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Alessandro Piccolomini (1548 and 1552), as well as modern books on the works of the ancient astronomers. The works by Christopher Columbus are all fairly modern editions, but books relating to him include a copy of Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo nelle quali s'ha particolare, et vera relatione della vita et de* fatti dell' Ammiraglio D. Christofor Colombo (Venice, 1571) an almost complete set of Raccolta di documenti e studi publicati dalla R. Commissione Colombiana pel quarto centenario della scoperta dell' America (3 volumes in 15, Rome, 1892-6) a copy of the commemorative volume published by the City of Genoa in 1931 the bibliography published in 1892 by the Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid; and a number of other books in Italian, Spanish, and English. In some respects the most important part of the bequest is the collection of works by Galileo, many being first editions. They are too numerous to be listed, but they include the tracts published at Bologna in 1655-6, and copies of Dialogo dove nei congressi di quattro giornate si discorre sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo Tolemaico e Copernicano (Florence, 1632), Istoria e dimostrazioni intorno alle macchie solari e loro accidenti (Rome, 1613), Il Saggiatore (Rome, 1623), and Systema Cosmicum (London, 1663). There are also books on the life and work of Galileo by both contemporary and modern writers. The book mentioned in the will was the fine copy in three volumes, bound in vellum, of Navigationi e Viaggi by Giovanni Battista Ramusio, published in Venice, 1563-74--65. Ramusio (1485-1557), the Venetian diplomat and historian, is best known as a collector of Voyages,' and this, his chief work, is a collection of documents relating to the voyages and discoveries of famous travellers, translated, when necessary, into the Italian of his day. Only two volumes of this work, the first and the third, were published during his lifetime. The first edition of volume two appeared in 1559, two years after his death. A fourth volume was projected but did not appear. The bibliography of Navigatione e Viaggi is very complicated and the contents of each volume in the different editions vary greatly. The set of three volumes in this collection is one of the best that has changed hands in recent years. WM. WILLIAMS. < FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARIES.'1 The Library continues to receive gifts through the Friends of the National Libraries,' the more recent donations including a miscellaneous collection of books presented by Dr. Harley Granville-Barker a nicely-bound set of the History of the war in the Peninsula 1807-1814, by Sir W. F. P. Napier, 6 volumes, 1828-1840, presented, together with other books, by the Reverend F. C. Clare, M.A., of Harpenden three French philological works, presented by Colonel Arthur Dick, of London; two old-time children's books, presented by Miss A. Gilbert, of Nottingham two works by Thomas Reid (1710-1796), the Scottish philosopher, presented by Mr. A. A. Whitelaw, of Wellington, New Zealand; a collection of the works of Isaac Taylor (1787-1865), artist, author, and inventor, presented by Miss Anna Wilson, of Ongar, Essex and a number of topographical and geographical works from Mr. T. H. Russell, St. Ives House, near Ringwood, Hants. WM. WILLIAMS. 1 See Journal, No. 1, p. 28,