218 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SOIENCE.—1917. 
spending a little on scientific purposes. If anything is going at a fair reasonable 
price it will get it. Another point which our societies will have to study is 
working in concert with municipal and county authorities, with which they 
should be more connected. 
There is one thing our President has not noticed: the need of some altera- 
tions in our land laws. You will not advance very much without this. The 
farmers do not want our sympathy: they want the power of doing what is 
right. In Essex there are, or were, square miles of uncultivated land. 
The Rev. J. O. Bevan (Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club) spoke as follows : 
I joined the Association in the year 1879. The first meeting I attended was at 
Swansea in 1880, and I did not understand at that time that such a mountain 
was in labour. One is delighted to find that, although the mountain was in 
labour, it has not brought forth a ridiculous mouse; it has brought forth the 
Conference we have the pleasure of attending to-day. 
One cannot fail to notice that we have, and have had, some very eminent 
meteorologists at our meetings. I especially remember Mr. Symons, whose 
personal qualities were as high as his scientific attainments in the department 
which he had made his own. Another that occurs to me is Dr. H. R. Mill. 
Not only in our own country, but throughout the entire Empire, afforestation 
is of interest. When, as one of the members of the Association, I visited 
Canada in 1884 and 1897 I was saddened by the consideration of the great 
destruction that is going on in the forests in that wonderful portion of our 
Empire. I was told that the timber was cut day by day to make paper-pulp 
for a New York paper. What one complains of is that a simultaneous effort 
was not made to supply the waste. In the United States there is Arbor 
Day, and on that day every person who is able is required to plant a tree. 
Our societies would be very well advised to suggest that a day of that sort 
should be inaugurated throughout the British Islands. Those a have really 
wanted to study forestry have had to go to Germany. This is not only 
unfortunate; it is disastrous. It is in line with the policy which the President 
has touched upon with regard to our dependence upon Germany and foreign 
countries for things for which we ought to depend upon ourselves. 
It is a kind of irony of fate, when Kent’s Cavern has been so handsomely 
and wonderfully worked for so many years by Mr. Pengelly and others, that it 
should have been allowed to pass out of the hands of scientific people and 
scientific associations. A certain measure of blame, I dare say, is to be attached 
to local associations, and perhaps to our great Association. But the thing is 
done, and ought to be amended as soon as possible. It is a feature of our 
Association and our Conference, that much of our effort is spent in simple talk ; 
the matter ends with talk. I hope that something may be done at this Con- 
ference of Delegates to set matters in train whereby the working out of the 
cavern shall be carried on by scientific people in a scientific way. There is very 
little doubt that considerable elements in the past history of our globe are now 
enthroned in that cavern which in existing circumstances will not be brought up. 
Sir Epwarp Brasroox (Balham and District Antiquarian and Natural His- 
tory Society) stated that the matter of Kent’s Cavern was brought before the 
Council, and they expressed their entire sympathy with the object, but the 
Ancient Monuments Act, unfortunately, does not apply to okjects of natural 
formation, such as Kent’s Cavern. Therefore he was afraid, after having 
inquired of the best authority on that subject—that is, the Chief Inspector of 
Ancient Monuments—that nothing could be done for it. 
The Szcretary reported that the Council had officially informed him of the 
facts which Sir Edward had put before the Conference, and he alluded to what 
Mr. Mark Sykes said at Newcastle that he was prepared to do. It is now up to 
the Conference, as Mr. Bevan has said, to try to carry the matter further. 
The Rev. J. O. Bevan said that he would be very glad to formulate a 
proposal. 
Mrs. Forses Junian (Torquay Natural History Society) was very grateful - 
for the remarks that had been made about her father (Mr. Pengelly). The 
working of Kent’s Cavern was a great work in any man’s life. When the cavern 
was offered for sale her husband knew nothing about it. She would be very 
glad if anything could be done, because it was a very great loss to science, as 
