448 REPORT— 1901. 



Several districts of the Indian Peninsula liflVe been travelled over, 

 and Mr. Willis' investigations have thro"ttn much light on the habits, 

 development, and affinities of the plants composing the Order. 



The hrst instalment of his memoir, dealing especially with the classi- 

 fication of the Indian forms, is nearly ready, and will shortly be followed 

 by a second paper on the morphology and natural history of the species. 



As the object of the grant has now been fulfilled, the Committee do 

 not ask for reappointment. 



Fertilisation in the 'Phoeophycece. — Report of the Committee, consisting 

 0/ Professor J. B. Farmer (Chairman), Professor R. W. Phillips 

 (Secretary), Professor F. 0. Bower, and Professor Harvey 

 Gibson. 



The Committee report that the grant of 15/. made at the Bradford meeting 

 has been expended by Mr. J. LI. Williams in connection with the above 

 research. 



Mr. Williams* results are now practically complete, and will shortly 

 be embodied in the form of a memoir. 



The Influence of tlte Universities on ScJiool Uducaiion. 

 By the Rt. Rev. John Percival, D.D., Lord Bishop of Hereford. 



The subject before us this morning, as I am given to understand, is not 

 the general influence of universities on national life and character, — a 

 subject of the highest interest and importance, and nowhere better illus- 

 trated than in Scotland, — but simply the consideration of some practical 

 questions suggested by the relationship in which our ancient English 

 universities stand to the education given in our secondary schools. 



And, although we are met on Scottish soil, and may very well hope to 

 obtain some help and guidance from Scottish example, as I have no 

 direct personal experience of the Scotch University system, though I 

 possess a highly prized degree conferred by your most ancient university, 

 I must be content to base my observations and suggestions exclusively on 

 my English experience. 



I even leave out of my purview the newer English foundations, such 

 as the University of London, the Victoria University, the various 

 university colleges of our great provincial cities, and that latest birth of 

 time, the University of Birmingham. 



It is from no lack of appreciation that I do this, but partly because, 

 as yet, these modern institutions do not exercise the same influence as 

 the older universities on our general system of secondary education, and 

 partly because, having so lately grown up under the pi-essure of actual 

 local or national needs, they are not open to the same criticisms. 



Our great English universities have till quite recently, as regards their 

 direct action and influence, been to a large extent, we might almost say in 

 the main, the universities of the privileged and the professional classes. 

 Within my own memory they were indeed virtually monopolised by those 

 members of the Established Church who belonged to these classes or were 



