Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/550

 492 Reviews.

into the channel of bibliography, with the result of a survey of the literature of 1903, which far exceeds in completeness anything ever before attempted; and it has found an editor so modest as to apologise for the shortcomings of his bibliography.

The Schmi is really a series of comptes rendiis arranged under periodicals and admirably indexed under subjects and authors. Good folklorists will probably go to Hesse when they die ; if they don't, it will be because they have omitted to support the Hessische Vereinigiing with an annual subscription, and have failed to back up our German sister by helping to produce an adequate bibliography. If German were not a sealed book to many members of the society, it would really be unnecessary to do more than offer a subvention to the bibliography of the Hessische Vereinigung in return for a number of copies. It is indeed a matter for serious consideration whether the English Folklore Society should not undertake to provide the English slips and thus do its share towards filling up the gaps deplored by Professor Strack. What these are it is impossible to say at present, inas- much as some ten periodicals are reserved for the next issue, which will, we may assume, include the American Anthropologist, Man, the Journal of the Anthropological Institute, the Australian Royal Societies, and various French publications.

The subscription to the Vereitiigiing is only 6/- a year, or 3/- for those who do not wish to receive the bibliography. Sub- scriptions are payable to Professor Dr. Strack, Alicestr. 16, Giessen.

The Transactions of the Hessian Society are of minor impor- tance, compared with their bibliography. None the less there are papers in them which are both interesting and valuable. Among others Professor Helm discusses the question of the home of the Indo-Germans, Professor Knoop gives some informa- tion about PoUsh goblins, and there is a useful list of new books. The Mitteilungen are particularly useful as giving cohesion to a number of efforts which would otherwise be doomed to isolation.

A distinguishing characteristic of many Continental folk-lore publications is their almost exclusive devotion to their own area. A systematic study of a particular area, classified under appro- priate headings, is a type of paper common in Germany ; and we