COMMUNICATIONS. 'HIS department of the Record, if properly appreciated, should prove of great practical value to our readers, affording them as it does a ready medium of inter-communication. We therefore invite our readers to make free use of these columns, for giving expression to views, criticisms and suggestions upon any subject that properly comes within the scope of librarianship and bibliography. Printed Catalogue-Slips. To the Editor of THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Record. SIR, In the earlier part of this year, in a letter contributed to Nature, I drew attention to the system pursued by the R. Institute of Lombardy in issuing printed catalogue-slips of the titles of articles contained in its Bulletin; and I expressed the hope that the learned societies in England would imitate the good example. I heard subsequently from Comm. Chilovi, the courteous librarian of the National Central Library of Florence, that the instance quoted by me was not the only case in Italy; and he kindly supplied me with a list (which I append) giving the names of thirteen periodicals which are now provided with printed title-slips referring to their contents. It will thus be seen that the principle is already more widely practised in Italy than I had at first supposed. This is undoubtedly due to the energetic interest taken in the matter by Comm. Chilovi, who referred to the subject in the Bollettino delle Pubblicazioni Italiane, as early as 1895 (31st March). More than this, Comm. Chilovi has used his influence with publishers and booksellers in Italy to adopt the same system, and with evident success, for Signor G. Barbèra has forwarded to me from Florence admirable specimens of catalogue-slips (of works published by him) ready prepared and printed for insertion as accessions in any catalogue. Signor Barbèra shows his enterprise by also issuing periodical sale catalogues, in which the entries of works are catalogued (with great care) according to the Dewey system, and with the Dewey bookmarks affixed, thus greatly assisting any subsequent work of classification and arrangement. Still more recently, I find that the New York Academy of Sciences, in issuing its Annals, vol. ii., 31st December, 1898, p. 3, has furnished a supplement of fourteen pages of "Index-slips" (and catalogue-slips), beautifully clear to the eye, referring to the articles contained in vol. ii. I do not now express an opinion as to the form in which such slips may or may not appear. At present the great thing is to establish the principle, and I trust that these examples of Italian and American work quoted will be speedily followed in our own country. Surely this in itself would greatly lighten the task of the Royal Society, in connection with the cataloguing of scientific literature? I remain, sir, Your obedient servant, October, 1899. FRANK CAMPBELL. List of Societies in Italy which issue Printed Periodical Catalogue-Slips of the Titles of Articles contained in their Journals. Accademia Pontaniana di Napoli. Atti. Archivio italiano di otologia rinologia e laringologia, diretto da G. Gradenigo e E. de Rossi. Torino. Archivio per l'antropologia, etnologia e psicologia comparata, diretto dal Sen. Paolo Mantegazza. Firenze. Bollettino della Società entomologica italiana, diretto dal prof. Targioni Tozzetti. Firenze. Atti della Società asiatica italiana. Firenze. Atti della Società italiana di ostetricia e ginecologia. Roma. (Col sistema decimale.) Rivista scientifico-industriale di Firenze. (Col sistema decimale.) Rivista di ostetricia, ginecologia e pedratria, diretto dal prof. Domenico Tibone. Torino. (Col sistema decimale.) Giornale dantesco, diretto da G. L. Passerini. Firenze. Atti della Società dei naturalisti di Modena. (Col sistema decimale.) Atti del Istituto veneto di scienze, lettere ed arti. Venezia. Postscript. I should also remind your readers that the system by which the publishing body undertakes the natural responsibility of cataloguing its own literature has been admirably illustrated for some years by the Germans, as shown in the issue of the Jahres-Verzeichniss der an den Deutschen Schulanstalten erschienenen Abhandlungen, and in the issue of the similar Jahres-Verzeichniss der an den Deutschen Universitäten erschienenen Schriften. Special editions of both these publications are printed every year on thin paper and one side only of the perforated page, so that the titles may be easily detached and inserted in a guard catalogue or on cards. F. C. Cataloguing Rules. To the Editor of THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION REcord. DEAR SIR, The announcement under the heading of Library Association Official Notes in the September number of the Record to the effect that owing to the stock of copies of "Cataloguing Rules" being exhausted it was proposed to revise the same, is in my opinion worthy of iteration on account of its own importance, and at the same time to give a filip to the correspondence column-a column which few have contributed to, notwithstanding a strong appeal from Mr. Editor. In the calling of further attention to the matter, I take the opportunity to suggest that cataloguers make known through the medium of the official journal or direct to the Cataloguing Rules Committee when it is appointed, their views on the present rules. To open discussion on the matter I venture to assert that these rules might with great advantage be augmented. But it is perhaps too much to expect so exhaustive a work as Cutter's or Linderfelt's. In the event of the surmise being correct, I beg to suggest that the committee take as their thesis a standard set of elaborate rules and examples with which most library workers are familiar. Many of these rules would no doubt be readily accepted, and so hardly worth reprinting in extenso, unless they could be better worded, explained or illustrated. The numbers of the rules to which the committee could not subscribe might be scheduled, and in their place new ones prepared, these to be supplemented by others governing phases of work which had escaped the attention of the compiler of the work taken as a basis. That there remains room for investigation and for the codification of new rules, few will attempt to deny. To illustrate a very much despised portion of a cataloguer's work, thought by many as beneath the notice of the "chief," Mr. Stephens-to whom all librarians are under a debt of gratitude for analysing so keenly the titles of works of fiction-has but recently promulgated a series of rules for the more consistent treatment of title-entries of novels, etc. These demand the earnest attention of the proposed committee. To these may be added rules which librarians have adopted but not made known to the library world generally. Surely there are some. I feel sure that the committee would welcome any suggestion, whether it be a proposed rule or a difficulty not met by any existing rule. As a step in this direction I call attention to the absence of rule (speaking from memory) guiding the arrangement of a work treating of many members of a family, e.g., the Brontë family. Should such entry precede all others of the same surname, or be placed after the last entry relating to single persons who happened to have Brontë as a surname ? I may say that my views do not harmonise with general custom, but in the absence of rule what reviewer dare pass his customary censure in order to air his erudition? Attention is respectfully invited to the names of foreign authors. Would that there were a list published showing which part of the names are considered the surnames in their own localities. No Spaniard of any note seems to be endowed with less than half a dozen names. The last one is generally the town or district in which the one of many names has his family seat. But the tyro needs to reflect ere he selects a surname from the several "likely-looking" ones, for did not an eminent Spanish bibliographer get out of the difficulty by cataleguing his countrymen under their first Christian name! I have no doubt that both cataloguer and user of the catalogue so compiled were extremely happy in the arrangement adopted. Another point occurs to me. Is it advisable to index compound names of peers, etc., under the latter portion of their names, e.g., Baroness Burdett-Coutts? Again, is there any rule treating on the arrangement in alphabetical order of old-fashioned spellings such as ffrench, ffolliett and ffolkes. We all know the origin of this form of spelling, but our ideas of their order in a dictionary vary, as also does our treatment of the authors, B. Ten Brink, E. F. im Thurn. Will an erudite librarian enlighten us with a dissertation on the prefix im? I believe Linderfelt is the only authority who refers to this curious prefix. Cutter says, "The possessive case singular should be arranged with the plural," but in the examples given does not apply the rule to authorentries. Should this order be adhered to in the following entries? Clark (J. W.), Cambridge. Clarke (Sir G. S.), Graphic statics. Clark's Account of Lancaster. To turn to a subject not immediately connected with the above remarks, I may state that I have at times had occasion to ask assistants questions on cataloguing. The answers were not always correct. There were stumbling blocks both in making the entries and in sorting them into alphabetical order. With no wish to intrude on the assistants' page but rather to add a mite to the good work Mr. Ogle is doing, I venture to append a list of entries within my remembrance at this moment which present difficulties to juniors and therefore worthy of being made better known. But as the proper way to learn is to think out matters for oneself, I purposely mix up the entries both in order and form so that assistants may have practice in putting them into proper shape. When an arrangement is arrived at and reference to catalogues at hand show variation in treatment, it is well to refer to the various cataloguing rules. If, however, difficulty is still experienced, no doubt Mr. Editor or Mr. Ogle, both of whom take the liveliest interest in the work of assistants, would be pleased to adjudicate upon the assistants essay. Trusting that my letter will cause other librarians to propound their views, and also to state some of their practical experiences in cataloguing, etc., and thereby be a means of causing readers to look forward with interest to the correspondence column in following numbers of the periodical. Yours faithfully, THOMAS ALDRed. Life and adventures of John (a novel). John (a novel). King John of England. King John (Shakespeare's play). Don John of Austria. John of Gaunt. John de Witt. John de Oscenedes. John the Baptist. The apostle John. John o' Groats (place). John Law (a novel). Prester John. John Halifax (a novel). John Ward (a novel). Joan (a novel). Joan of Arc. Joan Carisbroke (a novel). Helen (a novel). Helen of Troy. Edward, Lord Herbert of Cherbury. The Herbert MSS. George Herbert (poet). Andrea del Sarto. Peter de Wint. Life of the Fourteenth Earl of Derby. History of the House of Stanley. Henri d'Orleans. Henry II. of England. Henry VIII. of England. Henry IV. of France. Prince Henry of Battenberg. Henry of Navarre. Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry (a novel). History of Henry. Earl of Moreland (a novel). Henry of Huntingdon. Henry of Guise (a novel). Henry, Prince of Wales. Anne (a novel). Anne Boleyn. Queen Anne of England. Anne of Austria. Catherine (a novel). Queen Catherine. Catherine de Medicis. Catherine of Aragon. Catherine I. of Russia. Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. Lady Cook. Eliza Cook. Mrs. Cook (Christian name not known). Book of praise. Book collecting. Book-land, Byeways in. Book-hunter, The. Book-lover's enchiridion. Bookbinding. Hildebrand. Newfoundland. J. H. NewNew Testament. New Caledonia. Newspapers. New duchess (a novel). The present Duke of York. Margaret, Queen of Denmark. Margaret (a novel). St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland. Margaret of Anjou (Queen of England, etc.). Margaret Torrington (a novel). Lady Margaret (daughter of the Duke of Somerset, and married in turn to the Earl of Richmond, Henry Strafford, and the Earl of Derby). George I. of England. George IV. of England. George V. of Hanover. Henry George, the author. History of the four Georges (England). Gregory the Great. Gregory VII. man. LAWRENCE & BULLEN'S LIST. BEARERS OF THE BURDEN. 3s. 6d. Being Stories of Land and Sea. By MAJOR W. P. DRURY, of the Royal Marines. [Sixth Thousand. "A humorist of rare quality, and a story-teller of infinite jest."-THE TIMES. "There is not a single story that a reader is likely to forget."-PALL MALL GAZETTE. "There is sound sense, humanity and wholesome sentiment, as well as exhilarating farce, in this little volume."-SPECTATOR. UNIFORM WITH "BEARERS OF THE BURDEN," 3s. 6d. each. MANY CARGOES. By W. W. By W. W. JACOBS. SEA URCHINS. By W. W. JACOBS. THE MESS DECK. By W. F. 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