The Index.

All Harvard students look forward with anticipation to the Index. In it they find a record of the real student life of the college;-the rolls of the social clubs; the record of the university teams. Here the freshman proudly finds his name printed among the members of the Canoe Club, or Harvard Union, and promptly sends home a copy marked in red ink. It is but natural, then, that the appearance of this important work should be awaited with interest, and that, when it is issued, it should be carefully scrutinized and sharply criticised if found to fall below the standard of its predecessors. This year the students have been subjected to a most vexations delay in obtaining the Index. It now lies before us. Can it be said that its excellence is commensurate with the amount of time spent in its preparation? Hardly, we are constrained to admit, for the present volume certainly does not surpass the efforts of previous editors, and we note some rather prominent inaccuracies. One is apt to get rather an unfortunate first impression from the cover. Have you ever, in riding along some solitary country road, been confronted by two gaunt posts bearing a signboard with the ominous legend "Look out for the engine." Such is the general appearance of the cover of the Index. Two tropical palm trees support a sign, on which is prominently blazoned the title of the work. Beneath, we are regaled with a view taken from the Nile delta. wherein are portrayed several beautiful obelisks and tomos, with a little-Moses-in-the bulrushes,-and-Baalim-and-his-assattachment. Why the plain and tasteful cover of last year should have been discarded for this somewhat weird design, it is hard to conjecture. Opening the volume we find that the general plan of the work is much the same as in former years. The old societies, with but few exceptions, are represented in its pages. In typographical excellence the present volume falls somewhat below previous standards.

In looking over the numbers of the various societies, we are pleased to note that, with but a few instances of decrease, all the organizations have made an advance in the strength of their membership. The Hasty Pudding contains 89 men this year, against 75 last year. The Finance Club has also increased in numbers, although the Natural History Society shows a decided falling off. Among the Greek Letter Societies, we notice the Theta Delta Chi, whose few members each hold an office. Closely following the example of this society comes the Canoe Club, with eleven members and six officers. The Shooting Club on the other hand, has wisely increased its membership, and has effected a corresponding decrease in the number of its officers so that now there are not quite enough to "go round." Two societies, the Art Club and the Reading Room Association, are conspicuous by their absence, but their place is filled by the Shakespere Club, with its 30 members. The Harvard Union shows 155 members this year to 126 last. The Dining Association has 740 men on its rolls. All the old law clubs are still in existence, and a new one has been founded, the Austin Club. Inspection of the records show that '84 failed to reach the standard of '83 in regard to commencement parts and honorable mentions, the score standing 118 "parts" and 112 "mentions" for '84, to 123 "parts" and 124 "mentions" for '83. As usual. The chief interest of the book centres in the records of the H. A. A., H. U. B. B. C., and H. U. B. C., which, so far as can be seen from a cursory glance, are complete and accurate. One is apt, in reading the page devoted to the Herald CRIMSON, to think that he has the Index of last year in hand. It is rather surprising that, in such a comprehensive work, the Harvard clubs of Washington and Minnesota should be omitted.