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DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE. By Angus Sinclair. New York: Angus Sinclair Publishing Company, 1907. 6x8% inches; cloth; 661 pages, 400 illustrations. Price, $5. This well-written book will be read with pleasure and profit, not only by American railroad men, but also by the large number of those who, while they have no practical knowledge of the locomotive, take a warm interest in this the most scientific and the most wonderful form of the steam engine. Mr. Sinclair's practical knowledge of the locomotive engine both in Great Britain and in this country has well fitted him for his task, which has extended over a period of many years. Unfortunately, the history of early locomotives is so clouded by the contradictory accounts found in contemporary literature, and the subsequent destruction of original drawings and records, that to those who have given the subject any study, it has become an axiom that to write accurate locomotive history is now practically impossible. Recognition of this fact will disarm much adverse criticism which might be leveled against this and other treatises on the subject which have been issued from time to time, and we take pleasure in saying that the present work is by far the best of its kind ever published. The sketches of the lives of American engineers who helped to develop the locomotive engine, together with some accounts of the early history of American railroads, will be read with interest and pleasure. The engravings, over 400 in number, illustrating the origin and progress of the locomotive engine, are, as a rule, well executed, but there are some notable exceptions, especially those showing British locomotives, and we would suggest that the imperfect outline of Stephenson's "Rocket" of 1829 be replaced by a correct drawing in the next edition of the book, which will, doubtless, be soon wanted. The "Rocket" was, in many respects, the most remarkable locomotive in the world, for it possessed all the essential features of the engine of to-day, and its details are worthy of study. Speaking generally, the development of the British locomotive has not, in the present work, received the attention which we think the subject merits, but in this regard Mr. Sinclair has done better than the English locomotive historians, who in their records have practically ignored the history of the American locomotive. The chapter on valves and valve motion is valuable, for there has been more study devoted to these organs of the locomotive engine than to any other, as the numerous examples here given fully demonstrate. The book is written in an entertaining style, and we can cordially recommend it. THE OUGHT-TQ-GO. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd., 1907. Paper; 80 pages; illustrated. Price, 1 shilling net. A humorous brochure at the expense of automobil ism, written in an essentially British vein of humor, which has been popular for the last seven years. The effort is by no means the worst of its kind, and will be appreciated by those who decry automobiling, while motorists will be able to smile at the sometimes rather cruel sarcasm of its pages. OUTSTANDING ERRORS OF THE NAUTICAL ALMANAC. By Dodge P. Blackstone. Berlin, Wis.: George C. Hicks. Price, $1.50. A method of correcting the calculations of the Nautical Almanac with respect to the errors due to the shifting of the poles.
