CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 465 



record the localities in the Britisli Islands in which evidence of the 

 existence of prehistoric inhabitants of the country is found.' 



Professor Meldola stated that three years ago he had brought this 

 subject under the notice of the Delegates in a paper which he had read 

 at the Southport meeting of the Association, and which had been pub- 

 lished in abstract in the volume of Reports for 1883, and m extenso in the 

 ' Transactions ' of the Essex Field Club. He remarked that the work 

 which the Committee proposed to undertake was of the greatest national 

 importance in view of the great destruction of ancient remains that had 

 been going on for many years. 



The Chairman remarked that the subject was undoubtedly one of 

 great importance, and some of the local Societies had already commenced 

 to record the position of these remains on the ordnance maps. He stated 

 that according to his experience the 1-inch map could be used, but the 

 6-inch map would be found much better. One desideratum in the work 

 was a good system of symbols ; such a system had been employed in a 

 map of ancient remains recently published in France, and he stated that 

 he should be happy to place this system at the disposal of the Committee. 

 He added that he was glad to be able to announce that he bad succeeded 

 in getting an Act passed for the preservation of the ancient monuments 

 of the Isle of Man. 



Preservation of Stonehenge. — Dr. Garson stated that the Committee of 

 Section H had forwarded a resolution to the Committee of Recommenda- 

 tions with reference to the preservation of Stonehenge, and, pending its 

 consideration by this Committee, it had been suggested that it should 

 also be brought under the notice of the Corresponding Societies through 

 their Delegates, with the object of these using their influence, as far as 

 possible, for the preservation of this and other monuments throughout 

 the country. The following is the resolution referred to : ' — ' That the 

 attention of the proprietor of Stonehenge be called to the danger in 

 which several of the stones are at the present time from the burrowing of 

 rabbits, and also to the desirability of removing the wooden props which 

 support the horizontal stones of one of the trilithons, and, in view of the 

 great value of Stonehenge as an ancient monument, to express the hope 

 of the Association that some steps will be taken to remedy these sources 

 of danger to the stones.' 



This resolution had oi'iginated last April during a joint meeting of 

 the Geologists' Association and the Hampshire Field Club on Salisbury 

 Plain, when copies were ordered to be forwarded to the proprietor, to the 

 Inspector of Ancient Monuments, and to the Secretary of the Correspond- 

 ing Societies Committee of the British Association. The proprietor of 

 these valuable remains had hitherto refused to take advantage of the 

 Ancient Monuments Act, though repeatedly requested to do so, neither 

 had he paid due attention to their proper preservation, so that it had 

 been thought desirable to move the foregoing resolution which had been 

 sent to the proper quarter for confirmation by the General Committee of 

 the Association. 



Election and Retention of Corresponding Societies. — At the termination 

 of the Conference Mr. J. W. Davis raised the question whether a 



' This resolution was adopted by the Committee of Recommendations and con- 

 firmed by the General Committee. 



1887. H H 



