Catalogue of the Library of the British Museum (Natural History) Catalogus Mammalium, tam viventium quam fossilium, Quinquennale Supplementum Our Country's Animals and How to Know Them; a Guide to the Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians of Great Britain

Abstract

THOSE responsible for the preparation of the invaluable “Catalogue of the Library of the Natural History Museum” are to be congratulated on the comparatively short interval which has elapsed between the issue of the preceding volume and the appearance of the one before us. About half the works included in the library at the commencement of the undertaking are catalogued in the two volumes now before the public, so that two more volumes, with the addition of a supplement, ought to complete the work. Needless to say, the present volume is compiled on the lines of its predecessor. A feature to which we may direct attention is the printing of the entries in such a manner that they may, if required, be cut out so as to form a card catalogue, the names of authors being given in full with each entry. We venture to think, however, that it would have been better had a few copies been issued with the letterpress on one side only of the paper, so as to have been available for this purpose without the sacrifice of an extra copy. Another noticeable feature is the care with which the dates of publication of works issued in parts have been worked out—in many instances for the first time —whereby several amendments have been made in the commonly accepted dates of certain technical names. An instance of this is afforded in the case of the large series of French voyages entered on pages 606–608 under the heading of France, which contain in many cases original descriptions of species collected during the cruises in question. The bibliographical staff of the Natural History Museum deserves great credit for the accuracy and fulness of detail with which this work is compiled.

Catalogue of the Library of the British Museum (Natural History).

Vol. ii. E—K. Pp. 501–1038. (London: Published by Order of the Trustees, 1904.) Price 20s.

Catalogus Mammalium, tam viventium quam fossilium, Quinquennale Supplementum.

By E. L.. Trouessart. Fasciculus i. Pp. iv+288. (Berlin: Friedländer and Son, 1904.) Price 12s.

Our Country's Animals and How to Know Them; a Guide to the Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians of Great Britain.

By W. J. Gordon. Pp. viii + 152. (London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co., Ltd., 1904.) Price 6s.