350 Notes and Comments. 



we think this can be readily accounted for by the unusually 

 €arly date (July 31st) of the meeting in that year ; a factor 

 Avhich did not obtain at Sheffield. The cause for the decrease 

 in the attendance is perhaps a little difficult to explain. It is 

 apparently local. There does not seem to have been that 

 number of persons joining for the meeting, that we should have 

 •expected at Sheffield, in view of its population, its industries, 

 and its University. Judging from the correspondence in the 

 local press, there has been some misunderstanding or difficulty 

 with regard to the necessary information being given to people 

 likely to be interested. This is unfortunate. In future, we 

 would suggest to the officials of the Association, that persons 

 attending the various sections, etc., should be requested to 

 shew their members' cards on entering. As it is, it is quite 

 possible for anyone to attend most of the meetings, and many 

 ■of the excursions of the Association, without contributing any- 

 thing towards the funds. 



THE SECTIONAL MEETINGS. 



In the interests of the future of the Association, also, it is 

 most imperative that some steps should be taken to inform the 

 readers of papers what is expected of them ; and more care will 

 have to be exercised in the acceptance of contributions from 

 unknown authors, no matter how many ' handles ' they may 

 have to their names. Some of the exhibitions at Sheffield were 

 •deplorable, and hours of valuable time were wasted. In fact, it 

 •can certainly be said that the meetings of at least one section were 

 continued a day longer than would have been necessary had 

 all the unsuitable papers been eliminated. There were various 

 lypes of these ' undesirables.' Sometimes an unmitigated 

 bore would wallow in subjects far beyond his depth, the prin- 

 cipal object apparently being to inform those present that he 

 was a student of science nearly a quarter of a century ago. 

 This type of ' lecturer ' seems to think that the British Asso- 

 ciation has met for his special paper, and he is greatly incensed 

 at being ' pulled up ' for far exceeding his time, notwithstanding 

 that he has practically emptied the room ! Another type, 

 which is perhaps pardonable, is the (generally young) man who 

 appears for the first time, and has obviously been to consider- 

 able trouble in preparing a paper ; say one that takes ij to 2 

 hours to read ! When his allotted twenty minutes have 

 expired, he naturally feels aggrieved that he has not been allowed 

 to finish ! In other instances papers have consisted of an extra- 

 Naturalist, 



