434 NATURAL SCIENCE [December 



T. Duka ; Japan, Prof. E. Yamaguchi ; Mexico, Seiior Don Francisco del Paso y 

 Troncoso ; Netherlands, Prof. D. J. Korteweg ; Norway, Dr J. Brunchorst ; 

 Sweden, Dr E. W. Dahlgren ; Switzerland, Drs J. H. Graf and J. Bernoulli ; 

 United Kingdom, Sir John Gorst, Professors M. Foster, A. W. Pucker, and 

 H. Armstrong, Sir Norman Lockyer and Dr L. Mond ; United States, Dr C. 

 Adler ; Cape Colony, Mr R. Trimen ; India, Lieut.-General Sir R. Strachey and 

 Dr W. T. Blanford ; Natal, Sir Walter Peace ; New Zealand, Hon. W. P. 

 Reeves ; Queensland, Hon. Sir Horace Tozer. The chief decisions were : that 

 the catalogue be published in the double form of cards and books ; that 

 geography be limited to mathematical and physical, excluding political and 

 general geography ; that a sepai^ate schedule be provided for each of the following 

 branches of science, — Mathematics, Astronomy, Meteorology, Physics, Crystal- 

 lography, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Geology (including Petrology), Geography? 

 Palaeontology, Anatomy, Zoology, Botany, Physiology, (including Pharmacology 

 and Experimental Pathology), Bacteriology, Psychology, Anthropology ; that 

 Italian should be added to the list of languages not requiring translation, the 

 others being English, French, German, and Latin. The following were appointed 

 a Provisional International Committee : — Professors Armstrong, Descamps, 

 Foster, Poincare, Riicker, Waldeyer, and Weiss, and Dr S. P. Langley ; the 

 delegates were requested to organise local committees in their respective 

 countries, to discuss matters connected with the catalogue, and to report within 

 six months to the committee just mentioned ; and this committee is to 

 frame a report not later than July 31, 1899. As regards future working, there is 

 to be a Central Bureau with a Director, and as many Regional Bureaux as can be 

 persuaded to act ; these are the workers. But there are to be International 

 Conventions held in 1905, 1910, and every tenth year afterwards, to reconsider 

 and, if necessary, revise the rules now drawn up. There is also to be an 

 International Council, which shall meet in London once in three years at least ; 

 this is to be the supreme authority over the Central Bureau. It is recommended 

 that the International Council shall appoint for each science included in the 

 catalogue five persons to form an International Committee of Referees, so far as 

 possible representative of the constituent regions. It shall be the duty of the 

 director of the Central Bureau to consult the appropriate committee or com- 

 mittees, hj correspondence or otherwise, on all questions of classification not 

 provided for by the catalogue regulations ; or, in cases of doubt, as to the 

 meaning of those regulations. There are a good many more cumbrous rules, but 

 those we have last quoted are about enough to wreck any scheme less difficult and 

 less enormous than the present one. It is to be hoped that the director will not 

 do his " duty," but go ahead. 



The Royal Society has awarded its medals as follows : — Copley Medal, Sir 

 William Huggins ; Royal Medals, Rev. John Kerr and Mr Walter Gardiner ; 

 Rumford Medal, Prof. Oliver Lodge ; Davy Medal, Prof. Johannes Wislicenus ; 

 Darwin Medal, Prof. Karl Pearson. 



General regret is felt that Sir John Evans should have found it necessary to 

 resign the treasurership of the Royal Society. Regret has also been expressed 

 that the Council should not have found a more eminent man of science than Mr 

 A. B. Kempe, the mathematician, to succeed him. 



The Mineral ogical Society, at its anniversary meeting on November 15, 

 elected the following officers for the ensuing year : — Prof. A. H. Church, president ; 

 Prof. G. D. Liveing and Dr Hugo Muller, vice-presidents. 



The late Mrs Stainton has bequeathed to the Entomological Society, London, 

 such entomological works from her husband's library as were not already in its 

 possession. Many of these are old and scarce. 



