November 4, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



427 



included a much larger percentage of refer- 

 ences in the literature of zoology than has 

 ever been brought together by any other 

 agency. Furthermore, this record has been 

 furnished with a promptness that stands ia 

 striking contrast vpith the leisurely appear- 

 ance of other bibliographic information. 

 With the rapidly growing literature in this 

 field, it was inevitable that the catalogue, 

 especially in its full form with special cross 

 references, began to assume considerable 

 size, and some critics failed to recognize in 

 this the true condition — the inevitable advance- 

 ment of a growing field — and commented on 

 the space required as if it were a defect of the 

 system employed. 



I recall vividly hearing Field on one oc- 

 casion respond to such a comment by saying 

 that despite its increase, the catalogue would 

 not in a century reach the dimensions neces- 

 sary to house a mounted elephant and yet no 

 museum would hesitate to devote much more 

 than that space to the representation of that 

 single species. Field was not only the first 

 to develop these ideas in a practical way, but 

 he assumed the even greater burden of con- 

 verting the unbelievers and the indifferent, 

 and of securing adequate moral and financial 

 support for the project. He visited the 

 leaders in this country and abroad, secured 

 the unqualified and enthusiastic endorsement 

 of such men as Dohrn in l^aples, Carus in 

 Leipsic, Arnold Lang in Zurich, and, especi- 

 ally, of the French zoologists. In connection 

 with the Institut International de Biblio- 

 graphie in Brussels, he undertook to carry 

 out part of the plan to utilize the Dewey 

 system in the entire range of bibliography, 

 until in the Third International Zoological 

 Congress in Leyden at the instigation of the 

 delegate of the Societe Zoologique de France 

 approval and supjMrt were enthusiastically 

 pledged to the foundation of the Concilium 

 Bibliographicum to be located at Zurich under 

 his directorship. Subventions were given it 

 officially by Switzerland, the canton and city 

 of Zurich, and by several European govern- 

 mental and institutional agencies, so that 

 finally in the fall of 1895, Field took up his 



residence in Zurich and ofiicially opened the 

 work of the Concilium. An American can not 

 view with any large degree of pride the at- 

 titude of this country towards the enterprise. 

 While it was receiving vigorous ofiicial and 

 personal support in Europe and Field was 

 himself devoting all of his time and a very 

 considerable amount from moderate means to 

 its maintenance, financial cooperation was un- 

 fortunately exceedingly limited here. It was 

 a cause of constant regret to Field as his 

 friends knew by his personal communica- 

 tions that so rich and generous a country, 

 which he was always proud to claim as his 

 own, had contributed in such a meager degree 

 to an international enterprise, organized and 

 led by one of its own citizens. 



At first. Field was the entire Concilium. 

 He did all its work, cared for its interests, 

 sought out and developed its support, and 

 carried its burdens. Gradually it grew de- 

 spite indifference and opposition until it had 

 its ovm printing press and staff of expert 

 workers. Zoologists were forced to recognize 

 the efficiency of the organization and the suc- 

 cess of its work. The indomitable energy of 

 its leader, his supreme confidence in its value, 

 and his ability to present its claims in clear 

 and convincing fashion, overcame every ob- 

 stacle, and year by year it grew to be more 

 extensive and more indispensable until, 

 finally, the war broke. Then all such enter- 

 prises were thrown aside and the activities o£ 

 the Concilium were temporarily suspended. 

 It is worthy of mention that during this 

 period, Field turned with equal energy and 

 devotion to the solution of the problems that 

 presented themselves in the social world and 

 performed important services for his native 

 country and for the mountain republic in 

 which he had found his home. With the 

 close of the war, however, he went back with 

 the greatest eagerness to the work of the 

 Concilium, and in 1920, made a visit to the 

 United States for the purpose of arousing 

 again the interest in the project and secur- 

 ing the necessary financial support. Encour- 

 aged by his reception, he returned to Switzer- 

 land confident that a new era of opportunity 



