8 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



the preparation and issue of maps or of other means by 

 which distribution in Scotland of animals, plants, minerals, 

 etc., may be graphically and effectively shown, and their 

 past history in the country and their relations to man 

 traced. While these are some of the more important lines 

 of work that should be undertaken by the society, its 

 usefulness will certainly extend in other 'directions also. 

 Meetings for the reading of papers should not be included 

 in its sphere of activity, its function being to supply in- 

 formation in print, but not to provide opportunities for verbal 

 discussion. 



Constitution of the Society. A large membership is very 

 desirable, to permit of a considerable circulation of the 

 reports and other publications at a relatively low expense, and 

 also to supply a larger number of active workers in various 

 departments. The organisation of the work should be en- 

 trusted to a committee elected by the society. The work 

 of the secretary would probably be sufficient after a time to 

 require the services of a skilled paid official, who should be 

 responsible for the preparation of the annual reports of 

 current literature, and for the issue of all other publications, 

 under the directions of the committee. Voluntary assistance 

 should be of great use towards the preparation of the much- 

 needed subject -index to past literature. Those engaged 

 in any special research have usually to prepare such an 

 index for personal use in the special field, and could give 

 valuable aid by contributing the index in each case ; but 

 to carry through the formation of the index as a whole the 

 past literature should be searched systematically. Large aid 

 could be given towards this if a list of periodicals and other 

 literature in want of examination were prepared and circu- 

 lated, with a request for volunteers to look through such of 

 the work as they could conveniently undertake to prepare 

 separate slips of the various articles or notices in such 

 slips to be sent to the secretary, who should classify the 

 information supplied in them according to the scheme 

 approved by the committee. It would make information 

 obtained in this way more useful if the slips were of uniform 

 size and design, to be obtained from the secretary by any 

 one signifying the willingness and intention to examine and 



