Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 23, 1912.djvu/134

112 members there is a centre, which may be a society, library, or the like; in every place where a collection of folklore is to be found, it is possible to create such a local centre of "FF." The members may send enquiries on any particular subject to the local centres, (to any of them or to all), or to any fellow members. It is optional for collectors to furnish their own materials to others, but naturally the collector who is most generous in his help is the most likely to have his help readily reciprocated. Copies and extracts from collections are supplied at moderate charges, fixed by the Society, and some collections and scientists have in this way already received considerable quantities of materials. Besides this, the Society publishes a little periodical, FF Communications, financed by the Finnish Academy of Science; this contains accounts of the contents of single collections, so that those who are in search of information can ascertain where it is likely to be obtained, but above all it contains detailed catalogues of certain classes of material. The chief enterprise so far has been in connection with Aarne's "System of Tales," (not a classification of incidents, but a classification under types of the actual märchen, just as Child's great Popular Ballads gives the actual ballads). The "FF" is applying the Aarne system, enlarging it as required, to a number of collections of märchen, the classifications of two of which have already been published in the second volume of FF Communications. Other classifications, dealing particularly with collections from northern and eastern peoples, will follow.

I should like to suggest that the Folk-Lore Society might derive and bestow much benefit from the formation of an English section of "FF," for the interchange of material with collaborators in other countries. The cost is trifling, as each local centre determines whether it levies any contributions upon its own members. No subscription to the general Society is required, and all members receive FF Communications at half the publication price, which is regulated by the size of the numbers, and is always small. For example, the first volume is published at 4 francs and supplied to members for 2 francs, and the second volume at 8 francs but 4 francs to members.

Besides the periodical issues of FF Communications there is