482 
We men of science at least need not share 
their views or their fears. Our feet are set, 
not on the shifting sands of the opinions 
and of the fancies of the day, but on a solid 
foundation of verified truth, which by the 
labors of each succeeding age is made 
broader and more firm. To us the past is 
a thing to look back upon, not with regret, 
not as something which has been lost never 
to be regained, but with content, as some- 
thing whose influence is with us still, help- 
ing us on our further way. With us, in- 
deed, the past points not to itself, but to 
the future; the golden age is in front of us, 
not behind us; that which we do know isa 
lamp whose brightest beams are shed into 
the unknown before us, showing us how 
much there is in front and lighting up the 
way to reach it. We are confident in the 
advance because, as each one of us feels 
that any step forward which he may make 
is not ordered by himself alone and is not 
the result of his own sole efforts in the pres- 
ent, but, is, and that in large measure, the 
outcome of the labors of others in the past, 
so each one of us has the sure and certain 
hope that as the past has helped him, so his 
efforts, be they great or be they small, will 
bea help to those to come. 
MicHart Foster. 
INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIEN- 
TIFIC LITERATURE. 
REPORT OF THE PROVISIONAL INTERNATIONAL 
COMMITTEE. 
At the Second International Conference 
held in. October, 1898, Professors Arm- 
strong, Descamps and M. Foster, Dr. S. 
P. Langley, Professors Poincaré, Rucker, 
Waldeyer and Weiss were appointed to act 
as a Provisional International Committee, 
power being given to them to appoint sub- 
stitutes, if any of those named were un- 
able to serve, and also to co-opt two new 
members. 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. X. No. 249. 
The delegates attending the Conference 
were requested to take steps in their re- 
spective countries to organize local com- 
mittees charged with the study of all ques- 
tions relating to the International Catalogue 
of Scientific Literature, and to report within 
six months to the Provisional International 
Committee. The delegates were also re- 
quested to obtain information and to report 
at an early date to the Provisional Inter- 
national Committee as to what assistance, 
by subscription or otherwise, towards the 
support of the Central Bureau may be ex- 
pected from their respective countries. 
The Provisional International Committee 
was instructed to frame a report, not later 
than July 31, 1899, which was to be issued 
by the Royal Society, and incorporated in 
the decisions of the Conference. 
The Committee decided to co-opt an 
Italian and a Russian member. The Rus- 
sian Government accepted the invitation, 
and, on the nomination of the Imperial 
Academy of Sciences, Mons. Th. P. Koppen, 
Librarian of the Imperial Public Library, 
St. Petersburg, became a member of the 
Committee. 
The Committee received unofficial infor- 
mation that the Italian government pro- 
posed to nominate a delegate, but that he 
could not attend the present meeting of the 
Committee. 
Professor Waldeyer being unable to serve, 
the German government appointed Profes- 
sor Schwalbe in his place, but requested 
that he might be accompanied by Professor 
Klein their two delegates to have but one 
vote. 
The Committee met in London at the 
Rooms of the Royal Society on August 1-5, 
1899. 
The following attended: Professor H. 
E. Armstrong, Sir M. Foster, Professor F. 
Klein, Mons. Th. P. Koppen, Professor H. 
Poincaré, Professor A. W. Rucker, Profes- 
sor B. Schwalbe, Professor E. Weiss. 
