CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 63 
Fortunately the educational influence of our societies is not confined to 
their actual members. Often it reaches a large proportion of the surrounding 
population. Let us now turn to this aspect of our subject and see how the 
societies work. In a sense all their activities have an educational bearing, 
but some act more directly than others. The chief of these are Lectures 
Excursions, and Museums. , 
At our Newcastle Conference (1916) the subject of Lectures was dealt 
with in so admirable a manner by Mr. Percival Ashton in his paper and 
by Professor R. A. Gregory in the Interim Report of the Committee on 
Popular Science Lectures’ that it is impossible for me to add anything. 
Only for the sake of reminder I would emphasise this point. A distinction 
must be drawn between lectures to the society and lectures by the society. 
The society presumably consists of persons who, if not already learned, at 
least are prepared to learn. They lend a ready ear, and need no argument 
to convince them of the interest or utility of the studies which they have 
themselves combined to promote. Before such an audience the lecturer starts, 
without apology, in the middle of his subject. Lectures arranged by the 
society for an outside public stand on a different footing. They must be 
attractive and attractively advertised. The lecturer has to make good, to 
persuade, to convince. The former class of lectures may profitably convey 
definite instruction; the latter class should be rather in the nature of pro- 
paganda. They may afford a glimpse of the marvels of science or the 
fascination of the natural world, but their most useful service at the present 
day will be, in the words of the above-mentioned Report, ‘to show as many 
people as possible that they are personally concerned as citizens with the 
position of science in the State; in industry, and in education.’ The Report 
spoke of the hostility or unreceptiveness of the general public towards science. 
This attitude, and the equally distasteful one of a jesting tolerance, have been 
greatly modified by the war. Now is our great opportunity. The scientific 
principles at the base of food, of agriculture, of munitions, and the like 
urgent problems are no longer despised. The treatment of the wounded, 
protection against vermin and insect-borne disease, and the care of children afford 
many openings. The historical background of the war, the ethnology of 
Central Europe and the Balkans, the influence of language, the nature of 
frontiers: these are questions that have a less insistent appeal for the 
multitude, but they will find their audiences all the same. ‘There is scarcely 
a branch of human knowledge and mental activity that has not been stirred 
into new life by the present struggle. Our societies must be ready to take 
advantage of this ferment, so that on the advent of peace the public mind 
shall not revert to its old stagnation. 
The second educational method is by Excursions. Under this head are 
included visits to natural objects, to antiquarian remains, to zoological and botami- 
cal gardens, and to museums of science or of art. These are as a rule but lectures 
in another form; at any rate they are demonstrations. They are confined to the 
members, as a rule, but they usually prove more attractive than the indoor meet- 
ings, and so swell the ranks by introducing folk who come first for amusement but 
may remain for instruction. / 
Of a more serious character are those field excursions on which some actual 
work is done. Either specimens are collected and records noted, as on the 
popular Fungus Forays, or a systematic survey is conducted. As typical of 
a body undertaking such work, one may instance the Yorkshire Naturalists’ 
Union. In a Presidential Address to that body in 1904, Mr. W. Denison 
Roebuck? said: ‘Our true function is not an educational one, but one of 
original research at first-hand, and the publication of results. The only 
educational aspect of our work is that in which the observer teaches himself 
by his observations, and in which original workers influence each other. We 
leave the task of training the recruits from whom future observers will arise 
to the schools, colleges, universities, who are better equipped for such a 
task. It is our business to observe facts . . . and to place them on record .. . 
1 Rep. Brit. Assoc. 1916, pp. 326-351. _ 
2 1904, Trans. Yorksh. Naturalists’ Union, Part 35, p. 14. 
