XX PEOCEEDIISGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, [vol. Ixxvii, 



n forward state, we are committed to the publication of this, and 

 it should be read}'^ for issue soon. The current additions to the 

 Library are being dealt with as they come in, the work is being 

 kept Tip to date b}^ the Librarian and the manuscript of the 1920 

 List should be ready for the press early in 192 L The publication 

 it is hoped will be ready for issue by the middle of that year, and 

 i>hould be issued in any case before the end. As in the case of the 

 Journal, the saving in cost, due to restriction of the number printed, 

 will be dependent on knowledge of the number required for issue. 

 This ma}^ be obtained in part by asking for prepayment from 

 Fellows requiring the issue regularly, the demand for the Joui-nal 

 Avill also give grounds for an estimate of the probable requirements, 

 und, as the cost of publication will be about the same as an average 

 number of the Journal, the rate of charge might be fixed, as to 

 amount and conditions, on the same b.asis as that for a single 

 number of the Journal. 



((j) A decision on this point cannot, however, be reached without 

 also considering the arrears of the six years 1914-19 inclusive. 

 If these are to be cleared off with celerity it will be necessary to 

 emplo}'' outside assistance, and the fees paj^able cannot be reckoned 

 at less than £500 for the preparation of manuscript and correction 

 of proofs. The work might perhaps be carried out by members of 

 our permanent staff, but in that case would have to be done out of 

 regular office hours ; in this case, too, special remuneration would 

 have to be paid (on a lower scale, seeing that no account need be 

 taken of the out-of-pocket cost and loss of time involved in special 

 visits to the Library, and that account should be taken of the 

 indirect advantages of the familiarity with the arrangements of the 

 Library arising from regular connexion with it), the time necessary 

 for the completion of the work would be largely extended, and 

 arrears could not be cleared off in less than five or six years, probably 

 longer. In addition to the cost of compilation and correction, the 

 cost of publication would have to be met, and this cannot be put at 

 less than £1200. From this it will be seen that for clearing off 

 the arrears of the List of Geological Literature provision will have 

 to be made for a sum of at least £1500, and possiblj^ as much as 

 £2000. There appear, therefore, to be only two courses open, 

 either to bring this issue to a close with the 1913 number, or to 

 resume issue as from 1920, leaving the arrears to be cleared off as 

 funds become available. The arguments both for and against 

 either of these courses seem weighty and about evenly balanced ; 

 but it may be pointed out that, while the latter is financially 

 feasible if the proposals set forth in this memorandum are adopted, 

 it will not be so if they are rejected, unless some other source 

 of additional income is provided. 



