424 CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 



these, and in taking part in their preparation, active members of local 

 societies would find an attractive sphere of interest. 



They would, however, be doing better than that — they would be 

 lending a useful hand in encouraging studies that would inevitably extend 

 interest in ' natural knowledge ' generally. They would help to increase 

 the number who would find their lives enriched by such studies, and who 

 might in after years become working members of a local scientific society. 



The Conference of Delegates of Corresponding Societies met at Leeds 

 on Thursday, September 1, at 2 p.m. The delegates present were forty- 

 four in number, representing fifty-nine societies. Two representatives 

 were also present from Section K (Botany). 



The President of the Conference, Sir Francis Ogilvie, C.B., LL.D., 

 delivered an address, which is printed above. Mr. T. Sheppard (Vice- 

 Chairman) proposed a cordial vote of thanks to the President, which was 

 carried by acclamation. 



A proposal that the delegates should lunch together before the adjourned 

 session was not adopted. It was recommended, on the motion of Sir 

 George Fordham (Hertfordshire Natural History Society) that agenda of 

 the Conference should be circulated in advance to delegates. 



The report of the Corresponding Societies Committee was submitted, 

 dealing with (1) the liability of scientific societies to income-tax, which 

 is the subject of test cases selected by agreement between the British 

 Association, the Society of Antiquaries and the Treasury, and now sub 

 judice ; (2) the liability of scientific and educational films to import duty, 

 as to which the Treasury is not willing to make any concession ; (3) the 

 revision of the Register of Corresponding Societies, which the Council of 

 the British Association had postponed until after the Leeds meeting. Out 

 of a total of 161 societies, only from 35 to 50 have sent delegates to recent 

 Conferences ; and in 1923 the Committee recommended to the Council 

 that any society which does not send a delegate to the Conference during 

 five successive years should be deemed, unless there is reason to the 

 contrary, to have ceased to be a Corresponding Society. 



Sir George Fordham (Herts N.H.S.) addressed the Conference on 

 the Preservation of British Wild Flowers, and moved ' that it is desirable 

 that information should be obtained as to the number of Local Govern- 

 ment areas in the United Kingdom and the Irish Free State, in which 

 bylaws, relating to the destruction of wild flowers and plants, at present 

 exist ; as to the terms of such bylaws ; and as to the prosecutions which 

 have taken place thereunder.' After discussion this recommendation was 

 adopted ; but a motion recommending the circulation of a descriptive 

 list of rare plants was rejected, on the ground that such a list would draw 

 undesirable attention to the rarity of such plants, and accelerate their 

 disappearance. A motion proposed by Dr. E. M. Delf (Section K, Botany) 

 was adopted : ' That it is desirable to approach educational and other 

 public bodies with a view to securing their co-operation in the protection 

 of wild flowers and forest or woodland trees from fire or other damage.' 



Prof. E. L. Hawkins (Geologists' Association) addressed the Conference 

 on the preservation and scientific record of geological sections, of historical 



