190 BEPOET~1889. 



should be purchased for the purpose of being preserved. This would 

 have enabled local authorities and local Societies to acquire such pro- 

 perties. The present Act was inoperative unless owners voluntarily placed 

 their monuments under it. He (Sir John Lubbock) was glad to see that 

 so many owners had done so, and he was surprised to hear that the 

 Government had hesitated to accept any ancient monument. The expense 

 was small, and he was sure that Parliament would not grudge the money. 

 He thought it would be very desirable if local Societies would either 

 induce the local authorities or would themselves take over the preserva- 

 tion of monuments in their own neighbourhood. They would thus be 

 much more effectively preserved, and in that case it was probable that 

 the numbers placed under the protection of the Act might be considerably 

 and quickly increased. He was not sure whether this could not be done 

 under the Act as it stands, but if not he should think it might be amended 

 without much difficulty. At the same time he confessed he should like 

 to go further. These monuments were of national interest, and he 

 thought it was not too much to ask, as a general provision applying to 

 all such remains, that the owner before destroying them should at least 

 give the nation the opportunity of purchasing and preserving them. 



Work of other Cor)imittees, and Suggestions. 



Temperature Variation in Lakes, Rivers, and Estuaries. — Dr. H. R. 

 Mill stated that the report of this Committee had been drawn up, and 

 would be presented to Section A ; he proposed to submit the result to 

 the Delegates at the next Conference. 



Earth Tremor Committee. — Professor Lebour reported that the Com- 

 mittee was about to apply for reappointment with the object of, in the 

 first place, prosecuting inquiries as to the best form of instruments and 

 the best conditions with respect to locality, foundation, &c., for fixing up 

 such instruments. Several Societies and individuals had expressed their 

 willingness to co-operate as soon as these conditions had been determined, 

 and the Birmingham. Philosophical Society had made a grant towards 

 the expenses of these preliminary trials. 



Professor Lebour stated also that the North of England Institute of 

 Mining and Mechanical Engineers had recently appointed a Committee 

 armed with a substantial grant to make a series of experiments on so- 

 called ' Flameless Explosives.' This Committee was now at work, and 

 would gladly receive assistance in any way from kindred Societies. The 

 same Institute had joined with the Mining Institutes of South Wales and 

 Scotland in forming another Committee to conduct a series of experi- 

 ments on fan-ventilation. He thought that these were examples of the 

 kind of co-operation which the Conference of Delegates of Corresponding 

 Societies was likely to bring about. 



At the second Conference the chair was first taken by the Secretary, 

 Professor R. Meldola, and afterwards by the Vice-Chairman, Mr. W. 

 Whitaker, the Committee being further represented by Mr. J. Hopkinson 

 and Mr. W. White, and towards the close of the meeting by Dr. Evans, 

 who had been detained at the Committee of Recommendations. 



The Chairman in opening the proceedings said that it would be best 

 to adopt their usual plan, and consider the suggestions and recommenda- 

 tions from the difierent Sections in their proper sequence. 



t 



