CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 471 



will be interested also, although it is a matter of ancient liistory, to know 

 the result of the eiforts made in the year before that. These years cover 

 the extent of my official connection with the Conferences, and on each of 

 these occasions a learned gentleman has come before us and pointed out 

 our shortcomings, and has urged us to fresh activities ; but we have gone 

 away, and what we have done or what other Delegates have done I for 

 one do not know, because in the succeeding year there has been such a 

 hurry to bring on the next proceedings that they have made no report of 

 the last year's proceedings. 



The Chairman : Personally I am very grateful to Dr. Cornish for 

 bringing forward this subject, because it enables me to point out that 

 though the bread which we cast upon the waters here may not always 

 return to us, it may be carried elsewhere and feed some excellent Societies 

 or other bodies with scientific pabulum. Last year a special communication 

 was made by Professor Miall on the subject of Dew-ponds, and I took 

 occasion on seeing liim yesterday to inquire wliether any work had been 

 done following his suggestions. It was explained to me that he did not 

 know that any Society had yet taken up the suggestions, but that he had, 

 with some friends, been carrying on his investigations, and I believe that a 

 person who gave him very great assistance in that direction in consequence 

 of the subject having been brought before the last Conference was the 

 Rev. Mr. Cornish, brother of Dr. Cornish, so that possibly Dr. Cornish 

 himself could tell us what was done better than anyone else here. 

 Something, therefore, has been accomplished, but the results have not 

 been brought before the Association. 



Dr. Cornish : We sometimes meet here and express doubts as to our 

 usefulness. My impression is that we really have done a good deal of 

 work in the last three years, but sufficient pains have not been taken to 

 indicate the results from year to year ; and I throw it out as a suggestion 

 that at future Conferences the record of the past year should precede the 

 reception of the paper in the next year. 



Mr. Eli Sowerbutts : We sometimes hrn,ve matters brought before us 

 of no possible interest to us in the North, and it seems to be getting 

 the habit to have long papers read to us, whether we want them or not. 

 The difficulty lies in this, that there are no means of having communi- 

 cation between any of the Societies. We want these meetings to be of 

 use to the British Association, but in a secondary way there is a vast 

 amount of use which the Delegates' meetings may be to the various 

 Societies scattered all over the kingdom ; and we have great need for some 

 meetings by which we could come more in contact. We are working in 

 our little colonies here and there, and we think we are doing very well. 

 Some man may be doing the same thing elsewhere under great dis- 

 couragement, and if he could communicate with us, through the Secretary, 

 I think that we might be able to help one another. 



Dr. Garson : In order to allow us to get on with the business to-day, 

 I may at once explain this matter by reminding the Delegates that at the 

 Second Conference they are put in communication with the Secretaries 

 of the various Committees appointed by the British Association each year, 

 and it is from them that the Delegates or the Secretaries of Societies must 

 receive and to whom they should give information as to what their 

 Societies are able to do locally to further any investigation that a Com- 

 mittee of the Association is engaged on. What is actually done by the 

 various Corresponding Societies, and the assistance which they have been 



