REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 103 



The general organization of the International Catalogue of Scien- 

 tific Literature consists of a central bureau in London whose duty 

 it is to assemble, edit, and publish classified references to current 

 scientific literature supplied by the various regional bureaus repre- 

 senting the cooperating countries. The following named countries 

 have established regional bureaus, supported in most cases by direct 

 Government grants : Argentine Republic, Austria, Belgium, Canada, 

 Chili, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, 

 Holland, Hungary, India and Ceylon, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New 

 South Wales, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Queensland, 

 Russia, South Africa, South Australia, Spain, Straits Settlements, 

 Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America, Victoria and Tas- 

 mania, and Western Australia. 



The present war in Europe has seriously interfered not only with 

 the finances but with the general work of the catalogue. Before 

 hostilities began the receipts and expenditures of the London cen- 

 tral bureau just balanced. These receipts are derived from the sale 

 of the catalogue to the various subscribers throughout the world 

 and are used entirely to defray the cost of printing and publishing. 



Subscriptions aggregating almost $6,000 a year, due from five of 

 the countries engaged in hostilities, have been either delayed or 

 stopped by the war. The Royal Society of London, realizing that 

 it w^ould be impossible for the central bureau to continue publishing 

 the catalogue in t^e face of this deficit, has very generously made 

 a grant of a sum almost sufficient to cover the deficit caused by the 

 first year of the war. It may be said that the Royal Society has 

 not only stood sponsor for the catalogue since its inception, but it 

 was through the good offices of this society that the enterprise was 

 begun. It is greatly to be hoped that this action of the Royal 

 Society will stimulate similar institutions in the United States to 

 aid in making up the annual deficit until a readjustment of the 

 affairs of the bureaus affected can be made after peace has been 

 declared. 



Very respectfully, yours, 



Leonard C. Gunnell, 



Assistant in Charge. 

 Dr. Charles D. Walcott, 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



