1895.] Scientific News. 1137 
SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Bibliographical Reform.—At the Baltimore meeting of the 
American Society of Naturalists (Dec., 1894), a committee was ap- 
pointed to consider Dr. H. H. Field’s plans for bibliographical reform, 
the committee to report in print. That committee would report as 
follows: 
Dr. H. H. Field, in view of the well-known imperfections and short- 
comings of all existing records of zoological literature, has formulated 
plans which will give the zoological world an approximately complete 
index of all literature as promptly as possible. This record will be 
issued in the form of bulletins, each number of which will be distrib- 
uted as soon as sufficient material has been acumulated to make a 
“signature.” The same bulletin will also be issued printed only on 
one side of the page to allow for cutting up for special bibliographies. 
Lastly, the separate titles will be issued upon cards of the standard 
“index” size. Each title will be followed by a few words giving the 
subject and scope of the article, when this is not sufficiently indicated 
by the title, while the cards will have, in addition, catch numbers, so 
that any library assistant can readily incorporate them in the card 
catalogue. 
The plan contemplates a union of existing bibliographies with this 
one. In the case of the Naples Jahresbericht, this will consist in co- 
operation, this series continuing as the yearly morphological analysis 
of the bibliography. It is to be hoped that the Zoological Record will 
co-operate in a similar way, devoting itself to the systematic side, and, 
by aid of the new facilities of co-operation, increase its present useful- 
ness to students. Arrangements have now progressed so far that it 
seems probable that the records of literature in the Zoologischer and 
Anatomischer Anzeigers will be merged in the new scheme, and, it is 
hoped, that the one in the Archiv fiir Naturgeschichte will take the 
same course. If sufficient encouragement be given, it is proposed to 
include physiology in the scope of the new plan. The net gain will be 
fewer bibliographies, wider scope, nearer approximation to complete- 
ness, and more prompt publication. 
The central office of the work will be established at Ziirich, Switzer- 
land, and it may be said that the cantonal government has already 
appropriated 2000 francs annually to its support, and will supply suit- 
able quarters for its work. France has promised a similar sum, and 
