178 Miscellanies. 



The ever-pointed pencils are first cut into thin slabs, then into 

 square pieces, by means of a steel guage. They are then passed 

 through three small holes, armed with rubies, which last about three 

 or four days. Steel does not last above as many hours. Six of 

 these ever-pointed pencils may be had for 2s. 6c?. If they are 

 cheaper than this, we may be sure that they are adulterated. 



In Paris, when you buy a sheet of paper in a stationer's shop, 

 some of these pencils are added to the purchase. Now these are 

 formed of a mixture of plumbago, fuller's earth, and vermicelli. 

 Genuine cedar pencils must cost 6d. each. If they are sold at a 

 lower price, they must be formed from a mixture, not from pure 

 plumbago. Pencils are, however, sold as low as 4^d. a dozen. — Kec. 

 of Gen. Sc. June, 1836. 



2. A comparative and chronological table of the largest Libraries 



in the world. 



Founded in Contains vols. Manuscripts. 



Pam ; Royal Library, - 1595 626,000 80,000 



Munich: Royal Uh. - 1595 540,000 16,000 



St. Petersburg: Imperial Uh. 1728 432,000 15,000? 



Copenhagen: Royal Lib. - 1648 410,000 16,000? 



Fzenwa : Imperial Lib. - 1440 284,000 16,000 



Berlin: Royal Lib. - 1661 280,000 5,000 



PeJcin : Imperial Lib. - 280,000 



I>re5(^ew ; Royal Lib. - 1556 260,000 2,700 



G^o^itTJ^ew ; University Lib. 1736 250,000 5,000 



ionJow; Lib. of the Brit.Museum,1759 220,000 22,000 



Oa/or^; ; Bodleian Lib. - 1480 200,000 25,000 



Wolfenbuttel : Ducal Lib. - 1604 200,000? 4,500 



Madrid: Royal Uh. - 1712 200,000 2,500? 



Pan's ; Lib. at the Arsenal, 186,000 5,000 



Stuttgart : Royal Uh. - 1765 174,000 1,800 



Mi7aw ; Brera Lib. - 1763 169,000 1,000 



- Naples : L. of the Bourbon Mus'm, 165,000 3,000 



PZorewce ; Magliabecchian Lib. 1714 150,000 12,000 



Pres/a?f; University Lib. - 150,000 2,300 



Munich: University Lib. - 1595 150,000 2,000? 



Edinburgh: - - 1682 150,000 6,000 



Jedo : Lib. of the Sjogoun, - 150,000 ? 



Ma^o ; Lib. of Mikado, - 150,000? 



I Bib. Univ. Geneva, Oct. 1835. 



