62 
Proceedings of Royal Society of .Edinburgh. [sess. 
On examining this table, it will be observed that of the 67 
serials of our test-list only 34, just about half, are to be found in the 
combined libraries of southern Scotland, that Edinburgh possesses 
31 of the 67, and Glasgow 23. In the next place, it appears that 
10 possessed by Edinburgh are not to be found in Glasgow, and 
that 2 possessed by Glasgow are not to be found in Edinburgh : 
but against this we have to set the fact that 2 1 which are available 
in the one city are duplicated in the other. 
As regards Edinburgh alone, it has to be noted that 13 serials 
are duplicated in libraries within a short walk of each other ; but 
that 18 are not duplicated, 11 being possessed by the Royal 
Society and not by the University, and 7 by the University and 
not by the Royal Society. 
The like facts for Glasgow are even more striking. There the 
University has 19 serials not found elsewhere in the city, while 
the Philosophical Society has 4 duplicated by the University, and 
no others at all. 
Some of the countries included in the list our library authorities 
seem to treat rather hardly, and among these notably Italy and 
Austria. Of the 9 Italian serials only 1 (the Annali ) is represented, 
the unique copy being in the Edinburgh University Library ; 
and of the Austrian 4 there is not one to be found anywhere. 
Lastly it has to be noted that in all this summing up the serials 
have been spoken of as if perfect ; whereas, unfortunately, the 
reverse is often the case. At the very least there must be 1 9 of 
the examined sets which are more or less defective, and of the 34 
different serials represented in the two cities certainly not more 
than 27 are complete. This, it need hardly be said, is a serious 
additional depreciation of our treasures. 
(6) It is, I .hope, quite unnecessary to insist on the unsatisfac- 
toriness of the state of affairs thus brought formally into evidence ; 
and equally unnecessary to say that my purpose is not captious 
criticism. The authorities of the various libraries referred to are 
beset with difficulties, of which not the least important arises from 
the fact that the wants of specialists are constantly increasing, and 
that even new kinds of specialists are being segregated every year. 
Further, it would be wrong to forget that not one of the libraries 
