I902. 



The Bjitish Association hi Belfast. 



303 



recurrence, still there were no official excursions following the meeting. It 

 is to be hoped that these will never be revived. There is no reason to 

 regret the falling off if it is mainly due to the fact that the attractions to 

 unscientific trippers were fewer than in the past. It is true that the 

 diminished attendance led to the cutting down of the grants for scientific 

 research to an unusually low figure, but, after all, there are nowadays many 

 other ways of obtaining pecuniary support for such purposes. {The Ti'ftes^ 

 September 22.) 



"Nature" on the Meeting, 



In point of numbers, the meeting of the British Association at Belfast 

 has not been a very large one, but it has certainly been a decided success 

 and has been full of interest. . . . The local committee has facilitated 

 the work of the secretaries in every possible way, and the exciirsions have 

 been a means of pleasure and profit to all who have been able to take 

 advantage of them. (iV^///';r, September 18,) 



General and warm approval has been expressed regarding the arrange* 

 ments made by the local officials for the reception and comfort of the 

 members, and although these were smaller in number than on the last 

 occasion, this was not due to any falling off in those visiting Belfast, but 

 rather to the apathy of local people, judging by the smaller number of 

 associates' and ladies' tickets issued. ... It has been questioned 

 whether the falling off, especially in the number of ladles' tickets, may not 

 be ascribed in a considerable degree to the educational methods of Ireland 

 and their effect on the taste of those brought up under their influence within 

 the last thirty years. . . . From the scientific point of view, the meeting 

 was without doubt an admirable one. {Nature. September 25.) 



The Attendance at the Meeting. 



In view of the above comments, it is interesting to compare the 

 attendances of the 1874 and 1902 meetings : — 



It will be seen that almost the whole of the falling off is due to the 

 diminished number of associates' and ladies' tickets — the two classes of 



