INVESTKiATlON OX THE RESPIRATION OF PLANTS. 473 



The law which governs this relation has been worked out in his 

 laboratory by Miss Matthaei, and the results are ready for publication. 



The sum granted could, however, not be actually obtained this year, 

 as by oversight application was not made to the Treasurer for it until a 

 few days too late. The Committee therefore ask to be reappointed and 

 to have the grant made last year again placed at their disposal. 



Investigation of the GijanopUycefv . — Iteport of the Committee, consist- 

 ing of Professor J. B. Farmer (Ghn.irmnn), Dr. F. F. Blackman 

 (Secretarg), Professor Marshall Ward, and Mr. AV. Gardiner. 



The investigation of the structure of the Cyanophycese has been con- 

 tinued by Mr. Harold Wager, and a paper dealing with the structure and 

 constitution of the central body (nucleus) in species of Phormidium, 

 Oscillaria, Tolypothrix, and Cylindrospermum will be brought before 

 Section K at the Belfast meeting. 



A portion of the grant has been expended in apparatus, and the 

 Committee recommend that they be reappointed, and ask for a further 

 grant of 40^. in order that Mr. Wager may be enabled to purchase a high- 

 power objective for the continuance of his investigations, especially into 

 the minute structure of the central body. 



Teaching of FAementavn Mathematics. — Txeiiort of the Committee, con- 

 sisting of Professor FORSYTE (Chairman), Professor Perry (Secre- 

 tary), Professor Chrystal, Mr. W. D. Eggar, Mr. H. W. Eve, 

 Professor Gibson, Dr. Gladstone, Professor Greenhill, Professor 

 E. A. Gregory, Professor Henrici, Professor Hudson, Dr. Larmor, 

 Professor A. Lodge, Sir O. Lodge, Professor Love, Major Mac- 

 Mahon, Professor Minchin, Sir A. W. Rucker , Mr. Robert Russell, 

 and FvokssovS.'P.TaOMPSO^, appointed to report upon improvements 

 that might be effected in the teaching of Mathematics, in the first 

 instance in the teaching of Elementary Mathematics, and upon such 

 means as th,ey tldnk Uhely to effect such improvements. (Draicn 

 vp by the Chairman.) 



Appendix. — Tico Suggested ScJiedales of Experimental Geometry . . page i.1% 



In submitting their present report, the Committee desire to point out 

 that this is not the first occasion on which the British Association has 

 attempted to deal with the teaching of elementary mathematics. About 

 thirty years ago a similar body was appointed to consider a part of the 

 subject, viz., ' the possibility of improving the methods of instruction in 

 elementary geometry' ; and two reports were presented, one at the Brad- 

 ford meeting in 1873 (see the Report, volume for that year, p. 459), the 

 other at the Glasgow meeting in 1876 (see the Report, volume for that 

 year, p. 8). 



The two reports advert to some of the difficulties that obstruct im- 

 provements in the teaching of geometry. One of these is alleged to be 

 ' the necessity of one fixed and definite standai'd for examination purposes ' ; 

 apparently it was assumed that this fixed and dpfinite gtftpdard should 



