Walford's County Families of the united Kingdom. (Spottis- woode and
Co. 50s.)—Mr. Edward Walford, who projected this work now nearly half-a-century ago, foresaw the difficulty of making it perfect. It is a "Manual of the Titled and Untitled Aristocracy." Perhaps we may note, as a typical detail, that this massive volume is less appropriately termed a "manual" than was its predecessor of 1860. Then " titled " is a phrase capable of expansion. We can hardly understand "hereditary," because creations find their place very properly in these pages. What would one call a " life-Peer " ? But the hardest task is to define practically the "untitled" aristocracy. When a millionaire from abroad buys an historic mansion is he to be ranked among the " County Families " ? All that we can say is that Watford deals with a complicated situation as discreetly as could be desired. The volume contains a mass of information in which the inquirer is pretty sure to find what he wants.
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