CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 869 



sion of data relating to tlie rainfall of the Britisli Isles, and in carrying 

 on what was really a national work, though done by the co-operation of 

 the observers themselves, the chief difficulty iiad been the constant 

 changes in the stations where observations were made, on account of the 

 death and removal of the observers. This ditTiculty might to a great 

 extent be obviated if every scientific society would make itself responsible 

 (as many already did) for keeping an accurate and continuous record of 

 the fall of rain, or, it might be, a series of records at properly selected 

 places in their own neighbourhood. No element of climate was so 

 variable and apparently so capricious as rainfall : hence the impossibility 

 of having too many gauges, provided they were of good quality, properly 

 placed, and conscientiously observed. At present there were large tracts 

 of country in Ireland, in the highlands of Scotland, and in the Moorland 

 districts of all parts of the country, about the rainfall of which we were 

 almost entirely ignorant. No doubt the mere accumulation of records 

 was an unworthy aim and involved only useless trouble if they were not 

 turned to account. But the rainfall figures were turned to account as 

 soon as received in the compilation of an annual volume containing not 

 only the complete record for the year, but a series of comparisons and 

 discussions — one place and one year is compared with other places and other 

 years. On application to Dr. Mill, 62 Camden Square, London, N.W., 

 full particulars as to observing and recording rainfall will be sent to any- 

 one interested. 



Professor S. J. Chapman, M. A., attended as a Delegate from Section F 

 (Economic Science and Statistics), and explained that a Committee of 

 this Section was engaged in investigating the efifect of the Factory Acts 

 relating to women on their wages and conditions generally, and that they 

 would be glad of information from any district, or to hear of people who 

 would be willing to do some direct investigating in the matter. 



Mr. Mark Barr attended as a representative of Section Gr (Engineer- 

 ing) and called attention to the Committee for investigating the Resis- 

 tance of Road Vehicles to Traction. 



Mr. G. Coffey, as a Delegate from Section H (Anthropology), brought 

 before the Conference a letter referring to the destruction which is going 

 on on Dartmoor by removing stones from certain ancient monuments for 

 road repairs. This gave rise to a discussion on the pi'otection of ancient 

 monuments, and the following resolution was ultimately passed, on the 

 motion of the Rev. J. O. Bevan : 



• From communications received relating to the destruction of earth- 

 works and other historic and prehistoric remains, this Conference is 

 rendered sensible of the necessity for the systematic indexing of impor- 

 tant anthropological i-emains, county by county, with a view to their 

 preservation. It therefore commends the collection of material to Local 

 Societies, and expresses the hope that steps may be taken to co-ordinate 

 the various elements involved, and to arrange for the publication of the 

 work.' 



Mr. Harold Wager, as a Delegate from Section K (Botany), called 

 attention to the Committee for the Registration of the Negatives of 

 Botanical Photographs and also to the Committee for investigation of the 

 Cyanophycete. It is within the power of many local societies to render 

 material assistance to the work of both these Committees. 



