the Royal Society be requested to organise the Central Bureau, and to 

 do all necessary work, so that the preparation of the Catalogue might 

 be commenced in 1901, 



Mainly in consequence of representations made by the German 

 Government, in order to reduce the cost of the enterprise the Pro- 

 visional International Committee agi^eed to recommend that the 

 Catalogue should at the outset be of a more restricted character than 

 was contemplated by either the first or the second Conference^ that 

 is to say, that the issue of a card catalogue should be postponed, and 

 that the number of subject entries should be kept within narrow hmits. 



A third International Conference was held in London on June 12 

 and 13, 1900. This was attended by accredited representatives from 

 Austria, Cape Colony, Prance, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, 

 Japan, Mexico, Natal, New Zealand, Norway, Queensland, Switzerland, 

 and the United Kingdom. The report of the Provisional Inter- 

 national Committee appointed at the second Conference was considered, 

 and also a detailed scheme for the publication of the Catalogue 

 which had been prepared, at the request of the Committee, by the 

 Royal Society. 



The statements made by the delegates of various countries as to the 

 extent to which they were authorised to promise contributions towards 

 the expenses of the Catalogue being satisfactory, it was resolved to 

 take further steps towards the publication of the Catalogue ; and 

 for this purpose, pending the appointment of an International Council, 

 the Conference again appointed a Provisional International Committee. 

 This Committee met at the conclusion of the Conference, and after- 

 wards continued its deliberations through the agency of the Royal 

 Society. 



All difficulties were finally removed by the Royal Society undertaking 

 to act as the publishers of the Catalogue on behalf of the International 

 Council, thereb}^ giving the necessary legal status to the undertaking, 

 and also to advance the capital required to start the enterprise on the 

 understanding that this should be repaid during the ensuing five 

 years. 



The supreme control over the Catalogue is vested in an International 

 Convention. Such a Convention is to be held in London in 1905, in 

 1910, and every tenth year afterwards, to reconsider, and, if necessary, 

 to revise the regulations for carrying out the work of the Catalogue ; 

 but the approved Schedules are not to be altered during the first 

 period of five years. In the interval between two successive meetings 

 of the Convention the administration of the Catalogue is vested in an 

 International Council, the members of which are to be appointed by 

 the Regional Bureaus. 



The first meeting of the International Council was held in London 

 on December 12, 1900, when it was decided to commence the 

 preparation of the Catalogue from January 1, I'JOL At this meeting 

 an Executive Committee was appointed, consisting of the delegates of 

 the Royal Societ}' and representatives of the four largest subscribers — 

 the United States of America, Germany, France, and Italy. 



The materials out of which the Catalogue is formed are to be 

 furnished by Regional Bureaus. 



