60 REPORT—1890. 
extent and fulness with which the different observers carried out their 
work. 
Mr. John Brown said he had brought the matter before the Belfast 
Natural History and Philosophical Society. Professor Everett, one of the 
members, was strongly of opinion that it was not the business of the local 
Societies, but should rather be given to the observers of rainfall, who 
were accustomed to making observations of a similar kind, and to a 
certain extent were better organised for getting the information than 
their own Society. 
Mr. A. S. Reid said the East Kent Natural History Society had taken 
this matter up since the last meeting, and were now carrying it on, having 
two observers on the river Stour. They had not yet published an actual 
report in their Transactions, but simply an interim report; a fuller 
report was being prepared. The Committee was doing work, and he 
believed good work, and was certainly taking a great deal of interest in 
the matter, and it had been the means of giving the local Societies some- 
thing to do, and also of helping them to affiliate with other Societies round 
them. He expressed the opinion that the indication of lines of useful 
investigation of this kind had done a great deal of good in bringing 
together the Societies in his district. 
Dr. Mill, in answer to the remarks made, said that this work which 
had been taken up by the Committee, and in which the help of the 
Corresponding Societies was wanted, did not in the least degree clash 
with any other organisation or the carrying on of any other work. If 
all the meteorological observers were willing and able to carry on addi- 
tional experiments, it would add a very great deal to the fulness and 
completeness of their meteorological reports; but, in point of fact, those 
observers had their hands sufficiently full as a rule in taking their daily 
observations, and might not care to add to their work. Professor Fitz- 
gerald, however, had taken the matter up in Ireland and had obtained 
the services of a number of observers, many of whom were rain-gauge 
observers—in fact, he thought almost all. 
No communication with respect to Section B was brought forward. 
Secrion C. 
The Chairman announced that Mr. De Rance had been nominated by 
the Committee of Section C to represent that Section at the Conference. 
Mr. De Rance said that the Committees in which Section C was more 
particularly interested, and in which the Corresponding Societies could 
be—and, indeed, were—of great value were— 
The Underground Waters Committee, of which he happened to be 
Secretary. It was appointed some fifteen years ago in the town of Belfast 
to inquire into the water of the New Red Sandstone and Permian for- 
mations as concerned with the water supply of the town and district. 
At subsequent meetings of the Association the scope of its inquiry had 
been enlarged until at the present time it comprised the whole of the 
porous or permeable formations of this country. The Committee of the 
British Association which had been doing this work had done it by 
means of forms of inquiry as to the nature of the sections passed through 
in wells and borings for water, the effect of faults upon the water- 
supply, the character and quality of the water obtained, and the varying 
