In the "American Catalogue," too, the classes of Theology and Fiction, the "old style of alphabetical order" has not been strictly adhered to, as the preface intimates, particularly in that of Fiction, where sometimes it is necessary to refer to the name of the author, and sometimes to that of the book, although in the latter case the name of the writer is also generally carefully mentioned in the midst of the paragraph. The Index is therefore a most useful part of the book, and in using this elegantly-printed volume it claims precedence. The recent decision of the Court of Chancery in the case of Spiers v. Brown, allows Dictionary makers the greatest latitude in adapting the labours of others to their own purposes, and perhaps wisely so, and therefore I do not complain that my Bibliographical Guide to American Literature of the previous year, should have spared the compiler of The American Catalogue of Books the necessity of much of that labour and research, which, as the original pioneer, had fallen to my share; nor should I have noticed the circumstance, but that in the present reproduction of my own, I do not wish it to be surmised that I have borrowed from that catalogue anything to which a comparison of the two works will prove the priority of my claim.

9. CATALOGUE, OR ALPHABETICAL INDEX, OF THE ASTOR LIBRARY. In two parts. PART 1. AUTHORS OF Books, A-E. New York, printed by R. Craighead, Caxton Building, 81, 83, and 85, Centre Street, 1857. Royal Svo. (Vol. I.) Fly title and title; Preface, dated September 1, 1857, pp. iii.—v., followed by pp. 1–494.

(Vol. II.) Repetition of the title, excepting the letters indicating the contents, which are altered to F-L., and the date to 1858; fly title and title, followed by pp. 495-1000.

Printing under the revision of J. G. Cogswell, Esq., the eminent bibliographer, who is the Principal Librarian of the Astor Library. The Alphabetical Catalogue is subdivided on the plan of Watt's Bibliotheca Britannica, and will probably consist of eight volumes. In a work intended to facilitate access to the treasures of a great public library, certain deviations from strict bibliographical rules may be pardoned, yet it is to be regretted when these are of an arbitrary stamp that the preface does not sufficiently explain the plan adopted. American bibliographers seem fond of inversion, and in the present catalogue the rule laid down in the preface respecting anonymous publications is an example, which bids the reader to search for the work under "the word of the title, which constitutes its main subject," whilst those which have the name of the author on the title-page, or attached to the preface or dedication, are entered in strict alphabetical order. On the whole, these rules have been adhered to, but there are some amusing exceptions. For instance, S. Augustinus will be found correctly under Augustinus; but for what reason it is impossible to say, the searcher after the works of S. Hieronymus is referred to Jerome, Saint, and when he has turned to that name in the aplhabet, he will have had his pains for nothing; for it is omitted altogether, and will probably have to be sought under Saint, to supply the omission. There is evidently a staff of cataloguers employed, but to secure accuracy the labour of revision should not be subdivided. The book is elegantly and otherwise correctly printed; and of almost every voluminous work an elaborate analysis is given. Though not

strictly claiming a place in a list of books relating to American Literature, I may be pardoned for calling attention to this important national publication.

It is not generally known that in the Library of the British Museum is to be found by far the most complete collection of books printed in America. Mr. Stevens is occupied in preparing from this source a bibliographical record of American progress, which when completed will be of great value to the student.

3. WORKS DEVOTED TO SPECIAL BRANCHES OF

LITERATURE.

1. THE LITERATURE OF AMERICAN LOCAL HISTORY; a Bibliographical Essay, by HERMANN E. LUDEWIG, Corresponding Member of the National Institute, and of the New York Ethnological Society. New York, 1846. 8vo, 180 pp. (Not printed for sale.)

By far the greater portion of the books referred to by Dr. Ludewig belong to the present century, and, in all, they amount to about 1400, existing in public and private libraries in America. Had Dr. Ludewig had access to the library of the British Museum, his list would have been far more complete. Indeed, at the date of his death, on the 12th of December, 1816, he had made considerable additions towards an enlarged edition of the work, which it is hoped may yet be made available on some future occasion. Dr. Ludewig's name is sufficient guarantee that nothing has been omitted, which, up to the date of its publication, the most unremitting research enabled the author to discover in the United States of America. The titles are frequently given at length, and on all occasions the dates and places of publication are noted down. It is to be regretted that the number of pages is not indicated; because from the extent of works on local history, one may mostly form some idea of their relative value.

Dr. Ludewig received great assistance from Mr. William Gowans, the wellknown bookseller of New York, and had availed himself of access to the libraries of the Hon. Peter Force, of Washington, and of Mr. George Brinley, jun., of Hartford, both of whom took great interest in the progress of the work. In 1848, Dr. Ludewig issued a "First Supplement " to the " American Local History," in "the Literary World," of Feb. 19th of that year, and printed off 30 copies in a separate form for private distribution. Of the original work only 500 copies were printed, many of which were distributed by the author with a liberal hand to public and private collections on both sides of the Atlantic.

2. A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE OF BOOKS; Translations of the Scriptures and other Publications in the Indian tongues, in the United States; with brief critical Notes. Washington, 1849. 8vo, 28 pp.

This is in every way a well-executed bibliographical essay. It enumerates 139 title-pages.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHIA AMERICANA HISTORICO-NATURALIS, or Bibliography of American Natural History, for the year 1851, by CHARLES GIRARD. Washington, 1852. Svo, 2 leaves and 66 pp.

It is proposed to extend the work by decades of preceding years, as well, annually, as to future publications. The plan includes: I. The Doings of American Naturalists; II. The Labours of Foreign Authors as to America; and III. Abstracts or Reviews of papers relating to Foreign Natural History, when published in American periodicals. The work is got up with much care, both as regards the subject matter, and in a bibliographical point of view. It enumerates 284 articles, for the greater part to be found in scientific periodicals. 4. LEGAL BIBLIOGRAPHY; or, a Thesaurus of American, English, Irish, and Scotch Law; together with some continental treatises; interspersed with critical observations upon their various editions and authority. To which is prefixed a copious list of abbreviations by T. G. MARVIN, Philadelphia, 1847. 8vo, viii. and 800 pp.

"With regard to Law Books of the United States," says the compiler, "this volume will be found to contain a tolerably complete list. To this department of the work, in addition to the resources afforded by the ample history of the Dane Law-School, gentlemen in various States have kindly rendered me material assistance, to whom I am under very great obligation." The catalogue is arranged alphabetically, and the titles are for the most part well abridged, and admirably adapted to meet the requirements of the legal profession, for whose use the work has been mainly prepared.

5. A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS, treating of the IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. New York, WILLIAM GOWANS, 1853.

A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS ON FREEMASONRY, and kindred subjects. Compiled by William Gowans. New York, WILLIAM GOWANS, 1854.

A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS ON THE EVIDENCES OF REVEALED RELIGION, by the most eminent authors. New York, WILLIAM GOWANS, 1854.

CATALOGUE OF BOOKS ON PROVERBS, Maxims, &c.

These Catalogues are not confined to American publications; but also enumerate European works on the subjects to which they are devoted.

6. CATALOGUE OF THE LIBRARY OF THE MILITARY ACADEMY, WEST POINT. N. Y., exhibiting its condition at the close of the year 1852. New York, 1853. 8vo, 403 pp.

At

This is a valuable catalogue for the use of Military Schools in America, compiled without any pretensions to minute bibliographical accuracy. least two-thirds of the books referred to are of European origin.

7. A GENERAL CATALOGUE OF LAW BOOKS: including all the Reports, both English and American, from the earliest period, by LITTLE, BROWN, and Co., Boston, 1856. 12mo, 149 pp.

This catalogue is got up with much care, and the notes are valuable. Its first object was to enable the legal profession to see what books of authority in the Courts had been published either in England or America. The titles are not always given at length, nor is this necessary, when they are so carefully abridged as in the present instance. It is needless to add that the number of pages is not indicated. The bulkiness of a law book is frequently anything but a test of its merit.

8. CATALOGUE OF A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIBRARY, offered for sale at the prices affixed. Collected by JOEL MUNSELL, Albany. Albany, 1856. 8vo, 1 leaf and 40 pp.

d

This is a catalogue of bibliographical books generally, American as well as European, making no profession of completeness, but simply describing at sufficient length the books submitted for sale in its pages.

9. BIBLIOGRAPHIE DER FREIMAUREREI, in America (Nachtrag zur Bibliographie von Dr. Kloss) zusammengestellt von B. Barthelmess, M.D. New York, 1856. 8vo, vi. and 48 pp.

Carefully prepared, in accordance with the generally accepted bibliographical rules, this little book is deserving of all praise.

10. BIBLIOTHECA PROBATA. Catalogue of Books selected, examined, and arranged under the heads of Bibles, Prayer-books, Commentaries, Devotional Library, Family Library, Parish Library, Parish School Library, Sunday School Library, Academic and School-District Library; with full descriptive titles, characterizations and prices. To which is appended a list for the library of a parish minister, drawn with much care and consultation of learned authorities. Second Edition, New York, DANIEL DANA, JUN., 381, Broadway, 1857. 12o. xxxi. pp. ; containing fly-title and advertisement, title-page, preface, dedication, and alphabetical index; then 234 pp., including a chapter on English Literature of 15 pp., followed by the various sub-divisions enumerated on the title-page, with Addenda, 3 pp.

This is in every sense a most carefully prepared catalogue for the purposes of sale. In most cases, where the books are not well known, the number of pages is given; but dates and places of publication are systematically omitted. The notes are partly original and partly selected. The chapter on English literature is a rapid sketch, commencing about the middle of the fourteenth century, and brought down to the death of Webster, whose writings are adduced 66 as a happy illustration of the best characteristics" of American literature. The volume is elegantly printed, and should contain at the end a catalogue of Mr. Dana's publications, with "notices of the press." 23 leaves, 8 of which are paged 1—15.

*

BY WAY OF CONCLUSION it may not be out of place to notice that in NAUMANN'S SERAPAEUM, Dr. Hermann Ludewig published three elaborate articles on American Literature, the first of which, containing a survey of the bibliographical sources which relate to books on America, appeared on the 31st of July, 1845; the second, Remarks on the Libraries of the United States, on the 30th of April following; and the third, on the Periodical Literature of America, with some remarks upon American and German bookselling in America, on the 30th of June, 1846.

In 1845, Mr. George Palmer Putnam published in London, in an octavo volume of 292 pp.-" AMERICAN FACTS; Notes and Statistics relative to the Government, Resources, Engagements, Manufactures, Commerce, Religious Education, Literature, Fine Arts, Manners and Customs, of the United States of America,"-in which there is some valuable information respecting the number and character of books published in America.

* For a slight biographical sketch of Dr. Ludewig, the reader is referred to p. xiii. of his Literature of American Aboriginal Languages.

The Indexes to the North American Review, to the Journal of Science and Arts, to the Bibliotheca Sacra, and Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, must not be passed over in silence.

1. GENERAL INDEX TO THE NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW, from its commencement in 1815, to the end of the Twenty-fifth volume, published in October, 1827. Boston: published by Grey and Bowen; New York: by G. and C. and H. Carvill; London: by O. Rich, No. 12, Red Lion Square, Holborn, 1829. Royal 8vo, 4 leaves, including fly-titles, title, and editor's Note, and 442 pp.

This index is constructed with much care, and the leading words are so arranged as to present the greatest facilities for reference and research. A separate index of Books Reviewed is added, in which each book is indicated by the principal word of its title, at least, so says the editor's note. In most cases this is so; but “Abstract, Account, Addition," and several " "principal" words of a like character, are exceptions to the rule. It is surely much better to place all books under the author's names, where known, and in regard to anonymous works, to insert them according to M. Barbier's canon, under the first word of the title-page, articles and prepositions excepted. This index occupies pp. 403-442.-It may not be amiss to mention that an account of books relating to America will be found in the following places in the North American Review:-VOL. I. pp. 145, 297; VOL. II. pp. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 145, 148, 150, 289, 291, 294; VOL. III. pp. 1, 4, 9, 145, 150, 151, 305308, 316; VOL. IV. pp. 1, 145, 289; VOL. V. pp. 1, 175; and VOL. VI. pp. 255. In VOL. XVIII. p. 162, mention is made of the number of books printed in the United States, and of the proportion of those imported to those printed; and in VOL. XXIII. p. 206, in deploring the deficiency of books in the United States, the writer gives the numbers contained in the principal cities.

2. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS. Conducted by PROFESSOR SILLIMAN and BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, JUN. Volume L. General Index to the forty-nine volumes. New Haven: printed for the Editors, by B. L. Hamlen, printer to Yale College (April 19th, 1847). 8vo, xviii. pp. for title and preface, 1 leaf Explanations, and pp. 5-348. By way of frontispiece a portrait of Professor Silliman is given. There is a list of works reviewed at pp. 287– 294, and a list of periodical works at p. 295.

3. INDEX TO THE BIBLIOTHECA SACRA AND AMERICAN BIBLICAL REPOSITORY, Vols. I.-XIII. containing an index of subjects and authors, a topical index, and list of Scripture texts, by W. F. DRAPER. Andover: W. F. Draper; London: Trübner and Co., 60, Paternoster Row, 1857. 8vo, v. pp. including title and preface; pp. 7--223, containing lists mentioned above; and pp. 1-13, Index of Contributors to the Bibliotheca Sacra, followed by lists of Mr. Draper's publications.