Royal Society of London Catalogue of Scientific Papers, 1800–1900

Abstract

THE most obviously essential qualities of a work of reference such as this are accuracy, comprehensiveness, and a lucid arrangement of the contents, so that anyone using the book may readily find the information he is in search of. The test of accuracy must lie in the result of long usage, but, in the present case, so far as an a priori guarantee can go, we have it in the auspices under which the book is produced. As to comprehensiveness, while absolute completeness is no doubt unattainable, most of those who have occasion to consult the work before us will be satisfied with the statement that it “contains 33,344 entries referring to the papers contained in 1261 serial publications.” Even these numbers convey little idea of the comprehensive scale of the whole book of which the volume we are considering forms a part, unless it is borne in mind that it deals with only those parts of the science of physics which are included under the headings generalities, heat, light, sound, leaving the great subjects electricity and magnetism for another volume, and unless we remember, further, that the whole of physics constitutes only one of seventeen sciences included in the schedule of the International Catalogue. These sciences are mathematics, mechanics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, meteorology, mineralogy, geology, geography, palaeontology, biology, botany, zoology, anatomy, anthropology, physiology, and bacteriology.

Royal Society of London. Catalogue of Scientific Papers, 1800–1900.

Subject-Index, Vol. iii., Physics. Part i., Generalities, Heat, Light, Sound. Pp. c + 550 + vii. (Cambridge University Press, 1912.) Price 18s. net.