NATURAL SCIENCE 



A Monthly Review of Scientific Progress 



No. 66— Vol. XI— AUGUST 1897 



NOTES AND COMMENTS 



Co-operation among Naturalists 



We had barely space in our last number to chronicle the second 

 annual congress of the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies. 

 We have now received The Transactions of the Union for 1897, 

 price one shilling. The Union already includes twenty-seven 

 affiliated societies, and in carrying out its motto, " Co-operation not 

 uniformity," is doing a really useful work. The papers and dis- 

 cussions at the congress were for the most part thoroughly practical. 

 It is recognised, as we have so often pointed out, that there is a 

 vast amount of labour wasted every year by enthusiastic naturalists, 

 whose misfortune it is to have no friendly and enlightened guidance. 

 The aim of such bodies as this Union is to co-ordinate scattered and 

 wasted effort, and to direct it into profitable yet no less fascinating- 

 paths. Thus it is suggested that the Union shall form research 

 committees to deal with special branches of scientific observation. 

 These committees would be similar to those of the British Associa- 

 tion, but they would confine themselves to local natural history. 

 Like the Midland Union or the New Zealand Institute, such an 

 union may become the publisher for all its affiliated societies, and 

 thus exercise a much-needed editorial discretion. It can also 

 organise lectures and lecture-apparatus, making a collection of 

 lantern-slides to be borrowed from by any society ; this is already 

 being done by the S.E. Union. Again, there are many legal questions 

 affecting naturalists and local societies, and these can best be dealt 

 with by a strong corporate body. The present congress discussed 

 one such question, namely, " How can the Technical Education 

 Grant assist local societies ? " It appears that it is out of the 

 question to ask for direct pecuniary assistance ; but there seems 

 no reason in justice or equity why local societies, engaged as they 

 are in the education of the public, should not be allowed the use 

 of a room in buildings erected with public money for purposes of 



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