KEPORT OF THE COUNCII^. CXXl 



X. The Council have received the following coiuinuuication, proposing 

 the constitution of a Section for Astronomy and Cosmical Physics : — 



10 MonETON Gardens, S.W. 

 December 31, 1907, 



To Sir David Gill, K.C.B., F.R.S., President. 



Dear Sir David Gill, 



The signatories of this letter are those who have acted as 

 Chairmen of the Sab-Section of Section A for Astronomy and Cosmical 

 Physics. Our purpose is to ask you to bring before the Association a 

 proposal for the constitution of a separate Section for the group of 

 Sciences included in the title " Astronomy and Cosmical Physics." 



2. The ground for our request is that the applications of Mathematics 

 and Physics in Astronomy, Geodesy, Meteorology, Terrestrial Magnetism, 

 Atmospheric Electricity, and Seismology, together with the treatment of 

 those subjects from the point of view of the organisation and collection 

 of observations of natural phenomena, attract papers sufficient in number 

 and importance to deserve a separate Section. 



3. The separation of these subjects from Mathematics and Experi- 

 mental Physics would have the further advantage that more time would 

 be found for the newer developments of those subjects the discussion of 

 which is now unduly restricted. 



4. Under existing conditions there is not time to deal with the papers 

 on Astronomy and Meteorology prepared for the Meetings, and no 

 encouragement can be offered to the comparatively few students of the 

 other observational Sciences associated with Mathematics and Physics, 

 to bring the progress in their subjects to the notice of the Association. 

 In consequence, these subjects lose the advantage of the discussion of 

 questions at a Meeting of the Association, and the important influence 

 of a Sectional Committee in matters of organisation and co-operation. 



5. For a number of years a Sub-Section for Astronomy and Cosmical 

 Physics was formed, but it has been discontinued since the Meeting at 

 Cambridge in 1904. It is not necessary to consider here the reasons for 

 this suspension, which originated perhaps with the difficulties of manag- 

 ing a Sub-Section during the expeditional Session of 1905 to the Cape. 

 But the reasons are certainly not connected with any ill-success of the 

 experiment tried. There was always plenty of work for the Sub-Section, 

 and, in the interval, there has been noteworthy progress, especially on 

 the lines of international co-operation, in the oljservational Sciences. 

 Consequently, the remedy for the congestion of business in Section A, 

 which met with general acceptance up to 1904, is no longer adequate. A 

 separate Section for the observational Sciences to which Mathematics 

 and Physics are applied has become necessary. 



6. In common with all students of Mathematics and Physics, we recog- 

 nise the advantage of the opportunity which is afforded by the Meetings 

 of the British Association for the students of a particular branch of 

 Science to keep in touch with the progress in allied branches and with 

 the developments of Mathematics and Experimental Phy.sics. The 



