OcTOBER 6, 1899. ] 
and a new edition at the end of five 
years. 
With regard to the frequency of publica- 
tion of the parts of the Catalogue, it was 
agreed : 
(1) That a volume in each subject be 
published at least once a year. 
(2) That it is desirable that in certain 
sciences there shall be a bi-monthly or 
quarterly issued of the Subject Catalogue. 
It was Resolved :—That the registration 
system proposed by the Royal Society be 
adopted for tentative use in the Catalogue ; 
and that an alphabetical key of the sched- 
ules of classification similar to that illus- 
trated in the Netherlands report shall be 
issued with each annual volume together 
with the appropriate schedule, printed in 
the official languages, to be supplied as may 
be required. 
The establishment of the Central Bureau 
having been considered : 
‘(Tt was agreed to recommend that the 
Royal Society be requested to organize the 
Central Bureau and to do all work, includ- 
ing framing estimates and obtaining tenders, 
preliminary to the publication of the Cata- 
logue in 1901; but that it shall act in con- 
cert with the International Council so soon 
as this shall be established.” 
The English members of the Committee 
made the following statement with refer- 
ence to this resolution: 
Previous to the actual issue of the Cata- 
logue, the following money responsibilities 
must be incurred : 
(1) Initial expenses connected with the 
Central Bureau, such as securing rooms, 
furniture, payment of officials before the 
first issue, ete. 
(2) Contracts for printing the catalogue 
and other contracts which it may be neces- 
sary to make. With respect to the con- 
tracts, they could probably be obtained more 
cheaply if made for the whole of the five 
years for which the experiment of issuing 
SCIENCE. 
485 
the catalogue is to be tried. It would be 
very difficult to make, for one year only, 
contracts which may involve the purchase 
of new machinery, etc., by the printer. The 
total financial responsibility thus incurred 
cannot be estimated at less than £10,000. 
Moreover, it is possible, though we hope im- 
probable, that the scheme may fail, and that 
the various countries concerned may wish 
to abandon it. The question therefore arises, 
who is to be responsible for any sums which 
might in such a case be due to the printer, 
or to others with whom contracts had been 
made? 
The question has been raised whether the 
Royal Society would be willing to act in the 
matter. 
On this we must remark that even if the 
Society were to act as a Provisional Inter- 
national Council, no contracts can be signed 
until after the next Conference (presumably 
held at Easter, 1900) has decided whether 
bi-monthly or quarterly parts shall be 
issued, or whether the total sum to be 
spent annually shall be limited to a fixed 
amount. 
Hence, no great saving of time would re- 
sult even if the Royal Society were willing 
to take a very heavy responsibility. On 
the whole, therefore, we propose that if and 
when the regions represented on the Pro- 
visional International Committee have as- 
sented to its proposals, these proposals shall 
be communicated to all the countries repre- 
sented at the last Conference, that they shall 
be asked to organize their Regional Bureaux 
and nominate their representatives on the 
International Council in anticipation of the 
result of the next Conference, and that the 
International Council should meet imme- 
diately after the Conference. 
This International Council would then 
take up, together with the management, all 
the necessary financial responsibilities. 
Meanwhile the Royal Society would un- 
dertake all preliminary steps, obtain tenders, 
