Piha ARALCLES. 
BOTANICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
THE announcement in a recent number of Hedwigia that, at the 
request of a number of subscribers, it is proposed to abandon the pub- 
lication of bibliographical notices in that journal, except in a few cases, 
brings up the question of the best method of issuing notices of current 
botanical literature. The question is especially pertinent at the pies 
ent time, since the publication of an international scientific catalogue Is 
under discussion. Those who have expressed their views on the sub- 
ject have considered principally two points, viz., (1) whether er pra 
posed catalogue should be a card catalogue or should be issued in 
some other form; and (2) the best classification of subjects to be 
adopted. In this country the card catalogue is generally preferred. 
It is not necessary to discuss here in detail the merits and defects of 
such a catalogue so far as it is to be used in large public and university — 
libraries. In a certain sense, however, all working botanists may be 
said to be librarians on a small scale,and the question which concerns 
us is, how shall we best secure a good record of current literature for 
our private use ? Probably most botanists have card catalogues of sub- 
jects in which they are most interested, but such catalogues must be 
made by individual botanists, each from the standpoint of his own 
particular needs, and they could not be furnished wholesale by any 
publication agency. 
What botanists want is a list of the titles of botanical publications 
as soon as possible after their issue, together with such accounts of theif 
contents as will enable them to determine whether they need to buy — 
the publications named, or to recommend the libraries near at hand 
to buy them. This information in a ver 
most, Cases cannot be 
by those who advocat 
y large number, if not im 
given on any card of the size proposed for usé 
€ card catalogues, and a card catalogue, valuable 
as it is in many ways, cannot be transformed into what is wanted, Vid» — 
a series of short descriptive, not critical, reviews. To accomplish the 
important object of furnishing botanists as speedi 
ly as possible with 
adequate notices of current works, it seems to us be 
tter to utilize some : 
64 [JANUARY 
