October 7, 1920] 



NATURE 



195 



biological law ceases to be tenable ; but since man 

 has the power of altering his environment and of 

 adapting racial characters through conscious selec- 

 tion, it also follows that progress will not of necessity 

 be followed by decadence ; rather that, by aiming at 



a high mark, by deepening our knowledge of ourselves 

 and of our world, and by controlling our energy and 

 guiding our efforts in the light of that knowledge, we 

 may prolong and hasten our ascent to ages and to 

 heights as yet beyond prophetic vision. 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. 



AN international conference of delegates from 

 scientific academies to Consider the future of 

 th.- International Catalogue of Scientific Literature 

 wa^ held last week by invitation of the Royal Society 

 < ■ London. Sir J. J. Thomson, president of the 

 ;il Society, took the chair. The conference was 

 nded by delegates from Denmark (Prof. Martin 

 idsen), France (Prof. \. Lacroi.x), Holland (Prof, 

 an Kijnberk), India (Sir H. H. Hayden and Dr. 

 \\'. Kemp), Japan (Prof. H. Nagaoka), New Zea- 

 i (Prof. .A. Dendy), Norway (Dr. Rolf Laache), 

 (Queensland (Sir Edw. Parrott), South Africa (Sir T. 

 -Muir), Sweden (Baron Alstromer), Switzerland (Dr. 

 ■■ Lscher, Dr. Marcel Godet, and Dr. H. H. Field), 

 ted States of America (Prof. L. E. Dickson, Mr. 

 I '. Gunnell, Dr. S. \. Franz, and Dr. Robert M. 

 lies), Victoria (Prof. E. VV. Skeats), and Western 

 tralia (Mr. (j. B. Rushton). The Royal Society 

 represented by three of its officers (Sir J. J. 

 .omson. Sir David Prain, and Mr. J. H. Jeans), 

 )gether with Prof. Henry E. .\rmstrong, Dr. F. A. 

 ither. Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell, and Sir .\rthur 

 :huster. The Italian delegates, having been delayed 

 the railway journey, were unfortunately not in 

 to take part in the proceedings. 

 The conference was calkd to consider whether any 

 lodifications in the present Catalogue arc advisable 

 id how the difficulties created by the war can best 

 overcome. It is well known that the Royal 

 :iety, in its "Catalogue of Scientific Papers," has 

 Undertaken to make an index of all books and papers 

 scientific subjects published during the nineteenth 

 sntury. Sixteen quarto volumes of this important 

 italogue have already appeared. Four more volumes 

 rill probably be sufficient to complete the .Author 

 Catalogue for the period 1800-1900. A correspond- 

 10 .Subject Catalogue is also being published. 

 In view of the ever-increasing number of scientific 

 iblications, the Royal Society realised that it could 

 continue to index the scientific literature of the 

 rbole world, but that such an undertaking should 

 carried out by a division of labour, each country 

 exing its own literature, the several catalogues so 

 .>ared being sent to a central bureau in London, 

 ^berc thev should be combined and publishied in 

 inual volumes. The "International Catalogue of 

 ientific Literature " was the outcome. It under- 

 to index scientific literature published after 

 luary 1, 190 1. 



More than thirty countries joined in the scheme, 



ch agreeing to index its own scientific literature upon 



Irds which should be sent to London for incorpora. 



in the printed volumes. Fourteen annual issues, 



Ich of seventeen volumes, have now been published 



lexing the scientific literature of 1901-14. It was 



that the sales and subscriptions to the volumes 



nearly covered the cost of production. 



might have been predirti-d that a work of 



kind, requiring harmony between workers of so 



«ny nationalities, could not be carried out without 



■rnational jealousy and friction. Such has not 



Aod to be the case. The greatest goodwill has 



exi<ite<I between the various regional bureaux in the 



different countries and the central bureau in London. 



The outbreak of war interrupted the work by 



l*«itri(ting inferrotirse between the nations. The 



N'O. 2658. VOL. 106] 



finances of the catalogue have also suffered from the 

 loss of subscriptions from Austria, Germany, Hun- 

 gary, and Russia. At the same time the cost of 

 printing and publishing has more than doubled. It 

 was in these circumstances that the Royal Society 

 convened last week's conference. 



The delegates, while agreeing that it is essential 

 that scientific literature should be fully inde.xed in 

 order that the results of researches in every country 

 might be made known quickly to all, entered into a 

 full discussion as to how this indexing should be 

 done, and passed in review the different agencies now 

 engaged in such work. 



Thwy came to the conclusion that, even though a 

 change be made in the future in the method of 

 indexing, it is imperative to continue the International 

 Catalogue of Scientific Literature in its present form 

 until the literature published up to the end of the 

 year 1915, and possibly also that up to the end of the 

 pre,sent year 1920, has been catalogued. In this 

 way the important scientific work carried out during 

 the war period will become available for reference at 

 an early date and continuity in the work of indexing 

 be maintained. This recommendation of the confer- 

 ence will come before the council of the Royal Society 

 at their October meeting, and we are confident that 

 the council will wish to give effect to the proposal if 

 sufficient funds can be obtained. 



\ considerable sum of money will be required. It 

 is estimated that the rise in salaries, wages, paper, 

 and everything connected with printing and publishing 

 is so great that an annual issue of the International 

 Catalogue will now cost about i7,oooi. In addition 

 to the annual expenses, working capital of consider- 

 able amount will be required. The sum mentioned 

 at the conference was, we believe, 34,000/., this being 

 the cost of two annual issues. 



There is here an opportunity for someone to make 

 a generous donation in aid of science. The Royal 

 Society cannot be expected to provide the large sums 

 now required out of its own resources. The society 

 has already spent much money in the preparation of 

 the Catalogue of Scientific Papers, and has lent 

 7500/. to the International Catalogue and made a 

 further donation of iioo/. from its funds. Contribu- 

 tions from European countries are invited, but mav 

 prove difficult to obtain owing to the adverse rates of 

 exchange. It would be a great misfortune if a work 

 of this importance came to an end through lack of 

 funds. We have here a league of nations engaged 

 in making the results of scientific inquiry widely 

 known; every effort should be made to help this 

 league to live through what is evidentiv the critical 

 period of its existence. 



The question as to the future of the Catalogue 

 after the completion of the twentieth issue was referred 

 to a committee of the delegates for further considera- 

 tion. .'Xmongst other questions this committee will 

 examine how far the work of the International Cata- 

 logue can be brought into relation with the many 

 existing agencies for the publication of abstracts of 

 scientific papers. 



In addition to the abstracts prepared bv manv of 

 the scientific societies and to those published In 

 periodical collections dealing with special subjects, 

 there are card catalogues such as that under the 



