PREFACE.

XI

The heading ‘ Anonymous Publications ’ has been muchaltered from its original shape. In the former list therewere several entries which have been here reduced to theirproper authorship ; others have been excluded by the changeof plan; many were too hopelessly defective to be here given.The system of cataloguing anonymous books at the British Museum is an excellent method of drafting off such wareinto the Library, but it gives almost no assistance to thesearcher. In some cases it is not enough to know all thatthe book itself states, as where a medical tract by JohnPechie is entered under Sir John Mickleth waite’s name,because, Pechie addressed his pamphlet “To the President ofthe College of Phisitians,” and the cataloguer having takenthe pains to find out who was President of the College forthe time being, entered it under his name. The Old GeneralCatalogue, with its common-sense entries, is far more usefulfor hunting up these books than the New General Catalogue,with its elaborate system of rules.

The abbreviations used will, I believe, in every case be recog-nized without giving a tabular statement— ‘Pharm. Journ.’ forPharmaceutical Journal, and so on. In this, as in Mr. Solly’sIndex to . . . Titles of Honour, and my Guide to the Literatureof Botany, the sign —> is used to signify ‘ in progress ’;many of the abbreviations I was compelled to use in myGuide to the Literature of Botany are not used here, as I havebeen able to quote the titles fully, any omissions in themiddle being shown by dots . . . , at the end by etc.

During the progress of the work I have been indebted tomany friends for help on special points, for which I heretender my hearty thanks; but I must especially name Mr. C.G. Warnford Lock for much help afforded throughout, and