XC REPORT — I9OB4 



' 2. That an official invitation on behalf of the Council bfe addressed 

 to the Societies, through the Corresponding Societies Committee, 

 asking them to appoint standing British Association Sub-Com- 

 mittees to be elected by themselves with the object of dealing with 

 all those subjects of investigation common to their Societies and to 

 the British Association Committees, and to look after the general 

 interests of science and scientific education throughout the provinces 

 and provincial centres. 



'They appended the following remarks to their recommendation : — 



' The Committee have considered the communication from the Corre- 

 sponding Societies Committee referred to them by the Council, and have 

 examined into the general character of the work carried on by the Cor- 

 responding Societies, and the nature of the subjects discussed at the 

 Conferences of Delegates held annually under the auspices of the British 

 Association since the year 1885. They are of opinion that the range of 

 subjects very fairly covers most of the branches of scientific investigation 

 in which local Societies might be expected to bear a part. New subjects 

 are added from time to time, and means have been taken by the Corre- 

 sponding Societies Committee to give ^^ublicity to suggestions for any 

 suitable line of investigation instigated by the Corresponding Societies 

 themselves. (Jf the numerous branches of inquiry being carried on by 

 British Association Committees in whidi the Corresponding Societies are 

 invited year by year to take a part, some have been materially assisted by 

 the Corresponding Societies or their individual members. The subjects 

 suitable for investigation by local Societies are necessarily governed in 

 their scope by local conditions, but among those already brought under 

 the notice of the Corresponding Societies there are some of a general 

 character which miglit very well be taken up systematically all over the 

 country. The Committee do not consider it necessary to furnish the 

 Council with a complete list of such specific subjects, as these are already 

 included in the various Reports of the Corresponding Societies Com- 

 mittee. They desire, however, to call the attention of the Council to the 

 necessity for systematic co-operation among the local Societies for the 

 carrying out of investigations of such general importance as the vaiious 

 surveys, archaeological, ethnographic, photographic, and botanical, which 

 have on several occasions been brought under the notice of the Corre- 

 sponding Societies at the Conference of their Delegates. These and other 

 investigations of a similarly wide range which may from time to time 

 be suggested furnish ample work for the Corresponding Societies, and the 

 Committee find that in certain districts considerable progress has been 

 already made, or that steps are now being taken to organise the work 

 already suggested. 



' The Committee have further considered the nature of the organisa- 

 tion at present in existence for bringing the official representative of the 

 Corresponding Societies into communication with each other and with the 

 Sectional Committees at the meetings of the Association, and they are of 

 opinion that it would tend to bring about a more systematic co-ordination 

 of the general investigations which are now being carried on, or which it 

 is desirable should be carried on, by the Corresponding Societies if 

 strenuous efforts were made to bring the Delegates into more intimate 

 personal relationship with the expert organisers of these various subjects 



