SUGGESTIONS FOE THE FEDERATION OF SCOTTISH 



SCIENTIFIC SOGILTIE 



c. 



HP HOSE who are best acquainted with the workings of the 

 -*■ various Natural History Societies that are scattered through- 

 out the country cannot but confess that in too many cases the 

 results are net quite commensurate with the labour, time, and 

 money expended. It is happily true that not unfrequently good 

 and enduring work is done, but this is only a proof that the 

 capability for work exists, and that if some method were devised 

 by which the energies of the societies could be guided into the 

 right direction, the percentage of good results would be very 

 greatly increased. 



Conversation with members of various societies has indicated 

 that one means towards the attainment of the desired end, is a 

 closer union amongst the different associations. Each at present 

 pursues its own course, quite irrespective of the work done by the 

 others. Hence, in some cases, the same ground is gone over 

 repeatedly, and in others, some field that would well repay investi- 

 gation is left untouched. 



That a more or less intimate union is not only practicable, but 

 would result in good, is evident from what has been, and is being, 

 done in England by the associated societies of Yorkshire, and bv 

 those of the Midland Counties. In Scotland no direct attempt at 

 association has been made ; but the Inverness Scientific Society has 

 taken a step in the right direction by organising, during the past 

 two or three years, an annual joint-meeting of several of the 

 Northern Societies. What is required, however, is something more 

 than this. 



From the distance between the respective headquarters of many 

 of the societies, it seems scarcely feasible (at least at present) to 

 form a confederation of all the Scottish Societies, but there 

 appears to be good reason why an attempt should not be made to 

 form several confederations, and when time and experience has 

 shown the best way of working these, then attention might be 



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