Perhaps my sluggishness toward first editionsto which I have hinted abovecomes in part from the acquaintance with a man who in a linguistic outburst as I met him, pronounced himself to be a numismatist and philatelist.

No, the numismatist's head is not crammed with the mysteries of life and death, nor is a philatelist one who is possessed with the dimmer secrets of eternity.

"Well?" "I say, you don't know anyone who could lend me a pound, do you?" "What!" cried Mike, sitting up in bed and staring through the darkness in the direction whence the numismatist's voice was proceeding.

[Science of coins] numismatics, chrysology^. [coin scholar or collector] numismatist. paper money, greenback; major denomination, minor denomination; money order, postal money order, Post Office order; bank note; bond; bill, bill of exchange; order, warrant, coupon, debenture, exchequer bill, assignat^; blueback

"I did not know your father was a numismatist," said he.

I am well acquainted with the medal described by Mr. Nightingale, and can confirm his statement of the difficulties which numismatists have experienced in attempting to explain the circumstances alluded to by the lobster which is the badge of "the order of the pretended Prince of Wales," and upon which, on the other side of the medal, Father Petre is represented as riding with the young prince in his arms.

There are many strange things to be written of this remarkable manbut this, the case of the numismatist Hume, has been selected as the first because it is one of the simplest, and yet clearly illustrates Ashton-Kirk's peculiar talents.

The directory gave him as a numismatist; but I drove by his shop in my car, and the sign over the window said that he was also a dealer in curiosities of art.

"Fuller," spoke Ashton-Kirk, "I want instant and complete information upon one Hume, a local numismatist, and Allan Morris, consulting engineer.

"David Purtell Hume, Numismatist, philatelist, dealer in objects of art and curiosities.

"The man whom I told you about yesterdaythe numismatist, Hume." "Ah!"

Upon this latter could be easily read the words: DAVID P. HUME NUMISMATIST PHILATELIST ART CURIOSITIES

" He stripped off the wrapper, and the bayonet which had killed the numismatist was revealed, blood-clotted and ugly.

The visits of the Italian musician to the numismatist, his ambition to shine as another Kubelik, his ungovernable temper, the high words that followed Hume's frequent sneers at his ambition and the fact that he once drew a knife upon his tormentor, were presented in full.

He evidently went to regale the numismatist with music; for the delicatessen dealer, Berg, saw under his coat what was evidently his violin.

"I mean," answered Ashton-Kirk, "that I hope to place the murderers of the numismatist Hume in your hands in a few dayswhoever they may be.

It was also suggested to me that Hume might be an assumed namethat the numismatist might have once been known as Wayne, and that Locke had known him by that name.

CARLI, Italian archæologist, numismatist, and economist, born at Capo d'Istria; wrote as his chief work on political economy; president of the Council of Commerce at Milan (1720-1795).

DUVAL, CLAUDE, a French numismatist, and writer on numismatics; keeper of the imperial cabinet of Vienna; was originally a shepherd boy (1695-1775).