Corresponding societies. 485 



the peculiar conditions and requirements of each county will be considered. 

 Taking Essex as an example, the following may be suggested : — 



(«) The accurate surveying and plotting down on large-scale plans of 

 typical prehistoric remains, particularly of such as may be in danger of 

 destruction, and the careful exploration of the same under expert 

 direction. 



(b) The prepai-ation of accurate lists and of maps of the county, showing 

 the positions and mode of occurrence of any relics of prehistoric age 

 hitherto found therein, with indications of the museums or collections in 

 which they are preserved, and references to any published details and 

 figures. 



(c) Exploration work in the shallow-water districts of the North Sea 

 and in our estuaries and rivers, so as to collect materials for full and 

 accurate lists of the marine and fresh-water fauna and flora, and to study 

 the conditions regulating the occurrence of each form where possible. 



(d) The mapping out of the distribution of inland plants and animals, 

 having like regard to the conditions of their occurrence ; the study of the 

 varying conditions of agriculture and gardening in different parts of the 

 county. 



(f) The exploration of interesting geological deposits, so as to accu- 

 mulate, before they disappear, as perfect sets as possible of characteristic 

 fossils. Examples : our Walton Crag, brick-earths and terrace gravels. 



(/) The study and registration on large-scale maps of coast erosion 

 and the formation of sandbanks and the silting up of our estuaries. 



(c/) Any special investigations which may be suggested by the county 

 council itself, or by the British Association Committee. 



5. All specimens, plans, &c., thus obtained or made should be 

 deposited in the county museum, the museum authorities undertaking to 

 suitably preserve and register them for future study. 



6. As above indicated, all the reports should be published at a cheap 

 rate, and copies deposited in local libraries and in the principal public 

 libraries in the kingdom. The British Association might well be asked 

 to catalogue these reports from the several counties as an Appendix to 

 the Report of the Local Societies Committee. 



_ Such is a rough sketch of my proposal. I have assumed that a county 

 scientific Society exists in each county. Where this is not the case, a 

 joint committee of the smaller Societies of the county might be formed for 

 this business. I may be permitted to observe that, in my humble opinion, 

 it is most desirable that such Societies should at once unite to form 

 strong county units. Each county should have one scientific Society 

 and one archreological Association, with local sub- committees, if thought 

 necessary. 



1 have left the primary difficulties until the last. Would our county 

 councils consider the subjects mentioned and the suggested method of 

 treating them of educational value ? If so, would they assist ? and, finally, 

 Is such an allocation of educational funds legal 1 



I submit that the small annual sum mentioned would, if expended in 

 this way, produce results of considerable educational value. We spend 

 vast sums in teaching modern history, and ought we to consider the 

 ' buried history of Britain ' (as it has been happily termed) of no import- 

 ance ? The work of collecting information respecting plants, animals. 



