It is a mournful task to record the death of the gifted--to follow Genius to its grave. Our Obituary of the past year chronicles the death of many who were giants in the realms of thought, and whom the world of science and learning could ill afford to lose. WELLINGTON, of whom (as was said of Cæsar) it is difficult to decide whether he fought or wrote with the greater spirit; Eliot WARBURTON, the Historian and Novelist; MACGILLIVRAY, the Naturalist; SCROPE, the Deerstalker; JOHANNOT, the Artist; the gay and accomplished COUNT D'ORSAY; LANDSEER, the Engraver; MANTELL, the Geologist--are now numbered with the dead. PUGIN, too, has passed away--he, whose whole life was but one continued aspiration after the Beautiful in Christian Art; the harp of MOORE is silent, and awakens no echoes in the tomb. Upon one occurrence of the past year, however, the publisher has particularly to congratulate his Subscribers; namely the Free Trade movement which has broken up the monopoly of the Booksellers' Association, increased the sale of books, and imparted new vigour and activity to the cause of literature. Cheapness in the price of books becomes an important auxiliary in the diffusion of knowledge. It is not merely a trade, but a social question, on account of the power it possesses of advancing intellectual improvement. The thirst for knowledge must be considerably influenced by the means we have at hand to supply and satisfy its craving. Long before Lord Campbell pronounced his judgment, the publisher was impressed with the truth of these views, and had steadily adhered to them as the basis of his business. The recent Postal Regulations have also tended to facilitate the purchase of books. By their means he has been enabled not only to forward the _Price Current_ to his Subscribers at a trifling cost, but to execute and transmit orders from a thin pamphlet to a ponderous volume. Facilities of a like nature now exist for sending books to the Colonies; and instead of being obliged to forward as heretofore, even the smallest book as a package at a high charge for conveyance, any moderate-sized volume, if left open at the ends, will reach its destination in the letter-bags, at a very trifling cost. The publisher thinks it not inappropriate to reprint in this place the following NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. G. WILLIS begs to express his acknowledgments for the numerous interesting communications which have been forwarded to him, and will feel obliged by the receipt of any original articles on subjects, either of a literary or an antiquarian nature. Woodcuts, illustrative of subjects requiring them, will be executed at his expense. All communications intended for insertion in the "_Current Notes_" must be accompanied by the Writer's real name and address, which are merely required as a guarantee of his good faith, and not for publication, except at his desire.