The times., 1890-02-07
CURIOUS cArALoeulNa.

CURIOUS cATALoculNG.
Queer Errors Which Librarians Mako.
| "Heine's sones' and 'Hen's Lays"
The whole world has heard by this
time of the Bostonian's claim to have
seen book catalogue containing this
entry;
| EscHyius Prometheus (unbound)
Which, he adds. is quits as good
in its ways as the entries:
| Mill on the Floss
| DO on liberty.
and the excerpt from the catalogue of
a country library:
| Patti Adelina-
| Do. Oyster
The French binders error in label
ing two volumes of ''Uncle Toms
Cabin" "L'Oncle, Tome l." and
'L'Oncle, Tome III, is also historical,
but hardly more deservedly so than
that of the cataloguer who entered
"Heine's Songs" as Hens Lays"
Celebrated Criminals Bound in
Morocco" appears to indicate that a
just retribution has overtaken a body
of nefarious persons among whom it
would be pleasure to number the
printer who caused the types to make
mention OF Professor Beers '"Thank-
less Muse" as the "The Thankless
| Nurse"
French Cathedrals. by Wrinkles, 4"
is possibly a correct entry, but "by
Wrinkles" sounds unpleasantly like a
substitute for profanity.
We can appreciate the feelings of
the cataloguer who wrote Zone Hun
dred and Fifty Choice Masterpieces, {"
and failed to observe in reading his
proofs that it had been set up as Zone
Hundred and Fifty Choice Mantel-
pieces.
Poems by Chaucer very scarce"
states an undoubted fact; but when a
set of Sterne is entered as having ''the
authors signature in nine volumes" to
enhance its value one is disposed to
suspect that some one has been imposed
| upon.
There is a perfect Daniel come to
judgment in the north of England.
His entry of Broughs ''Falstaf" illus
trated by Cruikshank, as "Cruik-
Bhank's Falstaff," written up by
Brough, is eminently Just.
The author of 80 Salads" would
be glad to see the volume referred to
ps "57l Paines,. even though it should
turn out that the works of Paine were
numbered 571 in the catalogue, and
were given a companionable sound
by tho oversight of the proof reader
and the cussedness of the typesetter.
1t is easy to picture the consterna-
ton of the librarian who found under
the classification of "Works on the
French Capital" the volume Parish
Register of Kirkbarton County, York"
An error which finds its parallel in
the entry of paul and Virgins" under
Americana as Virginia paul and);"
nor can we exclude here the classifi-
cation of ''Horati Flacci Opera" under
operate works. The proprieties were
certainly observed when, as we. learn
from recent catalogue, a life of
Peter the Great was bound in Russia,
which certainly cannot be said of the
binding of "Burton's Anatomy of the
Melancholy" in ''full Salmon Mo-
rocco"
One cannot but reflect that the au-
thor would be very angry were he to
see his work alluded to as ''Fleming's
Rabies" nor can it be gainsaid that the
probably mythical error, 'Bing Ham
sandwich Islands" for ~Bingham's
Sandwich Islands" would have plung-
ed its author into a. gulf of dark de-
spair.
Another probably mythical slip is
the entry of Michaelis' Ancient Mar
bles" under the head of sport; but ''The
Emperor Napoleon slightly soiled" is
bona fide.
The manual of Chirosophy, we'll
thumbed," "Cowes, in half calf" and
Jack Sheppard, with gilt edges, are
mistakes heard of but not seen; but
the allusion to Mrs. Beeton's Cook
Book, extra illustrated with fine
plates, is in existence.-J. x. Bangs
in Harper's Weekly.