enigmatic crocodile, and from the stallions of Constantinople to the men- ageric of Carpaccio siting guard at the fringes of the main picturc. The next best thing to a flying visit to Venice. The Age of Beethoven 1790 1830, edited by Gerald Abra- ham (Oxford, f22.50): This latest volume in the monumcn- tal New Oxford History of Music from the earliest times down to the present day covcrs 40 vcars of more fundamental cha;ge than in any period until our own timc. It is a detailecl, magisterial, scholarly, and criti- cal survey of the music of the period divided by themes, illustrated with examples, but- tressed with bibliography.