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 BIBLIOGRAPHY 619 scription of the plates, the completeness, cor- rectness, and all the other external peculiari- ties or distinctions of an edition. He knows not only the treatises that have been written on any particular topic, their comparative value, and the various editions of books, but also in what important respects one edition dif- fers from another, when and from what cause omissions have been made, deficiencies suppli- ed, errors corrected, and additions subjoined. When books have been published anonymously or pseudonymously, he indicates the real name of the concealed author; and with regard to the rarity of books, he is acquainted with all the causes which have contributed to render them scarce. In compiling a catalogue, he assigns to them that place which they ought to hold in the system of classification adopted for arrang- ing a public or private collection of books. These legitimate duties of the bibliographer, however, require a variety and extent of knowl- edge seldom if ever possessed by a single indi- vidual, and different writers have selected dif- ferent fields of labor in the science. A collec- tion of all the works belonging to the various departments of bibliography would, it has been estimated, exceed 20,000 volumes. The more important of these are indicated or de- scribed in Xamur's Bibliographic paleographi- co-diplomatico-bibliographique generate (2 vols. 8vo, Liege, 1838) ; also in Peignot's Repertoire bibliographique univenel (8vo, Paris, 1812) ; Home's " Introduction to the Study of Bibliog- raphy," vol. ii. (8vo, London, 1814) ; Bohn's "General Catalogue," vol. i. (8vo, London, 1847) ; Petzholdt's Ameigerfur Bibliographie und Bibliothekswixsenschaft, an important peri- odical commenced in 1840 in Halle; and in Petz- holdt's remarkably full and complete catalogue entitled Bibliotheca Bibliographica (Leipsic, 18G6). For information upon certain points connected with bibliography, see BOOK, BOOK- BINDING, DIPLOMATICS, ENGRAVING, LIBRARY, MANUSCRIPTS, PAPER, PRINTING, and WRITING. The following elementary works treat general- ly upon all matters appertaining to this science. Although most of them are old, and some not well digested, they nevertheless contain much curious as well as useful information : ACHARD, C. F. Cours elementaire do bibliographic. 8 vols. Svo, Marseilles. 1S06-'T. BOIJLARB, A. Traite elemental de bibliographic. Svo, Pa- ris, 1806. DENIS, J. M. C. Elnlcitung in dlo Bucherkunde. 2d cd., 2 vols. 4to, Vienna. 1795-'6. DIBDIN, T. K. Bibliographical Decameron. 8 vols. royal Svo, London, 1S17. HORSE, T. H. An Introduction to the Study of Bibliography. 2 vols. Svo, London. 1S14. MORTILLARO, V. Studio bibliografico. 2d ed., Svo, Palermo, 138-2. PKIGNOT. E. G. Dictionnaire raisonne de bibliologie (with supplement). 8 vols. Svo. Paris, l*u->-"4. PETZHOLDT. J. Katechismus der Bibliothekenlehre. 2d ed., 16mo, Leipsic, IsTl. It will readily be seen that to make a universal catalogue, such as would embody the ideal of a bibliographical work by giving the title of every important book ever published in any country, would be literally impossible. The attempt has nevertheless been made, and some of the results, though exceedingly incom- plete when compared with the avowed purpose of the catalogue, are most useful to the bibli- ographer. Even more valuable, however, are those works which more modestly attempt to give a list of only the leading standard books of the world. We give the titles of a few cat- alogues compiled with either one or the other of these aims: AI.UBONE, S. A. Dictionary of English Literature and Brit- ish and American Authors. 8 vols. large Svo, Philadelphia, l-58-'71. APPLE-TONS' Library Manual: containing ?. Catalogue Raison- ne of upward of 12,U<>0 of the most important works in every department of knowledge. 8vo, New York, 1 S47. BIBUOTUECA Grenvilliana, by J. T. Payne and II. Foss. Part i., 2 vols. Svo. London, 1S42. Part ii., Svo, 1848. BOIIN, H. G. A General Catalogue of Books, ovo, London, 1841, pp. 2,100. Commonly known us the " Guinea Catalogue." It baa been reprinted in 8 vols. BRUNEI. J. C. Manuel du libraire et de 1'amateur de livres. Latest ed., 6 vols., Paris, l560-'G5. An extensive and useful work, containing notices of 32,000 separate works. DANTES, A. Tables biographiques et bibliographiques des sciences, des lettres, et des arts. Svo, Paris, 1SG5. DE BURE. G. F. BibUographie instructive. 7 vols. Svo, Pa- ris. 17<B-'8. DIBDIN, T. F. The Library Companion ; or, the Young Man's Guide and the Old Man's Comfort in the choice of a Libra- ry. Thick Svo, London, 1824. DIOTIONNAIRE BIBLIOORAPHIQCTE. (Compiled, according to Barbier, by the abbe Du Clos.) 8 vols. Svo, Paris, 17SK). EBERT, F. A. A General Bibliographical Dictionary, from the German. 4 vols. Svo, Oxford, 1837. The original edition was published at Leipiic in 1S21-'30, in 2 vols. 410. GEORGI, J. T. Allgemelnes cnropaisches Bilcher-Lexikon, 15DO-1757. (With supplements.) 8 vols. folio, Leipsic, 1742 -'S3. GRASSE, J. G. T. Tresor des livres rares et preeieux, ou Nouveau dicttonnairo bibliographique. Dresden, 1 C 5S ft Key. MEUSEL, J. G. Bibliotheca Historica. 22 vols. in 11, 8vo, Leipsic, 1782-1804. MOORE, Dr. C. H. What to Read and How to P-ead. New York, Is71. NODIER, C. Description raisonn6e d'une jolio collection de li- vres. Svo, Paris, 1844. PORTER, N. Books and Beading. 4th ed., cr. Svo, New York, 1871. PUTNAM. G. P.. and PERKINS, F. B. The Best Reading. ICmo, New York, 1872. QrfBABD, J. M. Bibliographie gSnerale du XIX siecle. Paris, 1868. EENOUARD, A. A. Catalogue de la bibliothenue d'un ama- teur, avec notes bibliographiques, &c. 4 vols. Svo, Paris, 1819. As has already been said, it is more common for a bibliographer to select some special de- partment, collecting or cataloguing the works belonging in some one class of literature. Such dictionaries and catalogues applicable to partic- ular branches of knowledge, and comprising the works published on the subjects discussed, would of themselves constitute a library. In the present article we can only mention a few of the more important. ATKINSON, J. Medical Bibliography. A and B. Svo, Lon- don. 1884. BACKER. A. and A. DE. Bibliotheque des ecrivains de la compagnie de Jesus. 6 vols. royal 8vo. Ltepe, ISM ft wq. l;f >: 1:11. A. 8. L. Essai hlbliographlque sur les editions des Elzevirs. Svo. Paris. 1822. BLAZE, F. H. J. Bibliographic muslcale de la France ct dc I'i'tmnger. Svo. Paris. 1821. BRIBOEMAN. R. W. Short View of Legal Bibliography. Svo, London. 1809. CAMUS, A. G. Profession d'avocat. 5th ed., 2 vols. Svo, Paris, 1882. Aa excellent work on jurisprudence and its older bibliography.