The Cyclopmdia of Card and Table Games. Edited by Professor
Hoffmann. (Rontledge and Sons.)—It is quite surprising to be told that practically the newest book on this subject is forty years old. Words are inadequate to express our astonishment that, in a treatise published in 1884, 179 pages out of a total of 198 were devoted to long whist ! However, the defect is now sup- plied. Professor Hoffmann has called in the services of a staff of experts. Dr. W. Pole condescends from the lofty height of "The Philosophy of Whist" to discourse on piquet, ombre, and patience games ; whilst General Drayson writes on whist and kart& We Care glad to see this expert take the common-sense view of " forcing " a partner. "Never hesitate," he says, "to give your partner the chance of a ruff, unless he has led trumps, or has 4 called.' To refuse to give him this chance merely because you are weak in trumps, is to play a losing game." After whist comes backgammon, and after this, again, bagatelle. Mr. A. G. Payne contributes a paper on billiards, Mr. Leopold Hoffer writes on chess, and Mr. R. McCulloch on draughts—Chess for Beginners, and the Beginnings of Chess. By R. B. Swinton. (T. Fisher Unwin.) —Mr. Swinton gives the rules of the game, some remarks on play, and devotes Part II. to a historical and literary treatment of the subject. This is a very readable, and at the same time, we should say, practically serviceable little volume.—On the athletic side of sport we have Broadsword and Sin glestick, by R. G. Allanson- Wenn and C. Phillips-Wolley (Bell and Sons). This is a volume in "The All-England Series." It is amusing to find the " um- brella " treated as a weapon of self-defence. As our author remarks, considered in this capacity, "it has not been given a fair chance." Doubtless it may .do good !service on occasion. There are directions for choosing a walking-stick—always regarded as a weapon of defence. Our author advises to choose a blackthorn, and to go to Ireland for it. "Ask a friend to secure the proper thing as prepared by the inhabitants." If you have to hit a burglar, hit him on the side of the head, not the back or top.
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