REPORTS. 285 



BIEinNCTHAMANDMrDLA.ND INSTITUTE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 

 — The sixth atDnnal meetiDs was beid oji Si plcuiber lllli, in the Coimcil Eoom, 

 at the Institute, ^Ir. G. II. Twigg (I'l-esideui) iu the cliajr. Large allexidance of 

 Dienihers. Tlie animal report stated that llie iinTuber of members is li;;-!, ihe 

 Dumber from the industrial departTnciit be ini; tiG, trom the general department 

 12, and Jife members 1.3. This showed an increase of 14. I'apers badbeeu read 

 during the past ses.=ion on various snientitio subjects, the annual soirie was held 

 on Jannai-y 2nd, and eight excursions had been made t" places of interest. The 

 Lilirarian reported that 5c-:u scientific boots were issued last year, against 39^ in 

 the previous year. Thecommiltee had decided lo join tlie MidJaiid L nion of 

 Natural History Societies, pnd dt^legales atteudei( the anniial meeting; of the 

 Union. The finances of the Society were iji a flourishing ttaie. T)je report 

 having been adopted, a vote of thanks was passed lo the ('onncil for the 

 nse of tiie room. Mr. Ilobert liirbeck was elected President, Mr. ('. J. 

 Watson Vice-lVesident, Mr. Eobmson 'i'rea>urer, arid ilr. Cricls I-ibiarian. 

 The retiring President (Mr. Twigg) flien delivered an address, in the early 

 part of which be ca'led attention lo Uie lack of convenience which formerly 

 existed for students ar tlie Institute, who were desirous of confening wii.h each 

 other on the subject of their studies. The lormation of the Society provided 

 a room where students might readily confer with each otuer, and the gradual 

 but certain supply of high-class scientific books to the library of the Society 

 Lad given Institnte students the opportunity of consulUng the works of the 

 best writers in all scientific subjects. Mr. Twigg furthfe-r saut — " 1 commend ihe 

 ardei't study of all science for its own sake, and think we ought not to 

 content ourselves with taking such science as comes ready ro our hand without 

 making exploration in its nomain for ourselves. With legard to Botany, for 

 instance, it might be asked, What have wc near at haiid wherein original 

 research can be made on this subject? I am no Botaiiist, and cannot presume 

 to indicate the most likely fields for discoveiy, Iml i think I could find a 

 green bank under any hedgerow, and place my hat on so much of it as would 

 afford subject for inquiries of absorbing interest, on which I doubt whether 

 any one could give irie full information. Take an example. I piuck a small 

 star-shaped tiowev, and show it a botanist. ' Oh yes,' he says, ' L'ellis 

 jjerejtnis.' This is, doubtless, valuable information. I, however, know it 

 as the common daisy ; and what I wish to learn is, why tne outer circle 

 of the flower is white whilst its centre has a yellow colour, and, when 

 partly satisfied on this point that it is cousniered lo be so coloured in order lo 

 attract the visits of ins<=-cts for the purpose of fertilisation, I proceed to enquire 

 how the flower has become so entirely changed in colom- from its greta stalk, and 

 where is the laboratory in which the process is comiucti d. Is it due to the jiower 

 of light alone, or to some chemical quality ? Waiting for an answer, I see near 

 me the common dandelion in seed. What a graceful tuft of feathers is (here, 

 and what a contrast to the flower of the same plant. On ai tempting to gather it 

 the slight motion causes the feathers to become detached and fly away ! lam 

 told that this is tlie method by which the seed is scattered ; whereas the former 

 plant seems to grow on from year to year in the same sjiot without any provision 

 for becoming difl'used. And why do we find t!ie leaves of the daisy broad and 

 even, and those of the dandelion long and deeply indented? I tbiiik 1 have 

 indicated just a grain of sand on the seashore of investigation stretched before 

 ns, whilst there remains an infinity of speculation as to the vast area hidiien to 

 our view beyond the waves of eternity." Turning to another subject, Mr. Twigg 

 said — " I have for a long time in leisure moments thought of the natural forces at 

 cur disposal, and asked myself the question. Do we make the best use of those at 

 our command ? We see prunitive methods put into practice for utilizing the 

 force of the wind, and the power of running water ; but these suffer such frequent 

 fluctuations that, since we have had the power of steam placed at our disposal, 

 they have received little consideration, and remain in about the same state of 

 improvement which they had reached a hundred years ago. Is steam, as now 

 procured, our most readily available force, or is there not some other equally 

 constant and more advantageous power ? What can we do with the sea, situated 

 as we are on an island indented wiih numerous channels subjected to its 

 influence : even in an inland town like this we feel that it is at our doors. Can- 

 not then something be done with the immense power of its daily tides, rising all 

 around our coast, and exercising such a stupendous force that no diminution of 

 it could possibly be experienced, no matter to what eitent we might find it in our 



