Black Beetles in Amber

Ambrose Bierce · 1892

The witness is the Library of Congress copy of the 1892 first edition; its title page reads BLACK BEETLES IN AMBER / BY / AMBROSE BIERCE / Western Authors Publishing Company / SAN FRANCISCO ... NEW YORK / 1892, with a copyright line for 1892. Membership was scored against the whole file. Order was read from the body alone, range #451:11477 — from the heading IN EXPLANATION to the end of the volume — because the printed contents, 'The Order in Which the Beetles Are Shown', repeats every title: with it in range the two passes disagreed on 70 poems and only 74 were placed, and without it 125 are. The 63 still unplaced are titles the body OCR damaged (A LITERARY HANGMAN reads A I.ITERARY HANGMAN). The volume's own foreword says many of the verses are republished from newspapers; which paper printed a given poem first is not established here.

Numbers rank the poems whose position in the book is known; they are not page numbers.

  1. 1Cain Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  2. 2An Obituarian Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  3. 3A Commuted Sentence Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  4. 4A Lifted Finger Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  5. 5Matter for Gratitude Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  6. 6Three Kinds of a Rogue Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  7. 7Samuel Shortridge Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  8. 8Posterity’s Award Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  9. 9An Art Critic Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  10. 10Fame Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  11. 11The Spirit of a Sponge Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  12. 12Ornithanthropos Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  13. 13Dennis Kearney Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  14. 14The Veteran Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  15. 15The Transmigrations of a Soul Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  16. 16An Actor Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  17. 17Famine’s Realm Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  18. 18The Mackaiad Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  19. 19A Poet’s Father Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  20. 20A Coward Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  21. 21To My Liars Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  22. 22Codex Honoris Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  23. 23To W. H. L. B. Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  24. 24Emancipation Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  25. 25Johndonkey Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  26. 26Hell Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  27. 27By False Pretenses Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  28. 28Lucifer of the Torch Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  29. 29“The Whirligig of Time” Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  30. 30The Legatee Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  31. 31At the Eleventh Hour Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  32. 32A Controversialist Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  33. 33The Retrospective Bird Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  34. 34The Oakland Dog Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  35. 35The Unfallen Brave Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  36. 36Couplets Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  37. 37A Retort Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  38. 38A Vision of Resurrection Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  39. 39Master of Three Arts Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  40. 40A Society Leader Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  41. 41Expositor Veritatis Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  42. 42George A. Knight Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  43. 43Unarmed Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  44. 44The Subdued Editor Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  45. 45The Night of Election Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  46. 46The Convicts’ Ball Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  47. 47A Prayer Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  48. 48To One Detested Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  49. 49The Boss’s Choice Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  50. 50A Merciful Governor Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  51. 51An Interpretation Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  52. 52A Soaring Toad Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  53. 53An Undress Uniform Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  54. 54The Perverted Village Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  55. 55Mr. Sheets Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  56. 56A Jack-at-All-Views Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  57. 57My Lord Poet Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  58. 58To the Fool-Killer Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  59. 59Montague Leverson Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  60. 60Twin Unworthies Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  61. 61A Political Apostate Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  62. 62Tinker Dick Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  63. 63Bats in Sunshine Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  64. 64A Word to the Unwise Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  65. 65On the Platform Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  66. 66To a Word-Warrior Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  67. 67A Culinary Candidate Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  68. 68The Oleomargarine Man Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  69. 69The Viduate Dame Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  70. 70Four of a Kind Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  71. 71Reconciliation Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  72. 72A Vision of Climate Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  73. 73For President, Leland Stanford Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  74. 74For Mayor Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  75. 75A Cheating Preacher Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  76. 76A Crocodile Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  77. 77The American Party Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  78. 78Uncoloneled Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  79. 79The Gates Ajar Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  80. 80Tidings of Good Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  81. 81Rejected Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  82. 82Judex Judicatus Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  83. 83A Hasty Inference Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  84. 84A Voluptuary Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  85. 85Ad Cattonum Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  86. 86The National Guardsman Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  87. 87The Barking Weasel Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  88. 88In Upper San Francisco Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  89. 89Nimrod Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  90. 90Censor Literarum Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  91. 91Borrowed Brains Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  92. 92Indicted Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  93. 93Over the Border Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  94. 94One Judge Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  95. 95To an Insolent Attorney Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  96. 96Accepted Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  97. 97A Promised Fast Train Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  98. 98A Military Incident Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  99. 99The Committee on Public Morals Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  100. 100California Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  101. 101To Either Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  102. 102Disappointment Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  103. 103The Valley of the Shadow of Theft Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  104. 104Down Among the Dead Men Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  105. 105Arbor Day Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  106. 106One of the Redeemed Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  107. 107A Critic Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  108. 108Fleet Strother Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  109. 109Slander Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  110. 110A Growler Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  111. 111Ad Moodium Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  112. 112A Spade Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  113. 113The Van Nessiad Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  114. 114A Fish Commissioner Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  115. 115To a Stray Dog Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  116. 116A Demagogue Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  117. 117Ignis Fatuus Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  118. 118From Top to Bottom Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  119. 119An Idler Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  120. 120The Dead King Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  121. 121A Patter Song Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  122. 122A Caller Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  123. 123Loring Pickering On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  124. 124A Water-Pirate On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  125. 125C. P. Berry On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  126. ·A “Mass” Meeting Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  127. ·A “Scion of Nobility” Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  128. ·A Celebrated Case Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  129. ·A Dampened Ardor Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  130. ·A Literary Hangman Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  131. ·A Political Violet Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  132. ·A Question of Eligibility Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  133. ·A Railroad Lackey Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  134. ·A Rear Elevation Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  135. ·A Song in Praise Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  136. ·Adair Welcker, Poet Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  137. ·An “Exhibit” Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  138. ·Arboriculture Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  139. ·Avalon Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  140. ·Californian Summer Pictures Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  141. ·“Died of a Rose” Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  142. ·Finis Aeternitatis Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  143. ·George C. Perkins Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  144. ·In His Hand Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  145. ·James L. Flood Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  146. ·Llewellyn Powell Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  147. ·Mendax Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  148. ·On the Wedding of an Aeronaut Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  149. ·One and One Are Two Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  150. ·One of the Saints Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  151. ·“Phil” Crimmins Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  152. ·Stanford’s Welcome Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  153. ·Substance or Shadow Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  154. ·The Genesis of Crime Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  155. ·The Last Man Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  156. ·The Piute Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  157. ·The Rev. Joseph Hemphill On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  158. ·The Shafter Shafted Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  159. ·Thersites Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  160. ·To “Colonel” Dan Burns Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  161. ·To E. S. Salomon Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  162. ·Two Delegates Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  163. ·XIX On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  164. ·XLI On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  165. ·XLII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  166. ·XLIII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  167. ·XLIV On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  168. ·XVIII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  169. ·XX On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  170. ·XXI On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  171. ·XXII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  172. ·XXIII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  173. ·XXIV On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  174. ·XXIX On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  175. ·XXV On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  176. ·XXVI On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  177. ·XXX On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  178. ·XXXI On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  179. ·XXXII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  180. ·XXXIII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  181. ·XXXIV On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  182. ·XXXIX On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  183. ·XXXV On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  184. ·XXXVI On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  185. ·XXXVII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  186. ·XXXVIII On Stone Some Ante-Mortem Epitaphs 1892
  187. ·Ye Foe to Cathaye Black Beetles in Amber 1892
  188. ·Ye Fyghtynge Seventh Black Beetles in Amber 1892