RESEARCH COMMITTHES. lxv 
metric system as an alternative standard (as in Great Britain). They would also 
cordially welcome the inclusion of Australia as a member of the International 
Convention.’ 
(c) From Section A. 
‘That the British Association learns with great satisfaction that the State 
Government of Victoria has put a definite annual grant at the disposal of the 
Director of the Melbourne Observatory for printing the work already done at the 
Observatory. It is very desirable that every effort should be made to publish as soon 
as possible the arrears accumulated during the past thirty years.’ 
(d) Hrom Sections C and L. 
‘The Committees of the Geographical and Geological Sections of the British 
Association wish to draw attention to the high scientific value and practical 
importance of systematic glacial observation in New Zealand, and venture to urge 
upon the favourable consideration of the Government of the Dominion the great 
importance of continuing and extending the work which is now being done in this 
direction by officers of the Government, as far as possible in conformity with the 
methods adopted by the Commission Internationale des Glaciers.’ 
(e) From Sections Cand EL. 
‘The Geographical and Geological Sections of the British Association respect- 
fully request the Secretary of State for the Colonies to establish on certain islands 
in the Coral Seas—in extension of a plan that has lately been presented to His 
Excellency the Governor of Fiji, and by him submitted for the favourable con- 
sideration of the Legislative Council of that Colony—a number of bench-marks, 
with respect to which the mean level of the sea surface shall be accurately deter- 
mined once every ten years, in order to discover, after a century or longer, whether 
any change takes place in the altitude of land with respect to the sea. 
‘It is suggested that a uniform plan for this work be prepared by the appropriate 
Government department, and that an abstract of the results obtained for each decade 
be forwarded to the British Association for publication.’ 
(f) From Section C. 
‘ That the Committee of Section C submits for favourable consideration to the 
committee of Recommendations of the British Association the question of urging 
the Federal and State Governments-in Australia to co-operate in undertaking, as 
soon as possible, a gravity survey of the Earth’s crust within the area of the 
Commonwealth. The Committee suggests that the work be commenced in the 
region of the Great Rift Valley of Australia, extending from near Adelaide north- 
wards to Lake Eyre.’ 
(g) From Section E. 
‘The Committee of Section E most warmly favours the project of a uniform 
Map of the World on a scale of 1:1,000,000, and expresses the hope that the sheets 
of Australia may be undertaken as soon as possible, on the same plan as has lately 
been adopted by the War Office in London for a map of Africa, and by the 
Geological Survey in Washington for the U.S.A. To this end they regard it as 
desirable that in the extensive surveys which the several States of the Common- 
wealth are carrying on, as much stress should be laid upon the geographical features 
of the land, the watercourses and the mountains, as upon property boundaries, and 
that in particular the determination of altitudes should be carried on, in order 
eventually to provide the basis for contoured maps.’ 
(h) From Sections D and K. 
‘It is with much pleasure that we ascertain that a Bill has been prepared by the 
present Government of South Australia for the establishment of a reserve of 300 
square miles situated on the western end of Kangaroo Island for the preservation of 
the fauna and flora, which are fast being exterminated on the mainland. and that 
this reserve will be placed under the control of a Board nominated by the University 
of Adelaide and the Government. We trust that this Bill will become law at an 
early date.’ 
