316 Notes and Comments. 
the contractor and assumes that he gets materials of the 
composition and purity he ordered. Every now and then, 
something goes wrong, and the question arises, why ? Without 
a chemist to analyse the material, it is often most difficult to 
say. Apart from this question of the analysis of raw or partly 
manufactured materials received, there is the chronic question 
as to the mixtures of the metals in both the metal and brass 
foundry, and large economies can be effected by systematic 
analyses.’ 
POPULAR SCIENCE LECTURES. 
The Conference of Delegates, at the request of the Council of 
the British Association, fiacusacd the Report of the Committee 
on Popular Science Lectures. A valuable report, summarising 
about 1,500 es from various societies, has been drawn up 
by Pref. Rk. A. Gregory, who was thanked for a useful piece 
of work. It was pointed out that ‘At the meeting of the Council 
in June 1916, representations were made by the Organising 
Committee of Section L (Educational Science) that much less 
attention is given to popular lecturing now than was formerly 
the case ; and it was suggested that efforts should be made to 
promote increased public interest in science by means of such 
lectures. The Council, therefore, appointed a Committee 
representative of all the Sections of the Association to institute 
inquiries into this subject and prepare a Report uponit. Many 
local Scientific Societies, Universities, University Colleges, 
and similar institutions have organised popular science lectures ; 
and the Committe has endeavoured to secure the results of the 
experience obtained, with the object of discovering the elements 
of success or failure.’ There is no doubt that the discussion 
which took place at the Conference of Delegates, where were 
many men with practical experience, will help the Committee 
in its work, 
INTEREST. IN POPULAR LECTURES. 
In reply to the question, Has public interest in popular 
science lectures increased or decreased in vour district during the 
past ten or twenty years? the report says; ‘ The analysis of 
replies to this question is inconclusive. Abouc one-third of 
the correspondents report that interest has increased, another 
third that it has decreased, and the remaining third that it 
has remained stationary or no decided change has been noticed. 
Museums mostly report an increase of interest, and technical 
institutions a decrease. No general conclusion can be derived 
from the replies from scientific societies, in which so much 
depends upon the energy of the secretary and the constitution 
of the committee. For example, the Birmingham and Midland 
Institute Scientific Society reports an increase, while the 
Birmingham Natural History and Philosohpical Society records 
a decrease.’ 


Naturalist, 
