uirer or historian, while for
ready reference, its disadvantages are obvious.

While there were several earlier undertakings of an American bibliography
than Haven's catalogue of publications before the American revolution,
yet the long period which that list covers, and its importance, entitled
it to first mention here. There had, however, appeared, as early as the
year 1804, in Boston, "A Catalogue of all books, printed in the United
States, with the prices, and places where published, annexed." This large
promise is hardly redeemed by the contents of this thin pamphlet of 91
pages, all told. Yet the editor goes on to assure us--

"This Catalogue is intended to include all books of general sale
printed in the United States, whether original, or reprinted;
that the public may see the rapid progress of book-printing in a
country, where, twenty years since, scarcely a book was
published. Local and occasional tracts are generally omitted.
Some of the books in the Catalogue are now out of print, and
others are scarce. It is contemplated to publish a new edition of
this Catalogue, every two years, and to make the necessary
additions and corrections; and it is hoped the time is not far
distant, when useful Libraries may be formed of American editions
of Books, well printed, and handsomely bound.

Printed at Boston, for the Book sellers, Jan., 1804."

The really remarkable thing about this catalogue is that it was the very
first bibliographical attempt at a general catalogue, in separate form,
in America. It is quite interesting as an early booksellers' list of
American publications, as well as for its classification, which is as
follows: "Law, Physic, Divinity, Bibles, Miscellanies, School Books,
Singing Books, Omissions."

The fact that no subsequent issues of the catalogue appeared, evinces the
very small interest taken in bibliographic knowledge in those early days.

This curiosity of early American bibliography gives the titles of 1338
books, all of American publication, with prices in 1804. Here are
samples: Bingham's Columbian Orator, 75 cts.: Burney's Cecilia, 3 vols.
$3: Memoirs of Pious Women, $1.12: Belknap's New Hampshire, 3 vols. $5:
Mrs. Coghlan's Memoirs, 621/2 cts.: Brockden Brown's Wieland, $1:
Federalist, 2 vols. $4.50: Dilworth's Spelling Book, 121/2 cts.: Pike's
Arithmetic, $2.25.

The number of out-of-the-way places in which books were pub