BIBLIOGRAPHY.
SPECIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY NO. 3.
PLAY AND AMUSEMENT.
Compiled by Amv Hewes.
This bibliography is made up of titles selected from standard book lists. Owing to the variation in the periods covered by such lists and in the accuracy and fullness of the entries, corresponding variations are to be expected in the bibliography. Moreover, the compiler not being a professional bibliographer, it is probable that there are undesirable omissions and inclusions which an expert would have avoided. It is hoped, however, that the list may be useful to those who are interested in the rapidly growing literature of play and amusement, but have not the time to search through tifty or more volumes of book lists. The bibliography is intended to cover in general : American books from 1876 to date (1898), English books from 1832 to date, French books from 1S40 to date, German books from 1890 to date. But numerous titles of an earlier date selected from library catalogues, etc., have been included. As a special German bibliography of the literature of play and amusement was published in 1896 (see Seydel's Katalog der Turn-, Sport- u. Spiel-Litleratur on page 135), it was decided to mclude only the more important of the German titles between 1890 and 1896. It may also be observed that of the vast amount of literature on the subject of sport only -a comparatively few representative books have been chosen ; not because sport has no important relations to the play instinct, nor, indeed, that its interesting development from the latter does not invite investigation from the psychologist, but because, from his point of view, the large number of technical treatises on sports would offer but few contribu- tibns. The same is true of gaming and games of chance, etc. In the third place, it has been impossible, of course, to include such special subjects as the drama, dance, etc. Within these limits the aim has been to make the bibliography exhaustive.
One of the uses suggested and kept in mind during the compilation was the great and untried opportunity to study in the historical development of play and amusement the social conditions therein reflected. There is great truth in the test of a nation's civilization by the things at which its citizens like to laugh. There is great truth also in the growing recognition of amusements of an appropriate nature as one of the most efficient means of elevating the condition of the very poor in our great cities. Few indeed have awakened to a sense of the immense force here contained.
It is to be regretted that it has been impossible to include, because of limited space, the numerous and important contributions to these subjects which are to be found in the verj- valuable magazine articles which have appeared of late years. The greater number, however, mav be quite easily looked up in Poole's Index. The thanks of the compiler are due to Mr. T. R. Croswell, of the Stevens Point Normal School, Wisconsin, for permission to make use of a bibliography of play which he had collected in the preparation of a doctor's thesis on the subject. Mr. Croswell's thesis will appear in a forthcoming number of The Pedagogical Seminary.
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