REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. Ixxi 



witli a view to securing more responsible action, are of opinion that 

 the following rule of the Association, ' In case of appointment of 

 Committees for special objects of science, it is expedient that all Members 

 of the Committee should be named, and one of them appointed to act as 

 Secretary, for insuring attention to business,' should be amended as follows : 



' In case of appointment of Committees for special objects of science 

 it is expedient that all Members of the Committee should be named, 

 and one of them appointed to act as Chairman, who shall have notified 

 personally or in writing his willingness to accept the office, the Chairman 

 to have the responsibility of receiving and disbursing the grant (if any 

 has been made) and securing the presentation of the report in due time ; 

 and, further, it is expedient that one of the Members should bo appointed 

 to act as Secretary for insuring attention to business. 



' That it is desirable that the number of Members appointed to serve 

 on a Committee should be as small as is consistent with its efficient 

 working. 



' That a tabular list of the Committees appointed on the recommen- 

 dation of each Section should be sent each year to the Recorders of the 

 several Sections, to enable them to fill in the statement whether the 

 several Committees appointed on the recommendation of their respective 

 Sections had presented their reports. 



' That on the proposal to recommend the appointment of a Committee 

 for a special object of science having been adopted by the Sectional 

 Committee, the number of Members of such Committee be then fixed, 

 but that the Members to serve on such Committee be nominated and 

 selected by the Sectional Committee at a subsequent meeting.' 



The Council have received the following report from a Committee of 

 Council appointed to consider the question of grants to marine biological 

 stations in this country, together with a letter from Professor E. Ray 

 Lankester, Secretary of the Marine Biological Association, suggesting 

 that the British Association should complete its donations to the funds of 

 that Association, so as to make up the sum given to the amount of 5001., 

 thereby securing certain rights. 



' The British Association has up to the present time granted altogether 

 300Z. to the Marine Biological Association, and by a further grant of 200Z. 

 the British Association would be entitled to nominate a representative on 

 the Council of the Marine Biological Association. The Committee are of 

 opinion that the Council should recommend the General Committee to 

 grant the 200Z., and appoint a member to represent them on the Council 

 of the Marine Biological Association. 



' With reference to the grants to Marine Biological Stations generally, 

 the Committee are of opinion that in all these cases it is desirable that 

 grants in future should be made to individuals for specific researches rather 

 than for the general maintenance of institutions ; and with reference to 

 the Scottish Stations they would further call the attention of the Council 

 to the fact that the Scotch Fishery Board has a parliamentary grant of 

 2,000L per annum for scientific investigations, the whole of which, it 

 appears from the appropriation accounts, is not at present expended.' 



The Council, having received the above Report, have forwarded it, 

 together with the letter of Professor Lankestei', to the Committee of 

 Section D. 



The report of the Corresponding Societies Committee is herewith, 

 submitted to the General Committee. 



