Summary: IN spite of Prof. Philip's able defence (NATURE, October 25, p. 609), it must be confessed that Dr. Travers' objections have much point. It is surely the main business of the Chemical Society in the first place to publish the discoveries of its members, and in the second place to maintain a reference lending library for the benefit of its members. It is doubtful if it should undertake the publication of Abstracts or of Annual Reports unless these pay their way. This is educational work simply, and might reasonably, especially in view of the great industrial importance of chemistry, be financed out of public funds. A Government Department, such as that of Scientific and Industrial Research, might quite well be expected to undertake the publication of chemical abstracts, of chemical patents similar to the publication of Friedländer, and of chemical books of reference, organic and inorganic, frequently revised, on the lines of Beilstein and Stelzner.