oo) REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 
Town of Pickering in Yorkshire, by Gordon Home (London: J. M. Dent & 
Co. 1905).* 
It would be advisable, if we could, to get more of the local photographic 
societies to work in harmony with other societies than is at present the case. 
They have their own proper functions, such as the interesting and training 
of beginners, the giving of demonstrations of various technical methods, 
artistic photography, and the like. There is, however, no reason why photo- 
graphers should not co-operate with other workers and photograph scenery, 
geological sections, plant-colonies, folk-lore subjects such as old customs, 
- old buildings, and other objects which are of interest for their antiquity or 
history, or which are in danger of destruction. By being pressed into this 
service they would assist their colleagues in other departments, and at the 
same time could follow out the special objects of a photographic society. 
There are several counties which have a committee or society devoted to 
a photographic record survey. These need to be increased, and smaller units 
might be made, since possibly a regional photographic survey might appeal 
to more people than would a county survey; at all events the two are not 
mutually exclusive. 
It would be presumptuous of me to offer you advice, but I would like to 
ask your consideration of the advisability and feasibility of local societies 
making it a part of their function to consider their area as a whole. By doing 
so they can attract new members and stimulate both the newer and the older 
workers. Wherever an individual’s interest may lie, there is almost certain to 
be something of local interest that will appeal to him. There is plenty of scope 
for the usual type of field-naturalist and antiquary; at the same time there 
are new ways of regarding old subjects which need fresh workers. Even 
while details are being amassed there should always be kept in view the 
reasons for their accumulation. I should be the last to ignore the fact that 
all work that is worth doing necessitates a great deal of tedious labour ; 
observations have to be made and remade, and the discipline of research must 
be regarded as one of its rewards; but, at the same time, the labourer should 
from time to time raise his head from his immediate work and look around 
him. Facts by themselves are liable to be but dull things; it is their inter- 
pretation that really counts. A heavily laden hulk makes very slow progress, 
and, on the other hand, a vessel with very little cargo but carrying much sail 
is liable to heel over. It is surely one of the functions of the Council of a 
local society to strike the balance between the two extremes. I would there- 
fore suggest that those in authority in the local societies should definitely 
direct local effort. The results obtained by individuals or groups of workers 
would be published in most cases, I presume, in the Proceedings of the Society 
or in some other journal ; but if they were reprinted in the local newspapers 
a great stimulus would be given to the intelligent teaching of geography and 
history in the schools, since immediate and actual facts are more interesting 
and impressive to most people than those that are remote, which must at the 
same time almost necessarily be vague. 
Mr. William Dale (Hampshire Field Club and Archeological Society), 
in proposing a vote of thanks to the Chairman for his address, said 
the Conference was under deep obligation to Dr. Haddon, whose sug- 
gestions were most valuable, and who had shown a singular aptitude 
1 Since giving this address there has appeared a very valuable and suggestive 
book by Miss M. F. Davis, entitled Life in an English Village: an Economic 
and Historical Survey of the Parish of Corsley, in Wiltshire (Fisher Unwin, 
1909). A work of this kind supplies invaluable data alike for the theoretical and 
practical economist, and while it may be profitably imitated by workers in other 
districts, each investigator would naturally vary the treatment of the subject 
pre to his (or her) previous training and predilections and the character of 
ne district. 
