being to enable those consulting it readily to find any particular book, together with all the other authors who have written on the same subject, which may be contained in a certain library. To effect this, many different systems have been devised, for disposing the various branches of human study in the natural order in which they appear to stand in relation to each other; and perhaps the principle of such an arrangement will be most usefully illustrated, by an account of the series of Classes into which the Catalogues of this Library are divided.

As all knowledge is generally separated into the PURE SCIENCES and the MIXED SCIENCES, the Classification commences with the former, taking Theology for the first great subject. This is followed by Jurisprudence, because human laws were naturally derived out of the Divine institutes; and in it are included the kindred Subdivisions of Government and Politics, as founded upon legislation; with Commerce and its branches, as arising out of international-law. To these succeeds the Class of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy; in the Subdivisions of which are developed Ethnology, and the philosophical history and principles of Education, and of Human Society and Manners.

The MIXED SCIENCES are commenced by the descriptive list already noticed, of the Proceedings of those Societies which have been instituted for promoting scientific improvement, followed by the titles of such Journals as are devoted to the same object. The general Mathematical-Sciences then succeed, as being the foundation of the second principal division, introducing first Astronomy and subsequently the Physical-Sciences. Chemistry, the several branches of Natural-history, and the MedicalSciences, are the next in order, on account of their intimate connection with each other; which are followed by the FineArts, and by the Mechanical and Useful Arts of every species; concluded by the Encyclopædias and Dictionaries in which all the Sciences are described and illustrated.

The descriptions of the different regions of the world by Geographers, Navigators, and Travellers, as recorded in their Voyages and Travels, lead to the great Classes assigned to the History and Antiquities of all ages and nations; which are completed by another extensive division, appropriated to Biography. Philology and Literature are then introduced by the science of Bib

liography, by works on various Languages, on the arts of Writing and Printing, and on the History of Literature. The Greek and Latin Classical Authors, with the extensive general Literature of succeeding ages and countries, terminate the arrange

ment.

There is no doubt that such a system supplies the most complete information as to the works written on any given subject, existing in a certain library; and that, for perusal or examination at leisure, a Catalogue arranged on this plan is greatly to be preferred. But it is perhaps not even yet generally understood that such a work is not the fittest for expeditious reference, nor for parties unacquainted with books. The visitors to a library, especially when they are occupied with some particular enquiry, have commonly too little time, or want the information proper, for consulting a synopsis, and for considering the class to which a certain author rightly belongs. Hence the present demand for "a good Finding-Catalogue," assuredly does not imply one solely classified. With every such work, therefore, an Alphabetical list of the Subjects into which it is divided; and, still more, an Index of Authors and the Titles of their Books, should always be connected, each referring to the pages whereon they may be found. Those natural and familiar means of reference are available to all; and it is even possible that the ordinary demand for classification in catalogues might be the most effectually satisfied, by an union of the Names of Authors, Books, and of some particular Subjects, with cross-references to the several writers, in the same alphabetical arrangement. An apparatus of this kind completes the value of a Classed Catalogue; and an increasing conviction of the importance of it, has led to some material improvements of the Second Index to the volume now issued to the Proprietors. addition, therefore, to a copious list of Authors and their Works, it comprises also many principal Subjects of general interest, on which valuable modern books have been published: aud the titles of those volumes, including the names of the writers, are either inserted under the respective heads, or references are added to other parts of the Index where similar information is supplied.

In

One of the most important and interesting features of this work, will be found in the complete descriptive lists of the Publications issued by various Literary and Scientific Societies contained in

the Library. The several articles of those lists are also sepa-
rately distributed to the proper classes to which they respectively
belong, with references to the different collections wherein they
are printed; and the same explicit particulars are likewise included
in the Index. Another improvement which was proposed to have
been introduced into this Catalogue was the continuation of the
analyses of certain large collections of historical and antiquarian
tracts, only generally recorded in the former parts of this work.
After some progress, however, had been made in the preparation of
those lists, they were found to be too extensive to be conveniently
inserted; and they also appeared likely to confound the proper
distinction between a catalogue and an index. A more important
and useful feature was therefore adopted, in the form of a Supple-
ment to the preceding work, arranged on the same plan, exhibit-
ing the Additions and Continuations received in the Library during
the printing of the volume to the commencement of the year
1852; the titles of the whole being included in the same Index.

In connection with the increase of the Library as exhibited in
the ensuing Catalogue, the present introductory remarks may be
most appropriately closed, by a grateful record of the numerous
DONATIONS which have been from time to time received in aug-
mentation of this collection. From the year 1834 a careful Re-
gistry has been kept of all Works Presented to the Library, with
the Names of the Givers, the contents of which, down to 1838,
have been printed and distributed to the Proprietors; and from
this Register the following concise account of those Gifts has been
compiled.

The most important division of Donations, comprises such
as are statedly made to the Library by several Scientific So-
cieties, of their Proceedings, Transactions, or Journals. Of this
number are THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, THE ROYAL AS-
TRONOMICAL SOCIETY, THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION, THE GEOLO-
GICAL SOCIETY, THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, THE CHE-
MICAL SOCIETY and THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Through The
Astronomical Society, also, are received various official CATA-
LOGUES OF STARS; with the ASTRONOMICAL, MAGNETICAL, AND
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, made at the same Observatory:

a

those made by the Astronomer-Royal for Scotland are forwarded
from the OBSERVATORY AT EDINBURGH; and THE NAUTICAL
ALMANACK is sent to the Library by Lieut. W. S. Stratford, the
Superintendent.

From Literary Societies a few articles only are presented, but
the PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES have been
given from the commencement in 1849; and the Proceedings and
Papers of THE ASHMOLEAN SOCIETY OF OXFORD have been
supplied to the same time from the Officers of that Association,
at the instance of Dr. Daubeny and Professor Baden Powell.
The Council of THE ART-UNION OF LONDON has also presented
all the Engravings and Illustrated Publications of the Society;
and The Athenæum Club, The Russell Institution, and The
London Library, have given their respective Catalogues.
With
this class of Donations may be properly included the separate
copies of Papers printed by such Societies, or in Scientific Jour-
nals, as are occasionally presented by the respective Authors.

A considerable Gift, which is now received annually, consists of
the ACCOUNTS, ACTS, REPORTS, PAPERS, PRINTS, AND OTHER
OFFICIAL-DOCUMENTS, PRINTED FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE
CORPORATION OF LONDON. These pieces were first presented in
the year 1847, and now form Six Volumes. Descriptive lists of
the contents are inserted in the ensuing Catalogue, at pages
234-242 and 434.

The next most important class of Donations consists of Volumes
occasionally presented by their respective Authors or Editors,
and of small numbers of old books.

The last and most numerous class of Gifts consists of Tracts
and separate Printed-sheets, which are usually of a temporary or
very limited interest, and generally of very inconsiderable extent.
In the course of years, however, even these unimportant pieces
acquire a value not originally belonging to them, from the cir-
cumstance that they are much more commonly destroyed than
preserved. Donations of this nature have in an important de-
gree contributed to the increase of the modern part of the Tracts
in this collection, which in 1834 formed 713 Volumes, and now
extends to 790.

Such is the nature of the Gifts usually made to this Library;
but there were some Donations received during the last year,
which require a separate and a more particular record. The

first of these was presented on February 15th, 1851, by the REV. JOHN LOUIS PETIT, a Proprietor of this Institution, and nephew of the late LOUIS HAYES PETIT, Esq., F.R.S., also a Proprietor, and a frequent benefactor to the Library. This Donation consists of a set of VALPY'S REGENT'S EDITION OF THE DELPHIN LATIN CLASSICS, on large thick paper, in 150 Volumes splendidly bound. A particular analysis of the series of Authors contained in this collection, will be found at pages 358, 359 of the present Catalogue.

Another Donation of great value and peculiar interest has been received from the PRESIDENT OF THE LONDON INSTITUTtion, THOMAS BARING, ESQ. M.P., consisting of all the most important ILLUSTRATIONS, PICTORIAL AND LITERARY, RELATING TO THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS. At the close of the present Volume will be found a particular descriptive account of this most interesting collection, methodically arranged, the preparation of which has occupied the most careful and considerate attention, that it might be rendered worthy of the subject, the Donor, and the Library in which it is deposited.

A third very valuable Gift was presented in October, 1851, by WALTER HAWKINS, ESQ., F.S.A., a Proprietor and Visitor of this Institution, consisting of the very beautiful and interesting work entitled A MONOGRAPH OF THE TROCHILIDE, or HUMMINGBIRDS published by Mr. John Gould, F.R.S.; to which Mr. Hawkins subsequently added some other volumes.

Another important addition to the Library, was presented in December by JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A., consisting of a Volume of ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENTS, CHIEFLY RELATING TO LONDON, EXTENDING FROM THE FOURTEENTH TO THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

The last Donation requiring to be recorded in this place, is a contemporaneous Illuminated Manuscript copy of the French version of a very popular work of the fifteenth century, entitled The Moral Sayings of the Philosophers, translated by Guillemin Tignonville, who was Provost of Paris in 1408: which interesting volume was Presented to the Library by JOHN RENTON, Esq. a Proprietor, and one of the Managers of this Establishment. LONDON INSTITUTION:

April, 1852.