ing their books and arranging their manuscripts. When last giving an account of our proceedings, we expected, as well as desired, to have finished our work before this time, but a necessary hinderance has disappointed our anticipation. Still, we have done the best our circumstances allowed. Should opportunity present for further labor of this kind, we shall improve it without delay. As to our progress, we offer the following: When we commenced, from one-quarter to onethird of the bound volumes were designated on the Catalogue. A large portion of these contained pamphlets and tracts. Each book of such a portion had one or two of its principal pamphlets or tracts specified on the Catalogue as a running title, and the rest of them omitted. Such a deficiency we have partly supplied. In reference to this mode, supposing it better than none, when time allowed it to be no more particular, we have adopted it to some extent. When this adoption has been made, we have placed a note at the end of the records that the volumes to which they relate are to be more particularly specified. The other part of the books which we have put down on the Catalogue are fully denominated. We suppose that about three-fourths of the Library stand thus noted. As it respects manuscript papers, they have been arranged according to their respective years. They are now regularly deposited in Case No. 21. A considerable bundle of Connecticut statistics, which, on their first external appearance, seemed of little worth, are very valuable. They are in Case No. 30. Those papers and this bundle are richly worth being bound in volumes, with suitable indices. Indeed, if we desire that the most important of them should remain in our archives for any length of time, they must be so preserved. With respect to the other manuscripts, both published and unpublished, they are in Cases No. 29 and 31. Some of all our collections, whether in print or manuscript, appear to be missing. This truth, so lamentably prevalent in all kindred institutions, suggests to us the question whether there should not be full as much carefulness in having whatever is taken out from our Library annually returned, and as frequent an examination of all its contents rigidly made, and an account of the result speedily presented, as is found necessary in other similar associations. Having it as among our chief wishes and endeavors that our Society may steadily and increasingly rise in its well-earned fame, we respectfully submit this report.* NAHUM MITCHELL, Librarian. BOSTON, May 26, 1836. * One of the most important duties connected with a proper administration of a library is the furnishing a catalogue of the books and manuscripts in it, with shelf-marks to indicate where they may be found. A library is comparatively useless without such a catalogue; and few persons not immediately conversant with such duties are aware of its importance, or of the care, labor, and expense involved in preparing and keeping up such an index. It is a work never finished. The first Catalogue of the Society (see Proceedings, I. 103) was printed in 1796, in a small octavo volume of forty pages. The original manuscript, or the transcript ordered, now exists. A copy of this printed volume, interleaved, with shelf-marks entered in the margin, served the Society for some years. On the title-page of this copy is written, in the hand of the Rev. Dr. T. M. Harris, "The property of the Society; to lie on the table for the use of the members, it being the only copy with references to the places of the books." In 1811, the Society printed a new Catalogue, consisting of ninety-six pages, in octavo size, in double columns, made by the Rev. Timothy Alden, Jr., sufficiently described on p. 221, as above. This Catalogue formed the basis of all the attempts to furnish an index to the Library, until the preparation by the late Dr. Appleton of the excellent Catalogue of books, printed in two volumes, in 1859 and 1860. The original manuscript, in Mr. Alden's hand, is now in the Library. Two years after the printing of Mr. Alden's Catalogue, its leaves were pasted on several large folio sheets of paper, with shelf-marks, and with accessions entered on the bottom of the page. A memorandum on it shows that it was begun Aug. 2, 1813, and finished November 12 of the same year. After this, a thick quarto volume was procured, and slips of the Alden Catalogue pasted in it, in single columns, leaving a large margin for the accessions and shelf-marks. This served for several years longer. Subsequently, another quarto volume was procured for a like purpose, but was little used, while there was prepared a small thin book, called a supplement to the Catalogue, in which accessions were entered. Finally, a large, oblong volume, sixteen inches by twenty inches in size, was procured, in which the leaves of the Alden Catalogue were pasted, as before, giving room for the entry of large additions. On this the labors of Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Felt, and Dr. Harris were bestowed. Probably the manuscript Messrs. MITCHELL and FELT were appointed a committee to prepare for binding, and cause to be bound in volumes, the Society's manuscripts. Voted, That the attention of the Standing Committee be particularly called to Article IV. of Chapter III. of the Society's Rules and Regulations, and that the same be duly enforced. Also, voted, That all books be called in fourteen days before the April meeting in each year, under a penalty of one dollar for each volume not so returned. Rev. Dr. HOLMES stated that the Winthrop manuscript catalogue of the graduates of Harvard University, which had been supposed to be the property of the Society, had been called for by Abraham Hilliard, Esq., in behalf of Mr. Winthrop's heirs. Whereupon, Voted, That Rev. Dr. Holmes be appointed a committee to endeavor to obtain a donation of this manuscript from the said heirs for this Society. additions made in each previous catalogue were recopied into each subsequent catalogue, so that the labor was each time repeated. This large volume was unwieldy, and had a tendency to fall to pieces by its own weight. It served the Society, as has been already mentioned, for many years, or until the completion of Dr. Appleton's Catalogue. It now exists, in fragments, as a specimen of the clumsy attempts to furnish an index for a growing library. Manuscripts were inserted in the original Alden Catalogue of 1811, but that part of the list does not appear in the last interleaved copy of it, described above. Probably the most that was now done by the Librarian and his assistants to render the miscellaneous manuscripts accessible was the placing a large number of them in volumes, and indexing them. It will be seen further on that Mr. Snelling rendered faithful service in this respect, many of the volumes of manuscripts bearing evidence of his active pen in indexing their contents. Unfortunately he did not adopt the alphabetical order in his work. The Society has at this time a large number of volumes of manuscripts in its cupboards, neither indexed nor catalogued. But a Committee, appointed last year for the purpose, has directed that all the manuscripts shall be catalogued, and the work is in progress. It may be added that, in 1834, a "Catalogue of Pamphlets from the Athenæum " (see Proceedings, I. 451, 452, 455, 457, and 479) was made out, on large folio sheets, stitched; also, about the same time, a separate "Catalogue of Pamphlets and Tracts belonging to Massachusetts Historical Society," was made, perhaps in reference to an exchange with the Athenæum, by the same person. - EDS. A communication was read, directed to the President of the Society, from M. Eugène Arnoult, of Paris, entitling himself "Director of the Journal of the Institute," requesting for his volumes from time to time an account of the sittings and transactions of this Society, and also a copy of their published volumes, that he may publish an analysis of their contents in his Journal, according to his plan of publishing periodically an account of French and foreign societies, and of their scientific labors, embracing mathematics, physics, the natural sciences, history, and philosophy; also, requesting the Society to subscribe to the Institute. Where upon, Voted, To refer this communication to Messrs. Pickering and Willard to report thereupon.* On motion of Mr. DAVIS, Voted, That the Otis papers, consisting of accounts, writs, and other court papers, &c., be delivered to William F. Otis, Esq.† Voted, That the Corresponding Secretary, in publishing the list of donations made from May 1835 to 1836, may adopt such a course with regard to giving a particular description of each donation, or otherwise, as he may see fit. *The title of M. Arnoult's journal was "L'Institut, Journal Général des Sociétés et Travaux Scientifiques de la France et de L'Étranger." It was not the official organ of any particular society, but a private affair. The first number was published at "Paris, 18 Mai, 1833." It was issued weekly. The editor says: "L'Institut est l'organe des académies et sociétés scientifiques de tous les pays," &c. Harvard College Library has a copy from the commencement to the year 1857.- EDS. †The Society selected from these papers what they regarded as of historical value, returning those of a more private nature (see letter of Dr. T. M. Harris, on file); yet there are in the Library three volumes of “Otis Papers," corresponding in part to the above description. Some twenty-five years ago, when the writer of this note was chairman of the Standing Committee, these papers were found in the attic of the Society's building, loose and scattered in various receptacles, and he caused them to be collected and placed in volumes. -EDS. Mr. I. P. Davis nominated J. K. Paulding, Esq., of the city of New York, for a Corresponding Member. Present-The President, J. Davis, I. P. Davis, Felt, Francis, Holmes, Lincoln, Mitchell, Palfrey, Pickering, Savage, Shaw, Willard, Worcester, and Young. MONTHLY MEETING. June 30, 1836. The President in the chair. The record of the last meeting was read. The Corresponding Secretary read a letter from Hon. Daniel Appleton White, of Salem, accepting his election. The Recording Secretary read a letter from Theodore Lyman, Jr., Esq., resigning his situation as a member of the Society. Whereupon, Voted, To accept the same. The Recording Secretary communicated a letter from Dr. Holmes, the Committee on the Winthrop Catalogues, with a copy of the receipt he gave to the executors of Mr. Winthrop when the catalogues were transmitted to the Society, by which it appears that they were merely loaned to the Society, to be redelivered on demand to James Andrews and others, the residuary legatees; and the letter further stated that the writer had not been able to see Mr. Andrews or the other heirs, but would attend to the business soon.* * Dr. Holmes's letter, dated June 28, 1836, describes these Winthrop papers, in conformity with a receipt which he gave for them, as "deceased's manuscript catalogue of the graduates of Harvard College; fourteen other catalogues, which were said deceased's, containing written memoranda by him relating to |