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ZOOLOGY AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



OXLliV GKABHAM, M.A., M.B.O.f., 

 Local Secretary of Section I). 



Thk Zoological Section was, on the wliole, well attended 

 throughout the meeting-, from the President's Address to the 

 reading- of the last paper. Many subjects of varied scientific in- 

 terest were discussed. The chief objects of interest with regard 

 to northern county items were (i) the excellent paper read by Mr. 

 G. T. Porritt, F.L.S., on 'Melanism in Lepidoptera,' his 

 observations in this connection having been largely carried on 

 in his own imniediate neighbourhood of Huddersfield ; (2) The 

 unique series of lantern slides of Yorkshire Birds and Mammals, 

 made from photographs mostly taken by Mr. Oxley Grabham, 

 M.A., M.B.O.U. ; and (3) the paper by Dr. E. J. Allen on the 

 Relations of Scientific Marine Investigations to Practical Fishery 

 Problems. A most interesting discussion on this matter took 

 place, in which not only men of science, but those connected 

 with the fishery business took part. The whole matter, as it 

 stands, is very imsatisfactory. In spite of all that has been said 

 about the inexhaustive supply of fish in the North Sea, there is 

 no doubt that the lime will come when this supply will be very 

 greatly diminished ; indeed, as was shown by statistics, it is 

 diminishing now. When we consider the hundreds of thousands 

 of pounds invested in the fishery business, the number of men 

 employed in the same, and the value of fish as a food supply, it 

 is high time that the State took more interest than it does in 

 promoting the study of the question as to how to best keep up 

 that supply. As was pointed out by one of the speakers, in 

 most other branches of science every emolument is open to the 

 expert, but in the matter of fish, as soon as anyone took up that 

 study he seemed to lose cast amongst his brethren ; no encourage- 

 ment was given to him. And Prof. Cunningham advised any of 

 his hearers who were thinking of taking up that study to have 

 nothing whate\ er to do with the matter, if they wished to get on 

 in life. There is surely something very wrong about this, for 

 the fishery question is one of national importance. But again, 

 as wrs pointed out, the practical fisln'mian looks with contempt 

 upon man\ of the |)roceedings of the man of science, as indeed, 

 unfortun.'.tely, at times he is justified in doing, and vice versa. 

 It is \er\ \cry rarely that one comes across any one who is 

 thoroughly conversant not only with the scientific and theoretical 



Naturalist. 



