are thinking of retirement, has obscured his early achievements in the minds of many of his acquaintances in New York. One of his English colleagues, Mr. J. Y. W. MacAlister, Librarian of the Royal Society of Medicine, said:

"He had done a big life's work when he was called to plan and administer the great New York Public Library, and he tackled it on his own principle without fuss or unnecessary publicity; he just 'began,' and each day's herculean 'chore' saw him miles on his way to triumphant success."

Dr. Garrison's memoir has an excellent quality in that to a great degree it lets Dr. Billings tell his own story. The quotations from letters and diaries are copious. The book ends with a genealogy of the Billings family, by the late Mrs. J. S. Billings; the military record of Dr. Billings; and a bibliography of his writings, by Miss A. R. Hasse.

MANUSCRIPT DIVISION

ACCESSIONS IN MAY

TWO groups of naval correspondence and

from the Proudfit Fund, as follows: Copy-book of official correspondence of Lieutenant (afterwards Commodore) William Ronckendorff, U. S. N., commanding the S. S. "M. W. Chapin" during her cruise with the Brazil Squadron and on the Paraguay Expedition; also the U. S. Coast Survey Steamer "Bibb" and Schooner "Arago," etc., from Oct. 18, 1858, to Jan. 4, 1861. It is partly in his handwriting; the rest in other hands. Ronckendorff was midshipman of the U. S. Navy, Feb. 17, 1832, and by successive promotions became Commodore on Feb. 12, 1874, and retired on Nov. 9, of the latter year. On Dec. 27, 1861, he took command of the Steamer "San Jacinto" and was at Hampton Roads to fight the "Merrimac," etc.

There is also original correspondence relating to affairs in connection with the U. S. S. "Congress," flagship of the United States Brazil Squadron, during a cruise in South American waters, 1859–1861. It is signed by Joshua R. Sands, flag officer of the squadron, and other officers of the navy. The documents, of which there are ninety-seven pieces, are addressed chiefly to Captain (afterwards Rear-Admiral) Louis M. Goldsborough, and include correspondence with consuls of the United States stationed in South American cities, in regard to deserters and to disturbances on land by sailors of the squadron. Also included is the original Thanksgiving proclamation issued on board the "Congress."

There is original official correspondence, consisting of ninety-one pieces, relating to affairs on board the U. S. S. “Colorado," first rate, flagship of the European Squadron, 1865–1867, including reports of desertions, method employed for their capture, court martial, etc., signed by Commander Robert H. Wyman, of the "Colorado," and addressed to Rear Admiral Louis M. Goldsborough, U. S. N., commanding the European Squadron.

Two manuscript land tax books, for the Second Battalion of Berkeley County, Virginia, 1788 and 1793, were purchased. Names of members of the Washington family are mentioned therein.

The most interesting accession of the month was the purchase of a small lot of miscellaneous manuscripts and nine printed broadsides. Among the latter is a rare New York item relating to Benjamin Franklin and another New York imprint giving the "Articles and Regulations of the Friendly Society of Tradesmen, House Carpenters, in the City of New York," March 10, 1767. The manuscripts in this lot, worthy of particular mention, are:

Papers relating to the New Hampshire Grants, 1770-1775. Land and other papers relating to Samuel Avery, 1770, etc., in New Hampshire Grants.

Court docket and memorandum book of John Grout, of Cumberland County in the New Hampshire Grants, 1772–1774.

Controversial case of John Holt, the printer, in regard to stolen lottery tickets. Criticises Holt severely.

Brief, etc., in the case of Cornelius Brouwer vs. the Trinity Church Corporation, New York City, in Supreme Court, October term, 1759, based upon the Anneke Jans Bogardus farm claim, property in the possession of the Trinity Church Corporation.

Susquehannah land company, Paxton Boys and limits of the Connecticut Charter. An interesting argument.

Draft of a letter to James Rivington, 1774, by "A friend to truth and justice."

United States account with Jeremiah Van Rensselaer as Pay Master to the First New York Regiment, for clothing. May 4, 1782. Signed by Van Rensselaer, Major John Graham and Lieut. Col. Robert Cochran. Manuscript on the Tea Import, 1770.

A

NEWS OF THE MONTH
GIFTS

MONG the more important and interesting gifts received by the Library during the month of May were the following: Mr. Charles Henry Hart of New York gave the Library a collection containing one volume, 210 pamphlets, and 4,469 manuscripts. The manuscripts include correspondence of Asher Brown Durand, of John Durand, and of Charles Henry Hart.

From Messrs. Evarts, Choate and Sherman of New York came a collection of 145 volumes and 10 pamphlets containing law books, law directories, codes, and documents of various states of the United States.

Mr. R. H. Lawrence of New York presented a collection of prints and bank note designs by American engravers, 368 in number.

Miscellaneous collections were received from the following: From Miss Blumenberg of New York, 114 volumes and 2 pamphlets, mainly German classics; from Brown Bros. & Co., 6 volumes and 430 pamphlets, comprising reports of railroads and private companies; from the Bureau of Municipal Research, 92 volumes and 246 pamphlets; from the Delta Upsilon Fraternity, 397 volumes of fraternity publications; from Mrs. Edmund Dwight of New York, a collection of works of fiction, history, biography, etc., 207 volumes and 2 pamphlets in all; from the "Engineering News," 34 volumes and 28 pamphlets of public documents; from the "New York Evening Post," Brockhaus' Conversations-Lexicon, in 16 volumes; from Mr. V. J. Kubanyi of New York, 15 volumes of French and Latin books; from Mr. James J. Murphy of New York a miscellaneous collection of 20 volumes and 13 pamphlets; from Mr. Hugh Rankin of New York, 10 volumes and 9 pamphlets; from Mr. Howard Townsend of New York, 132 volumes and 32 pamphlets, including reports, French novels, periodicals, etc.; and from Dr. Jonathan Wright of Pleasantville, N. Y., 14 volumes of French translations of Plato, Sophocles, and Aeschylus.

The following additions were received to our print collection: From Dr. Alexander Duane, a collection of 22 photographs of Spanish caravels and other ships exhibited at the Columbian Exposition; from Mr. Wm. Korn of New York, a box of material used for lithographic work; from Mrs. James H. Wright of Cambridge, Mass., 18 etchings and bookplates; and bookplates from Mr. Joseph Manuel Andreini of New York, and Miss Flora Gardiner Kling of Mt. Vernon, Ind.

The following authors presented the Library with copies of their works: Mr. Olivar Asselin of Montreal, Canada; Dr. W. Howard Berber of New York; Mr. John E. Barrett of Scranton, Pa.; Mr. Reginald Pelham Bolton of New York; Mr. Daniel Chauncey Brewer of Boston; Mr. Walter Lannoy Brind of Bergenfield, N. J.; Dr. Kenneth Bulkley of New York; Mr. J. E. Bullard of New York; Mr. John Malcolm Bulloch of London; Mr. Warwick Stevens Carpenter of New York; Mr. George Crouse Cook of New York; Mr. Morris Llewellyn Cooke of Philadelphia; Mr. L. J. Coppage of Crawfordsville, Ind.; Rev. W. J. Couper of Glasgow, Scotland; Mr. Joseph Foster of Portsmouth, N. H.; Mr. Thomas Shirley Graves of Durham, N. C.; Dr. J. Victor Haberman of New York; Mr. Ford Madox Hueffer of London; Rev. Albert Edwin Keigwin of New York; Miss Mabel McIlvaine of Chicago; Mr. Lewis Mayers of New York; Mr. Charles Christopher Mierow of Princeton, N. J.; Mr. W. A. Munn of St. John's, Newfoundland; Mr. David Murray of Glasgow, Scot

land; Mr. John Myers O'Hara of New York; Mr. Max Radin of New York; Mr. M. C. Rolland of Vera Cruz, Mexico; Rev. Henry Martyn Saville of East Greenwich, R. I.; Mr. I. M. Rubinow of New York; Mr. George E. Shea of New York; Mr. William T. Skilling of San Diego, Cal.; Mr. R. A. C. Smith of New York; Mr. S. Reid Spencer of New York; Lieut.-Col. Louis W. Stotesbury of Albany, N. Y.; Mr. Willard Straight of New York; Mr. Edward Van Winkle of New York; Dr. Lucius Waterman of Hanover, N. H.; Mr. Barthinius L. Wick of Cedar Rapids, Ia.: and Mr. Robert Withington of Bloomington, Ind.

Additions to our collection of genealogical works were received from the following: Mr. William B. Aitken of New York; Mr. Frank D. Andrews of Vineland, N. J.; Mr. Onward Bates of Chicago; Mrs. Edward C. Chatfield of Minneapolis, Minn.; Mr. William A. Fox of Chicago; the Jewett Family of America, Inc., George A. Jewett, President, Des Moines, Ia.; Messrs. Martin & Allardyce of Philadelphia; and Dr. F. E. Weeks of Kipton, Ohio.

JOHN

MR. ALEXANDER'S DEATH

HN W. ALEXANDER, the distinguished artist, died at his home in this city, May 31. Mr. Alexander was elected a Trustee of the Library, Jan. 13, 1909. He was twice chosen Chairman of the Art Committee, and held that position at the time of his death. He served on the committee in charge of the opening exercises of the Central Building, and superintended the arrangement of the picture galleries in this building.

ADDITIONS AND USE OF LIBRARY DURING MAY

URING the month of May there were received at the Library 29,848 volumes and 6,195 pamphlets. The total number of readers in the Central Building was 67,590. They consulted 189,297 volumes. Visitors to the building numbered 209,787.

ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS

A LIST OF REFERENCES TO MATERIAL IN THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY COMPILED BY WILLIAM B. BEHRENS, DIVISION OF TECHNOLOGY