PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MliETlNC 1019 



assistance to the individual worker if a standard system of classifying 

 references were available, and it w-oiild also prepare the way for the 

 introduction of an official catalogue of literatm-e on Indian entomology 

 which will have to be maintained by a Central Institute. 



For entomological literature numerous skeleton schemes are already 

 in existence based on the well-known Dewey decimal system of classify- 

 ing literature. It is hardly necessary to point out the merits of a decimal 

 system, but it may be repeated that it is : — {] ) less expensive, (2) most 

 easily understood, remembered and used, (3) practical rather than 

 theoretical, (4) capable of almost unlimited expansion, and admirably 

 adapted for the needs of the student or specialist. 



Examples of decimal methods that have been used successfully are 

 the Bibliographia Zoologica, Concilimn Bibliographicum, the Ivtenm- 

 tional Catalogue of Scientific Literalure, and the Zoological Record. 



As to the relative merits of the existing systems I can offer no 

 remarks ; on the contrary, it is hoped that this note may produce an 

 expression of opinion by those who have had occasion to test one or 

 more systems. I attach a statement showing the scheme of classifica- 

 tion used for literature on Forest Zoology at the Forest Research Insti- 

 tute. It resembles very closely that used in the International Catalogue 

 of Scientific Literature, i.e., a binomial association of decimal groups 

 combined with phylogenetic classification. While it works satisfac- 

 torily for present requirements I do not think it will do so permanently. 

 A scheme to be entirely comprehensive must provide for all possible 

 contingencies, which may arise in future. The sj^ecialist or professional 

 user of a specialized library can usually find the material for which he 

 is searching, without the aid of a logical or completely comprehensive 

 scheme, provided the index is elaborately cross-referenced. But, since 

 the subject indexing of libiaries must be carried out in this country 

 by a clerical staff of moderate intellectual attainments, a more or less 

 mechanical method is essential. 



I suggest that it is desirable to adopt a standard cassification of 

 entomological li' ?,rature in India,* and that a phylogenetic system on a 

 decimal basis if. likely to prove the most efficient. As to the details 

 of the subject heads and the numerical notation, exjieit opinion is 

 necessary, and it is therefore desirable to consider the catalogue of the 

 Bureau of Entomology and the London Library Subject-Index as 

 possible models and to invite the opinion of their librarians. 



* Attention is drawn to the report of the Proceedings of the All-India Conference 

 of Librarians held in January 1918, at which was considered tlic possibility of intro - 

 dvicing a uniform system of subject-indexing in libraries in India. 



