ABSTRACT
The French, with a full understanding of the principles of book-binding, have confined their attention almost wholly to calf and to morocco, eschewing even the pleasant-smelling Russia-leather, which becomes brittle, and has a tendency to crack, unless it is constantly handled, whereby it absorbs animal oil from the human fingers. So might author clothe a volume describing a voyage to Alaska in sealskin, or an account of Australia in the hide of the kangaroo. In more than one of the old treatises on bookbinding is mention made of an ardent admirer of Charles James Fox, who had the speeches of his idol covered with a vulpine hide-which would serve better, it seems to author, as a coat for a volume of hunting reminiscences. It is very difficult to indicate the probable line of bibliopegic development.
