Ixxxiv REPORT — 1898. 



gation, they consider that Science will incur a great loss if the work of 

 the Survey is discontinued. They would, therefore, urge on the Govern- 

 ment the desirability of continuing the Tidal Survey as heretofore.' 



The President transmitted the Resolution to the Governor-General, 

 ■who forwarded it to the Government of the Dominion of Canada for their 

 favourable consideration. 



The Council have received the following in reply : — 



Extract from a Report of the Committee of the Honourable the Privi/ Council,, 

 approved by His Excellency on the 20th June, 1898. 



On a Report dated 25th April, 1898, from the Minister of Marine and Fisheries,, 

 stating that he has had under consideration a letter, dated 9th March, 1898, from 

 the President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, enclosing a 

 resolution adopted at a meeting of the Council of the Association, urging the desira- 

 bility of continuing the Tidal Survey as heretofore. 



The Minister recommends that the Association be informed that, in view of the 

 limited appropriation made by ParHament, it has been deemed advisable to defer the 

 prosecution ot the Survey for the present, and to confine tlie work to the maintenance 

 and operations of the Tidal gauges already established, and the preparation of tide 

 tables. 



The Committee submit the same for your Excellency's approval. 



John J. JIcGee, 



Clerk of the Privy Council. 



(3) That a Committee was appointed by the Council to consider the- 

 following Resolution : 'That, in view of the facts (a) that a Committee of 

 Astronomers appointed by the Royal Society of London, in consequence 

 of a communication from the Royal Society of Canada, has recently con- 

 sidered the matter, and has arrived at the conclusion that no change can 

 now be introduced in the " Nautical Almaiiac " for 1901, and (6) that few 

 English astronomers are attending the Toronto meeting of the Association : 

 the Committees of Sections A and E are not in a position to arrive at 

 any definite conclusions with respect to the Unification of Time ; but they 

 think it desirable to call the attention of the Council to the subject, in 

 which the interests of mariners are deeply involved, with the view of their 

 taking such action in the matter as may seem to them to be desirable.' 



Several members of this Committee had also served on the Committee 

 of the Royal Society, and after careful re-consideration of the whole 

 question the Committee saw no good reason for dissenting from the con- 

 clusion which had been recently adopted by the Royal Society, and 

 reported in the following terms : — 



' The Committee report that, as there is a great diversity of opinion 

 amongst astronomers and sailors as to the desirability of the adoption of 

 civil reckoning for astronomical purposes, and as it is impossible to carry 

 out such a change in the " Nautical Almanac " for the year 1901, they do 

 not recommend that the Council of the British Association should at 

 present take any steps in support of the suggested change of reckoning.' 



The President has transmitted this Report to the Royal Society of 

 Canada. 



In their Report last year at Toronto the Council informed the General 

 Committee that the establishment of a Bureau for Ethnology was under 

 the consideration of the Trustees of the British Museum. Since that 

 date, the following letter, addressed to the President, has been received : 



British Museum, December 1.5, 1897. 

 Dear Sir John Evans, — Referring to a letter of May 19 last, from Lord Lister, as- 

 President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, requesting the 

 Tiustees of the Eritish Museum to consider whether they could allow a Bureau for 



