139 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



Conference of Delegates of Corresponding 

 Societies. 



Reported by Robert Adkin, November loih, igio. 



The eightieth annual meeting of the British Association 

 was held in Sheffield from August 31st to September 7th 

 last, and during the meeting two Conferences of Delegates of 

 Corresponding Societies were held, namely, on the after- 

 noons of Thursday, September ist, and Tuesday, September ' 

 6th, the former under the chairmanship of the President of 

 the Conference, Dr. Tempest Anderson, D.Sc, F.G.S., the 

 latter being presided over bv the \'ice-Chairman, Prof. P. F. 

 Kendall, M.Sc, F.G.S. 



The proceedings were opened on Thursday by Dr. Ander- 

 son, who read his Presidential Address to the Delegates of 

 the Corresponding Societies, in which he gave an account of 

 his invention for projecting opaque objects by direct light on 

 a lantern screen. As illustrating the results to be obtained 

 by the apparatus, he showed, among other objects, a live 

 beetle, engravings, polished marbles, butterflies, a watch, 

 etc., all of which were brilliantly reproduced upon the screen 

 in natural colours. The illuminant used was an arc electric 

 light, but the objects were preserved from any damage by 

 heat by the insertion of a water-trough. 



Mr. Balfour Browne, of Belfast, brought forward his ideas 

 of recording biological captures on a dehnite plan, and the 

 subject was discussed at some length, the Conference ulti- 

 mately deciding that the Committee of Recommendations 

 be asked to consider the advisability of appointing a com- 

 mittee to deal with the subject. 



On Tuesday, Mr. Wilton, of Liverpool, brought forward 

 the question of " Heavy Motor Traffic and its Effect on the 

 Adjoining Tracts," and it was discussed at considerable 

 length, many instances being given of great damage directly 

 attributable to the dust caused b\' such traffic, of fishes 

 being destroyed by the leakage of petrol being washed into 

 streams, and of the beauty of the country roads being 

 destroyed for the benefit of the motors. Mr. Priestley, of 

 Bristol, predicted that the result of motor dust would be 

 that plants that have long hairs would survive, and that all 

 others would be destroyed near main roads. Many sug- 



