REPORT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE XXV 



(6) Membership, numbers, conditions and manner of election, 

 dues, etc. 



(7) Meetings — their character, frequency, time, and place. 



(8) Communications — regulations for presentation and publica- 

 tion of papers. 



(9) List of ofl&cers, with address of corresponding secretary. 



(10) Complete and detailed bibliography of all regular or special 

 publications since the foundation of the society, editions (how 

 large?) to satisfy all the above mentioned requirements. 



(11) Publications — conditions and methods of distribution ; prices. 

 According to the plan of work approved, the handbook is to be 



in volumes ; societies to be classified by subjects, with local arrange- 

 ment, and each class to constitute a separate part. The following 

 order of procedure has been adopted : 



(a) To prepare a list of societies from the exchange lists at the 

 Smithsonian Institution and elsewhere in Washington, and a card 

 catalogue to keep orderly record of communications. 



{d) To issue a suitable circular to these societies, requesting the 

 desired information. 



(c) To prepare for publication the material received, filling out 

 lacunae by further correspondence and reference to various sources 

 of information. 



(d) In the case of societies not replying to circular or letter, and 

 in regard to which sufiicient information cannot be obtained from 

 printed sources, to adopt such other methods as the progress of the 

 work may suggest. 



The first stage of this work was the preparing of a card catalogue 

 of names of learned societies and institutions. Every source of in- 

 formation known and available in the Congressional Library was 

 searched to make this as nearly complete as possible, at the same 

 time separating (i) dead societies and (2) societies not publishing 

 any material of importance to investigators. 



The second stage of the work was the sending of a circular letter, 

 containing an outline of the information required, to academies and 

 societies dealing with historical and social science in Europe and 

 North America. Russia and other Slavic countries, and also Austria 

 and Hungary, are being treated independently, advantage being 

 taken of a visit to Russia by Mr. A. V. Babine, of the Library of 

 Congress. Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson made personal visits 

 to England, Paris, Belgium, Holland, and Berlin for the purpose of 



