October 6, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



441 



the time the plates were made. In the other 

 fields the source of the coli forms was without 

 doubt the excrement deposited by draft-ani- 

 mals in working the ground, to say nothing 

 of that deposited on the banks and adjacent 

 secluded spots by workmen. Indeed, the non- 

 occurrence of coli forms in certain fields seems 

 most difficult to explain. 



These studies are being continued, and 

 when completed, will be published probably 

 in the CentraTblatt fur BaJcteridlogie. 



Haven Metcalf. 



Clemson a. & M. College, 

 South Caeolina. 



THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF 

 SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE} 



In 1903 I was appointed by the council 

 of this society acting as the regional bu- 

 reau for New South Wales, to represent this 

 state at the council meetings held in London 

 in May last. I duly attended the meetings 

 and now have the honor to make the following 

 report. The Royal Society of London com- 

 menced the work by compiling catalogues of 

 scientific papers (printed between 1800 and 

 1883) in twelve large quarto volumes, the 

 first volume of which was issued in 1867. In 

 it the titles are arranged solely under the au- 

 thors' names. A catalogue of the papers pub- 

 lished since, i. e., between 1884 and 1900, is 

 now in hand, and a subject index is also nearly 

 completed. 



The possibility of preparing a complete cata- 

 logue of current scientific literature was con- 

 sidered by the Royal Society in 1893, but as 

 it was apparent that the work was beyond the 

 resources of the Royal Society, or indeed of 

 any single body, the society sought the opin- 

 ion of representative foreign bodies and in- 

 dividuals, and the replies being favorable, steps 

 were taken to summon an international con- 

 ference. This conference, at which I was pres- 

 ent as a delegate, took place in London, on 

 July 14 to 17, 1896, and was attended by 

 delegates appointed by the governments of 

 Canada, Cape Colony, Denmark, France, 



^ Report presented at the annual general meet- 

 ing of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 

 May 3, 1905. 



Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, 

 Natal, the Netherlands, New South Wales, 

 New Zealand, Norway, Queensland, Sweden, 

 Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the 

 United States. It was then unanimously re- 

 solved to compile and publish a complete cata- 

 logue of current scientific literature, arranged 

 according to both subject matter and authors' 

 names. The Royal Society was requested to 

 appoint a committee to further consider the 

 system of classification to be adopted and 

 other matters, and it was decided to establish 

 the central bureau in London. 



At the second international conference held 

 in London on October 11 to 13, 1898, several 

 questions were settled and a provisional inter- 

 national committee appointed which after- 

 wards met in London, on August 1 to 5, 1899, 

 when the work was still further expedited and 

 the Royal Society requested to organize the 

 central bureau and make all necessary arrange- 

 ments so that the preparation of the catalogue 

 might be commenced in 1901. 



A third international conference was held 

 in London, on June 12 and 13, 1900, at which 

 all financial and other difficulties were removed 

 by the Royal Society agreeing to act as pub- 

 lishers and to advance the funds necessary to 

 start the enterprise. The supreme control 

 over the catalogue is now vested in an inter- 

 national convention which is to meet in Lon- 

 don in 1905, in 1910 and every tenth year 

 afterwards, to consider and, if 'necessary, to 

 revise the regulations for carrying out the 

 work of the catalogue. In the interval be- 

 tween two successive meetings of the conven- 

 tion the administration of the catalogue is 

 carried out by the international council, the 

 members of which are appointed by the re- 

 gional bureaus. 



The total expenditure from July 1, 1900, to 

 February 29, 1904, has been £10,153, and the 

 total amount received from subscribing bodies 

 was £6,755 ; eventually the publication will pay 

 its way, but it may be some time before the 

 debt to the Royal Society will be extinguished. 

 The financial support given by the different 

 countries is shown in the following list. New 

 Zealand has not become a contracting body: 

 Austria, £165; Canada, £119; Cape Colony, 



