CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 287 



towns and districts from these formations ; and that Mr. De Ranee be the 

 Secretary.' 



Sea-Coast Erosion Committee. — ' That Messrs. R. B. Grantham, C. E. 

 De Ranee, J. B. Redman, W. Topley, W. Whitaker, J. W, Woodall, 

 Major-General Sir A. Clarke, Admiral Sir E. Ommanney, Sir J. N". 

 Donglass, Captain Sir F. J. O. Evans, Captain J. Parsons, Captain W. 

 J. L. Wharton, Professor J. Prestwich, and Messrs. E. Easton, J. S. 

 Valentine, and L. F. Vernon Harcourt be reappointed a Committee for 

 the purpose of inquiring into the Rate of Erosion of the Sea-coasts of 

 England and Wales, and the Influence of the Artificial Abstraction of 

 Shingle or other Material in that action ; and that Messrs. C. E. De 

 Ranee and W. Topley be the Secretaries.' 



Mr. C. E. De Ranee, who attended the Conference on behalf of Sec- 

 tion C, made brief statements explanatory of the work of each of the fore- 

 going Committees, and pointed out the manner in which assistance could be 

 rendered by the Local Societies. He stated that Corresponding Societies 

 or individual members of these willing to assist in the inquiries of any 

 of these three Committees could obtain full particulars on application to 

 himself at 28 Jermyn Street, London, S.W. 



Feom Section D. 



A letter was read from the Secretary of this Section transmitting a 

 recommendation that the subject of the preservation of the native plants 

 of this country should be brought under the notice of the Local Societies, 

 and deputing Professor W. Hillhouse to bring this subject before the 

 Delegates present at the Conference. 



In accordance with the foregoing recommendation. Professor Hillhouse 

 gave numerous instances of the extermination of rare plants from certain 

 localities by dealers, to whom their habitat had become known. He stated 

 that, having been empowered by the Sectional Committee to represent 

 their views on this subject, he submitted the following protest: — 



' We view with regret and indignation the more or less complete 

 extirpation of many of our rarest or most interesting native plants. 

 Recognising that this is a subject in which Local Societies of naturalists 

 will take great interest, and can exercise especial influence, we urge 

 upon the Delegates of Corresponding Societies the importance of extending 

 to plants a little of that protection which is already accorded by Legislature 

 to animals and prehistoric monuments, and of steadily discouraging and, 

 where possible, of preventing any undue removal of such plants from 

 their natural habitats ; and we trust that they will bring these views 

 under the notice of their respective Societies.' 



From Section H. 



The following recommendation from the Committee of this Section 

 was read by the Secretary of the Conference : — 



Racial Characters Committee.- — -^ That Mr. Francis Galton, Dr. Beddoe, 

 Mr. Brabrook, Professor Cunningham, Professor Flower, Mr. J. Park 

 Harrison, Professor A. MacAlister, Dr. Muirhead, Mr. F. W. Rudler, 

 Professor Thane, and Dr. Garson (Secretary) be reappointed a Committee 



