314 Notes and Comments. 
GEOGRAPHICAL SECTION. 
Still on the same theme, Mr. E. A. Reeves, in his presidential 
address, on “The Mapping of the Earth, Past, Present and 
Future,’ states: ‘ This is a great testing time—a crisis in our 
peeac when theories are put to practical trial, and I fear 
nany of them will be weighed in the balances and found 
wanting. Scientific training is specially being tested, and 
almost every branch of human _ knowledge has, either 
directly or indirectly, been called upon to do its utmost in 
connection with the great War. This is no less true of sur- 
veying and geography generally. There has always been of 
necessity a close connection between military operations and 
map-making, and it is not tco much to say that one of the 
essential conditions of successful warfare is a good and accurate 
knowledge of the geographical features of the theatre upon which 
the operations have to be carried out. Many a battle has been 
lost in the past, as we ourselves know to our cost, through 
imperfect topographical or geographical knowledge. The South 
African Campaign, without referring to any others, produces 
more than enough evidence of the serious results ensuing from 
imperfect maps; and at the present time the general staffs 
of all combatants seem more than ever alive to the importance 
of this subject. 
WAR AND MAPS. 
There are various ways in which this War will affect the 
map-maker ; not only will new boundaries have to be surveyed 
and laid down; but outside of Europe districts will have to 
be mapped of which little information has hitherto existed, 
so that, after all is over, our present maps and atlases will be 
out-of-date, and the publisher will find himself called upon to 
produce new ones. 
It therefore appears to me that this is a suitable occasion 
for taking stock of our position, and I will endeavour to give 
you: 
(1) A brief general summary of what has been done in the 
past towards the mapping of the earth’s surface 
(2) a sketch of how things stand at the present time ; and 
(3) finally add a few remarks upon future work, specially 
as regards instruments and methods.’ He does. 
ECONOMIC SCIENCE. 
In this Section, the President, Prof. A. W. Kirkaldy, devotes 
his address to ‘Some Thoughts on Reconstruction after the 
War,’ and he also deals with the following questions in his 
address : mpted Forecast of our Industrial Future,’ ‘ The 
Need for National Organisation,’ ‘ Industrial Organisation.’ 
He points out that when the British Association held its 

Naturalist, 
