CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 27 



the attainment of a much greater amount of mutual co-operation and 

 assistance than at present prevails. 



The following Societies have been added to the list of the Correspond- 

 ing Societies : — 



1. The Halifax Scientific Society and Geologists' Field Club. 



2. The Brighton and Susses Natural History and Philosoijhical Society. 



3. The Andersonian Naturalists' Society. 



The Chairman, in inviting discussion, said that there were great 

 differences of opinion with regard to federation, but he thought that 

 much good might result from some such scheme as the grouping of 

 counties for occasional meetings of their Local Societies, if for no other 

 purpose than to avoid duplication of work. By the proceedings of Local 

 Societies being collected into one publication, diffuseness would be avoided, 

 and the money spent by individual Societies upon printing might profitably 

 be diverted into other channels. 



Professor Herdman said that many scientific men in provincial towns 

 like Liverpool had thought a great deal about this question in recent 

 years, but there were many difficulties in the way, some of which he dis- 

 cussed. As a matter of history, for one or other of these reasons, every 

 attempt made by the Liverpool Geological and Biological Societies to 

 decide upon a line of action with other Local Societies had ended in 

 failure. Office-bearers in active Societies of good standing were, as a rule, 

 opposed to federation, and if there were one subscription to federated 

 Societies the income of each individual Society would be reduced. 



Dr. H. R. Mill stated that the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' 

 Societies was very successful, all the members of the federated Societies 

 having the same feeling of local patriotism, and that the Perthshire 

 Society of Natural Science was one of the best of these Local Societies, 

 its museum being one of the sights of Perth. The Kirkcaldy Natural 

 History Society was also one of the best in the Union. These Societies 

 meet in different towns each year, have joint excursions, and are so satis- 

 factorily related as to give him great faith in the importance of union. 

 He thought there should be a better result from the action of the Corre- 

 sponding Societies Committee than from any other agency, and wished 

 that some stronger action had been taken than was indicated in its 

 Report. 



Mr. G. P. Hughes said that the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club was 

 doing first-class work in archieology and natural history, but he did not 

 think that federation could be accomplished in the counties of England 

 north of Yorkshire and Lancashire, the area being so large. 



The Rev. J. 0. Bevan spoke in favour of joint meetings of the Wool- 

 hope Naturalists' Field Club, the Cardiff Natural History Society, and 

 the Caradoo and Severn Valley Field Club. It seemed to him that the 

 British Association possessed the best means of leading provincial Societies 

 into union. 



Professor Weiss said that the Manchester Microscopical Society was 



