The Scottish Naturalist. 149 



Conference may also discuss propositions bearing on the promotion 

 of more systematic observation and plans of operation, and of 

 greater uniformity in the mode of publishing results." 



The Committee add to the above proposals the following argu- 

 ments in their favour, which arguments we commend to the con- 

 sideration of our readers : — "The Committee believe that the dis- 

 tinction accorded to a Society through its selection and formal 

 recognition by the British Association as one of its Corresponding 

 Societies, the advantages of a widely circulated notice of its local 

 work in so important a volume as the Report of the British As- 

 sociation, and the honourable and useful duties assigned to the 

 Delegate, would give a considerable value to the title. 



" They also anticipate that a Society which had asked for and 

 received recognition as a representative centre of the scientific 

 institutions in its district, would be thereby stimulated to exercise 

 that very creditable and important function with increased zeal 

 and efficiency. The result would be to strengthen the mutual 

 relations between the larger and smaller Societies, to insure the 

 encouragement of any disposition to co-operate in systematic in- 

 vestigations, and to establish a practice of printing the scattered 

 results obtained by the smaller Societies of any district in a con- 

 solidated form in the publications of their leading Society. 



" Finally, the Committee believe that the annual meetings of 

 the proposed Conference of Delegates, under the Chairmanship of 

 a distinguished member of the Association, would have large in- 

 fluence in harmonising the action of their several Societies, without 

 in any way tending to compromise their independence, and that 

 they would offer a facility that does not now exist for the natural 

 and healthy growth of a federation between remote Societies 

 which have no more direct bond of union than the British Asso- 

 ciation." 



TEDEKATION OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES IN THE 



EAST OE SCOTLAND. 



CLOSELY akin to the proposals discussed by the Committee 

 of the British Association, as set forth in the preceding 

 article, and intended to promote the same end of combining the 

 work of the Scientific Societies scattered over the country in a 

 way not previously attempted in Scotland, is the federation of 



