56 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND PUBLICATION. 



Dr. Paul Mayer, of Naples, writes : ' Most authors are extremely 

 idle in making good lists of literature themselves, and even oppose 

 my correcting them according to our rules. There ought to be 

 some training in this at our Universities.' This is confirmed by one 

 or two other editors, but not all have the energy of Dr. Mayer. 

 Some, indeed, oppose the word ' fully ' on the ground that it leads to 

 waste of time and space. The Committee would explain that the 

 reference to a particular set of rules was intended merely as a guide 

 to those who have not had the training that Dr. Mayer would like 

 to see ; they would also point out, in the words of the editor of the 

 Cincinnati Society of Natural History, that ' what may be intelligible 

 to the specialist is very puzzling to the general student.' Nowadays, 

 when so many zoologists work with the aid of authors' separate copies, 

 it is an enormous convenience to them to have the title of the paper 

 at least indicated, and not merely the volume, date, and pagination 

 given. The Committee, therefore, cannot agree that this suggestion 

 involves a waste of time. 



Communications with reference to this Report should be addressed 

 to F. A. Bather, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd., London. 



