COMMITTEE OF BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 1 75 



matter was referred by the Council to a Committee consisting 

 of the President, the President-elect, and the General Officers of 

 the Association, together with Professor Armstrong, F.R.S., 

 Professor Meldola, F.R.S., and Professor Perry, F.R.S. This 

 influential Committee reported in due course, and as their 

 report contains some valuable suggestions of much interest to 

 local Societies it seems desirable to quote from it rather fully : — 



" The Committee have considered the commmiication from the Correspondin*^ 

 Societies Committee referred to them by the Council, and have examined into 

 the general character of the work carried on by the Corresponding Societies, and 

 the nature of the subjects discussed at the Conferences of Delegates held 

 annually under the auspices of the British Association since the year 1885. They 

 are of opinion that the range of subjects very fairly covers most of the branches 

 ■of scientific investigation in which local .Societies might be expected to bear a 

 a part. New subjects are added from time to time, and means have been taken 

 by the Corresponding Societies Committee to give publicity to suggestions for 

 any suitable line of investigation instigated by the CoiTCsponding Societies 

 themselves. Of the numerous branches of inquiry being carried on by British 

 Association Committees in which the Corresponding Societies ate invited year by 

 year to take a part, some have been materially assisted by the Corresponding 

 Societies or their individual members. The subjects suitable for investigation by 

 local Societies are necessarily governed in their scope by local conditions, but 

 among those already brought under the notice of the Corresponding Societies 

 there are some of a general character which might very well be taken up 

 systematically all over the country. The Committee do not consider it 

 necessary to furnish the Council with a complete list of such specific subjects, as 

 these are already included in the various Reports of the Corresponding Societies 

 Committee. They desire, however, to call the attention of tiie Council to the 

 necessity for systematic co-operation among the local Societies for the carrying 

 ■out of investigations of such general importance as the various surveys, archaeo- 

 logical, ethnographic, photographic, and botanical, which have on several 

 occasions been brought under the notice ot the Corresponding Societies at the 

 Conference of their Delegates. These and other investigations of a similarly 

 wide range which may from time to time be suggested furnish ample work for the 

 Corresponding Societies, and the Committee find that in certain districts 

 ■considerable progress has been already made, or that steps are now being taken 

 to organise the work already suggested." 



'fe-- 



After certain suggestions with reference to the work of the 

 Sectional and Organising Committees of the Association, the 

 Report proceeds as follows : — 



" In view of the increasing importance of science to the nation at large, your 

 Committee desire to call the attention of the Council to the fact that in the 

 Corresponding Societies the British Association has gathered in the various 

 centres represented by these Societies practically all the scientific activity oi' tlic 

 provinces. The number of Members and Associates at present on the list 

 of the Corresponding Societies approaches 25,000, and no organisation is in 



