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some extent, usurp the functions and thereby impoverish the 

 local societies of its district ; this, however, is by no means 

 the case, for not only are the Yorkshire local societies of 

 to-day stronger and more efficient than they were before the 

 Union was formed, but it has been the means of founding 

 strong societies in several places where none existed before. 

 To quote one sentence from the Presidential Address delivered 

 by Mr. W. Denison Roebuck at the Annual Meeting of 1904 : 

 " The effect of the stimulus we give by our peripatetic move- 

 ments through our county is well shown by the development 

 of the various societies." 



As the north was the pioneer in forming local societies, so 

 was it also first to bring about their affiliation, for it was not 

 until within quite recent times that any similar movement was 

 set on foot in the south. However, in 1896, at the invitation 

 of the Tunbridge Wells Natural History and Philosophical 

 Society, representatives of some twenty-five local societies, 

 having their headquarters in the south-eastern counties of 

 England, met, and the outcome of their deliberations was the 

 formation of the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies. 

 Its methods are much on the lines of, but, of course, on 

 a much smaller scale than, those of the British Association. 

 An annual congress is held at one of the towns within the 

 area covered by the Union, at the invitation of one of the 

 affiliated societies. These meetings now last four days, the 

 mornings of which are devoted to the transaction of the busi- 

 ness of the Union, the reading of papers and their discussion ; 

 the afternoons to excursions to places of interest in the 

 neighbourhood under qualified leaders ; and in the evenings 

 receptions are held, at which the President's Address is read 

 and lectures delivered, and a conversazione is also one of 

 the features of the Congress. Many important papers by 

 members of the affiliated societies have been read at these 

 meetings, and have found a permanent record in the pages 

 of the " South-Eastern Naturalist," as the annual volume of 

 the Union's transactions is named, and which is published 

 soon after the close of each Congress. 



All scientific societies in the counties of Hampshire, Kent, 

 London, Middlesex, Surrey, and Sussex have been eligible 

 for affiliation from the beginning, and at the last general 

 meeting Berks was added to the list. There is also a 

 proposal before the Union to admit Essex and Hertford. 



Proportional representation at the Congress is given to 

 the societies, who have the option of sending delegates 

 according to the number of their members, and for each 



