PREFACE. 



Tbe Internatioxal Catalogue of Sciextikic Literature, com- 

 nieucing- with tbe literature of the year 1901, is an outgTOwth of the 

 Catalogue of Scientific Papers relating- to the scientific literature of tlie 

 nineteenth century, published by the Royal Society of London. 



The suggestion to catalogue scientific papers may be traced back 

 to Prof. Henry, of Washing-ton, U.S.A., who broug-ht the subject 

 under the notice of the British Association for the Advancement of 

 Science at its meeting- in Glasg'ow, in 1855. The history of the incep- 

 tion of the enterprise is recorded in the first volume of the Catalogue 

 of Scientific Papers issued by the Iioyal Sociely in 1867. Twelve 

 large quarto volumes have been printed in which the titles of papers 

 published during the period 1800-1883 are aiTanged under authors' 

 names. A subject index, which will serve as a key to these volumes 

 and also form an independent record, is in an advanced state of 

 preparation. A catalog-ue of the scientific papers published during the 

 period 1884-1900 is now being- prepared by the Koyal Society of 

 London. 



The possibility of preparing a complete index of currert scientific 

 literature by international co-operation was first taken into considera- 

 tion by the Royal Society about the year 1893. It had long been 

 apparent that the work was beyond the resources of the Society, or 

 indeed of any single body. Moreover, it was felt that an authors' 

 catalogue could not supply the required information, and that it was 

 essential that scientific workers should be kept fully and quickly 

 informed of all new discoveries by means of complete subject indexes, 

 luternational co-operation appeared to be the only means of carrying 

 out such a work with the necessary completeness and rapidity. The 

 Society therefore sought the opinion of a very large number of 

 representative bodies and individuals abroad; and, as the replies 

 were almost uniformly in favour of the work being uudertaUen 

 1>3' int< ruational co-operation, ste|)S were taken to sunnnon an 

 International Conference of Delegates appointed by various 

 Governments. 



The Conference took place in Ltrndon on July 14-17. 189(3, 

 and was attended by delegates from Canada, Cape Colony, Denmark 

 France, Germany, Greece, Uungary, India, Italy. Japan, i\Iexico, 

 Natal, the Netherlands, New South Wales, New Zealand, Norway, 

 Queensland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Uniteil Kingdom, and the United 

 States. 



