5i8 



NATURE 



\_SepL 29, 1887 



(3) " List of the Reptiles collected by Mr. H. H. Johnston, 

 on the Cameroons Mountain," by G. A. Boulenger, Proc. Z.S., 

 1887, p. 127. 



(4) "On the Mollusca collected at the Cameroons Mountain 

 by Mr. H. H. Johnston," by Edgar A. Smith, Proc. Z.S., 1887, 

 p. 127. 



(5) "On some Coleopterous Insects collected by Mr. H. H. 

 Johnston on the Cameroons Mountain," by Charles O. Water- 

 house, Proc. Z.S. 1887, p. 128. 



It will be observed that, although the collections are small, 

 tliey are by no means devoid of interest. Out of eighteen 

 species of birds of which examples were obtained, four were 

 new to science, and a new land shell, of the genus Giblms, was 

 also discovered. The zoological specimens have been placed in 

 the collection of the British Museum. The botanical speci- 

 mens collected by Mr. Johnston were sent by the Con- 

 mittee to the Kew Herbarium, where they were placed 

 in Prof. Oliver's hands for deter.nination. As was to be 

 expected, although the specimens were in many case accept- 

 able, they have added veiy little to our knowledge of the 

 flora of the Cameroons Mountain. With few exception;; all 

 Mr. Johnston's species, of which a complete list is given in the 

 appendix to this Report, are enumerated in Sir Joseph Hooker's 

 paper on Mann's plants of the Cameroons, published in the 

 Journal of the Linnean Society in 1864 (" Bot.," vol. vii. 

 p. 181). A complete set of the duplicates has been deposited 

 in the Botanical Department of the British Museum, and a 

 second set of duplicates has been sent to the Royal Museum of 

 Berlin. The sum of ;^75, granted to the Committee at Bir- 

 mingham, has been paid to Mr. Johnston as a contribution 

 towards the expenses of his expedition. The Committee ask 

 t,o be reappointed, and a further sum of jif 100 placed at their 

 disposal, as Mr. Johnston will in all probability be able to under- 

 take a second expedition up the Cameroons Mountain in the 

 course of the present autumn. 



Kcport of ilic Committee, consisting of Mr. Thisclton Dyer 

 {secretar)!), Mr. Carriithers, Mr. Ball, Prof. Oliver, and Mr. 

 Forbes, appointed for the purpose of continuing the preparation 

 of a Report 071 our pyresent knmvledge of the Flora of China. — 

 The grant made by the Association has enabled the Committee 

 to proceed with this important work, the third part of which, 

 carrying the enumeration down to the end of the Ro^acepe, is 

 now in the hands of the printer, and the fourth part has been 

 commenced. Since the work was begun, about two years ago, 

 several collections of dried plants have been received at Kew 

 from China, notably a very extensive one from Dr. A. Henry, 

 made in the little-known district of Ichang, in the province of 

 Hupeh, in the veiy centre of China. And the Trustees of the 

 British Museum have acquired the herbarium of the late Dr. 

 Hance, containing the types of the large number of species 

 published by him from time to time during a long residence in 

 the country. Dr. Henry's collection includes a large number of 

 novelties, besides the addition of many Himalayan and Japanese 

 forms not previously known, from China ; and Dr. Hance's 

 herbarium greatly facilitates the limitation of the species where 

 comparisons with his types are necessary. The published parts 

 of the report have been freely distributed among English 

 residents in China, and have no doubt been the means of stimu- 

 lating some of them to greater activity mw that they perceive 

 that there is a probability of the results of their exertions being 

 promptly published. Dr. Henry is specially interested in the 

 origin of the numerous drugs used in Chinese medicine, and, 

 aided by our determinations of the plants, we may assume that 

 he will be able to make a substantial addition to our knowledge 

 of the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Mr. Ford, toi, the Superin- 

 tendent of the Hong Kong Botanic Garden, takes a lively 

 interest in the work, and has rendered valuable assistance, 

 doubtless with advantage to the establishment under his charge. 

 Several eminent foreign botanists have alluded to the work as of 

 great interest and importance, and the Committee have much 

 satisfaction in reporting that circumstances are now favourable 

 to more rapid progress in the future than hitherto. Simul- 

 taneously with the appearance of our "Index Florae Sinensis," 

 a French botanist, M. Franchet, is publishing a very extensive 

 collection of plants made by French missionaries in Yunnan, a 

 province from which there is almost nothing in the London 

 herbaria ; hence his labours supplement ours, and cover a 

 distinct floral region. The Committee recommend their reap- 

 pointment, and that a further grant of ;i^ioo be placed at their 

 disposal. 



Tlie Report of the Committee appointed to mxhe suggestions 

 with reference to the production of a bathy-hypsographical map of the 

 British Isles and surrounding seas was presented by Mr. Raven - 

 stein. Other members of the Committee were General Walker, 

 Sir William Thomson, and Mr. A. Buchan. — The conclusions 

 arrived at by the Committee were that the heights as well as the 

 depths should be referred to the Ordiiance datum level, and that 

 contours of the land and ocean bed should correspond. With 

 regard to the various methods of tinting the maps so as to express 

 height, it was proposed that the sea should be coloured blue, 

 lowlands up to 500 feet green, the next region orange, the really 

 mountainous parts brown, the depth of colour increasing with 

 the height. Maps tinted in various ways were exhibited. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of the Rev. Canon Carver, 

 the Rev. H. B. George, Sir Douglas Gallon, Prof. Bonney, Mr. 

 A. G. Vernon Plarcourt, Prof. T. McKenny Hughes, the Rev, 

 H. W. Watson, the Rev. E. F. M. McCarthy, the Rev. A. R. 

 Vardy, Prof. Alfred Newton, the Rev. Canon Tristam, Prof. 

 Moseley, and Mr. E. G. Ravenstein {secretary), appointed for the 

 purpose of co-operating with the Royal Geographical Society in 

 endeavouring to bring before the authorities of the Universities of 

 Oxford and Cambridge the advisability of promoting the study of 

 Geography by establishing special Chairs for the purpose, — The 

 Committee beg leave to report that, at a meeting held on 

 January 12, 1887, at the office of the Association, the following 

 resolutions were adopted : — (i) That the Committee fully recog- 

 nize the educational value of the scientific study of geography, 

 and are agreed in thinking that geography should occupy a place 

 among the subjects of study at the Universities of Oxford and 

 Cambridge. (2) That the Council of the British Association be 

 requested to give their support to the representations and offers 

 made to the Vice-Chancellors of the two Universities by the 

 Council of the Society in letters dated July 9 and December 9, 

 1886, of which copies are'inclosed. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Dr. J. H. Gladstone 

 {secrttary). Prof. Armstrong, Mr. Stephen Bourne, Miss Lydia 

 Becker, Sir John Lubbock, Bart., Dr. II. W. Crosskey, Sir 

 Richard Temple, Bart., Sir Henry E. Roscoe, Mr. James 

 Heywood, and Prof. N. Story Maskelyne, appointed for the 

 purpose of continuing the inquiries relating to the Teaching op 

 Science in Elementary Schools. — Your Committee, in continuing 

 their periodic reports upon this subject, have to state that nothing 

 has been done this year in the shape of actual legislation, but 

 that great advance has been made in regard to the public 

 appreciation of the importance of scientific and technical 

 instruction. 



The only alteration' in the Code of this year that at all bears 

 upon the matter is that drawing is withdrawn from the list of 

 class subjects, which gives an advantage to the claims of 

 geography and elementary science by removing a powerful 

 competitor in those schools that can only take two class 

 subjects. 



The return of the Education Department for this year shows 

 that the diminution previously noted in the teaching of science 

 subjects still continues. 



The statistics of the class subjects for the four years are given 

 in the subjoined table, which shows an actual decrease in geo- 

 graphy and elementary science, notwithstanding the increase in 

 the number of departments examined. It will be seen that 

 drawing begins to figure in this year's return, but the effect of it 

 will be much more apparent in that for next year. 



