Of the many and far-reaching developments in shipping since the last edition of this book, three in particular have had a major impact on the ninth edition. The reduction of the United Kingdom merchant fleet to a mere 300 trading vessels over 500 gross tons, and the disappearance of the vast majority of established European and American liner companies, has meant a drastic revision of the balance of the contents, and a change in the title, since "British and Foreign" seemed no more appropriate than "Steamship". The ninth edition attempts to give a fairly representative world-wide selection of the houseflags and funnel markings of companies which operate ships. This includes shipping companies of all types, from giants controlling millions of tons, to small one-ship companies and from deep-