CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 35 
came under five sections—those of geology, botany, zoology, conchology, 
and entomology. In addition, much work was carried on by means of 
research committees, which were in direct communication with the British 
Association. Eight such committees were then in existence : a Boulder 
Committee ; a Sea Coast Erosion Committee ; a Fossil Flora Committee ; 
a Geological Photographs Committee ; a Marine Biology Committee ; a 
Micro-zoological and Micro-botanical Committee ; a Wild Birds and 
Eggs Protection Committee ; and a Mycological Committee. All these 
Committees reported annually, and their Reports were presented to the 
British Association. An annual meeting of the Union was held in one 
of the Yorkshire towns. For excursion purposes Yorkshire was divided 
into five parts, and a meeting was held in each of them. One meeting 
every year took place on the sea coast. Great care was taken by the 
secretaries before each excursion to get all the geological, botanical, and 
other information obtainable about the place to be visited, and, when 
there, every endeavour was made to get each member to do some special 
work. In short, every effort was made to train workers in the various 
departments of natural science. It has been found necessary to discourage 
the offering of hospitality, on account of the loss of time involved. He 
would only add that the success of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union was 
largely due to the energy and perseverance of their general secretary, 
Mr. W. D. Roebuck. 
The Chairman asked Mr. Knubley how many of the Yorkshire 
Scientific Associations which were on the list of the Corresponding 
Societies of the British Association were also on that of the Yorkshire 
Union. Mr. Knubley replied that the Leeds Naturalists’ Club, Leeds 
Geological Association, and Malton Naturalists’ Society were affiliated to 
the Union, but not the Yorkshire Geological and Polytechnic Society, nor 
the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. 
Mr. M. H. Mills then gave some account of the organisation of the 
Federated Institution of Mining Engineers. He said that the rules of the 
Federation had been carefully considered by the secretaries and councils 
of the various societies composing it, and it had been found that the best 
kind of federation was that which touched only the publication of their 
papers. ach society did its work independently, as before the existence 
of the Federation, but now they had one publication instead of many. 
In answer to questions from Sir Douglas Galton, Mr. Mills added that he 
thought it would be a good thing that societies doing the same kind of 
work should be federated together ; he also stated that members of the 
societies composing the Federation paid but one subscription, a portion of 
it only being given tu the Federation for printing the publication. 
Mr. Montagu Browne gave some details as to the present constitution 
of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society. With regard to 
payments for printing, he said that usually each section was  self- 
supporting, but that in the case of papers of exceptional interest and 
expense, the parent society made a special grant, if necessary. 
Mr. C. E. De Rance was glad to learn that the Yorkshire Union had 
established a Coast Erosion Committee to carry on the work in Yorkshire, 
which had been done for so many years by a British Association Com- 
mittee for the country generally. As regards Mr. Abbott’s plan, he 
fully concurred with him as to the need for an organising secretary, 
without whose aid he felt sure that scarcely any federation would be 
accomplished. r 
D2 
