122 CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES' COMMITTEE. 



he has got the lines upon his map ; but an impatient Government calls him 

 elsewhere, and he is only too willing to hand over his maps and the threads of his 

 ideas to the local investigator to work out. The further division of the strata, 

 the zonal collection of the fossils, the relations and origin of the igneous rocks, 

 and the fascinating problems relating to the origin of the landscape features, all 

 become for the first time possible with the completion of the i-inch map. 



" After the survey, new wells, borings, cuttings, quarries, and other sections 

 are opened up, and the Local Society can do excellent work either in the person 

 of the local geologist or, if there be no such person, by giving information, which 

 is always giatefully received and generally acted upon, to the office of the 

 Survey. 



"As examples I may mention the examination of many new railways, pipe 

 lines, sewers, and other works Avhicli have been studied and reported upon locally 

 or from the Survey Office. Previous to the survey of Charnwood Forest nobody 

 knew that the Mountsorrel granite had been sculptured by desert wind-storms in 

 Triassic time. But suspecting that such would turn out to be the case, I asked 

 local observers to watch the excavations, with the result that in a few years the 

 necessary evidence was forthcoming." 



4^ * * 4i& 4^ i^ 4^ 



Then, the important stibject of abysmal geology was given ?s 

 one in which the local observers couid aid by reporting on all 

 well-borings made in their districts, and the Chairman 

 concltided : — 



"The relations of geology and landscape can only be satisfactorily worked out 

 b}' the local observer, who knows the country in every aspect, and who has time 

 to visit and revisit. This line of enquiry may be expected to yield many new and 

 important results to local enquirers in the next few years. 



" But the main geological function of the Local Societies is to keep a watchful 

 eye always open. Every new section brings some new information, some 

 alteration or confirmation of previous opinion, some chance for fresh investigation. 

 It is alwavs better that the cream of such work should be skimmed bv the local 

 observer if possible, but if he is non-existent it is the plain duty of the society to 

 call in help from the outside." 



At the second Conference, on September i6th, many subjects 

 considered suitable for local societies to undertake were brought 

 forward, for the list of which the reader may be referred to the 

 official report. Mr. G. Coffey, as delegate from Section H 

 (Anthropology), brought before the Conference a letter referring 

 to the destruction which is going on on Dartmoor by removing 

 stones from certain ancient monuments for road repairs ! Thisr 

 and Mr. Charles H. Read's paper, which is abstracted in another 

 place in the present part, gave rise to a discussion on the pro- 

 tection of ancient monuments, and the following recommendation 

 was passed on the motion of the Rev. J. O. Bevan : — 



