i6 NATURAL SCIENCE. Jan.. 1896. 



Bibliography of Zoology. 



In our November number (p. 359) we announced the arrangements 

 for the pubhcation of an international Bibliogmphia Zoologica. The 

 committee appointed by the American Society of Naturahsts in Dec, 

 1894, h^^ reported upon the plans of Dr. H. H. Field, in Science for 

 November 15, 1895 ! they conclude their report as follows : — 



" Your committee, having examined the matter in detail, would, 

 therefore, report that they regard the plan as one worthy the fullest 

 support of the American stientific world. They recommend it as 

 worthy of financial support and would urge all publishers and 

 publishing institutions to send all periodicals and other works (or in 

 the case of books at least the correct title and a summary of contents 

 prepared by the author) promptly to the central bureau. They 

 would finally recommend the appointment of a permanent committee 

 of ten to co-operate with similar committees in other countries in 

 forwarding the movement. 



" (Signed) Samuel H. Scudder, Henry F. Osborn, J. S. Kingsley, 

 H. P. Bowditch, E. A. Andrews, Committee." 



We do not know of any higher authority on the bibliography of 

 zoology than S. H. Scudder, and it is small wonder that American 

 zoologists generally have welcomed the above report in a practical 

 manner. All the money that was asked for has been subscribed, 

 namely, $250 from the Elizabeth Thompson fund, $250 from the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science, and $50 from 

 the American Society of Microscopists. 



The scheme has been strengthened by affiliation to the Institut 

 International de Bibliographic at Brussels, to which Lord Kelvin 

 alluded in his recent address to the Royal Society. It is proposed to 

 include animal physiology, and ultimately botany, in the plan, without 

 altering present arrangements. All working zoologists who desire to 

 keep pace with their subject should send their subscription of fifteen 

 shillings to the publisher, W. Engelmann, Leipzig. 



Bibliographic Innovations. 

 With this number we adopt two suggestions which were mads 

 at the International Congress of Bibliographers, held last September, 

 in Brussels, and which have since been emphasised by the above- 

 mentioned Bibliographic Department of the Belgian Government, and 

 by other foreign bibliographers. The first is the printing at the head 

 of each article the index-number under which the subject of the article 

 is placed in Melvill Dewey's system of decimal classification, a system 

 that was adopted in its entirety by the Congress of Bibliographers. 

 The second is the underscoring of certain words in the title of each 

 article, the most important word or words having a full underscore, 

 and words of less importance having shorter underscores. These are 

 changes that appeal to the professed bibliographer rather than to the 

 ordinary man of science. They may or may not be found valuable 

 enough to gain universal adoption. But, in any case, we are yielding 

 to a strongly expressed demand, and by familiarising English readers 

 with the system, we do what little we can to prepare the way for that 

 bibliographic reform which all admit to be an urgent need. 



