468 REPORT — 1901 



The Corresponding Societies Committee were represented at the Confer- 

 ence by the Chairman, Mr. F. W. Rudler, the Secretary, Dr. J. G. Garson, 

 the Kev. J. O. Bevan, and Professor W. AV. Watts. The representatives 

 of the Societies who attended will be seen from the list of Delegates. 



The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said : — If I may judge 

 from the opinions which have been expressed at some former meetings, it 

 will be the general desire of the Delegates, whom I have now the pleasure 

 to welcome, that our present Conference shall be utilised for the dis- 

 cussion in a brief and business-like fashion of any suggestions which 

 may be made for improving the work of our local Scientific Societies. No 

 one mistakes this Conference for a supplementary Section of the Associa- 

 tion • no one comes here, I hope, expecting to hear formal addresses anrl 

 scientific papers such as he may hear and discuss at his own Society. 

 But the prime object of these meetings, I take it, is to bring together 

 representative members of various extra-metropolitan Societies, so that 

 once a year at least they may have an opportunity of rubbing shoulder 

 to shoulder ; and, by social intercourse and a healthy exchange of ideas, may 

 overcome any of the disadvantages which, in the case of the smaller 

 pi-ovincial Societies, are likely to arise from insulation. 



But although a formal address is not exacted from the Chair, yet I 

 understand that some brief informal remarks by way of introduction to 

 our work are not only usually tolerated, but have rather come to be 

 expected. On this occasion it might perhaps be assumed that from my 

 official connection with museum work I should take advantage of my 

 position to say something about the relation of local Scientific Societies to 

 local museums. That, however, is a subject which has already been dealt 

 with at some of these meetings, notably at the Oxford Conference of 

 1894, when an interesting discussion on local museums — their origin, 

 nio-anisation, and maintenance — was initiated by the late Sir Cuthbert 

 Peek. This name I cannot mention without adding an expression of 

 personal regret at the loss which we have unexpectedly suffered. Sir 

 Cuthbert was a member of the Corresponding Societies Committee, and 

 a frequent attendant at these meetings ; a man of very varied scientific 

 interests, from whom, being in the prime of life, much good work might 

 have been reasonably expected in the future. 



In connection with museums it occurs to me that there is one 

 unambitious piece of work which local Scientific Societies might readily 

 and usefully undertake — work which no doubt has been to some extent 

 already accomplished, but which has rarely been carried out persistently 

 and systematically. I refer to the Registration of Type-specimetts. 

 Every working naturalist from time to time finds himself confronted 

 with the difficult task of tracing types and figured specimens. These are 

 scattered far and wide over the country, often in provincial museums, 

 sometimes in private collections, and occasionally coming to light in 

 quarters where they would be least expected. Undoubtedly the best 

 central treasure-house for all scientific specimens of exceptional interest 

 is the British Museum, and the best thing to do with a type-specimen is 

 to present it to that Museum. But in certain cases there will always be 

 more or less objection to this course, and then the next best thing is 

 obviously to place it in some provincial institution and let the scientific 

 v/orld know its whereabouts. No doubt this has already been done to a 

 limited extent. Thus Committees of the British Association have been 

 appointed to deal with particular groups of types, such as fossils ; but 



