Xll. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



The possibility of preparing a complete catalogue of current 

 scientific literature was considered by the Royal Society in 1893, 

 but as it was apparent that the work was beyond the resources 

 of the Royal Society, or indeed of any single body, the society 

 sought the opinion of representative foreign bodies and individuals 

 and the replies being favourable, steps were taken to summon an 

 International Conference. This conference, at which I was pre- 

 sent as a Delegate, took place in London on July 14th to 17th, 1896, 

 and was attended by delegates appointed by the Governments of 

 Canada, Cape Colony, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, India, 

 Italy, Japan, Mexico, Natal, the Netherlands, New South Wales, 

 New Zealand, Norway, Queensland, Sweden, Switzerland, the 

 United Kingdom, and the United States. It was then unanim- 

 ously resolved to compile and publish a complete catalogue of 

 current scientific literature, arranged both according to subject 

 matter and authors' names. The Royal Society was requested to 

 appoint a committee to further consider the system of classification 

 to be adopted and other matters, and it was decided to establish 

 the Central Bureau in London. 



At the second International Conference held in London on 

 October 11th to 13th, 1898, several questions were settled and a 

 provisional international Committee appointed which afterwards 

 met in London on August 1st to 5th, 1899, when the work was 

 still further expedited and the Royal Society requested to organise 

 the Central Bureau and make all necessary arrangements so that 

 the preparation of the catalogue might be commenced in 1901. 



A third International Conference was held in London on June 

 12th and 13th, 1900, at which all financial and other difficulties 

 were removed by the Royal Society agreeing to act as publishers 

 and to advance the funds necessary to start the enterprise. The 

 supreme control over the catalogue is now vested in an Inter- 

 national Convention which is to meet in London in 1905, in 1910, 

 and every tenth year afterwards, to reconsider, and if necessary, 

 to revise the regulations for carrying out the work of the catalogue. 

 In the interval between two successive meetings of the Convention 



