Two parts, "Stratus—Styx," by Dr. H. Bradley, and " Sweep-
Szraikite," by Mr. C. T. Onions, have just been issued, com- pleting the ninth volume of the Oxford English Dictionary (Clarendon Press. 5s. net each part). Dr. Bradley remarks in a charming memoir of Sir James Murray, lately reprinted from the Proceedings of the British Academy (H. Milford. Is. 6d. net), that the first editor, on issning the first part of the dictionary in January, 1884, hoped to complete the great work in ten years. After thirty-five years, however, .Sir James Murray's successors have still to deal with the last six letters of the alphabet, though a portion of V has been published. We need not cavil at the delay ; the wonder is that a dictionary planned and executed on so magnificent a scale should not have taken much more than a generation. It may be hoped, however, that within the next few years the work will be finished, for everyone who knows " Murray " and uses it finds it indispensable. The new parts, as immaculately edited as usual, contain many strange scientific words : " Szmikite," it seems, is a manganese sulphate named alter a Hungarian, Szmik. But there are also a great number of genuine English words, like " swipe " or " swab," which must puzzle a, Latin tongue. We are surprised to and no quotation for " Syndicalism " earlier than 1907.
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