AT THE MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 307 
the progress of one or more of the important branches of science ; and this 
view of the duty has greatly embarrassed me, inasmuch as I am unable to fulfil 
either of these requirements. On various occasions during the last half-year I 
then upon some of the great advances that have been made in botany during 
the last few years; after which I shall allude to some matters connected with 
that dawning science, the early history of mankind, a theme which will be a 
distinguishing collateral feature of the Norwich Association. 
* My duty as President is the pleasant one of introducing to you the 
State for India “the great and urgent importance of adopting active measures 
to obtain reports on the physical form, manners, and customs of indigenous 
populations of India, and especially of those tribes which are still in the habit 
of erecting Megalithi ib 
subjeet of the Government of the Natural History Collections of the Bri 
Museum, which resulted in a deputation, who represented to the 
nister, in the name of the Council, that it was desirable that these collections 
be placed under the control of a single officer, who should be directly respon- 
only add, that though the zoological collections are the finest in the world, and 
the geological and palieontological 
the forty-five trustees, only three who have 
of the branches of science these collections i A 
i botanist has ever been appointed 
cal library, then amongst 
subject is still far from being exhausted, 
in this country these appear to me to afford 
x 2 
