AlGiST 28, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



269 



the following seventeen sciences: Mathe- 

 matics, mechanics, physics, chemistry, as- 

 tronomy, meteorology (including terrestrial 

 magnetism), mineralogy (including petrol- 

 ogy and crystallography), geology, geog- 

 raphy (mathematical and physical), pale- 

 ontology, general biology, botanj-, zoology, 

 human anatomy, physical anthropology, 

 physiology (including experimental psy- 

 chology, pharmacology and experimental 

 pathology) and bacteriolog}'. 



The organization was to eonsist of a 

 central bureau in London to edit and pub- 

 lish classified references to the current 

 world's literature furnished by regional 

 bureaus established in and supported by 

 the principal countries of the world. After 

 much discussion a sj'stem of classification 

 was adopted which divided each science in- 

 to specific, numbered subdivisions under one 

 or more of which it is possible to classify 

 any paper on any subject within the do- 

 main of science. Converseh-, when any 

 subject is to be investigated the plan is first 

 to find the subject-heading in the classifica- 

 tion schedule and to use the number there 

 given instead of a page number in look- 

 ing up the grouped references in the body 

 of the catalogue, the pages of which bear 

 the schedule numbei-s in addition to page 

 numbers. As, with the exception of addi- 

 tions, these subdivisions and numbers are 

 the same from year to j'car, this method 

 will materially aid in investigations cover- 

 ing a term of years. 



Full histories of the conferences have 

 been published by the Royal Society in 

 three pamphlets entitled, respectively, Re- 

 ports of the proceedings at the first, second 

 and third international conferences on a 

 catalogue of scientific literature. Brief 

 accounts by the writer of this paper cover- 

 ing the history of the enterprise from its 

 beginning through the second conference 

 have been published in Science, August 6, 

 1897, and June 2, 9, 1899. 



When the third conference had finally 

 decided to begin the work, many of the 

 delegates attending wei-e empowered by 

 their governments to promise official aid to 

 the undertaking, but although Congress 

 had been petitioned to aid in the matter, 

 no action had been taken and the United 

 States, therefore, was unrepresented. 



Regional bureaus wei-e established in the 

 following countries: Austria, Belgium, Can- 

 ada, Cape Colony, Denmark, Egypt, France, 

 Great Britain and Ireland, Germany, 

 Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, India 

 and Ceylon, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, 

 New South AVales, Norway, Portugal, Po- 

 land, Queensland, Russia, South Australia, 

 Sweden, Switzerland, Victoria, Western 

 Australia and Finland. Authority over 

 all questions of methods and administra- 

 tion is vested in an international conven- 

 tion to be held in London in 1905, 1910 and 

 every tenth year following. 



Failing in governmental appropriation, 

 the Smithsonian Institution felt obliged to 

 render its fostering aid to the project in 

 the United States, otherwise the whole en- 

 terprise might have been abandoned. The 

 Institution was at the time enabled to de- 

 vote a sum of money to carry on the work 

 liere provisionally, which, together with 

 gratuitoiis aid, rendered it possible to make 

 a start. Up to the present time the very 

 limited means at the disposal of the Insti- 

 tution has greatly hampered the work here. 

 However, beginning with July 1, 1903, the 

 force employed will be increased, as it has 

 been possible for the Institution to devote 

 a sum of money to this purpose which has 

 heretofore been otherwise employed. This 

 will not only enable the Institution to deal 

 properly with the current publications in 

 the United States, but will render it pos- 

 sible to make good the omissions occurring 

 from Januarj' 1, 1901, to the present time. 



Congress has been approached on sev- 

 eral occasions in the endeavor to have the 



