CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 473 



In part, from its general character, the work must be carried out 

 Under Government sanction and authority, as in the case of the Geological, 

 Ordnance, and Census Surveys. Again, the Society of Antiquaries has 

 elaborated a scheme for the archieological survey of England and Wales. 

 The work, however, progresses slowly, and does not touch Scotland or 

 Ireland. Here at once is opened out a wide lield of useful effort on the 

 part of local Societies well within the compass of individual members — 

 work as interesting as useful, lending itself, as it does, to literary, photo- 

 graphic, and artistic illustration. In this connection, moreover, the 

 labours of the National Photographic Survey, under Sir J. B. Stone, may 

 be indicated. But it is clear that investigation under more systematic 

 lines is to be desiderated in respect of regional surveys throughout Great 

 Britain and Ireland. This need was touched upon at the International 

 Assembly in Paris in 1900, and circumstances at the Glasgow meeting of 

 the British Association seem favourable for pressing the matter home. It 

 is specifically alluded to in this paper, inasmuch as the subject is one in 

 which the Corresponding Societies, without exception, would have an 

 interest, and in which would be employed the energies of many members, 

 each in his own sphere and in the exercise of his own special gift. 



It is plain that unless the work is conducted and systematised through 

 some central organisation, and tabulated on forms supplied or accepted 

 by that organisation, a great part would be rendered useless or difficult 

 of comijarison. 



The interchange of photographs and specimens would be a branch of 

 the undertaking of great interest, and, besides, would contribute to an 

 important object, viz., intercommunication between Societies of kindred aim. 



It is hereby suggested that the Conference of Delegates should select 

 one or more subjects of pressing interest, and undertake to bring before 

 the respective Societies the advisability of undertaking systematic work 

 (each in its own district) in these directions. These afhliated Societies, 

 through their Delegates, would be expected to make a return of the results 

 — partial or complete — at the ensuing meeting of the British Association. 



In the choice of subjects three considerations (at least) present them- 

 selves : — 



(a) They should be of a general kind, capable of being worked up by 

 the local Societies in their respective districts. 



(b) A preliminary arrangement should be arrived at whereby may be 

 determined the lines and limits of investigation, the mode of tabulation of 

 results, the scale of chart or map, the scheme of symbolical representation, 

 coloration, nomenclature, conventional arrangement of detail, the method, 

 form, size of publication, and the like. 



(c) A special society or expert should be indicated as ready to advise 

 in regard to each of the particular subjects. 



The ends to be gained are these : The taking stock of all facts by a 

 connected series of methodical surveys ; their registration before the 

 corroding effect of time, the amalgamation of race, or any other cause, 

 puts it beyond the reach of effort ; the full completion of surveys already 

 begun ; the setting forth of results in a manner directly susceptible of 

 useful comparison. A collateral advantage would be the discovery of a 

 considerable amount of work already elaborated, and (with necessary 

 revision and reduction to the common scale) its inclusion in the General 

 Survey. 



