SESSION 1894-95. xlvii 



was also being iuvestigatccl, and it had been found that about 

 50 per cent, of the sunligbt was cut oif by the smoke of a town, 

 the diminution of light in the centre of a large town amounting 

 to about 75 per cent., and in the suburbs to about 25 per cent., 

 as compared with the amount of light in the open country. The 

 co-operation of members of the Corresponding Societies in more 

 rural districts would be sought when the methods of investigation 

 were more perfect. Prof. Meldola remarked upon the value of 

 lichens as indicating the purity of the air. Tlujy were disappearing 

 from tlie tree-trunks in Epping Forest, it being too near London 

 for them to flourish. 



Cuast JErosion, which was next dealt with, is not a subject 

 within the province of our Society. 



Underground Waters. — The question of the circulation of water 

 in the Chalk of Hertfordshire has frequently been brought before 

 our Society, and the nature of the information required by the 

 Underground Waters Committee will be found in our ' Trans- 

 actions,' in my paper on "Water and Water-supply" (Yol. YI, 

 p. 136). At this Conference Mr. Whitaker stated that it was 

 intended to give the substance of the eighteen annual reports of 

 the Committee in a single volume, for which he hoped the Corre- 

 sponding Societies would subscribe. The cost of the book would 

 not exceed 10.v. 



Erratic BlocJ:s. — For information on the work of the Erratic 

 Elocks Committee reference should be made to a paper by 

 Mr. H. George Fordham in our 'Transactions' (Yol. I, p. 163). 

 The work of the Committee is now drawing to a close, but 

 there is still plenty of scope for observers in our county. The 

 work required to be done is to record the position, height above 

 the sea, lithological character, size, and origin of our erratic 

 blocks or boulders, to report other matters of interest connected 

 with them, and to take measures for their preservation. 



Geological Photographs. — The work of the Geological Photo- 

 graphs Committee has also been brought before our Society, in 

 a paper by me which is published in our ' Transactions ' (Yol. YI, 

 p. 49). I regret that out of 1055 photographs which the Secretary 

 of the Committee has received, there are only a few from our 

 county, all of which have been taken by myself. The collection 

 of photographs will be deposited in the Museum of Practical 

 Geology, Jermyn Street, London, where it will be accessible 

 for inspection. I have duplicates for the Society of the photo- 

 graphs which I have contributed to this collection, and should 

 be glad to receive photographs from others, in duplicate, one 

 cop}' for this collection and one for our Society. 



The teaching of Geography in Schools is not exactly a subject 

 to engage the attention of provincial societies, but it is one in 

 which some members of such societies may help by their influence. 

 Mr. Sowerbutts said that it was disgraceful that geography was 

 so badly taught, or sometimes utterly neglected, in the schools of 

 a country which had territory in every part of the world. He 



