July 13, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



11 



four photographs, and in one of these at least 

 the instrument was shifted. But an able sea- 

 man was able this year to get six perfect ex- 

 posures with it. Professor Copeland also used 

 the big telescope, 40 feet long, which he had 

 employed on other occasions. 



Mr. J. Evershed presented a preliminary report 

 on his expedition to the south limit of totality. 

 His reason for choosing a site at the limit of 

 totality was that the iiash spectrum was there 

 visible very much longer. Unfortunately, he 

 accepted the guidance of the Nautical Almanac 

 Office, and found himself outside the line of 

 totality — about 200 metres according to his in- 

 formants, who said a small speck of sunlight 

 was visible all the time. He was successful in 

 obtaining some fine photographs of the flash 

 spectrum. 



TEE TEIBD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 



ON A CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC 



LITERATURE. 



Peofessob Henry E. Armstrong contri- 

 butes an article to the current number of 

 Nature from which we take the following facts 

 regarding the recent Conference on a catalogue 

 of scientific literature : 



In view of the proceedings of the Conference 

 there can be little doubt that the ultimate ex- 

 ecution of this important enterprise is now 

 assured. 



Every one was of opinion that if a fair begin- 

 ning can once be made, the importance of the 

 work is so great, it will be of such use to 

 scientific workers at large, that it will rapidly 

 grow in favor and soon secure that wide sup- 

 port which is not yet given to it simply be- 

 cause its character and value are but imperfectly 

 understood. Therefore, all were anxious that 

 a beginning should be made. 



It has been estimated that if 300 sets or the 

 equivalent are sold, the expenses of publication 

 will be fully met. As the purchase of more 

 than half this number was guaranteed by 

 France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland 

 and the United Kingdom, the Conference came 

 to the conclusion that the number likely to be 

 taken by other countries would be such that 

 the subscriptions necessary to cover the cost of 

 the catalogue would be obtained. 



The resolution arrived at after this opinion 

 had been formed, " That the catalogue include 

 both an author's and a subject index, according 

 to the schemes of the Provisional International 

 Committee," must, in fact, be read as a reso- 

 lution to establish the catalogue. 



A Provisional International Committee has 

 been appointed which will take the steps now 

 necessary to secure the adhesion and co-opera- 

 tion of countries not yet pledged to support the 

 scheme. 



Originally, it was proposed to issue a card as 

 well as a book catalogue, but on account of the 

 great additional expense this would involve, it 

 is resolved to publish the catalogue, for the 

 present, only in the form of annual volumes. 



From the outset great stress has been laid on 

 the preparation of subject indexes which go 

 behind the titles of papers and give fairly full 

 information as to the nature of their contents. 

 Both at the first and the second International 

 Conference this view met with the fullest ap- 

 proval. Meanwhile the action of the German 

 government has made it necessary to modify 

 somewhat the original plan. In Germany, a re- 

 gional bureau will be established, supported by 

 a government subvention, and it is intended 

 that the whole of the German scientific litera- 

 ture shall be catalogued in this office. In such 

 an office it will for the present be impossible to 

 go behind titles ; consequently, only the titles 

 of German papers will be quoted in the cata- 

 logue. In England the attempt will be made 

 to deal fully with the literature, and the co- 

 operation of authors and editors will be specially 

 invited. A full code of instructions for the use 

 of the regional bureaux is now being prepared 

 under the auspices of the Provisional Interna- 

 tional Committee. 



The catalogue is to be published annually in 

 seventeen distinct volumes. The collection of 

 material is to commence from January 1, 1901. 

 As it will be impossible to print and issue so 

 many volumes at once, it is proposed to publish 

 them in sets of four or five at quarterly inter- 

 vals. During the first year, parts covering 

 shorter periods will be prepared, so as to make 

 the subsequent regular issue possible of vol- 

 umes in which the literature published during 

 a previous period of twelve months is cata- 



