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REPORTS

ON THE

STATE OF SCIENCE.

Corresponding Societies.- Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor R. MELDOLA (Chairman), Mr. T. V. HOLMES (Secretary), Mr. FRANCIS GALTON, Sir DOUGLAS GALTON, Sir RAWSON RAWSON, Mr. G. J. SYMONS, Dr. J. G. GARSON, Sir JOHN EVANS, Mr. J. HOPKINSON, Professor T. G. BONNEY, Mr. W. WHITAKER, Mr. W. TOPLEY, Professor E. B. POULTON, Mr. CUTHBERT Peek, and Rev. Canon H. B. TRISTRAM.

THE Corresponding Societies Committee of the British Association beg leave to submit to the General Committee the following report of the proceedings of the Conferences held at Nottingham and at Oxford.

The Council nominated Dr. J. G. Garson, Chairman, Mr. G. J. Symons, Vice-Chairman, and Mr. T. V. Holmes, Secretary to the Nottingham Conference. These nominations were confirmed by the General Committee at the meeting held at Nottingham on Wednesday, September 13. The meetings of the Conference were held on Thursday, September 14, and on Tuesday, September 19, in University College, Nottingham, at 3.30 P.M. The following Corresponding Societies nominated delegates to represent them at the Nottingham meeting:

Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Rev. H. H. Winwood, M.A., F.G.S.
Field Club.

Belfast Natural History and Philosophi-
cal Society.

Birmingham Natural History and Micro-
scopical Society.

Birmingham Philosophical Society.
Bristol Naturalists' Society

.

Burton-on-Trent Natural History and

Archæological Society.

Cardiff Naturalists' Society

Alexander Tate.

C. J. Watson.

J. Kenward, F.S.A.
Dr. A. Richardson.
Horace T. Brown, F.R.S.

Prof. J. Viriamu Jones.

Chesterfield and Midland Counties Insti- M. H. Mills, F.G.S.

tution of Engineers.

Croydon Microscopical and Natural His- W. Topley, F.R S.
tory Club.

Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian C. Hansford.
Field Club.

East Kent Natural History Society

East of Scotland Union of Naturalists'A. S. Reid, M.A., F.G.S.
Societies.

Essex Field Club

T. V. Holmes, F.G.S.

Federated Institution of Mining En- M. H. Mills, M.Inst.C.E.
gineers.

Hampshire Field Club

W. Whitaker, B.A., F.R.S.

Hertfordshire Natural History Society Dr. A. T. Brett.

and Field Club.

Leeds Geological Association
Leeds Naturalists' Club

P. F. Kendall, F.G.S.
Harold Wager.

Leicester Literary and Philosophical So- F. T. Mott, F.R.G.S.

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NOTTINGHAM, FIRST CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 14, 1893.

The Corresponding Societies Committee were represented by Dr. Garson (in the chair), Mr. Topley, Mr. Symons, and Mr. T. V. Holmes (Secretary).

Dr. Garson, the Chairman, gave a hearty welcome to the delegates present. He stated that these Conferences were begun at Aberdeen in 1885. At that time only twenty-four delegates were appointed, while last year there were forty-two. The number of Corresponding Societies had also increased. This was evidence that the attempt to bring to a focus, as it were, the efforts of the various Corresponding Societies had met with considerable success. But there was also evidence that the Societies did not always sufficiently value their privileges. When the annual returns were sent out from the office of the British Association the

majority of the Secretaries of the Corresponding Societies did not fill up and return them until they were written to a second time. Again, out of more than sixty Societies, only forty-two thought it worth while to nominate delegates, though it could hardly be a difficult matter to find members able and willing to serve. It was a very great advantage to the workers in the various local Societies to have the titles of their papers printed and published in the Annual Reports of the British Association. The Transactions of the various Corresponding Societies were bound and kept available for reference at present in the Office of the Association at Burlington House, whereas papers read before other local Societies were not unlikely to remain unknown or unconsulted. It was most desirable that the British Association should be brought into closer communication with the Societies. It had been usual hitherto for representatives from the different Sections to attend the Conferences and to mention anything that had been done, such as the appointment of a committee for some special purpose, in which the co-operation of the Corresponding Societies would be advantageous. It would be a good thing that there should be better means of communication between the Corresponding Societies and the Secretaries of the various committees appointed by the British Association. A good example of a committee especially needing the assistance of the Corresponding Societies was that nominated by Section H to make an Ethnographical Survey of the United Kingdom. The first Report of this committee had just been presented to the delegates, and Mr. Brabrook, the Secretary, would shortly call their attention to it. At their last meeting at Edinburgh some delegates had asked whether the Council of the Association might not be able to obtain greater facilities from the railway companies for members travelling to and from these meetings. The Council consequently appointed a committee, of which Sir Frederick Bramwell was an active member, to see what could be done. The result, however, could not be deemed satisfactory. The Clearing House authorities considered that the ordinary tourists' tickets met the requirements of the case, and reminded them that return tickets were issued to members at a single fare for distances not exceeding fifty miles from the place of meeting. The local authorities had placed the room in which they then were at the disposal of the delegates, and in it they might meet to discuss matters at any time.

The Secretary read a letter from Sir Douglas Galton, expressing his regret at being unable to attend the Conference.

The Chairman proposed to take the Report which was in their hands as read. He would be glad to hear any remarks from delegates on the work done during the past year.

SECTION A.

Meteorological Photography.-Mr. Symons was much indebted to the delegates for the number of photographs of clouds sent in to the Committee up to the present time. He did not press for more, as the Committee appointed by the British Association for the Elucidation of Meteorological Phenomena by the Application of Photography' had the very considerable collection of 467 to deal with. They proposed to select the typical ones, reduce them to a uniform scale, and print perhaps a hundred copies of them. They hoped to publish the atlas during the

year, and would be glad if the meteorologists would take copies. They would be pleased to have additional photographs of lightning.

Mr. Kenward remarked that through the agency of the standing Meteorological Committee of the Birmingham Philosophical Society complete weather statistics for Birmingham had been obtained from the observatory in Monument Road. It was believed that the periodical publication of these records would supply a great want.

SECTION C.

Mr. A. S. Reid said that the Geological Photographs Committee of the British Association were publishing their fourth Report this year. During the year they had received more than forty new photographs, making the total collection 846: they were all British. Their appeal to the Corresponding Societies had been more successful than in any previous year, but there was still much to be done, and he hoped the delegates would stir up their Societies on this point. As to the best camera, the most portable was to be preferred. He had also to report that many prints had been sent in without the name of the Societies sending them, that of the photographer, or that of the place photographed. They had decided not to lend any more photographs to the Societies, unless such photographs were sent in duplicate. Mr. Jeffs, the Secretary of the Geological Photographs Committee, had unfortunately been ill during nearly the whole of the year, and this had seriously hampered their work.

Mr. Tate said that, with reference to geological photographs, many of those sent in were probably of little value. He trusted that some day the Geological Photographs Committee would be able to select typical examples and place them where they would be of use to the Corresponding Societies. Some had been sent from Belfast, the district he represented.

Mr. P. F. Kendall remarked that few of the Corresponding Societies during the past year had given any information to the British Association Committee appointed to record the Character and Position of Erratic Blocks, though appeals for help had been made.

The Chairman hoped that the delegates present would note this omission.

In reply to a question from Mr. Eli Sowerbutts Mr. Kendall said that though the Erratic Blocks Committee had been in existence twenty-one years, there were whole counties abounding in erratic blocks from which not a single report had ever been sent. There were thus great gaps in their information which could only be filled by photographs and reports from the quarters which had hitherto not responded to the appeal. Most admirable work had been done in Warwickshire.

Mr. Topley inquired whether any Society had made researches, like those brought before the Conference last year by Mr. Watts, as to the quantity of material brought down streams in flood in the neighbourhood of Rochdale.

Mr. Mark Stirrup thought the work, so far as it had gone, had been brought before the Manchester Geographical Society.

Mr. Symons said that the work had been confined to the Rochdale district. It was desirable that results in other districts should be noted, and all persons wishing to do similar work should consult Mr. Watts at Strines Dale, Oldham

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