SCIENCE 



Friday, Mat 12, 1911 



CONTENTS 

 The Second International Convention of the 

 International Catalogue of Scientific Lit- 

 erature: Leonard C. Gunnell 713 



Some Prussian Educational Data: Rot 

 Temple House 718 



Edwin E. Howell : G. K. Gilbebt 720 



Herman Knapp 721 



Scientific Notes and News 721 



University and Educational News 725 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 

 Pharmacological Action of the Non-alco- 

 holio Constituents of Alcoholic Beverages: 

 Professor John J. Abel. The Appoint- 

 ment, Promotion and Removal of Officers 

 of Instruction: Pkoeessor Sidney Gunn 725 



Scientific BooTcs: — 



A New Translation of Aristotle's "His- 

 tory of Animals ' ' : Dk. Theo. Gill 730 



Notes on Meteorology and Climatology: An- 

 drew H. Palmer 738 



The Soil, a Living Thing: Professor John 

 W. Harshberger 741 



Special Articles: — 



Oospores of Potato Blight : Dk. G. P. Clin- 

 ton. A Possible Line of Descent of the 

 Goiioid Fishes: Professor Edwin Chapin 

 Stakes. Carcharias Borneensis and Bar- 

 hus elongatus, as Preoccupied Names: 

 Heney W. Fowlek 744 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Philosophical Society of Washington: 

 E. L. Fakis. The Biological Society of 

 Washington : J). E. Lantz 748 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc.. Intended tof 

 revieir should be sest to the Editor of Science, Garrison-oo- 

 Hudson. N, T. 



THE SECOND INTEBNATIONAL CONVEN- 

 TION OF THE INTEBNATIONAL CATA- 

 LOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITEBATUEE, 

 LONDON, 19 W 



Before giving an account of the second 

 International Convention of the Interna- 

 tional Catalogue of Scientific Literature it 

 will be necessary to briefly review the his- 

 tory of the enterprise and outline its or- 

 ganization. Secretary Henry, of the 

 Smithsonian Institution in 1855, suggested 

 and attempted to establish a Catalogue of 

 Scientific Literature through international 

 cooperation; his efforts, however, were not 

 successful and it was not until the begin- 

 ning of the publication of the Catalogue 

 of Scientific Papers by the Eoyal Society in 

 1882 that his idea was even partly carried 

 into effect. This catalogue continued until 

 1894 when the Royal Society realized that 

 the task was impossible for any one society 

 or indeed for any one nation to undertake. 

 The Royal Society then through the British 

 Foreign Office called the attention of the 

 governments of the world to the great need 

 of a catalogue of current scientific publica- 

 tions, with the result that an international 

 conference was held in London in 1896 to 

 which twenty-three governments sent dele- 

 gates, the United States being represented 

 by Dr. John S. Billings and Professor 

 Simon Newcomb. This conference decided 

 that it was both necessary and desirable to 

 begin the publication of a catalogue of 

 scientific literature. Various committees 

 were appointed to consider the numerous 

 questions involved, and a general plan of 

 organization was outlined. A second con- 



^ Bead at the general meeting of tlie American 

 Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, April 20, 1911. 



