numerous as in the two Colonies already referred to, they are nevertheless as important, and comprise the Adelaide Public Library, the Parliamentary Library, several society collections, and the usual mechanics' institutes and country libraries. The Public Library of South Australia is situated in Adelaide, and was founded as recently as 1884 in place of the South Australian Institute, which had been in existence since 1859, the collection of books belonging to the latter being taken over as the nucleus of the collection for the Public Library. According to the latest official returns, the library contains 40,539 volumes. They are housed in a handsome building which has already cost £45,000, and when completed as designed will entail a total expenditure of about £100,000. A special feature is the circulation of book-boxes among the country libraries upon the same system as that adopted in New South Wales. The country libraries number about 160, and in most instances are in receipt of a government grant. As in the other Australian Colonies, the Parliamentary Library in Adelaide contains a representative collection of works, but is mainly for the use of members of the Legislature.

The Colony of Queensland, the youngest of the Australian group, has, so far, been very backward in adopting the public library system, which prevails in the other Australian Colonies; but in its absence there are well-organized schools of art, mechanics' and miners' institutes, and public reading-rooms, most of which have libraries of more or less value. The number of such institutions at present existing is 91, containing nearly 140,000 volumes, which in most instances are free to the public, whilst an annual subscription entitles the members to participation in the circulation of the books. These institutions receive government support in the form of an endowment on the amount privately contributed. According to Mr. T. Weedon, in a work entitled "Queensland Past and Present," during the past twenty-six years the number of such institutions has

multiplied seven times, the number of volumes in the libraries eight times, whilst the annual expenditure in 1896 was nearly four times that of 1870. There is now a movement on foot for the establishment of a National Public Library in Brisbane, which it is intended shall take its place as one of the leading institutions of the kind in Australia. Already a board of trustees has been appointed to undertake its supervision, but the difficulty of securing a suitable building has delayed its opening. This is now believed to be in a fair way of solution, but in the meantime a temporary building is being fitted for the reception of the books, and the library will be made available. At present by far the most important library in the Colony is that of the Houses of Parliament, situated in Brisbane, which is open to the public on production of a member's order.

The first library in Tasmania of any importance at all was established in 1849, by the late Sir William Denison, and out of it sprang the present Public Library in Hobart, which was founded in 1870, and now has a collection of 15,000 volumes and receives a small government grant. It is, however, to be regretted that the library has never received at the hands of the state that amount of support which in every other Australian Colony has been extended, as a matter of course, to the National Library— hence the smallness of the collection got together during the twenty-nine years of its existence. Launceston, an important town in the northern portion of the Colony, possesses a good library, with about 20,000 volumes, supported by annual subscriptions from members, augmented by a government grant of £100 a year. The Parliamentary Library, as well as that of the Royal Society in Hobart, are also worthy of mention. There are in addition thirtyseven libraries scattered throughout the Colony, containing about 50,000 volumes, but most of these are subscription libraries.

Western Australia, in spite of the comparative smallness

of its population, boasts of forty-nine literary institutions in the principal towns and villages of the Colony, containing an aggregate of 20,000 volumes. Nearly all of these were subsidized at the outset by the government, and most of them receive a small annual grant for their maintenance. In Perth, the chief town of the Colony, there is an excellent public library, which was established in 1887 to commemorate the jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, and is now in a flourishing condition, mainly owing to the generous treatment it has received from the government of the Colony. According to the official returns, it contains 23,500 volumes, and receives an annual parliamentary grant of £2,500. A handsome building, to include the Public Library, is now being erected, the first portion of the block having been recently completed at a cost of about £20,000.

(To be continued.)