The Scottish Naturalist. 347 



To render the work of local societies as important as it ought to 

 be, it is desirable either that each society should publish papers, 

 or else that several societies should unite to publish in common 

 the papers selected by a Publication Committee as worthy of 

 permanent preservation. Much useful work is lost sight of if no 

 record of the papers read is kept, save in the minutes of each 

 society ; and there is far less inducement to careful preparation of 

 the papers read at the meetings if it is known that they will never 

 come before a public larger than the few who hear them read. 

 On the other hand, it is very unadvisable to publish everything 

 that is brought before a society. This is very evident from an 

 inspection of the transactions of such bodies as do so, whether 

 from the desire to produce a large record of work, or through un- 

 willingness to offend contributors. It is a heavy tax on one's 

 time and patience to wade through page after page of chaff to pick 

 up the few grains that are worth the storing. To render the work 

 of local societies of value it is very desirable that certain prepara- 

 tory work should be carried through, and that certain accessories 

 fitted to promote the successful issue of their labours should be 

 first attended to. To one or two of these I have now to ask your 

 attention for a little ; and I shall deal with them as if they related 

 solely to the biological sciences that are most familiar to myself ; 

 but they apply equally to all other branches that are usually in- 

 cluded in the programmes of such societies as form this Union. 



In pursuing original investigations of any kind it is, of course, 

 most desirable to possess a full knowledge of what has been 

 already made public in regard to it. It has doubtless happened 

 to many of us that we have sought to procure such information, 

 to prevent the loss of time consequent on doing over again what 

 has been already done by others. One early experiences the diffi- 

 culty of gleaning from scattered books and periodicals the infor- 

 mation desired, and one often finds that interesting matter has 

 been overlooked in some work that has escaped notice, which, 

 had it been discovered in time, would have saved a good deal of 

 labour. 



Such experiences soon press upon the more earnest workers the 

 conviction that among the most valuable aids to progress in any 

 branch is a good bibliography, or classified index to all the sources 

 of information upon that branch in books and magazines. For 

 example, the student of the Mollusca of the East of Scotland will 



