379 

 BRITISH ASSOCIATION NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Conference of Delegates of Corresponding Societies had two very 

 successful meetings, at the first of which Sir Richard Gregory's admirable 

 address was followed by a discussion on Science and Citizenship, and at 

 the second were several addresses on Regional Surveys — one result of 

 which will, it is hoped, be shown at the Hull meeting next year. 



Wlien the present writer arrived at Edinburgh, and he was not late, 

 he was gratified to find that all the 2,000 members' tickets had been 

 used up — and he received an ' Emergency Members' Ticket,' No. 2527, 

 Wliile wondering what an ' Emergency Member ' might be, his mind 

 was set at rest by a large rubber stamp across the ticket, which supplied 

 the information that he was an ' Old Annual (Regular),' and a hardy 

 one, we hope ! 



On the Saturday an ambitious excursion was arranged to ' Loch 

 Lomond, Loch Katrine, and the Trossachs, via Stirling, Bridge of Allan 

 and Callandar, limited to 200. Cost, including two meals, 485.' It 

 began at breakfast time, and the one surviving car-load reached Edinburgh 

 about midnight, having spent the day in getting wet through, and hastily 

 seeking food. Otherwise, the trip was ' dry*' By a series of unfortunate 

 circumstances, for which no one was responsible, conversances broke down, 

 or the wrong kind were provided, boats were missed, and some members 

 even had not time for either lunch or tea. Many were unable to complete 

 the journey. Yes ! the Loch Lomond excursion will be remembered, if 

 only by those who tried to get their money back ! 



But the trip provided a plentiful supply of rainbows, an}' way. 

 Wlrile discussing the question of the probable distance that rainbows 

 were away from an observer, the matter was settled in one instance. 

 The boat was steaming along quite close to the edge of the lake, and the 

 end of a rainbow occurred between the passengers and the shore — probably 

 fifty yards away, the trees and crags on the lake-side being quite clearly 

 seen through the rainbow. 



To some of the party there was one gleam of hope on the Loch Lomond 

 trip. The ship had a ' bar,' and the cold and wet travellers hied thither. 

 But the proprietor promptly closed the door, as he said he could do 

 better with the luncheons ? 



The Zoologists visited the Scottish Zoological Park, and had tea 

 there; the two Hull members were privileged to see the Red Lions feed, 

 the Red Lion Club having been revived. 



Grants for scientific research, amounting to over /|8oo, were awarded 

 at the Edinburgh meeting. 



In Section ' L ' (Education), Dr. Kimmins, chief inspector of ele- 

 mentary schools in the London district, had been analysing the sense of 

 humour in school -children, and on his first request for funny stories and 

 jokes was overwhelmed with 10,000, which, he said, cured him of funny 

 stories for life. An inspector wrote up on a blackboard, ' Do not throw 

 matches about ; remember the Fire of London.' As he left he heard a 

 small boy say, ' Don't spit ; remember the Flood.' A favourite story 

 is that of the old woman whose parrot used to say, ' I wish the old lady 

 was dead,' so was sent to the rector's house to companion his more 

 religious bird, who at once added to his visitor's sentence ' We 

 beseech Thee to. hear us, good Lord.' ' W^ien Lloyd George was at your 

 age he was top of the form,' said a teacher, to which the boy replied, 

 ' When he was the teacher's age he was Prime Minister.' A nervous man, 

 reading the lessons, reads at the bottom of one page, ' Moses was sick,' 

 turns over two pages by mistake, and continues, ' and the lot fell upon 

 Aaron . ' 



Sections A. C. D. K. joined in a ' Disciission on the Age of the Earth.' 



Prof. Reynolds submitted the Twentieth list of Geological Photo- 

 graphs, which included a number of Yorkshire photographs, by himself. 



