REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 271 



announced that £1,080 had been received in donations and £90 paid in anuual 

 subscriptions to the Birmingham Endowment of Research Fund. — Mr. Lawsou 

 Tait moved the adoption of the report and statement of accounts. — Dr. Simon 

 seconded the motion, which was unanimously carried. — Dr. Heslop mo v. ,i tin- 

 re-election of Mr. Watson as president for the ensuing year. — Mr. William 

 Mathews, M.A., seconded the resolution, which was carried. — Mr. Mathews and 

 Dr. Norris were elected vice-presidents ; the Rev. H. W. Crosskey, P.G.S., and 

 Mr. E. Levett, M.A , secretaries ; and Mr. George Hookham, M.A., treasurer. — 

 The President then delivered his address, whicn dealt with the subject of " The 

 Progress of Positive Science, and the Duties of Society in relation thereto." The 

 crowning triumph, he said, of phy.-ical discovery was the science of energy, th" 

 revelation of a new entity, indestructible like matter, and the source ana store- 

 house of all physical activity. He was tempted to linger on that theme not only 

 on account of its importance, but because this science had been in a great degree 

 the work of British physicists, maiuiy of the. Cambridge school. Fifty years ago 

 the idea of general physical conservation of energy was absolutely non- 

 existent, though the mechanical conservation of energy had been clearly enough 

 stated. This conception had little less than revolutionised science. There was 

 no branch of physics which had not felt its influence. Electricity, magnetism, 

 and chemistry had aiike contributed fresh evidence to its truth and acknow- 

 ledged its directing power. Physical treatises of no remote date had been in a 

 great measure rendered obsolete. The conservation of energy and the doctrine 

 of development were pre-eminent amongst the many iu>tances of progress — the 

 one bringing a whole province of investigation within the domain of scientific 

 treatment, and the other supplying a real and potent bond of union between 

 sciences hitherto thought independent. Dealing with the second portion of his 

 subject, Mr. Watson observed that scientific advance was disquieting; to some 

 people from its supposed antagonism to their religious convictions. Theology, 

 however, need fear no enmity where morality had found so sure a friend. 

 Science had no creed, and was of no theological colour. Some eminent 

 scientific men did appear to lose sight of this truth, and to regard themselves 

 as the emissaries of a destructive mission. The true vocation of the scientific 

 man was the single minded pursuit and the fearless assertion of positive truth, 

 unbiassed by a foregone conclusion. Doubtless there might be found among 

 the clergy, as amongst the laity, people to whom the line from Dryden might 

 be applied — " The priest continues what the nurse began." But there was 

 no greater intolerance in those persons than in the conduct of men who 

 became emissaries of a materialistic or atheistic creed. The true position 

 of science in this respect was every day becoming more fully recognised. The 

 president went on to deal with the distrust which some people had towards 

 scientific pursuits, because they thought those pursuits were unpractical, and 

 tended to distract their votaries from the real business of life. Lastly, he men- 

 tioned some of the methods by which local organisations such as this society, 

 established for the promotion of exact and accurate scientific research, were 

 able to forward the good cause. — Mr. Levett moved a vote of thanks to the 

 president for his address, which was seconded by Dr. Tilden, F.R.S., who said 

 be should endeavour to induce his colleagues in Mason Coilege to bring 

 forward original contributions at the meetings of the society. — The President 

 having acknowledged the compliment, the meeting terminated. 



CHELTENHAM NATUKAL SCIENCE SOCIETY.— October 20th.— After 



the transaction of the routine business Mr. H. Matthews read a paper on the 

 " Storage of Electricity," which was illustrated by experiments. 



NOTTINGHAM WORKING MEN'S NATURALISTS' SOCIETY.— This 

 society held its monthly exhibition on October 3rd, when Mr. J. Hazard 

 exhibited two specimens of the " Snow Bunting " [PleclropTiam 8 nivalis), and 

 one specimen of the '• Little Ringed Dotterel" {Chnnidriua minor), shot at 

 Gedling, Notts. Two specimens of the " Tiger Moth," viz., a black and a white 

 variety, were exhibited by Mr. T. Goldsmith. Mr. Watchorn exhil 

 specimen of the "Clouded Yellow" (Colias edusa), captured at Newstead, 

 Notts, July, 1881. Mr. W. Gough exhibited some specimens of fungi, in which 

 the Agaric family figured prominently. 



