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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXII. No. 817 



sideration the advisability of reorganizing 

 the work of the sections. Hitherto the sec- 

 tional proceedings have mainly been de- 

 voted to the reading of individual papers 

 on points of particular interest. This 

 practise has served its purpose in the past, 

 but in these days of growing specialization 

 it is open to serious abuse, and it is a ques- 

 tion whether the whole scheme of the as- 

 sociation's meetings should not be revised 

 with a view to its adaptation to modern re- 

 quirements. The need is for lectures 

 rather than papers, in which shaU be set 

 forth in as simple language as possible, for 

 the benefit of the educated and intelligent 

 public, who yet are not specialists, the 

 progress that is being made in the several 

 branches of science. Otherwise the meet- 

 ings tend to become a series of provincial 

 gatherings in which the various scientific 

 societies assemble in extra session, repeat- 

 ing in holiday fashion their London pro- 

 ceedings. A step in the right direction 

 reversing this tendency has been taken 

 during the past few years by some of the 

 sections, which have instituted afternoon 

 lantern lectures of a semi-popular char- 

 acter. The holding of joint meetings be- 

 tween the sections for the discussion of 

 questions of wide interest and importance 

 is another welcome sign of appreciation of 

 the need for adaptation to changing condi- 

 tions. The endeavor which has been made 

 in drawing up the program of the Sheffield 

 meeting to meet this need will be apparent 

 from the details given below of the sec- 

 tional arrangements; but much remains to 

 be done, and the question will no doubt 

 continue to engage the attention of the 

 council. 



The meeting will open on the evening of 

 Wednesday, August 31, in the Victoria 

 Hall, where the retiring president, Pro- 

 fessor Sir J. J. Thomson, P.R.S., will intro- 

 duce his successor, Canon T. G. Bonney, 



F.R.S., who will then deliver his presiden- 

 tial address. In the Victoria Hall, also, 

 will be delivered the evening discourses to 

 the association on the following Friday and 

 Monday. The first of these will be by Pro- 

 fessor William Stirling, who has selected 

 as his subject "Types of Animal Move- 

 ment," and the second by Mr. D. G. 

 Hogarth, whose discourse will be on "New 

 Discoveries about the Hittites." In the 

 Saturday evening lecture to the operative 

 classes, Mr. C. T. Heycock will deal with 

 metallic alloys. On the evening of Thurs- 

 day, September 1, the lord mayor (Lord 

 Fitzwilliam) and Lady Fitzwilliam will 

 hold a reception in the town hall, and later 

 in the meeting they will entertain the as- 

 sociation at an afternoon garden party at 

 their seat at Wentworth. An afternoon 

 garden party will also be given by the 

 local committee in the Botanical Gardens, 

 and on the evening of Tuesday, September 

 6, the local committee will hold a reception 

 in the Mappin Art Gallery, on the oppo- 

 site side of Western Park to the univer- 

 sity, where simultaneously a reception will 

 be held by the chancellor of the university 

 (the Duke of Norfolk) and the Duchess of 

 Norfolk. Various social functions on a 

 smaller scale have been arranged, while 

 members who are interested in the great 

 metallurgical and mechanical industries 

 for which Sheifield is famous will be af- 

 forded numerous opportunities of inspect- 

 ing the leading foundries and workshops. 

 The Saturday in the middle of the meeting 

 wiU, as usual, be devoted to excursions to 

 various places of interest in the neighbor- 

 hood, including Chatsworth and Haddon 

 Hall, Welbeck and Thoresby, Hardwick 

 and Bolsover Castle, Clumber and Ruf- 

 ford. 



The British Association has already ac- 

 cepted an invitation to hold its meeting 

 next year at Portsmouth, and one of the 



