13 JANUARY 1912, Page 27

Who's Who. (A. and C. Black, 10s. net.)—This volume shows

its customary annual increase, amounting this year to 165 pages. What is to be the result if this indispensable volume grows to an unmanageable size ? We are reminded of tho familiar problem in physics : What happens if an irresistible force strikes an ins- movable object ? Who's Who appeared for the first time, wo are reminded, in 1849. If it had only been in 1549, and Gardiner, Cranmer, and Polo had written their own biographical notices ! Now and then these notices would be the bettor for a little editing, but that, wo suppose, would be impossible.—Tho Who's Who Year Book (same publishers, is. not) is a necessary supplement, on tainiu g information, official and other, of all kinds.— With these may bo mentioned the Official Year Book of the Scientific and Learned Societies of Great Britain and Ireland. (C. Griffin and Co. 7s. 6d.)—The societies are arranged, it may be remarked, in fourteen sections. The first of these includes those which take cognisance of several branches of science, or with science and literature jointly, and the other thirteen occupying themselves with special subjects. The Royal Society may be taken as typical of the first. It is interesting to observe that science, so far as space occupied in dicatos predominance, has much the bettor of literature. Putting the mixed section aside, though it may be remarked that the Royal Society takes very little account of the literary element, we find the others standing in this order: (1) Medicine sixty pages, (2) biology fifty, (3) mechanics thirty-five, (4) archseology thirty-two, (5) chemistry twenty-nine, (0) literature twenty-seven, (7) geography twenty- five, (8) astronomy twenty-four, (9) economics twelvo, while naval and military have four each, psychology Rh many, and law three.—Vinton's Agricultural Year Book. (Vinton and Co. 1s.)—Herbert Fry's Royal Guide to London Charities. Edited by John Lane. (Chatto and Windus. Is. 611. not.)