INTRODUCTION. 



a. Subject-matter of the Catalogue. 



THE following Catalogue is intended to contain the Title of every Scientific Memoir 

 which appears in the various Transactions and Proceedings of Scientific Societies, 

 and in the Scientific Journals published within the time which it comprehends ; 

 with the Reference, the Date, the Author's name, and the number of pages in the 

 Memoir. 



As the Transactions of many learned Societies contain both scientific and non- 

 scientific matter, it was necessary to make a selection, and to exclude such Papers as 

 were merely literary, technical, or professional ; and a similar course has been pur- 

 sued with regard to Scientific Journals. It has not always, however, been possible, 

 or even advisable, to adhere strictly to this rule, which has been construed so as to 

 admit rather than exclude any matter as to which there might be a doubt. Thus 

 nianv Medical and Surgical Papers have been included on account of their con- 

 taining Anatomical or Physiological matter. In like manner accounts of voyagos 

 and travels occurring in Serial "Works have been admitted when they contained 

 matter touching upon Natural History, Geology, or Terrestrial Physics. P^ecords of 

 Meteorological Observations have been omitted, unless they contained scientific cal- 

 culations, important generalizations, or new theories : but the Appendices to volumes 

 of Astronomical Observations and to Astronomical Almanacs have been treated like 

 Scientific Journals. Reports from Committees are included, but mere notices and 

 extracts are omitted. Papers which were published only in the form of separate 

 pamphlets are excluded ; but it has been thought advisable to relax the rule in 

 some cases, especially with regard to certain Academical Programmes to which 

 scientific dissertations are appended. 



