Reviews and Book Notices. 15. 



pronunciation, that the result is many apparently vulgar and puzzling 

 nicknames are found amongst us — some of wliich are quite meaningless. 

 Maiiiwearing becomes Mannering ; Leveson-Gower is pronounced Lewson- 

 Gore ; Marforibanks is Marchbanks ; and Cholmondeley, Chumley. These 

 and many other interesting phases of the subject are dealt with in the 

 volume, and then the subject is treated exhaustively under trade-names, 

 place-names, Scandinavian names, French names, nick-names, etc. There 

 is a valuable series of appendices giving the names in various old docu- 

 ments, etc., and finally an elaborate index to the whole volume. On 

 trying to ascertain the origin of the names of some of the editors and 

 referees of The Naturalist, ' Family Names ' is partially silent ! Except that 

 the fore-elders of one kept (black ?) sheep, and another was in the ' clothes ' 

 line, we can gleam but little information! 



The Pronunciation of English by Foreigners, by G. J. Burch, M.A., D.Sc, 



F.R.S. Oxford : Alden & Co. no pp., 3/- net. 



Tliis is a series of lectures, on the Pyhsiology of Speech, delivered to 

 the Students of Norham Hall, and is a remarkably clever book, and one 

 that will appeal strongly to any interested in languages and their pro- 

 nunciation. The author carefully points out the characteristics of the 

 speech of the inhabitants of different countries and points out the way 

 in wliich this can be remedied. For instance, in Denmark, ' there is a 

 strong tendency, especially in Copenhagen, to omit consonants before 

 fricatives; ' thus 'a damp warm day' becomes 'a dam' warm day,' and 

 so on. There are numerous diagrams, and ' examples.' 



Black Tournai Fonts in England, by C. H. Eden. London ; EUiot 

 Stock, 32 pp., 4to, cloth, 5/- net. 



In the latter part of the twelfth century a number of solid blue-black 

 marble fonts were made in the province of Hainault in Belgium, the stone 

 being quarried near Tournai. The rock, from samples sent to us, seems 

 to be dark Carboniferous Limestone. These fouts, which had quaint 

 designs, were sent to various churches in France, Belgium, and England. 

 Examples occur at Winchester Cathedral and other places in Hampshire ; 

 at Lincoln Minster and Thornton Curtis in Lincolnsliire ; and at St. 

 Peter's, Ipswich. These have previously been described in various places ; 

 but the author has now brought illustrations and descriptions together 

 imder one cover. We draw attention to the matter as it is possible other 

 monuments of this period may occur in some of our churches, which may 

 be identified as emenating from the same source. The illustrations are 

 remarkably good. 



The History of the Spur, by C. de Lacy Lacy. London : The Connois- 

 seur, 95 Temple Chambers. 82 pp., 4to, price 10/6 net. 



In tliis volume the author gathers together much reliable information 

 in reference to the growth and evolution of the spur, from the short nail- 

 like spike of Roman times, to the ' prick ' spur of the eleventh and 

 twelfth centuries, and the rowelled spur of more modern times. By a large 

 series of illustrations he shews the different types in use in various periods, 

 obtained from museum specimens, ancient tombs, etc. He also gives 

 examples of foriegn spurs, and what may be termed ' freak ' spurs. The 

 subject is dealt with in a thoroughly scientific manner, and in many cases 

 the author shews that tliis important branch of antiquities has been 

 neglected, and specimens wrongly described and labelled, even in our 

 national collections. He has drawn information from many sources, and 

 has ransacked the provincial archaeological pubUcations for examples. 

 Tliis is apparently the first book entirely devoted to this subject. We can 

 find no reference to the famous Ripon rowels, and there is no index. 



igi2 Jan. 1. 



