'50 BEPORT 1891. 



Delegates was row sufficiently well known, and that, althougli there were 

 a few societies whose co-operation it would be extremely desirable to 

 secure, no further approach could be made on the part of the Committee. 

 It rested rather with the Delegates themselves to assist in securing the 

 Societies in their own districts. 



Second Conference, September 9. 



The chair was taken by Mr. G, J. Symons, F.R.S., the Corresponding 

 Societies Committee being also represented by Sir Rawson Raw son, 

 Dr. Garson, Mr. Hopkinson, and Professor R. Meldola,F.R.S. (Secretary). 



Section A. 



Phenological Observations. — Mr. Symons made the following com- 

 munication : — 



' Phenological observations, which may perhaps be said to have origi- 

 nated with Gilbert White, although studied with care in Austria, received 

 little attention in England until 1874, when the Royal Meteorological 

 Society invited and obtained the assistance of Delegates from the Royal 

 Agricultural Society, Royal Horticultural Society, Royal Botanic Society, 

 Royal Dublin Society, and Marlborough College Natural History Society, 

 who held several meetings, and eventually drew up an elaborate report, 

 which, curiously enough, upon re-examining after the lapse of sixteen 

 years, seems to show that practically few of the Delegates approved of 

 it, although from motives of politeness they allowed it to pass. Flowering 

 plants, insects, and birds were referred respectively to the Rev. T. A. 

 Preston, Mr. McLachlan, and Professor Newton. Of plants the large 

 number of seventy-one were recommended for observation, of insects only 

 eight, and of birds seventeen. Mr. McLachlan, Professor Newton, Mr. Bell 

 of Selborne, and Professor Thiselton Dyer all expressed the opinion that 

 the list should be kept as short as possible, and although Mr. Preston's 

 long list of plants was retained, it was resolved that special attention 

 should be called to fifteen out of the seventy-one, by printing their names 

 in capitals. 



' The Royal Meteorological Society undertook the cost and trouble of 

 preparing and issuing the necessary forms, and from 1875 to 1888, both 

 inclusive, the Rev. T. A. Preston prepared and the Society printed 

 annual reports embodying the results obtained. Mr. Preston found it 

 impossible to continue the work, and Mr. E. Mawley took it up and 

 prepared the report for 1889. He has, however, arrived at the same 

 conclusion as the authorities already quoted, and his recommendation to 

 reduce and simplify the observations has been accepted by the Council of 

 the Royal Meteorological Society, which now desires to enlist as many 

 observers as possible, all of whom are to work according to the form, of 

 which copies are submitted for consideration. 



' With this view the Council of the Royal Meteorological Society 

 has endeavoured to obtain the assistance of the Corresponding Socie- 

 ties on the British Association list, and it is with the same object that 

 I have asked permission to bring these few words before this Con- 

 ference.' 



