( 118 ) 



To some extent this account is to be considered as a sequel to 

 ray communication, published in the Proceedings of our meeting of 

 Sept. 26"' 189G. As I did then I shall now again confine myself 

 as much as possible to those points that may be considered to be of 

 more lasting interest to science. 



The former conference had addressed itself to the Royal Society 

 requesting that this Society might appoint a committee for studying 

 and reporting all questions regarding the Catalogue that still remai- 

 ned unsettled. 



In compliance with this request a copious report, dated March 

 30* 1898, was sent to the different governments and to the dele- 

 gates of the former conference. These last were requested to state 

 their personal remarks in an inofficial manner. 



This report, which we will call the Report of the Royal Society- 

 Committee, contained in the first place further proposals regarding 

 the international organization to be introduced. One of these con- 

 cerned the instituting of an International Council and of Internatio- 

 nal Conventions, besides the Central Bureau in London and the 

 National or, as they are now called, Regional Bureaux, the esta- 

 blishment of which had already been resolved upon by the first 

 conference and which are to do the regular work of composing the 

 Catalogue. 



The International Council, formed by delegates of the Regional 

 Bureaux, one for each, was to meet at least once in every three 

 years in London and was to constitute the governing body of 

 the Catalogue. It has however to submit to the decisions of the 

 International Conventions, which shall be held in 1905, in 1910 

 and after that every tenth year, the members being appointed by 

 the governments participating in the organization. 



A further proposal tended to institute for each science an Inter- 

 national Committee of Referees, consisting of five members, appoiu- 

 ted by the International Council. It is to this Committee that the 

 director of the Central Bureau shall have to apply on the arising 

 of difficulties in the application of the classification-schedule, drawn 

 up for that particular science. Changes of and additions to the 

 schedule, which the Central Bureau deems desirable, are submitted 

 to its approval, while it has the right independently to introduce 

 such changes and additions. 



In the second place the costs of the enterprise were estimated in 

 this report. 



This was done on three different suppositions, firstly, that only 



