collecting; and despite the keenest search of the wealthy, it
sometimes, after all, falls by grim mischance into the laboriously
gathered collection of the man of very limited means.

The Prince of Wales is known to be an enthusiastic and keen stamp
collector. He is the acting President of the Philatelic Society of
London. During his recent tour round the world he displayed his great
interest in the postal issues of the colonies which he visited, and
brought home much valuable philatelic information and a number of
proofs of sheets of old colonial stamps which will help to clear up
many doubtful points. H.R.H. collects only the stamps of Great Britain
and her colonies, and he possesses many specimens that are absolutely
unique.

The collection which was made by the late Mr. T. K. Tapling, M.P., is
now in the keeping of the British Museum, having been bequeathed to
the nation by its possessor, who was one of the most cultured and
shrewdest collectors of his day. His collection was his
life-work--from boyhood till his early death in 1891. It was largely
made up of the amalgamation of great collections. In his day Tapling
had the first pick in every direction, and, as a result, his
collection is to-day one of the grandest and richest and most
scientific general collections extant. Great rarities may be said to
be conspicuous by their prominence and by their matchless condition.

But the greatest collection of all is that of M. Philipp la Renotiere,
of Paris, known to most collectors as Herr von Ferrary. In the course
of the last thirty years he has purchased many well-known old
collections, amongst which may be mentioned that of Judge Philbrick
for L7,000, Sir Daniel Cooper's for L3,000, W. B. Thornhill's
Australians, etc. M. la Renotiere has been a large buyer in the
leading capitals of Europe for a great many years. His expenditure
with our own publishers is said to average from L3,000 to L4,000 a
year. He employs two secretaries who are paid large salaries, one to
look after the postage stamps and the other the post cards, envelopes,
and wrappers.

Mr. F. Breitfuss, of St. Petersburg, who has been collecting since
1860, is credited with the third finest collection in the world. He
is an omnivorous, but scientific general collector.

Mr. H. J. Duveen, the well-known art connoisseur of London and New
York, although he did not take to stamp collecting till 1892, has
already got together the finest collection, outside