4 CATALOGUE OF BOTANICAL LITERATUKE. 



Proof sheets are received daily from the Libiaiy of Con«ress, from 

 which printed cards are ordered, comprising additions to the Library 

 of Congress and the libraries of the Department of Agricnlture and 

 the Geological Survey, while a large number of typewritten and 

 hand\yritten cards are added covering additions to the various 

 libraries for which printed cards can not be obtained and also a large 

 number of analytical and index entries. From July, 1910, to July, 

 1911, about 7,000 cards were added to the author catalogue and serial 

 list, and as many more have gone into the subject catalogue. 



INDEX ENTRIES. 



While indexing has not been engaged in to any large extent, the 

 index cards for American botany, issued by the Torrey Botanical 

 Clubj have been added to the catalogue, and a number oi scientific 

 serials, principally those published before ISOO, have been completely 

 indexed. In addition, much incidental indexing has been done upon 

 subjects of special interest. 



SCOPE, 



The subject matter represented by the catalogue is much wider in 

 scope than would be justified by a strict use of the term '• botanical." 

 The allied subjects of horticulture, tropical agriculture, fibers, gums 

 and resins, pharmacology, special crops (cacao, cotton, rubber, etc.), 

 seed adulteration and control, etc., have found their place in the 

 catalogue, as well as voyages and explorations which touch upon the 

 botany of a country, or which publish scientific results. 



The biogi-aphical and bibliographical sides have not been neglected. 

 The catalogue is unusually rich in biographies and bil)liographies of 

 botanists, gathered often from sources not generally consulted. 



Bibliographical notes on special works and articles dealing with 

 dates of publication of works issued in parts also form a viiluable 

 part of the material in the catalogue. 



DESIDERATA. 



In accordance with the original intention, the catalogue lias been 

 used as a basis of comparison in the purchase of botanical literature, 

 and a list of desiderata has been formed both for works entirely 

 lacking and for volumes lacking in sets. These desiderata have been 

 entered on yellow slips designed esi^ecially for the purpose and filed 

 in the author catalogue, so that the author catalogue not only repre- 

 sents botanical works available in Washington, but also gives infor- 

 mation as to those not available and desirable for purchase ])v the 

 De]:)artment or other libraries interested in the cooperative purchase 

 of books. 



SERIAL LIST. 



Many important botanical articles appear in scientific serials or 

 society publications, and even when a reprint is available it is im- 

 portant to have access to the original place of publication. At first, 



[Cir. 87] 



