482 REPORT— 1903. 



It was resolved that an application should be made to the Committee 

 of Recommendations, asking for the reappointment of the Corresponding 

 Societies Committee, with a grant of 25^, 



Second Conference, SeiHemhcr 1 5. 



Mr. W. Whitaker, F.R.S., in the chair, followed by Eev. J. O. 

 Bevan, M.A. 



The Chairman : Before proceeding to deal with the agenda I would 

 like to say a few words on a conversation I had with the President of the 

 Association yesterday. He asked me how I thought the Conference 

 would take the suggestion he had laid before the meeting last Thursday. 

 I said I had not had an opportunity of discussing it privately with any 

 of the members, but judging from the discussion in the Conference I 

 thought they were very much disposed to take it up. He said, if any- 

 thing is done, it should be done quickly. He believes there is or may be 

 a rival organisation in the field, so that it would be distinctly best to 

 strike while the iron is hot. I would ask you to bring the matter which 

 Sir Norman Lockyer introduced to us before your Societies at the first 

 convenient opportunity, and get them to act if they can. 



The Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing asked for more definite information as to 

 what was required of the local Societies. 



The Rev. R. Ashington Bullen said he was not quite clear as to what 

 was intended, and he asked whether it was a question of forming a Guild 

 of Science or of capturing votes. 



The Chairman : Both ; and certainly the appointment of an acting 

 committee which would be ready to take up any questions referred to it 

 without any delay. I think that would be rather an important matter. 



The Secretary then read the following paper : — 



A Suggestion with respect to Exploration and Registration Work for 

 County Local Societies. By William Cole, F.L.S., Hon. Sec. Essex 

 Field Cluh. 



Having been Secretary to a registered local scientific Society during 

 the whole period of the life of the Corresponding Societies Committee of 

 the British Association, I have been impressed with the number and 

 variety of the subjects recommended to the attention of local Societies 

 by the Committee from year to year. I have also been struck with the 

 lack of practicability of many of these recommendations from my point 

 of view — that is, of one having the success and progress of his Society at 

 heart. Such matters as the ' Collection of Statistics concerning Trained 

 Chemists employed in English Chemical Industries ' ; investigations con- 

 cerning ' The Resistance of Road Vehicles to Traction,' or the ' Considera- 

 tion of means by which better practical effect can be given to the Intro- 

 duction of the Screw Gauge proposed by the Association in 1884,' and 

 the like, although subjects of professional importance, are but little adapted 

 to enlist the co-operation of a body of amateur biologists, geologists, and 

 archffiologists. It seems to me that the subjects most likely to prove 

 attractive to the members of the greater number of our local Societies 

 are those connected with such branches of science as are within the oppor- 

 tunities and abilities of amateur observers, and which at the same time 



