The Index as She is Compiled. O one (writes the correspondent of a daily paper) would accuse Mr. St. George Mivart of a joke. He writes so earnestly and in such stately fashion that it is quite impossible to imagine him guilty of the literary indelicacy known as laughing in his sleeve. Yet he has permitted the publication under his name of one of the most riotous specimens of fun ever issued from the press. The book itself ("The Origin of Human Reason," just published) is of the most decorous description, solid throughout, and perhaps just a trifle dull. It is not until the index is reached that the fun breaks out, and then it waxes fast and furious. The index compiler must have been having a very dull time of it, and no doubt determined to revenge himself upon the very next author whose book fell into his hands, and this is how he does it. Mr. Mivart had found it necessary to refer occasionally and in passing to samples of animal sagacity. Here is the index-maker's opportunity. There is, for instance, a reference to the story of Miss Benson's collie, who used to run out of the house whenever the word "pigs" was uttered. First this appears under D-Dog hunting pigs after family prayers, 78. Then it reappears under H-Hunting of imaginary pigs after prayers, 78. Then under I-Imaginary pigs hunted after prayers, 78; and finally under P-Pigs, imaginary, hunted after prayers, 78. Why the compiler denied himself the pleasure of indexing it also under Prayers it is impossible to conjecture; but he makes up for the omission by cataloguing it under the heading Archiepiscopal Collie Dog. Again, Mr. Mivart casually remarks on page 299 that the besetting sin of our day is sensationalism. This remark, which occurs in the middle of a paragraph, appears to have struck the indexer's fancy, and he indexes it under Besetting, under Day, under Sin, and under Our, though again unaccountably he misses the Of. We must pass over such flowers of composition as "Dough, parrot up to its knees in," and a choice collection of extracts under the word "What," for the sake of calling attention to the masterpiece of the whole index, a masterpiece which we venture to prophesy is unsurpassable in the whole range of index-making. Mr. Mivart had referred on page 136 of his book to some articulate utterances of a certain parrot which sounded remarkably like replies to questions. This anecdote gives the indexer his great opportunity. He indexes this twice under A, and thereafter under twelve other letters with variations of perfectly fascinating ingenuity-thus: Absurd tale about a Cockatoo, 136. Anecdote, absurd one, about a Cockatoo, 136. Cockatoo, absurd tale concerning one, 136. Discourse held with a Cockatoo, 136. Tale about a rational Cockatoo, as asserted, 136. Wonderfully foolish tale about a Cockatoo, 136. Could it have been some premonition of the fate his anecdote was going to meet with that led Mr. Mivart to close it with the words "enough has now been said"? FEBRUARY, 1890.] The Bookworm. vii The Book-Lover's Library. On antique paper, cloth, price 4s. 6d. ; hand-made paper, Roxburgh, 7s. 6d. net; large paper, 215. net, NEW VOLUME OF THE BOOK-LOVER'S LIBRARY. Foolscap 8vo, olive cloth, price 45. 6d.; Roxburgh, hand-made paper, 7s. 6d, net; large paper, 21s. net. How to Catalogue a Library. By HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A., Author of "How to Form a Library." CONTENTS.-Introduction on Cataloguing generally-The Battle of the Rules-Print 2. MS.-How to treat a Title-page-References and Subject Index-The Arrangement of a Catalogue-Something about MSS.-Rules for a Small Library-A List of Latinized Names of Places-A List of Classical Names-An unusually copious Index is added to the work. OTHER VOLUMES IN THE SAME SERIES. FOREIGN VISITORS IN ENGLAND, and what they thought of us. By EDWARD SMITH: THE BOOK OF NOODLES: Stories of Simpletons; or, Fools and their Follies. By W. A. CLOUSTON. THE ENEMIES OF BOOKS. By WILLIAM BLADES. THE STORY OF SOME FAMOUS BOOKS. BY FREDERICK SAUNDERS. THE DEDICATION OF BOOKS. To Patron and Friend. By HENRY B. MODERN METHODS OF ILLUSTRATING BOOKS. THE LITERATURE OF LOCAL INSTITUTIONS. By G. L. GOMME, F.S.A. OLD COOKERY BOOKS AND ANCIENT CUISINE. By W. C. HAZLITT. HOW TO FORM A LIBRARY. By HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S. A. A few large-paper copies of the First Seven Volumes of the Book-Lover's Library can still be had, price 21s. net. LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER Row, E.C. CARDINAL & HARFORD, THE OLDEST ESTABLISHED Importers ORIENTAL CARPETS. Finest make of Old Colour TURKEY CARPETS, being mostly reproductions of the rarest Antique Eastern Carpets Exhibited in this Country. LEVANT WAREHOUSE, 108 and 109, HIGH HOLBORN, W.C. Telegraphic Address, 'SPALDING,' LONDON.] [Telephone No. 2520. 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