Februaby 15, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



183 



monographs and independent books, how- 

 ever important. Tlie titles, moreover, are 

 arranged solely according to authors' names; 

 and though the Society has long had under 

 consideration the pri'paration of, and it is 

 hoped may eventually issue, as a key to the 

 volumes already pul)lished, a list in which 

 the titles are arranged according to subject- 

 matter, the Catalogue is still being prepared 

 accoriling to authors' names. Further, 

 though the Society has endeavored to in- 

 clude the titles of all the scientific papers 

 published in periodicals of acknowledged 

 standing, the Cat^ilogue is, even as regards 

 periodical literature, confessedly incom- 

 plete, owing to the omission of the titles of 

 papers published in periodicals of little im- 

 portance, or not easy of access. 



Owing to the great development of scien- 

 tific literature, the task of the Societj^ in 

 continuing the Catalogue, even in its pres- 

 ent form, is rapidly increasing in difficulty. 

 At the same time it is clear that the pro- 

 gress of science would be greatly helped by, 

 indeed, almost demands, the compilation of 

 a Catalogue which should aim at complete- 

 ness, and should contain the titles of scien- 

 tific publications, whether appearing in peri- 

 odicals or independently. In such a Cata- 

 logue the titles should be arranged not only 

 according to authors' names, but also ac- 

 cording to subject-matter, the text of each 

 paper and not the title onlj' being consulted 

 for the latter purpose. And the value of 

 the Catalogue would be gi-eatly enhanced 

 by a rapid periodical is.sue, and by publica- 

 tion in such a form that the portion which 

 pertains to anj' particular branch of science 

 might be obtained separately. 



It is needless to say that the preparation 

 and publication of such a complete Cata- 

 logue is far beyond the power and means of 

 any single society. 



Led by the above considerations, the Pres- 

 ident and Council of the Royal Society have 

 appointed a committee to enquire into and 



report upon the feasibility of such a Cata- 

 logue being compiled through international 

 cooperation . 



The committee are not as yet in a posi- 

 tion to formulate any distinct plan by which 

 such international cooperation might be 

 brought about ; but it may be useful even 

 at the outset to make the following prelimi- 

 nary suggestions : — 



The Catalogue should commence with 

 papers published on or after January 1, 

 1900. 



A central office or bureau should be estab- 

 lished in some place to be hereafter chosen, 

 and should lie maintained by international 

 contributions, either directly, that is by an- 

 nual or other subsidies, or indirectlj', that 

 is by the guarantee to purchase a certain 

 number of copies of the Catalogue. 



Tliis office should be regularly supplied 

 with all the information necessarj- for the 

 construction of the Catalogue. This might 

 l)e done either by all periodicals, mono- 

 graphs, etc., being sent direct to the office 

 to be catalogued there, or by various insti- 

 tutions undertaking to send in portions of 

 the Catalogue already prepared, or by both 

 methods combined. 



At such an office arrangements might be 

 made by which, in addition to preparing the 

 Catalogue, scientific data might be taljulatcd 

 as they came to hand in the papers supphed. 



The first step, however, is to ascertain 

 whether any scheme of international coop- 

 eration is feasible and desirable. The com- 

 mittee accordingly is desirous of learning 

 the views upon this subject of scientific 

 bodies and of scientific men. 



We, therefore, venture to express the hope 

 that you will lie so good as, at some early 

 opportunity, to bring the matter before the 

 Harvard University and to make known to 

 us. for the use of the committee, the con- 

 clusions arrived at concerning it. 



Should the decision you report be in any 

 wav favorable to the scheme, mav we fur- 



