THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SPORT.*
THE new edition of this Encyclopaedia will be complete in four handsome and bulky •volumes. There are photographs in profusion, many excellent drawings by Mr. Caldwell, and some pretty coloured plates by Mr. Thorburn. Two volumes are now before us : and it will suffice if we describe them and draw our readers' attention to a work which, under the title of "Sport," embraces not only aviation but catapult-shooting; not only motoring (or as the editors, for reasons best known to themselves, call it, automobilism ') but butter- fly-collecting and birds-nesting. A noteworthy staff of writers has been enlisted, some possibly on account of their titles. Much of the natural history has been entrusted to such com- petent writers as Mr. Harting, Mr. Lydekker, Mr. Bryden, .and Mr. Millais. A great deal of the matter in both volumes is new, and so are many of the illustrations. The first volume opens with "Aeronautics," which includes flying machines and balloons, by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Next comes Lord Northcliffe on the " Alligator." In the second volume we have " Crocodile Shooting," by Mr. H. R. P. Carter. It is amusing to find both writers out of their depth in laying down the distinction between alligator and croco- dile. Long articles are devoted to athletics, big game, billiards, boxing. coursing, cricket, cycling, dogs, golf, and football, and the second volume ends with hound-breeding, by Mr. Charles Richardson. Many of the articles are good reading, as well as instructive ; but a few of the writers incline to be discursive. The first aim of an encyclopaedia is to be .concise, and to furnish as much trustworthy information in as accessible a form as possible. In this the articles .occasionally fail, but the whole work is most attractive, and is sure, with good reason, to be popular. Many of the articles .end with glossaries of the technical terms that are used in the .sport. A very useful feature of the work is the Bibliography which concludes the chief articles.
Previous page
