the " American Literary Annual Index to Composite Literature,"
and the " Cleveland Cumulative Index to a Selected List of Periodi
cals," encompass the literary field. The " Philosophical Maga
zine" which has, perhaps, the widest scope of subjects embracing
pure and applied science, should not be overlooked in this first
reconnaissance of the library. .
. This literary gymnastic having been performed—in itself it is
a most useful training—the examiner should now have all the
hints necessary for the inception of his work. The several in
dices reaching out on all sides with the arms of an octopus ex
plore unsuspected mines of thought and bring in rich treasures of
deduction to the insatiate reader, which carefully classified and
preserved will form the menu from which the reading is to be
selected in courses, not only for immediate consumption, but for
the future—it is as important for the graduate to know where to
find his certain information as it is to have actually acquired it.
All references should be noted down, nothing of this nature being
left to the memory, and all else having any bearing upon the
subject in hand are to be copied. To the beginner it may seem a
difficult task to discriminate and, out of this intellectual wealth,
to utilize the best only, and, indeed, it is if the investigator has
not ere this arrived at a definite purpose. His tastes will aid in
the decision, or accident may determine for him the choice, after
he has passed through the first course of general reading. In
taking notes thereof particular care should be given to all ex
tracts, comments or suggestions for coming experiments being
noted in the margin. The specialties are then reached as the in
vestigation has assumed exact form. Each book should be taken
in turn and not until its predecessor has been exhausted. It may
be well to note here that every description of a series of experi
ments is concluded with the general or specific deductions of its
author, and to these the revealer will first turn. But above all
things let me caution the reader not to depend solely upon
memoranda. A work twice read serves better than if once
transcribed. No work should be read for the notes only. It is a
habit easily formed, but one positively injurious to the memory.
The stroller into the library, who seeks inspiration or who con
templates a general review or consultation, has a more difficult
task to perform than the thesist. Having no aim, neither chart
nor compass is his. Whether it be from ennui, or indecision, or
cerebral fatigue that he is at loss what to read, access to books is
Thy Free Lance.
[DI4CUMBIR,