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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. III. No. 70. 



ual, and it is to be defined and investi- 

 gated by these methods : 1. The examina- 

 ation of self as heretofore carried on. 2. 

 The examination of allied phenomena in the 

 healthy condition of other minds, bringing 

 them into comparison with our own ; and, 

 3. The examination of minds more or less 

 diseased in the direction of their personality. 

 He lays especial stress on the last mentioned, 

 referring to cases where the sense of per- 

 sonality has been partly or wholly lost. 

 The problems of unconscious cerebration, 

 sublimital consciousness, and the like, must 

 also receive due attention. 



D. G. Brinton. 

 University of Pennsylvania. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 

 THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENCE. 



The International Conference to consider 

 the preparation of a catalogue of scientific litera- 

 ture by international cooperation will be held 

 at the rooms of the Royal Society, London, be- 

 ginning on Tuesday, July 14th. 



The committee of the Eoyal Society suggests 

 provisionally that the author and subject cata- 

 logue shall be restricted in the first instance to 

 branches of pure science, such as mathematics, 

 astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, zool- 

 ogy, botany, physiology and anthropology, to 

 the exclusion of applied science, such as engi- 

 neei'ing, medicine and the like, but that all 

 definite contributions to pure science shall be 

 thoroughly indexed, whether occurring in books, 

 memoirs, etc., treating of pure science or in 

 those devoted to applied or practical science. 



The committee also recommends that there 

 shall be a first issue of authors' titles, subject- 

 matter, etc., in the form of slips or cards, 

 which shall be distributed as speedily and as 

 frequently as possible to subscribers, and that a 

 further issue in book form shall take place at 

 such intervals as shall be determined ou, parts 

 corresponding to the several sciences, being, if 

 found desirable, published separately. 



It is recommended that a central bureau shall 

 be established under the control of an interna- 

 tional council having authority over any under- 



taking which may be allotted to particular 

 countries, institutions or persons. The cost of 

 the catalogue, in so far as it is not met by sales, 

 should be provided for by means of a guarantee 

 fund subscribed by governments, learned so- 

 cieties, institutions and individuals throughout 

 the world, and it is estimated that the annual 

 sum thus to be secured should be approxi- 

 mately $50,000. 



The conference will have to take into con- 

 sideration where the bureau shall be placed, 

 how the international council shall be ap- 

 pointed and organized, what language or lan- 

 guages shall be used and what system of class- 

 ification shall be adopted. It is suggested 

 that the decimal system of Dewey may be so 

 amended as to be worthy of adoption. 



As already stated in this journal, the dele- 

 gates to the conference from the United States 

 are Dr. John S. Billings and Prof Simon New- 

 comb. 



EXHIBITION OF THE NEW YORK MICROSCOPICAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The Seventeenth Annual Exhibition of the 

 New York Microscopical Society took place at 

 the American Museum of Natural History ou 

 Tuesday evening, April 14th. The attendance 

 steadily increasing from year to year has been 

 a true indication of the value of this exhibition 

 in what is usually spoken of as ' popularizing 

 science.' The indiscriminate study of natural 

 science often works more harm than good, es- 

 pecially if it be acquired through desultory and 

 misdirected reading. Personal observation in- 

 sures the safest and most lasting knowledge of 

 Nature's acts and works. If this principle has 

 been inculcated into the non-scientific portion 

 of the audience, one purpose of the exhibition 

 will have been accomplished. Persons more 

 directly concerned and interested in scientific 

 work also found enough to attract their at- 

 tention. 



The catalogue of seventy exhibits included 

 many specimens of chemical crystals and min- 

 erals ; various forms of pond life ; the mouth 

 parts of several insects, with specimens of their 

 destructive borings in wood and other sub- 

 stances ; drug plants and preparations of these ; 

 microscopical tests for the detection of quinine. 



