CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 41 



remark. They had been told that their instructions with regard to photo- 

 graphing were too minute. But those instructions had been drawn up by 

 Mr. Francis Galton with reference to his system of composite photographs, 

 and any departure from them would make the application of that system 

 comparatively difficult. At the same time they did not wish to lose any 

 photographs which might come in useful, even if, in their case, the instruc- 

 tions had not been followed. 



Mr. Sowerbutts stated that with regard to photogi-aphs the old people 

 in his district objected to be photographed and measured, apparently from 

 a notion that to allow it would be to render themselves subject to witch- 

 craft. They had found a difiBculty in providing the necessary apparatus 

 for their ethnographical work. 



Dr. Garson wished to say that as regards the photographs it was not 

 necessary to get all the appliances Mr. Galton had mentioned. A very 

 simple arrangement could be made by means of three sticks set up so as 

 to give the exact notion of a person's height, the top of his head coming 

 across the transverse stick. The seat could be raised or lowered like that 

 of a piano-stool, so that each person sitting on it would have his head in 

 the same place, whatever his height might be. It was well also to have 

 chalk lines on the floor at right angles to each other, the sitter being 

 directed to look along one or the other of them. They did not want the 

 measurements of very old people, or indeed of persons moie than fifty 

 years old. 



Mr. Brabrook added that, as regards the supply of apparatus, the price 

 of the cheaper kind of instrument for taking measurements was 11. 6s., 

 but there was a better one at 3/. 3s. 



Dr. Garson remarked that the one at 1/. Qs. was quite good enough. 



The Chairman said chat in his opinion they had held a very useful 

 Conference, and in concluding it he wished to express the hope that the 

 delegates would bring its proceedings under the notice of their respective 

 societies in as forcible and complete a way as possible. The custom of 

 the Essex Field Club was to ask their delegate to send in a report of 

 what had been done, and to publish it as soon as possible in the ' Essex 

 Naturalist.' He hoped other Corresponding Societies would act in a 

 similar manner- 



A vote of thanks to the Chairman was proposed by Mr. Symons, 

 seconded by Dr. Garson, and carried unanimously. The proceedings then 

 terminated. 



The Committee recommend the retention of all the Societies at present 

 on the list, with the exception of the Eoyal Geological Society of Ireland, 

 the Bedfordshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, and the 

 Liverpool Geographical Society, which have not complied with the regu- 

 lations. 



The Committee have pleasure in reporting that the Berwickshire 

 Naturalists' Club, the Glasgow Archaeological Society, and the Norfolk and 

 Norwich Naturalists' Society have been added to the list of Corresponding 

 Societies. 



