8o 



NATURE 



[Nov. 25, 1886 



Crosskey, and Messrs. C. E. De Ranee, H. G. Fordham, 

 J. E. Lee, D. Mackintosh, W. Pengelly, J. Plant, and 

 R. H. Tiddeman be reappointed a Committee for the 

 purpose of recording the position, height above the sea, 

 lithological characters, size, and origin of the Erratic 

 Blocks of England, Wales, and Ireland, reporting other 

 matters of interest connected with the same, and taking 

 measures for their preservation ; and that Dr. Crosskey 

 be the Secretary." 



Mr. De Ranee described the above three inquiries 

 undertaken by Section C, in which it was thouglit the 

 Corresponding Societies could render valuable assistance. 

 Forms of inquiry had been circulated largely by these 

 Committees, and it was suggested that any work done by 

 the Corresponding Societies should be on these forms 

 printed by the British Association. Mr. De Ranee stated 

 that forms would always be supplied to the Secretaries of 

 Corresponding Societies applymg for them. 



Dr. Crosskey made some remarks explanatory of the 

 work of the Erratic Blocks Committee. He stated that 

 the assistance of the local Societies would be particularly 

 valuable in this inquiry, and that he would be happy to 

 supply the necessary forms to the Corresponding Societies 

 in the hope that they would be filled up. He urged upon 

 the Delegates the necessity for preserving these boulders, 

 which were everywhere being broken up, and were rapidly 

 disappearing from off the face of the country.' 



Eartli- Tremors. — Prof Lebour stated that for some time 

 past the North of England Institute of Mining and 

 Mechanical Engineers had had a Committee actively en- 

 gaged on the subject of earth-tremors and their possible 

 connection with mine-explosions. This subject was natu- 

 rally related to those of Sections A, C, and G of the 

 British Association, and its investigation might be power- 

 fully promoted by them. Some of the Corresponding 

 Societies might aid greatly in making and recording 

 observations on earth-tremors in various parts of the 

 country. The more extensive the area over which such 

 observations were made (if by competent observers and 

 with suitable instruments) the more valuable they be- 

 come ; but it was very important that there should be 

 some general understanding between the observers in 

 different parts of the country, in order that some degree 

 of that uniformity which is so desirable in matters of this 

 kind should be attained. The cost of the expensive in- 

 struments necessary would be much lessened if large 

 numbers of them were used. The question of earth- 

 tremor observations was only one of many in which the 

 engineering Societies and the British .'\ssociation could be 

 mutually useful, the former carrying out the work and the 

 latter lending the influence of its official recognition and 

 support. 



The Rev. J. M. Mello stated that colliery proprietors 

 were generally unwilling to spend money in investigations 

 unless some very specific form of inquiry was circulated. 



Mr. Hopkinson remarked that the Corresponding 

 Societies, if supplied with the necessary forms, would no 

 doubt be willing to circulate them among their members. 

 Mr. Heywood thought the suggestion for observing and 

 recording earth-tremors a most valuable one, and he re- 

 marked that the Cardiff Society would be happy to assist 

 in the investigation if the formation of a Committee was 

 sanctioned by the Association. 



Section D. — The Committee of this Section was re- 

 presented by Prof W. Hillhouse, M.A., F.L.S. 



Preservation of Native Plants. — In reply to a question 

 by the Secretary, Prof Hillhouse stated that in response 

 to the inquiries which he had circulated among the Dele- 



■ The addresses of the Secretaiies of these three Committees are :— 



Undetxround ir„hrs.—C. E. De Ranee, F.G.S., A.I.C.E., 28. Jermyn 

 Street, London, S.W. 



Erratic Blocks.— Rnv. H. W. Crosskey, LL.D., F.G.S., 117, Gough Road, 

 Edgbaston, Birmingham. 



Sea Coasts Erosion.— Wm. Topley, F.G.S.. A.I.C.E., 28, Jermyn Street, 

 London, S.W. 



gates and others likely to furnish information, he had 

 received details from twelve or fourteen localities record- 

 ing between two and three hundred disappearances of 

 plants. Mr. Stirrup stated that for years past a great 

 destruction of plants had been going on in the Manchester 

 district, and the local Societies had found it necessary to 

 strongly inculcate among their members the necessity of 

 preventing this extermination. Mr. Hopkinson remarked 

 that a similar rule had been always observed by the 

 Hertfordshire Society with respect both to animals and 

 plants, and he thought that all the local Societies should 

 adopt it. Mr. Mott pointed out that one practical result 

 illustrating the benefit of Prof Hillhouse's resolution had 

 been the omission of the localities of all the rare ferns and 

 orchids from the flora of Leicestershire, which his Society 

 was just about to publish. 



Local. Mttsciitns Committee. — Mr. Mott stated that a 

 joint Committee, composed of representatives of Sections 

 C and D, had been recommended for appointment for the 

 purpose of reporting upon the provincial museums of the 

 United Kingdom. The work of this Committee would 

 be much facilitated by the co-operation of the local 

 Societies, and he hoped that the Delegates would bring 

 the matter under the notice of their respective Societies. 

 The Committee consists of Mr. V. Ball, Mr. H. G. Ford- 

 ham, Profs. Haddon and Hillhouse, Dr. Macfarlane, Prof. 

 Milnes Marshall, Mr. Mott (Secretary), Dr. Traquair, and 

 Dr. Henry Woodward. 



In reply to a question as to whether the work of this 

 Committee was to be confined to public or to extend to 

 private museums, Mr. Mott stated that it might be 

 found desirable to extend the report to some few private 

 museums. 



The Chairman remarked that the Local Museums Com- 

 mittee was one of the most important that had yet been 

 formed. The local museums of this country were gene- 

 rally in a most deplorable state, and one of the first things 

 to be done was to exclude from such collections all extra- 

 neous specimens that were not truly local. According to 

 his experience, he had found that it was impossible for a 

 local Society to flourish and at the same time to carry 

 on a large museum successfully. The two organisations 

 should be independent, but at the same time it was most 

 desirable that the objects collected by local Societies 

 should be handed over to the nearest local museum. With 

 reference to this question of local museums, he considered 

 that we in this country were much behind Germany, 

 America, and France. 



A short discussion took place with reference to the 

 naming of specimens in local museums, in which Mr. 

 Eve, Mr. Hopkinson, and the Chairman took part. 



Section H. — The Committee of this Section was re- 

 presented by Dr. Garson, who stated that one Committee 

 which was about to be formed on the recommendation of 

 their Section had arisen from the suggestion made by Mr. 

 J. W. Davis at the last Conference. 



Prehistoric Remains. — The following is the resolution 

 sent up to and adopted by the Committee of Recommen- 

 dations : — " That Sir John Lubbock, Dr. R. Munro, Mr. 

 .Pengelly, Prof Boyd Dawkins, Dr. Muirhead, and Mr. 

 J. W. Davis be appointed a Committee to ascertain and 

 record the localities in the British Islands in which 

 evidence of the existence of prehistoric inhabitants of the 

 country is found." 



Prof. Meldola stated that three years ago he had 

 brought this subject under the notice of the Delegates in 

 a paper which he had read at the Southport meeting of 

 the Association, and which had been published in abstract 

 in the volume of Reports for 1S83, and in e.vtenso in the 

 Transactions of the Essex Field Club.' He remarked 

 that the work which the Committee proposed to under- 

 take was of the greatest national importance in view of 



