October Jtk, 1919.] PROCEEDINGS. i. 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF 



THE MANCHESTER LITERARY AND 

 PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



Ordinary Meeting, October 7th, 1919. 

 Mr. Francis Jones, M.Sc, F.R.S.E., F.C.S. {Vice-President), 



followed by 



Mr. William Thomson, F.R.S.E., F.C.S., F.I.C. ( Vice-President), 

 in the Chair. 



A vote of thanks was accorded the donors of the books on 

 the table. Mr. C. L. Barnes, M.A., drew attention to several 

 works, including: — "A Bibliography of Indian Geology and 

 Physical Geography ..." (Parts I. and II.) by T. H. D. 

 La Touche (8vo., Calcutta, 191 7, 191 8), presented by the 

 Director of the Geological Survey of India; and "Spencer 

 Fullerton Baird — a Biography," by W. H. Dall (8vo., Phila- 

 delphia, 191 5), presented by the Smithsonian Institution. 



Gifts of a barometer, belonging to the late Dr. Henry Wilde, 

 presented by Oxford University; a photograph of Dr. Henry 

 Wilde, presented by Professor H. B. Dixon; thirty-two 

 volumes of " Memoirs and Proceedings" presented by Mr. 

 John Boyd; and volumes 2-9 of the Society's "Proceedings" 

 from Mr. H. Crossley; were also recorded and votes of 

 thanks passed to the donors. 



An address on " The Future of the Manchester 

 Literary and Philosophical Society " was given by Sir 

 Henry A. Miers, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S. 



Sir Henry Miers referred to the discussion which took 

 place on January 21st, 191 9, at which it was proposed to 

 make the Society more of a meeting place for persons 

 generally interested in Science, and to give an opportunity 

 for informal discussions. This was a work performed by 

 such societies in their pioneer days ; but with the increase of 

 scientific knowledge the tendency has been, for scientific 

 people to segregate into special groups. As a result of 

 this, the papers read at modern specialist societies are only 

 calculated to appeal to experts. 



A reaction is indicated by recent attempts at co-operation 

 between the Humanities and Sciences, e.g., in conferences, 

 and the proposal for a common journal. 



