634 
son, whether a subscriber or not, could receive 
the information for 3 fr. 10 (2s. 6d. or 62 
cents). Surely no comment is necessary to 
prove the value of the work nor the extreme 
cheapness of the service. 
The gradual success of the work from a scien- 
tific standpoint has led to a corresponding im- 
provement of the financial status of the work. 
For the first three experimental years there 
was an average annual deficit uncovered by the 
subsidies of Frs. 5625, while for the last year 
this deficit had fallen to Frs. 224. 
All this has now induced the Swiss Gov- 
ernment to take a step which decided the en- 
tire future of the enterprise. By a recent vote 
of parliament its subsidy isi ncreased fivefold, 
and arrangements are being made to give the 
work permanence by making it independent of 
the person of the present director. 
In the past year great progress has been made 
towards bringing the bibliography up to date. 
For certain departments it is already the most 
complete bibliography in existence. At present 
the malacological department, which had been 
far behind, is being brought up to the standard 
of excellence maintained by the whole. Later, 
attention will be given to protozoa and worms, 
especially as regards notes contained in medical 
journals, and finally crnithology will follow. 
The anatomical bibliography has recently re- 
ceived renewed attention. Indeed the number 
of titles is more than double that issued in the 
previous year and yet they form but a small 
part of the extensive manuscript now ready for 
publication. The publication of the physio- 
logical bibliography, on the other hand, has 
been suspended and can not be resumed for 
two or three months, in consequence of technical 
difficulties which can only be overcome by the 
purchase of new machinery. This unfortun- 
ately can not yet be obtained from the factory. 
In the meantime a complete set of guide-cards 
has been published. 
The Concilium owns a manuscript card cata- 
logue of new genera and species (including 
new names) which are recorded as soon as pub- 
lished. From 1901 on, copies of any part of 
this catalogue may be obtained at the uniform 
charge of 10 centimes per entry (minimum 50 
centimes). Since the cards are arranged faun- 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. XIII. No. 329. 
istically as well as systematically, most diver- 
sified orders can now be received, e. g.: New 
genera and species of trichoptera, of bomby- 
cids, etc., new genera and species described 
from the Cape Colony, from the Philippines, 
from Texas, from Perthshire, etce., new reptiles 
from Japan, or simply new species of Carabus 
or any other genus. 
The usefulness of a card catalogue depends 
largely on its being properly mounted and sup- 
plied with guide-cards. Thesets of guide-cards 
issued in previous years are described in a spe- 
cial circular. A description of the new card 
cabinets of the Concilium is also the object of a 
special pamphlet. American subscribers would 
find it, however, more profitable to turn to the 
well-known Library Bureau. 
The cards thus far published have been taken 
from no less than 1,576 periodicals. A list of 
journals showing precisely what volumes and 
numbers have been excerpted is in preparation 
and will, it is hoped, soon be issued. Experi- 
ments are being tried with a view to opening 
new facilities of subscription in regard to the 
great faunistic areas. But above all, our pro- 
gram for 1901 is to render the references more 
complete and to approach more nearly our final 
aim, which is to remove the entire burden of bibli- 
ographical research from the shoulders of the work- 
ing biologist. 
In closing, we wish to thank especially the 
Swiss Government and the Elizabeth Thompson 
Science Fund for their generous support in the 
past, without which none of this work could 
have been carried on. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 
Dr. H. A. ROWLAND, professor of physics in 
the Johns Hopkins University, died suddenly on 
April 16th. 
PROFESSOR J. WILLARD GIBBS, of Yale Uni- 
versity, has been elected an honorary member 
of the London Physical Society. 
THE University of St. Andrews conferred its 
LL.D. on Mr. Alexander Agassiz, of Harvard 
University, in April. Mr. Agassiz returned 
from his visit abroad last week. 
THE Board of Visitors to the U. 8. Naval 
Observatory held its first meeting at Washing- 
