The best first source for a general idea of primitive libraries is the readable and well illustrated little book of Edward Clodd called The story of the alphabet, (N. Y., Appleton, 1912).

With this may be put the still briefer first part of Dr. Fritz Specht’s Die schrift (Berlin, 1909. 3rd ed.).

More extensive general treatments are found in Berger’s Histoire (Paris, 1892), and quite exhaustively in Wuttke’s Die entstehung der schrift (Leipzig, 1872), also in W. J. Hoffmann’s The beginnings of writing (N. Y., 1895), a sketchy but comprehensive survey.

For the definition of the library see Graesse Schmidt and the other treatises on library science, especially the older ones.

For libraries of the gods see the various works on comparative mythology under the topics of the various writing gods, Hermes, Thoth, Odin, etc., or better, since the subject has not been very much worked up, in the sources The Eddas, The Book of the Dead, The Avesta and for the Indian matters Muir’s Sanskrit texts.

In the matter of antediluvian libraries see the references in Schmidt and Richardson, but especially the sources gathered as pseudepigraphic literature of the Old Testament first by Fabricius but now to be had in more modern editions.

For animal, plant and memory libraries see the literature of so called “Comparative psychology” given in admirable detail annually in the Psychological index—looking up the articles on inward speech and writing as well as on memory.

For Preadamites see Winchell’s Preadamites (Chicago, 1880), and the works of M’Causland.

For prehistoric and borderland libraries generally in the Mediterranean region the various works of Mosso may be consulted, especially the Dawn of Mediterranean civilisation, ch. 2, pp. 11-43, “The Origin of Writing,” and still better, Evans’ Scripta Minoa which is a classic.

For prehistoric western Europe, J. DÉchelette’s Manuel d’archÉologie prehistorique Celtique et Gallo-Romaine, v. 1., (Paris, 1908), is most comprehensive for a first survey of a very extensive field.

In the matter of primitive tribes Frobenius’ Childhood of man (Philadelphia, 1909), although curiously sketchy and aggravatingly brief, seems to be authoritative enough, and certainly gives the layman in these matters a good idea in short space of the anthropological aspects of the subject.

One of the very best sources easily accessible to all for getting first clear impressions as to the use for record by primitive man of all the prephonetic methods of record is F. W. Hodge, Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Smithsonian Institute, Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 30, Pt. 1 and 2. 59th Congress, 1st Session, House Documents v. 61 and 62. Among the many articles some of the best, but by no means the only useful ones, are the following: Adornment, Calumet, Color symbolism, Dramatic representations, Engraving, Featherwork, Fetish, Hairdressing, Knots, Labrets, Mourning, Ornament, Painting, Pictographs, Prayer sticks, Quillwork, Scalping, Shrines, Sign language, Signals, Tattooing, Totem poles, Wampum.

Add to this for the African tribes Miss Kingsley’s West Africa and Dennett’s At the back of the Black Man’s mind.

For the enormous literature on tattooing see the list of hundreds of books and articles in the catalogue of the Library of the U. S. Surgeon General’s Office.

For the quipu an article by L. Leland Locke on The ancient Quipu, a Peruvian knot record is given in the American Anthropologist v. 14, 1912, pp. 325-32. This gives a modern point of view, has excellent illustrations and its author promises a bibliography of the extensive literature immediately.

For message sticks there is a long chapter with illustrations in A. W. Howitt, The native tribes of South East Australia (London, 1904, pp. 691-710).

An accessible first reference for pebble records and the abacus is the chapter on systems of numeration in W. W. R. Ball’s History of mathematics (London, 1888), pp. 114-19, also, and perhaps even better, J. Gow’s A short history of Greek mathematics (Cambridge, 1884), pp. 26-40. Cf. also article on the abacus in the Pauly-Wissowa Encyclopedia.

In the matter of the votive offerings W. H. D. Rouse’s Greek Votive Offerings (Cambridge, 1902), is a most suggestive and readable, while detailed and scholarly book.

On the Orphic tablets, see appendix to Miss Harrison’s Prolegomena to the study of Greek religion (Cambridge, 1903), pp. 660-74, and text passim,—the text being one of the classics of modern comparative religion.