REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, 1937-38 xxi 



Officers were authorised to advise the representatives of the Congress 

 informally in this matter. 



Reports on a Division for Social and International Relations of Science, 

 and a Publication. — The Countil have approved in principle, and recom- 

 mend, the establishment of a Division of the Association to deal with the 

 social and international relations of science. A Committee was appointed 

 to formulate a schema for the working of this Division. The same 

 Ccmmittee was instructed to consider and report upon present mtthods 

 of publication by the Association, and to suggest alternative mtthods if 

 thought desirable. The reports of this Committee are appended hereto. 



Down House. 



The following report for the year 1937-38 has been received from the 

 Down House Committee : — 



The number of visitors to Down House during the year ending June 6, 

 1938, has been 7,185, compared with 6,148 in 1936-37. 



A number of valued gifts have been added to the collection during the 

 past year. Sir Buckston Browne acquired and presented a portrait of 

 Darwin in oils, by E. Pailthorp, apparently made from a photograph already 

 in the collection, as Darwin is believed to have sat only to Ouless and 

 Collier. Sir Buckston Browne also collected photographs of members of 

 Darwin's family, which have been framed together. He received from 

 Mr. Sidney Spokes, M.R.C.S., a copy of the second edition of Lyell's 

 Elements of Geology, on a flyleaf of which there appears in Lyell's hand the 

 note : ' Darwin recommends a short chap, on metallic veins, giving the 

 present state of our knowledge. He denies seeing a beginning to each crop 

 of species. Jan. 26, 1842.' With this volume is now shown one of Lyell's 

 geological hammers, presented by Miss D. Pertz. Darwin's aneroid 

 barometer now hangs again in the old study, through the generosity of 

 Miss Hooker. Prof. F. W. Oliver, F.R.S., has presented an important 

 series of letters, which his father. Prof. Daniel Oliver, F.R.S., had from 

 Darwin. Mr. T. M. Ragg gave a reproduction of a portrait of Fitzroy, 

 commander of H.M.S. Beagle. Sir Josiah Stamp presented a reproduction 

 of the armorial bearings of the Association in stained glass. The statuette 

 of Darwin, mentioned in last year's report as by an unknown artist, has been 

 recognised as a studio model by Horace Montford : no statue appears to 

 have been executed from it. 



A new edition of the Catalogue has been prepared and will be brought 

 into circulation shortly. 



Rainfall is now read regularly from the standard gauge. The total 

 precipitation last year (1937) was 39-12 in., but as the standard gauge was 

 not in use in the first half of the year, no return was made to the Meteoro- 

 logical Office. By way of contrast, it may be mentioned that the rainfall 

 in January to March, 1937, was over 15 in. ; in January to March, 1938, it 

 was 5 in., of which 3-54 in. fell in January, 0-895 in February, and 0-565 

 in March. 



The Committee were glad to hear of the visit of a party to the House on 

 May 27 in connection with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the 

 foundation of the Linnean Society. 



The following financial statement shows income and expenditure on 

 account of Down House for the years ending March 31, 1937 and 1938 : — 



