CORRESPONOma SOCIETIEvS. 575 



lie cuiiipi It'll by the Association, and the suggestion made in tlie report indicates 

 one way of helping them. The difficulty as to paid and voluntary lecturers is 

 no doubt real, but it is not impossible to find a working plan to overcome it. 

 As to the qualifications of lecturers, probably the be«t plan would be to give 

 with the name of each lecturer the name of the society responsible for its 

 admission to the list. Societies and committees would soon learn upon whose 

 nominations they could depend for good lecturers. What is wanted also is 

 lecturers who are advocates rather than scientific investigators, who will carry 

 on propaganda work, showing that science and scientific method are eesential to 

 iiiodern life and national existence. 



The Committee has been reappointed by the Council, and it is hoped that 

 by the next meeting a practical scheme will be ready. 



Mr. Mark L. Sykes (Manchester Microscopical Society) pointed out that 

 about twenty-one years since he suggested to the Manchester Microscopical 

 Society the formation of a section ' for the purpose of extending its work by 

 giving to outeide societies lectures and addresses on microscopical and biological 

 subjects and demonstrations in practical microscopy by members of the Society 

 who were known to be qualified for the work by both knowledge of their sub- 

 jects and ability to impart it in an interesting and intelligent manner. A com- 

 mittee was appointed and the extension section established, its objects being 

 the extension of the knowledge of microscopy and natural history to outside 

 associations, by means of lectures and demonstrations. A list of lectures and 

 demonstrations was printed and distributed to the secretaries of other societies, 

 kindred, literary, co-operative, political, and others, and to a number of schools 

 ill the neighbourhood of ^Manchester, and in Lancashire and Cheshire generally. 

 The movement has been a success from its commencement, demonstrations in 

 mounting, manipulation, light, optics, and other branches of microscopy being 

 given, and a fairly wide range of subjects lectured upon, chiefly in relation to 

 the main objects for which the ^Microscopical Society was founded. 



The work clone is entirely voluntary on the part of the members, it not being 

 tlie intention of the Society to compete with the professional lecturer. Fees are, 

 in some instances, asked for from societies who can afford to pay them, but these 

 go to the funds of the Microscopical Society, and are devoted to the purchase 

 of apparatus, lantern slides for lectures, and similar objects, but in some cases 

 not even expenses have been charged. The object has been solely to advance 

 interest in science and natural history by means at the Society's disposal, care 

 being taken that only lecturers qualified for the work shall be admitted to the 

 lecture list. 



The INIanchester Microscopical Society welcomes any extension of the move- 

 ment, feeling that the work done in the past has been justified by its results, 

 and any assistance which can be given will be rendered with pleasure. 



Mr. Thomas Sheppard (Yorkshire Naturalist*' Union and Yorkshire Philo- 

 sophical Society) congi-atulated the Conference upon the great value of the 

 report prepared by Professor Gregory, and sincerely hoped that something 

 definite would be done to assure that his recommendations were carried out. 

 ;\[r. Sheppard referred to the work the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union had done 

 by its lecture scheme, in providing popular lectures each winter among the forty 

 affiliated societies. It was, of course, obvious that after the present great 

 crisis much will have to be done to show that science must take its proper place 

 in the life and existence of the country. That can be largely carried out by 

 securing properly qualified and able popular scientific lecturers. 



Mr. H. SowERBUTTS (Manchester Geographical Society) said that the tendency 

 nowadays seemed to be for the majority of lecturers (outside the members of 

 one's own Society) to require fees, instead of it being the exception as was 

 formerly the case ; then they seemed only too pleased to have the opportunity to 

 speak on the subjects in which they were interested. 



He also reminded the Conference that the Manchester Geographical Society 

 formed a lecturing section of its members in 1887. The lectures were called 

 Victorian from the year of formation, and a full account of them was given 

 by Mr. J. Howard Reed, F.R.G.S., at the Association Meeting at Liverpool in 

 189G (p. 858 of the Annual Volume). 



' Mentioned iii Mr. Ashton's [lapcr. 



