” 
Sept. 23, 1886] 
NATURE 
495 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
The Editor does no! hold hinself responsible for opinioirs ex- 
pressed by his corresponden's. Neither can he undertake t) 
return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manu- 
scripts. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. 
The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters 
as short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great 
that it ts impossible otherwise to insure the appearance even 
of communications containing interesting and novel facts.] 
British Association Sectional Procedure 
As one who has attended fourteen corsecutive meetings of the 
British Association, with seven years’ experience as a Sectional 
Secretary, as one, more ver, wo hasa high opinion of the benefit 
these meetinzs my confer upoa aspiring learners and isolated 
workers, I venture t> submit a few observations on the details 
of the conduct of the business ef the Sections—a subject, I think, 
of general interest and importance. 
My remarks apply directly to Section A, and only touch 
Sections B and G incidentally. I have no means of knowing 
anything about the conduct of the business of other Sections. 
But as regards Section A every one must feel how great a burden 
the papers are becominz, and how impossible it seems to deal 
with them adequately on the present system. The papers sent 
in are good and interesting almost without exception—there is 
no fault in the quality of the papers, it is their superabundance 
in proportion to the time that constitutes the evil. It is dis- 
heartening toa man who has taken much care and trouble in 
some piece of work, and in preparing an account of it to lay 
before the Section in order to get advice and encouragement for 
further labours, to come on at the end of a long day when every 
one is tirel—the seniors many of them absent, and to find it 
expedient to abstract even his abstract, and give a hasty and 
barely intelligible account of what he has done: the next paper 
being hurried on without any adequate discussion in order to try 
and get through the list. I spzak with the greater freedom 
because I have no personal grievance whatever: what I say 
merely represents a feeling which is certainly prevalent. More- 
over, I by no means imply that any one is to blame. The effective 
conduct of the business of a Section in which titles of papers 
are liable to be handed in at the last moment is a most difficult 
matter, and one can only grow wise by experience. 
This year the experiment has been tried of sitting on only four 
complete days, and of putting 35 papers down for one of then 
in order to avoid a Wednesday sitting if possible. My impression 
of the general feeling is that this has been a failure, and has 
resulted in a dull meeting. There are several objections to not 
sitting on a Saturday—not the least of which is that the break 
between Friday evening and Monday morning is rather a long 
one, and the temptation to go away is strong. 
In the days when I received the traditions of the Secretaryship 
from Mr. J. W. L. Glaisher, a Saturday sitting was the universal 
rule, and it was devoted to pure mathematics. At Bradford this 
pure mathematical day was a most memorable and brilliant one. 
In those days, moreover, joint sittings-with other Sections were 
unheard of. Electricity was then almost unknown to Section 
G, and the border region between physics and chemistry was 
less active. Nevertheless the press of papers was even at that 
time considerable, and a long Wednesday sitting was a frequent 
_ occurrence. 
{ 
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i 
At the present time joint sittings, or semi-joint sittings, with 
B and G, and even with C and D, are liable to have to be provided 
for ; and these joint sittings and interdiscussions are surely likely 
to be among the most fruitfal and instructive periods of the 
whole meeting, and everything should be done to encourage 
them. But if time is to be found for any such discussion or joint 
meeting, and if at the same time the papers accepted are to be 
adequately treated, soas really to encourage, and not discourage, 
research, then I may take it as evident that it is quite hopeless 
to attempt to avoid sitting on both Saturday and Wednesday. 
Saturday is in many respects a favourable day for a sitting of A, 
for so many of the other Sections are then free thit a good 
audience is frequently obtained, and opportunity for a junction 
of Sections is afforded. It is true that the innovation of Saturday 
excursions is supposed to militate against this arranzement ; but 
Saturday excursions should not begin till middle day ; moreover, 
if excursions are to interfere with scientific business, there ought 
to be no question as to which should give way. 
Assuming this granted, I proceed to indicate a plan for the 
classification of papers so as to get a convenient list on each 
day, and to endow each day with a character of its own. This 
is an old practice, but it seems in some danger of beinz dis- 
carded, and it is a most useful one. Let us consider the days in 
order. 
On Thursday there are, of course, the Presidents’ addresses ; 
not only the address in A, but also those in B and G, which are 
likely to draw off a considerable nunber of physicists. Indeed, 
these Sections considerately postpoie their commencement till 
12 o'clock, for this most desirable interchange of members. 
Those least affected by either of these Sections are, perhaps, the 
astronomers ; and therefore it is convenient to fill up the rest of 
Thursday with papers on astrono ny, tides, terrestrial magnetism, 
and with reports. The day thus acquires a dignified and sub- 
stantial character. 
Friday is a day to be devoted to pure physics, z.e. to 
papers interesting to theovetical physicists as distinguished 
from those concerned with celestial or terrestrial applications. 
The day is suitable for mathematico-physical papers, for reports 
on theories of light and electricity, and such like. 
On Saturday the pure mathematicians should take their 
innings as of old: they should be the main Section for that 
day, and should not consent to be shunted off into some small 
and unknown room. The rest of the Section may either meet 
as a sub-section to clear off a residue of papers on general or 
applied'physic:, if any were left over from Thursday ; or, if oppor- 
tunity offers, it may hold a corjoint meeting and discussion with 
some other Section, such as B or D in that Section’s room. 
Monday is a day devoted to meteorology ; and the growing 
importance of this branch claims that it should have the time 
fairly to itself, and not be swamped by a multitude of other 
papers crowded into it from other days. But inasmuch as a 
number of members take only a general interest in meteorology 
they are set partially free for attendance at other Sections, and 
accordingly it is becoming customary for Section G to take 
electrical and other communications of a physical interest on this 
day, and for Section B to read its papers on physical chemistry. 
Tuesday is another day for pure physics, like Friday; but 
inasmuch as the physical aspect of chemistry is manifestly 
growing in importance, it is probably feasible to take papers 
having a more chemical bearing, as well as all those which were 
omitted from Friday’s list. Section B would doubtless be able 
to take its technical papers of less general interest on this day, 
as it did at the late meeting. 
Finally, Wednesday is a most useful day, not only for clearing 
up arrears, but fora class of papers often very interesting, and yet 
such as should not be allowed to interfere with the more serious 
business of the meeting at times when the az? mazjores are likely 
to be present in force. These are papers on minor and semi- 
technical points—new batteries for instance, telegraphic and 
observatory details, rheostats, com nutators, and all manner of 
things, not by any means unimportant, but yet involving no 
serious difficulty or novelty of principle. Some of these might 
be taken in the sub-section on Saturday. If, by reason of dis- 
cussion on other days, there are arrears of work to be dealt with, 
then a sub-section to deal with them may be appointed for We l- 
nesday. Splitting of Sections is undesirable (though it is much 
better than destroying the whole object of the meeting by 
undue haste), but if it has to be done, Saturday and Wednesday 
are the days for doing it; partly because the work to be accom- 
plished is by that time known, partly because few other Sections 
are then meeting; but mainly because the important days of 
general interest, Tuesday and Friday, are thus left uninterfered 
with, and with their interest undissipated ; while on Monday, when 
the interest is more special, and toa less extent on Thuvsday also, 
many members may be expected to wish to attend B or G, and 
an A sub-section in addition is quite undesirable, Th2 possi- 
bility of meeting at 10 on Saturday and Wednesday is a feature 
which enables a good deal of work to be got through, before 
excursions on the one day and committee-meetings on the other 
put an end to the sitting. Let me summarise these suggestions. 
Thuysd y.—President’s address in A. Reports and papers 
on astronomy and earth physics. At 12 o clock Presidents’ 
addresses in B and G. 
Friday.—Reports and papers on pure and more mathematical 
physics. 
Saturday.—Reports and papers in pure mathematics. Also 
possible joint sitting with some other Section as arranged ; or 
sub-section for minor experimental details. 
Monday.—-Reports and papers on meteorology and o}serva- 
tional physics. Physical chemistry in B. Electricity in G. 
