710 | Recent Literature. [ August, 
property of the Government. The objections to this rule are so 
numerous that we can only give a brief review of them: 
(1) It restricts the survey to use of a range of material which 
is narrower than it should be. Much that is contained in private 
collections, especially in the department of palzontology, is 
unique, either entirely or partially, and must remain so always, or 
for a long time. The author then who wishes to present a truly 
scientific monograph to the survey is unable to do so; and the 
student must look through the usual variety of publications in 
order to get a complete report on any subject. This rule, there- 
fore, destroys the chief merit of government publications, which 
consists in the fact that they can be, owing to the superior pub- 
lishing capacity of the Government, more compendious than the 
_ publications of any private person or society. : 
Were this rule impartially applied, it would greatly curtail the 
` value of the government publications, but as it is only used with 
reference to certain persons, its full effects are not yet apparent. 
(2) The rule involves the survey in a great unnecessary €x- 
- 
of the country. It involves loss of time in the necessity which 
results from the new study by persons unfamiliar with it. It in- 
volves loss of time in the delay which follows the repreparation 
of new material. It employs men at high salaries to do again 
work which has already been done. It thus causes waste where 
economy is highly important. $ : 
The opposite policy was pursued by the surveys which pre- 
ceded the present one. The result naturally was a much greater 
a 
= understand, but small, and immeasurably below that w 
_ during previous administrations. ` 
——— < 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
_ Tue Orpen Time Series.—Our thanks are due to Mr. pore 
M. Brooks for gleaning the old newspapers of Boston and PES 
in order to save precious tidbits of information otherwise 1n E 
ger of moth and rust. Three of the series have appe Daysof 
me following titles : “ Curiosities of the Old Lottery, aee 
the Spinning-wheel,” “ New England Sunday.” as a 
Much aek volume does or relate strictly to the title, sm - 
there is much that is merely quaint and curious, but the w 
"sociology will lose a great deal of precious information > 
s not carefully scrutinize these volumes. oe 
