336 REPORTS ON THE STATE OK SCIENCE. — 1916. 



lectures have been delivered for the past thirty-five years at this college. 

 During the past few years the numbers delivered on science subjects 

 have been less than in previous years, but there is good reason to believe 

 that if some pecuniary assistance from a central fund could be devoted 

 to lectures on science much progress might be made, not only in this 

 city but throughout the whole of the East Midland area. At one time 

 it was the practice to arrange during each session two or three series 

 of lectures on scientific subjects during the winter terms. These series 

 consisted of three or four weekly lectures on each subject and were 

 generally delivered by professors of the college. The professors 

 received no extra remuneration for this work and as the ordinary college 

 work grew it was almost impossible for the time to be spent in the 

 prepar-ation, which, it can be well understood, was very extensive. Ten 

 to fifteen years back we always had crowded audiences, but these were 

 cut down owing to the opening of so many pictui'e-houses in the city 

 and also to the fact that many of the senior scholars from the secondary 

 and other schools now continue their education at the college and other 

 institutions, attending two and three evenings per week. ' 



Constructive Proposals. 



Many correspondents are of the opinion that the formation of a 

 panel of lecturers who would be prepared to assist small societies by 

 lecturing for a small fee would be of great assistance. Mr. H. Y. 

 Thompson, Hon. Sec. of the North Staffordshire Field Club, says: 

 ' It would greatly faciUtate matters if the British Association prepared 

 a list of lectm'ers on various scientific subjects who, although not 

 necessarily in the first rank of scientific attainment, could be relied 

 upon to give lectures ^^'hich would hold and interest a normal popular 

 audience. This course would much assist local clubs and societies in 

 the difficult choice of lecturers and also enable them to gauge the interest 

 in science in the district. Furthermore, promising young men would 

 be introduced to districts where they are unknown at the present time.' 



Mr. H. E. Forrest, Hon. Sec. of the Caradoc and Severn Valley 

 Field Club, makes much the same suggestions, as follows : ' I think 

 local societies might help each other a great deal more than they do. 

 In almost every society there are one or two members who are good 

 lecturers on some particular branch of natural science. These might, 

 in many instances, be willing to lecture to other societies for their 

 expenses or a nominal fee. I suggest that you prepare a list of these 

 gentlemen (giving addresses), with the subjects on which they lecture, 

 and send the list to all corresponding societies, leaving it to their 

 secretaries to make arrangements direct with the resiaective lecturers.' 



Mr. Herbert Bolton, Curator of the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, 

 suggests that there should be an exchange system of lecturers among 

 museum curators : ' If, say, a dozen curators had all to work up 

 lectures upon subjects with which they are familiar, they could, by 

 aiTangement, deliver the lecture at eleven other places in addition to 

 their own, and so put in a good winter's work and make a good lecture 

 reach a wide audience. ' Similar suggestions are made by several 

 correspondents for the exchange of lecturers among local scientific 

 societies. 



