°jgo^ J Recent Literature. 495 



ing, international cooperation seemed necessary, and was sought. The 

 proposition met with such general approval that steps were soon taken to 

 secure an International Conference of Delegates to be appointed bj the 

 different Governments. Such a Conference was held in London, July 

 14-17, 1896, and was attended by delegates from twenty-one countries. 

 The plan adopted provided for the collecting of the material by local 

 organizations established for the purpose in the various countries, the 

 final editing and publishing of the Catalogue to be entrusted to a Central 

 International Bui-eau, under the direction of an International Council. 

 It was agreed to establish the Central Bureau in London. Schedules of 

 classification were later prepared by this International Committee, and 

 submitted to a second International Conference held in London October 

 11-13, 1S9S. The schedules and principles of classification reported by 

 the Committee were adopted, and the settlement of final details of the 

 schedules was referred to a Provisional International Committee. This 

 Committee met in London August 1-5, 1899. The financial part of the 

 undertaking was also adjusted, and the Royal Society was "requested to 

 organize a Central Bureau, and to do all necessary work, so that the 

 preparation of the Catalogue might be commenced in 1901." A third 

 International Conference was held in London in June, 1900, and the final 

 details for the publication of the Catalogue by the Royal Society were 

 definitely arranged. 



The supreme control of the Catalogue is vested in an International 

 Convention, which is to meet "in London in 1905, in 1910, and everj' 

 tenth year afterwards, to reconsider, and, if necessary, to revise the 

 regulations for can-ying out the work of the Catalogue," etc. "The 

 materials out of which the Catalogue is formed are to be furnished by 

 Regional Bureaus." These have been established to the number of 

 thirty. "Each complete annual issue of the Catalogue is to consist of 

 seventeen volumes, the set to be sold to the public for £18 " ; the price of 

 individual volumes will vary according to their size, "from about ten to 

 thirty-nine shillings.*' 



Having thus given a brief history of the inception and progress of the 

 work, we will proceed to a consideration of Volume N, covering the lit- 

 erature of Zoology for the year 1901, premising, however, that the depart- 

 ment of ornithology will be taken as a criterion of the work. The volume 

 consists of two parts, which may be bound separately or together, three 

 title-pages being furnished, and the pagination being continuous. Part 

 I consists of about 380 pages, of which the Preface (briefly summarized 

 above) occupies eight (vii-xv), and the explanatory introduction and an 

 index (repeated in four languages) about 80, followed by an 'Authors' 

 Catalogue ' of 259 pages (pp. 109-36S). This includes about 6000 titles, 

 arranged alphabetically by authors. The titles are each followed by 

 "Registration numbers " in brackets, these varying from one to four or 

 more, according to the nature of the paper. 



Part II, consisting of 1151 pages, contains the 'Subject Catalogue,' a 



