No. 2.] BRITISH ASSOCIATION MfiETINCJ. 147 



seems to be advantageous both from its convenience, and as tcnd- 

 .inir to promote the great consolidation of our science, and a justcr 

 npjircciation of the relation of its several parts. It may be that 

 looking merely to the derivation of the term, it is strictly more 

 nearly synonymous with physiology in the sense in which that 

 word has been for a long time employed, and therefore designating 

 the science of life, rather than the description of the living beings 

 in which it is manifested. But until a better or more comprehen- 

 sive term be found we may accept that of biology under the 

 general definition of " the science of life and of living beings," or 

 as comprehending the history of the whole range of organic 

 nature — vegetable as well as animal. The propriety of the adoption 

 of such a general term is further shown by a glance at the changes 

 which the title and distribution of the subordinate departments 

 of this section have undergone during the period of the existence 

 of the Association, 



HISTORY OF THE SECTION, 



During the first four years of this period the Section met 

 under the combined designation of Zoology and Botany, Physio- 

 logy and Anatomy — words sufficiently clearly indicating the scope 

 of its subjects of investigation. In the next ten years a connection 

 with Medicine was recognised by the establishment of a sub- 

 section or department of Medical Science, in which, however, 

 scientific anatomy and physiology formed the most prominent 

 topics, though not to the exclusion of more strictly medical and 

 surgical or professional subjects. During the next decade, or from 

 the year 1845, we find along with Zoology and Botany a sub-sec- 

 tion of physiology, and in several years of the same time alouu" 

 with the latter a separate department of Ethnology. But in the 

 eleven years which extended from 1855 to 1865, the branch of 

 Ethnology was associated with Geography in Section F. And 

 more recently, or since the arrangement which was commenced in 

 1866, the section Biology has included, with some slight variation, 

 the whole of its subjects in three departments. Under one of 

 these are brought all investigations in Anatomy and Physiology 

 of a general kind, thus embracing the whole range of these sciences 

 when without special application. A second of these sub -sections 

 has been occupied with the extensive subjects of Botany and 

 Zoology; while the third has been devoted to the subject of 

 Anthropology, in which all researches having a special reference 



