349 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 



During the first week in September the British Association 

 met at Sheffield. There were sufficient suitable rooms within 

 easy reach of the Reception Room at the Cutler's Hall, though 

 some were not the most convenient for the purpose of lecturing. 

 It was apparent, however, that whilst at some towns a visit of 

 the British Association was everything ; to Sheffield it was 

 merely an incident. Beyond an occasional cardboard notice on 

 a lamp-post, and perhaps a greater proportion of weirdly- 

 dressed patriarchs than usual, Sheffield might not have known 

 that the nation's annual parliament of science was being held 

 in its midst. Many of the visits to works, etc., were pleasant 

 enough, and profitable ; but seemed to lack that hearty welcome 

 which has been so apparent at previous meetings. 



AT SHEFFIELD. 



Whilst the local botanists, geologists, zoologists and others 

 had taken the matter in hand in their usual thorough way, as 

 was shewn by the hand-book, the arrangements for excursions, 

 etc., there seemed to be a lack of general public interest in the 

 Association and its work. This, in a centre which depends so 

 very much upon the ' Advancement of Science,' was, to say the 

 least, a little unexpected. The effect was also disappointing, 

 as when the time came for the allocation of funds for the various 

 committees of research, the curtailed income of the Association 

 from members' subscriptions, meant that expenses had to be 

 cut down all round, and the various committees will thus be 

 handicapped between now and the Portsmouth meeting in 

 191 1. It will, therefore, be seen that the ' success ' of a meet- 

 ing of the British Association, looking at it from the point of 

 view of the ' advancement of science,' does not so much depend 

 upon the brilliance of the garden parties and receptions, as 

 upon the numbers who enroll themselves as members for that 

 particular year. 



THE ATTENDANCE. 



For some reason not quite apparent, the attendance at Shef- 

 field (about 1300 !) was much below expectations. At Dublin in 

 1908 there were 2297 members ; at York in 1906, 1972 members; 

 at Cambridge in 1904, there were 2789 members ; and even at 

 South Africa in 1905 there were 2130 members. The only 

 recent meeting at which there was a low attendance was at 

 Leicester in 1907, when there were only 1647 members ; though 



1910 Oct. I. ^ •" 



