52 NATURAL SCIENCE. July. 1896. 



the Central Bureau, the mode of appointment and organisation of the 

 International Council, the language or languages to be used, and the 

 system of classification to be followed in the subject-index. Since it 

 is difficult to estimate the cost of the work of indexing, it is suggested 

 that a guarantee fund, of about ;^io,ooo, should be raised to cover a 

 period of not less than five years, after which time the cost of the 

 enterprise can better be determined. 



We may hope that these proposals will be discussed by those 

 whom the scientific world recognises as competent to deal with such 

 peculiarly technical questions. We could name a number of men 

 whose opinions would carry great weight ; let us mention the names 

 of M. Baudouin, H. Carrington Bolton, Victor Carus, R. Friedlander, 

 Emil de Margerie, Paul Mayer, Michel Mourlon, S. Nikitin, 

 P. Schiemenz, S. H. Scudder, and O. Taschenberg. We do not 

 mention some skilled bibliographers of our own country, who, till a 

 short time ago, we thought must have been known even to the 

 Council of the Royal Society. By the courtesy of the Secretary of 

 the Royal Society, the list of the delegates already appointed to 

 attend the Conference has been forwarded to us. The names of the 

 delegates for Austria, Germany, and Norway are not yet given. 

 Among the other names, we are glad to see Dr. J. S. Billings and 

 Professor Simon Newcomb, from the United States ; Dr. E. W. 

 Dahlgren, the librarian of the Swedish Academy ; Professor August 

 Heller, librarian of the Hungarian Academy ; Dr. J. Deniker, 

 librarian of the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris ; and Chevalier 

 Descamps-David and Mr. Paul Otlet, both of the Institut Inter- 

 national de Bibliographic at Brussels. But there are also in the list 

 Mr. Avierinos M. Averoff, Greek Consul at Edinburgh ; General 

 Annibale Ferrero, Italian Ambassador in London ; the Portuguese 

 Minister in London; the Right Hon. Sir J. E. Gorst, M.P., Vice- 

 President of the Committee of Council on Education ; the High 

 Commissioner for Canada ; the Agent-General for Natal ; the Agent- 

 General for New Zealand; the Agent-General for Queensland; and 

 the Swiss Minister in London. These are " all honourable men," 

 deservedly distinguished, but do they know anything of the literature 

 and bibliography of science, or the every-day needs of the working 

 physicist, chemist, and naturalist ? If their function is simply to 

 promise the support of their respective governments, especially 

 pecuniary support, then, in the interests of science, we undoubtedly 

 offer them a hearty welcome to London ; but when the Conference 

 begins to discuss the Dewey decimal classification, or the best method 

 of indexing new species of animals and plants, we hope that those 

 who know something about the subject will be left to do the talking. 



But, once again, to ambassadors, consuls, high commissioners, 

 generals, professors, and librarians, we wish good speed and a 

 successful ending to their discussions. 



