Library of the Imperial Leopoldine-Caroline Academy of Natural Curiosities

PREFACE.

further cultivated and the glory of our Academy vindicated. For this reason, I would not want this edition of the Index to be considered as an act of arrogance. Rather, I most willingly profess that the abundance of our books and the dignity and gravity of the collection are somewhat removed from the splendor and breadth that one expects of a necessary and praiseworthy public library. Nor should it be held against us that, in our collection, smaller and easily obtainable booklets—partly collected from elsewhere and partly purchased and acquired with the Academy’s own funds—far exceed the number of larger and more rare, expensive works. It was our intention to collect all books published by our associates, even if they are not always large or valuable. Furthermore, we had to consider the state of our treasury, which permits only small sums to be spent annually on increasing the library. The meagerness of our treasury is primarily due to many and various difficulties, and losses frequently incurred in the GENSELIAN bequest, which significantly hindered the flow of more abundant fruits to us from that source.

If, however, more returns to us from this bequest in the future than has been the case until now, and our affairs—God willing—turn out better, we will not only dedicate our efforts to purchasing books of greater importance and rarity, but we will also apply a portion of the money that might be saved toward the costs necessary to print an index of the items we currently possess in small numbers: those rare natural specimens and, as they are called, anatomical preparations, preserved both in dry form and in suitable liquid. Once this index is published, we will share it with our colleagues.