CATALOGUE OF BOOKS ADDED TO THE MERCANTILE LIBRARY OF SAN FRANCISCO, FROM FEBRUARY 1, 1874, TO SEPTEMBER 1, 1875. INTRODUCTION. IN February, 1874, the Association issued the first comprehensive and thorough Catalogue of its books, which has fully supplied a long-felt want in our Library, and has received unexceptionable praise from other kindred institutions, and from the Literary Reviews in general. Though, in the early years of the Library's history, two Catalogues have been previously published, the latter, from the recent date of its appearance, its completeness, and its universally approved system, must form the starting point of the Library's Index and Guide. It represents thirty-six thousand volumes, and includes all books on the shelves on Feb. 1, 1874. The present volume is a Catalogue of accessions to the Library from that date to Sept. 1, 1875, supplementary to the former issue, and embraces about five thousand volumes. Since the publication of the main Catalogue all works in the Library, with the exception of Newspapers and Magazines, have been rearranged, and, to each, has been allotted a number and a permanent location upon the shelves. These numbers, with the Division letters, have been inserted in the present Catalogue, at the end of each title, and, when the number system shall come into exclusive use, will be found indispensable. The old departments of classification, which have hitherto existed in the Library, are still retained, and will be preserved in the Divisions now represented by the several letters. Attention is invited to the list furnished on page viii. This Catalogue, like the former, is prepared upon the "Dictionary plan," which consists of an alphabetical arrangement of author, tille, and subject, with subdivisions of the latter when deemed of sufficient extent and importance. To subserve the interests of our patrons, in familiarizing them with the system employed, in its modifications-which latter, of necessity, vary more or less in different Catalogues-it is deemed of use to repeat, in this volume, the general rules adopted, and to which we have endeavored to conform. Books are entered 1. Under the name of the author. This forms the principal entry. Here, and here only, can be found the complete imprint of the work, to wit: as exact and complete a transcript of the title-page as its importance demands, the date and place of publication, and the size of the book. 2. Under the subject-matter. By means of this entry are brought together, in |