The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-06-09
The Public Library Catalogue.

NM i1DtIoh:-U nkn0Wn TO the writer OF tnlS
communication is the authorship of the article
IN the PRESS of Wednesday, in regard to the
fuoilc Library, but as one who prepared the
catalogue, though asking pardon for critcising
mistakes, which probably occurred from haste
10 tne reading of proof she yet avails herself of
tne privilege of correcting through YOU, col
unns, errors which none the less but fall I'M
and scholar.
Pollen's Ancient and Modern Furniture
SOUNDS more familiar to the ear, than though
tne work was credited to that historian of old,
anu Maskell's Ivories is more easily recognized
tnan Maskell's Queries. Blanc's Ornament in
Dress and Penley's Water Colors are known 10y
ADMIRERS of fine arts, only by the names of au-
thors here given. Muspratt is the writer of a
very valuable work on Chemistry. and does not
clalm any connection with the various cOmpos-
ers OF the Painters Companion.
ANuSlon might also have been made to sew
eral rare and Anticipated histories, and it may
pc proper here to sp eak Of manuscript cata-
iogue OF every volume in the Willis Collection
under its author, title and subject. Likewise
TINS department contains one hundred and fifty
bound volumes of pamphlets of all classes, of
winch the list of contents is completed, and
Wnich must certainly prove OF special interest
70 the student of every science and profession.
The errors mostly literal, mentioned in the
above unsigned communication, are of kind
not confined to newspapers. They appear in
printed catalogues, as the Findingi.Lists of the
Portland Public Library will show. In those
Lists the author Of "Peter Simple appears as
Frank Marryatt, though the world had hither
to known him as Frederick Marryat. The
great Flemish painter who bore the names of
two OF the apostles, figures as P. T. Rubens.
The famous beauty who held the capricious af-
fectons of Louis XIV. for brief time, appears
as Louise la VALERIE. The charming letter.
writer is disguised in the lists as Madame Sc
vigue, and the edition of her correspondence as
. Letters Choisies," a curious macaronic title.
Fish, the author of primitive Piety," appears
as Fish. The French master of style figures
as Boileaux, while the American pathfinder
figures as Fremont, the Roman poet as Hora-
tuis, and the French pulpit orator as Bourda-
zone. An ex-senator is credited with the au-
thorship of a "Tax Payers Manuel" and
French preacher with "Oraisons Funcbres."
One of Scott's novels is given as "Radgaunt-
let," while readers of recent fiction are told
where to look for ''The Atonement of Lean
Dunbar" The science of sounds figures with
an extra letter as "Accoustics," and Trumbull's
burlesque epic is given as IN. Fingal." A
popular collection of poems in the Leisure
Hour Series bears the macaronic title 'Verse
de Societe.' 1t is needless to multiply exam
PIES Enough have been given to show that
newspapers are not alone in their errors, and
that mistakes in type are difficult to avoid.
But there are other errors in the finding lists
Switch probably did not occur from haste in
the reading of proof" but (which none the
less fall unpleasantly upon the mind of artist
and scholar" if not Of cataloguer. For example
Warmers Summer in a Garden" is put under
the head of Agriculture, while Cooley's "Toilet
and Cosmetic Arts is under the head of Fine
Arts. Under the same head is to be found
Ruskin's 'Unto this Last" Not SO objection
able is the classification of Alphonse Karr's
s.Tour round my Garden as botanical trea
tise and the reader is relieved to find that
Hamerton's gu Unknown River" does not come
under the head of African Exploration. One
does however find Whately's Historic Doubts
under History, which conspicuously they are
not, and Bryce's "Holy Roman Empire under
italian history. Stedman's victorian Poets
is set down as Poetry, instead Of excellent
prose. "Mrs. birmingham" heretofore un..
known among writer's, appears as the author o.
a Journal" The Hamilton memoirs Of the
English King ''whose word no man relied on
are described as memoirs of Charles III of
France, who died some centuries before any
Stuart saw an English throne. One is curious
to know too why if 1t is necessary to look under
sc. B. Nichols for the author of "Jane
Eyre" it should not be necessary to look under
'H. II. Jackson for the author of 'Bits of
Travel,' Evidently hasty proof-reading and
other errors are not confined to newspapers.