624 



NATURE 



[October 27, 1898 



ing to the several sciences for which slips are provided, and in 

 such divisions of parts as may be hereafter determined. 



In compilinfT the authors' index, in each of the sciences, the 

 authors' names shall be arranged in alphabetical order, and each 

 ■name shall be followed by the title of the paper and the 

 necessary reference, and any other such symbols as may be 

 determined. 



The Book Subject Catalogue shall be compiled from the slips, 

 as follows : — 



(i.) The subject entries shall be grouped in sections corre- 

 sponding to the registration letters on the slips, i.e. to 

 the several sciences, 

 (ii ) In each science the several subject entries shall be 

 arranged under headings corresponding to the registration 

 numbers on the slips, the which headings and numbers 

 shall be those contained in the authorised schedules of 

 classification, 

 (iii.) The divisions indicated by registration numbers may be 

 further subdivided by means of significant words or 

 symbols. 

 <iv.) The nature of the subject entry may vary. Thus, as 

 suggested in the cases of Mathematics and Physiology, it 

 may be the title only ; whilst in other sciences a special 

 entry, more or less different from the title, may be pro- 

 vided on each slip. In all cases, the number of subject 

 entries to be copied from a slip shall be determined by 

 the number of registration numbers on the slip, 

 ^v.) The mode of arranging subject entries under a registration 

 number, or under the subdivisions of a number afforded 

 by significant words or symbols, may vary. They may 

 either be arranged in the order of authors' names placed 

 alphabetically, in which case the author's name shall 

 precede the subject entry in the Book Catalogue, or they 

 may be arranged either in an arbitrary order, or in some 

 order suited to the particular series of entries. 

 When in preparing an issue of the Book Catalogue, it is found 

 that a registration number has no entries collected under it, the 

 •number and corresponding heading may be omitted from that 

 issue. 



To each part of the Book Catalogue corresponding to an 

 authorised schedule, there shall be appended an alphabetical 

 index of the headings, and if expedient, also of the significant 

 words appearing in that part, showing on which page of the 

 part each may be found. 



After the publication of the first issue of the Book Catalogue, 

 the Director of the Central Bureau shall consult the Com- 

 mittees of Referees as to the desirability of making changes in 

 the classification, and shall report thereon to the International 

 Council, who shall have power to authorise such changes to be 

 made as they may think expedient." 



(26) That the following recommendations of the Royal 

 Society providing for International Conventions in connection 

 with the Catalogue be adopted : — 



" Each region in which a Regional Bureau is established, 

 charged with the duty of preparing and transmitting slips to the 

 Central Bureau for the compilation of the Catalogue, shall be 

 called a 'constituent region.' " 



In 1905, in 1910, and every tenth year afterwards, an Inter- 

 national Convention shall be held in London (in July) to re- 

 consider and, if necessary, revise the regulations for carrying 

 out the work of the Catalogue authorised by the International 

 Convention of 1898. 



Such an International Convention shall consist of delegates 

 appointed by the respective Governments to represent the con- 

 •stituent regions, but no region shall be represented by more than 

 ithree delegates. 



The rules of procedure of each International Convention shall 

 be the same as those of the International Convention of 1898. 



The decisions of an International Convention shall remain in 

 force until the next Convention meets." 



27. That the following recommendations of the Royal Society 

 relating to the constitution of an International Council, which 

 shall be the governing body of the Catalogue, be adopted : — 



' ' Each Regional Bureau shall appoint one person to serve as 

 a member of a body to be called The International Council. 



The International Council shall, within the regulations laid 

 •down by the International Convention, be the Governing Body 

 of the Catalogue. 



The International Council shall appoint its own Chairman 

 and Secretary. 



NO. I 5 13, VOL. 58] 



It shall meet in London once in three years at least, and at 

 such other times as the Chairman, with the concurrence of five 

 other members, may specially appoint. 



It shall, subject to the regulations laid down by the Con- 

 vention, be the supreme authority for the consideration of and 

 decision concerning all matters belonging to the Central Bureau. 



It shall make a report of its doings, and submit a balance 

 sheet, copies of which shall be distributed to the several 

 Regional Bureaux, and published in some recognised periodical 

 or periodicals, in each of the constituent regions." 



(28) That the following recommendations of the Royal 

 Society relating to International Committees of Referees be 

 referred for consideration to the International Council when 

 constituted : — 



" The International Council shall appoint for each science in- 

 cluded in the Catalogue five persons skilled in that science, to 

 form an International Committee of Referees, provided always 

 that the Committees shall be as far as possible representative 

 of the constituent regions. The members shall be appointed in 

 such a way that one retires every year. Occasional vacancies 

 shall be filled up by the Committee itself, subject to the 

 approval of the Chairman of the International Council, and a 

 member thus appointed shall hold office as long as the member 

 whose place he fills would have held office. 



It shall be the duty of the Director of the Central Bureau to 

 consult the appropriate Committee or Committees, by corre- 

 spondence or otherwise, on all questions of classification not 

 provided for by the Catalogue Regulations ; or, in cases of 

 doubt, as to the meaning of those Regulations. 



In any action touching classification the Director shall be 

 guided by the written decision of a majority of the appropriate 

 Committee, or by a minute if the Committee meets. 



Provided always that when any addition to or change of 

 the schedule of classification in any one branch may seem likely 

 to affect the schedule of classification of some other branch or 

 branches, the Committees concerned shall have been consulted ; 

 and provided also that in all cases of want of agreement within 

 or between the Committees, or of other difiSculty, the matter 

 shall have been referred for decision to the International 

 Council. 



All business transacted by the Committees shall be reported 

 by the Director to the International Council at their next 

 ensuing meeting." 



Third Meeting, Thursday, October 13. 



The following resolutions were adopted : — 



(29) That the Committee contemplated in Resolution 21 be 

 constituted as follows : — 



Prof. Armstrong. Prof. Poincare. 



Prof. Descamps. Prof. Riicker. 



Prof. M. Foster. Prof. Waldeyer. 



Dr. S. P. Langley. Prof. Weiss. 



That this Committee be at liberty, if any of those named are 

 unable to serve, to appoint substitutes, and also to co-opt two 

 new members. 



(30) That the International Committee be termed the " Pro- 

 visional International Committee." 



(31) That the Provisional International Committee shall be 

 governed by the decisions of the Conference, but shall have the 

 power of introducing such modifications in detail as may appear 

 necessary. 



(32) Dr. Adler, referring to Resolution 20, said that he 

 desired to place on record his view that the concluding words — 

 "and in accordance, as far as possible, with a general system 

 of registration "—the addition which he had agreed to as an 

 amendment of his original Resolution, must not be regarded as 

 modifying the first part of the Clause, or as in any way throwing 

 open the whole question of notation and classification. 



(33) Prof. Riicker having made a statement as to the probable 

 cost of the undertaking, aud the Delegates having stated what 

 assistance in their opinion might be expected from their respective 

 countries, it was resolved — 



That the Delegates to this Conference be requested to obtain 

 information, and to report at an early date to the " Provisional 

 International Committee," as to what assistance, by subscription 

 or otherwise, towards the support of the Central Bureau, may 

 be expected from their respective countries. 



(34) M. Mascart called attention to Resolution 22 as being, in 

 his opinion, incorrect in English, the intention being that the 



