Wa2 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.—1914. 
was duly passed. The first Conference was held at Swansea in 1880, and at this 
a Committee, consisting of Sir George Fordham and himself, was appointed to 
arrange for future Conferences. These were held, unofficially but with the 
sanction of the Council, at York in 1881, Southampton in 1882 (when Professor 
Meldola was added to the Committee), Southport in 1883,-and Montreal in 
1884. After this a Corresponding Societies Committee was officially appointed to 
manage the Conferences of Delegates, and the rules were altered, reducing the 
number of Delegates from each society to one, who need not be either President 
or Secretary of his society. 
During the period of the unofficial Conferences, in 1882, a ‘ Circular referring 
to Subjects recommended for Investigation by Local Scientific Societies’ was 
issued to the Corresponding and other Societies. This included the work of 
three Committees of the British Association and three subjects investigated by 
other societies or by individuals. In 1890 the Hertfordshire Natural History 
Society issued a circular extending that list, but omitting one Committee which 
had concluded its labours. This list was as follows :—A. Investigations con- 
ducted by Committees of the British Association : 1. Temperature of Surface- 
water. 2. Underground Waters. 3. Erosion of Sea-coast. 4. Erratic Boulders. 
5. Geological Photography. 6. Disappearance of Native Plants. 7. Fresh- 
water Fauna and Flora. 8. Pre-historic Remains. B. Investigations conducted 
by other Societies or by Individual Observers: 1. Rainfall. 2. Phenological 
Phenomena. 3.-Injurious Insects. 4. Archeological Survey of England. In 
each case brief instructions to observers were given, and also the names and 
addresses of those to whom the results were to be communicated. This circular, 
copies of which were sent to most of our provincial ‘societies, appears to have 
done much to direct their attention and their energies into useful channels. He 
might add that the Corresponding Societies entered con amore into the project, 
each Society or Delegate subscribing 2s, 6d. per annum for the cost of the first 
five Conferences, chiefly expended in printing reports of them which were sent 
to all the societies. 
Mr. Hopkinson then said that he would leave to Dr. Garson the duty of 
explaining the organisation of the Conferences of Delegates by the Corresponding 
Societies Committee as an official department of the British Association from the 
year 1885, and he concluded his remarks with an expression of gratification at 
the courteous request of the Association Francaise that we would explain our 
methods to them, and the compliment implied by this request. 
Dr. Garson then gave some further details supplementing what had been said 
by Mr. Hopkinson, and pointing out the advantages derived by the Affiliated 
Societies. 
Dr. Lorr and Professor Ray: This is the object to be pursued in France ; 
we ought to follow the lead of the British Association and report what has been 
said at the Conference to the various French Societies. 
II. The Question of Units. 
Monsieur J. Hennier raised the question with regard to the changes which 
were to be made in the French Units. 
Dr. Garson spoke of the recent introduction of the metric system in England 
into biological and medical investigations. 
Mr. Hopxryson said that the British Meteorological Office had recently 
adopted the metric system in the publication in the ‘Monthly Weather Report’ 
of certain meteorological observations. From May 1 this year barometer read- 
ings were given in centibars and millibars (to the tenth of a millibar), rainfall 
observations in millimetres, and wind velocities in gales in metres per second. 
Mr. Witrrep Marx Wess, at the request of the meeting, undertook to ask 
the Council of the British Association to give an opinion direct or through the 
appropriate Committee on the changes in the French system on receiving details 
of the same. 
The result of the meeting was that it was decided to arrange a Conference at 
the meeting of the French Association in 1915 as nearly as was possible on the 
lines of the British one. 
