The Scottish Naturalist, 349 



mation is given. The title and page of the book, and the year 

 of publication, should be noted. The references should be as- 

 sorted, and should be distributed to the recorders for the various 

 branches. 



The recorders, when they have received reports from the com- 

 pilers, should then put the information supplied to them into a 

 systematic form suitable for easy and ready reference. With 

 cordial co-operation on the part of compilers and of recorders, a 

 good index might be prepared, in the course of a year or two, for 

 almost all departments of the zoology, botany, geology, and 

 archaeology of the east of Scotland. 



There is still need of assistance from compilers ; and help will 

 be gladly accepted if volunteers will communicate with Mr. Sang. 



Another object of importance urged ably in the first presidental 

 address is the preparation of preliminary lists of the products ot 

 the district, so as to permit of an estimate of how much has yet 

 to be done. The preliminary reports submitted at the meeting of 

 the Union in 1884 should be referred to for what had been done 

 up to that time, and also for a statement of what most requires to 

 be taken in hand in each department. Since these reports were 

 written some advance has been made here and there ; but sub- 

 stantially they are still quite reliable. 



Now, as then, the recorders will be very glad of any information 

 or assistance from any members of the Union who may be able to 

 give such. The preparation of lists of species is being gone on 

 with, and the varieties met with in our district are also under ob- 

 servation. 



But even more important than the formation of a complete 

 bibliography and lists of the fauna and flora, geology, mineraology, 

 and archaeology of the east of Scotland, in exerting an influence 

 for good, and in supplying a powerful stimulus towards raising 

 the level of the work done by societies, is the formation of a good 

 museum in each centre of the population, and connected with 

 each society. 



vSo long as the meetings of the societies are productive of no 

 more permanent result than the reading of papers, even if these 

 are subsequently printed, and afforded the limited circulation 

 which is given in the " Transactions," much work is lost sight of, 

 and does not in any degree tend to place the local students of 

 natural science on a higher level, or to render the way more easy 



