15 MAY 1909, Page 26

The City of London Directory. (W. and L. Collingridge. 12s.

6d.)-- This, the "thirty-ninth annual edition," really needs no recom- mendation. For completeness and attention to detail—we observe that the floor on which the office or chambers' are situated is given—it is not surpassed. Besides the Alphabetical Directory, Streets Guide and Trades Guide, common to all such books, we have an account of the Livery Companies of the City (Courts, Livery, Income, &c.), a List of Liverymen Voters, a Biographical Directory, and Directories of the Corporation, the London County Council, and Public Companies. 'We must not forget to mention, as we have mentioned before, the quite admirable map of the "one square mile," and its absolutely unrivalled contents.—While the City Directory treats of the commercial world, The Royal Blue Book and Court Guide (Kelly's Directories, 5s. not) has to do with the leisured classes, the people who live in the western region of London, a greatly increased number, as evidenced not only by the extent of the area covered with bricks and mortar, but by the greater density per acre. As to the former proof, there must be many of our readers who remember when the greater part of the land now covered by the streets and squares of Kensington was occupied by market gardens ; as to the second, the proportion, if it could be stated in figures, would be very striking. The area which formerly contained a single house with, say, ten inhabitants now has some seven fiats with not less than four times as many. A map of the Western District has boon added.