34 Proceedings. 
The first meeting was presided over by Dr. Garson, who was 
supported by Sir Douglas Galton, and by Mr. Holmes (of the 
Essex Field Club), Secretary of the Corresponding Societies’ 
Committee. 
A paper was read by Dr. G. Abbott, of Tunbridge Wells 
(Gen. Sec. of the S. Eastern Union of Scientific Societies), 
entitled “ District Unions of Natural History Societies.” 
In this paper Dr. Abbott calls attention to the need of 
improvement in our Local Societies. He points to the too 
frequent decay of Clubs, and to the small results achieved by 
them. The work done is often weak, irregular and desultory, 
and too often begins and ends with lectures, that are mere stale 
résumés of what others have done, and yet there is an army of 
50,000 members in the Clubs; from these the results ought to 
be very different. Dr. Abbott considers that the chief cause 
of failure is want of organization. To remedy the lack of 
organization he suggests a scheme, to which I shall refer later. 
The paper was followed by a Discussion, and Delegates from 
the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union (with its 2500 associates), 
the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society (Mr. Montague 
Brown), the Dublin Naturalists’ Field Club (Prof. Johnson), 
and others, described the methods of work and the organization 
of their Clubs. 
Finally a Committee was formed to consider Dr. Abbott’s 
proposals, and to report to the next Delegates’ meeting. At 
the second Conference of Delegates this Committee reported, 
and presented certain resolutions, which the meeting adopted. 
Professor Flinders Petrie then read a paper, “‘ On a Federal 
Staff for Local Museums,” which, as it is short, I may perhaps 
be allowed to read. 
The paper was followed by a Discussion, but no definite 
resolution was proposed. The suggestions made in Prof. Flin- 
ders Petrie’s paper may not seem to affect our Club, as I fear 
our small Museum can only find a place in the 4th Class, if 
indeed we can find a place among the 30 Museums of the 4th 
Class. Nevertheless, it is my duty to bring this paper before 
us ; and perhaps I may be allowed to suggest that we endeavour 
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