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Rh used by the author and his manner of using them, the plan or method of presentation, and the conclusions, if any, which the author thinks he has reached. Generally speaking, this information is contained in the book review as we now have it; but it might be given much more concisely. By adopting the condensed form used by constructors of scientific bibliographies, by rigidly excluding all superfluous matter, half the space now devoted to reviews would serve to chronicle twice as many books. And this is a consummation to be wished for. The great majority of teachers and students work in small and very inadequate libraries, and at present they find it difficult if not impossible to keep in touch with all the publications in any particular field. Doubtless it is impossible for any one journal to make a complete record of all the books and articles that appear in the field of history, but I believe the record could be made much more complete than it now is; and perhaps it would not be wholly impracticable for the four or five leading journals of the world, by cooperation, avoiding all unnecessary duplication, to make a record that would be very nearly complete.

But, desirable as it is to have more and more concisely stated bibliographical information, I am rather interested to have a little first-rate historical criticism. Perhaps critical reviewing is the better term, for I have in mind articles long or short, inspired always by currently published historical works, yet dealing with some subject of general historical importance, and discussing this subject critically, and with whatever of originality and constructive power the writer may possess. The critical review is occupied not so much with books for themselves, as with the general trend of historical thought and investigation, and with the relation of history to other branches of knowledge; it has to do with the entire intellectual activity of the time, and is concerned with books, therefore, only as they illustrate aptly some aspect of this larger subject.

From this point of view, many excellent books do not lend themselves, individually, to the purposes of the critical reviewer. But they may often be grouped in illustration of some prevailing type of investigation, or active interest in a particular field. In recent years many scholars, both here and in England, have been engaged in exploiting the sources which throw light on the imperial aspects of our colonial history. Valuable collections of documents, such as the colonial series of the privy council records, and many careful mono graphic studies, such as those of Mr. Beer, to say nothing of the comprehensive work of Prof. Osgood, have been published in the last decade. I am sure that some one who is thoroughly familiar with all this work might write an instructive, an illuminating critical essay about it, noting the changing attitude of both British and American scholars toward our colonial history, and attempting to