Ixxxvi REPORT — 1900. 



obtained to be dealt with by authority of this Association,' the words 

 ' any description ' be substituted for ' Natural History,' and 'the Council' 

 for ' this Association.' 



(4) That the complete investigation of the Ichthyology of the West African 

 rivers promises extremely important scientific results, and that the Council of 

 the Association be requested to take such means as may seem to it advisable to 

 bring the matter to the notice of the Trustees of the British Museum. 



A Committee, consisting of Prof. Herdman, Prof. A. Newton, Mr. 

 A. E. Shipley, Prof. Weldon, and the General Officers, was appointed to 

 report on this matter. 



In accordance with the recommendation of this Committee, the 

 President, with the approval of the Council, addressed a letter to the 

 Trustees of the British Museum explaining that the matter had been 

 brought under the notice of the Council through an application made on 

 behalf of Mr. Boulenger, of the British Museum, for a grant to assist a 

 collector in obtaining fishes from the West African rivers, which applica- 

 tion the Association had declined to accede to, not from any want of 

 appreciation of the importance of the researches, but from the difficulties 

 attachiiig to applications made to the British Association for grants in 

 aid of researches undertaken by members of the Staff of the Natural 

 History Museum as part of their official duties. 



In reply the Director of the Natural History Departments pointed out 

 that the application had not been made on behalf, or with the knowledge, 

 of the Trustees, and that it was not for any work which formed part of 

 his official duties. The small sum of money required by Mr. Boulenger for 

 this particular occasion had, since his application to the British Association, 

 been arranged for by the authorities of the Museum in the usual way. 



The Report of the Corresponding Societies Committee for the past 

 year, together with the list of the Corresponding Societies and the titles 

 of the more important papers, and especially those referring to Local 

 Scientific Investigations, published by those Societies during the year 

 ending June 1, 1900, has been received. 



The Corresponding Societies Committee, consisting of Mr. Francis 

 Galton, Mr. W. Whitaker {Chairman), Dr. J. G. Garson, Sir J. Evans, Mr. 

 J. Hopkinson, Professor R. Meldola, Professor T. G. Bonney, Mr. T. V. 

 Holmes, Sir Cuthbert Peek, Mr. Horace T. Brown, Rev. J. O. Bevan, 

 Professor W. W. Watts, Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, Mr. C. H. Read, and 

 Mr. F. W. Rudler, is hereby nominated for reappointment by tlie General 

 Committee. 



The Council nominate Professor Poulton, F.R.S., Chairman, Mr. W. 

 Whitaker, F.R.S., Vice-Chairman, and Mr. T. V. Holmes, Secretary, to 

 the Conference of Delegates of Corresponding Societies to be held during 

 the Meeting at Bradford. 



The Council have received Reports from the General Treasurer during 

 the past year, and his accounts from July 1, 1899, to June 30, 1900, 

 which have been audited, are presented to the General Committee. 



In accordance with the regulations the retiring Members of the 

 Council will be : — 



Professor W. A. Herdman. i Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer 



Mr. W. N. Shaw. | sir W. H. White. 



Mr. J. J. H. Teall. I 



