REPORT—1905. 
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Mr. Longden, representing the Institution of Mining Engineers, said 
that so far as the ‘ Transactions’ of the Institution of Civil Engineers are 
concerned they are safely guarded. The Institution has rules by which 
if anybody communicates a paper to it that paper becomes its property ; 
but it appeared to the speaker that the reason why its papers are so safely 
guarded is because it takes an interest in the matter and follows it up. 
If anybody chooses to pirate the information which has been communi- 
cated, the culprit hears of it and is stopped. The Institution of 
Mining Engineers found it difficult to prevent people from pirating the 
information which had been communicated. He thought the rules were 
almost identical in both Societies, and it seemed to him it was largely a 
matter of laxity. But so far as the British Association was concerned, 
he took it that the Association would rather the information was circu- 
tated than kept back. 
The Rev. W. Lower Carter (Yorkshire) wished to know what posi- 
tion the British Association took as regarded the abstracts which it 
published. There had been a discussion as to whether it was free for any- 
body to reprint, or to print any such part of them as they chose, without 
any reference to the British Association or to the author. 
Dr. H. R. Mill (Corresponding Societies Committee) said he did not 
think a scientific man wished to keep the result of his investigations to 
himself, once it was given to a Society, whether one of the learned 
Societies publishing transactions in the ordinary way or the British 
Association publishing abstracts only. A scientific man surely desired 
that his paper should be as widely known and as much quoted as pos- 
sible. That was Dr. Mill’s position, and he thought that any question of 
retaining copyright in scientific work once given to the public was absurd. 
He looked upon the British Association as an Association intended for 
the dissemination of science, one of whose objects was to make known as 
widely as possible the information collected. 
The Rey. T, R. R. Stebbing said he quite agreed with Dr. Mill that 
scientific men were glad to find their papers sufficiently popular to be re- 
printed. 
Second Meeting, October 31. 
Dr. A. Smith Woodward, F.R.S., in the Chair. 
The Corresponding Societies Committee were represented by Mr. W. 
~ Whitaker, the Rey. J. O. Bevan, Dr. J. G. Garson, Mr. John Hopkinson, 
Mr. T. V. Holmes, and Mr. Rudler. 
Professor G. 8. Boulger, F.L.S8., F.G.S., introduced the following 
subject :— 
The Preservation of our Native Plants. 
Plants are in danger of extermination from inevitable natural causes, 
such as the encroachments of the sea and the increasing density of popu- 
lation, with its concomitant clearing, draining, and building. Among 
avoidable causes of loss the more important are the thoughtless excesses 
of children, tourists, and botanists, and the work of trade-collectors. 
The demands of artists have led to much local extermination of the sea- 
holly, and the fruitless endeavours of amateurs to cultivate our terrestrial 
orchids seriously endanger some species. Nurserymen, who certainly do 
not cultivate orchids, offer them for sale, just as clergymen and others 
