SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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every important scientific society, and certainly to 

 ours. Every geologist knows that there is no great 

 temptation to publishers to undertake the publi- 

 cation of works of a geological nature. A large 

 number of such books are a source of loss either 

 to the author or the publisher, or both ; and yet it 

 is hardly necessary to remark that many such 

 works are of considerable value. In fact, one 

 might almost say that the more valuable the book 

 to geologists (rather than to the public) the less is it 

 likely to be a financial success. It is a matter 

 of great regret that such a valuable publication 

 as "The Geological Record" should have been 

 allowed to drop for want of funds. Our friend, 

 Professor Blake, made a gallant attempt with his 

 '' Annals of British Geology," but this has also died 

 a natural death from the same melancholy cause. 

 The State will do nothing to help us, so we must 

 help ourselves. Again, take the case of "The 

 Geological Magazine " : that most excellent 

 perodical, which is read with so much pleasure and 

 profit by geologists in all parts of the world, Can 

 hardly be expected to pay its expenses ; if the 

 Geological Society could undertake to grant an 

 annual subsidy, the magazine might be extended, 

 further illustrations might be added, and perhaps 

 (if this is not Utopian) editors might be paid for 

 the labour which they now undertake voluntarily ? 

 One of the very first duties of a Geological Society 

 ought to be the annual publication of a Geological 

 Record ; and, moreover, every line of work done on 

 such a publication ought to be paid for, whatever 

 it cost. The important work at present done, rather 

 slowly and not quite completely, by the Royal 

 Society in publishing from time to time a Catalogue 

 of Scientific Papers ought to be divided up among 

 the different scientific societies. Our Society 

 would then be doing its share by including in its 

 annual Geological Record a list of all the important 

 papers that had been read. The Catalogue 

 published by the Royal Society comes out so long 

 after the appearance of most of the papers that its 

 value to scientific workers is very much impaired. 

 Other societies in France, Germany, Belgium and 

 elsewhere, might work in harmony with us in this 

 matter, and so the burden of this task would be 

 lightened. For instance, take the case of England 

 and Germany : we should send to the leading 

 Geological Society there our list of English papers 

 on Geology read anywhere in England or our 

 Colonies, and they would send us their list. So 

 with regard to books, a subject index might be 

 added, which is at present a great want in the 

 Royal Society's Catalogue of Papers. 



Photographs illustrating the geology of the 

 British Isles might be collected and stored up in 

 the library. We are aware that a Committee of 

 the British Association is at present collecting such 

 photographs ; but this work seems to belong more 



naturally to our Society. Some of the photographs 

 might be copied on a reduced seal.', being re- 

 produced by process, and blocks lent to authors to 

 illustrate their works. I would even go so far a . to 

 suggest that the Society might undertake the 

 publication of useful and well-illustrated little 

 manuals of geology. Such might be far better 

 illustrated than those that are at present brought 

 out by different publishers, frequently with wood- 

 cuts half a century old. When once a publishing 

 department has been formed no doubt many useful 

 schemes could be set on foot ; thus, for example, a 

 series of good wall diagrams might be published. 

 At present publishers, at least in England, will not 

 undertake so unprofitable a task, and yet such are 

 certainly an educational want. Good sets of 

 lantern slides, carefully selected by specialists in 

 each department, might be supplied to schools and 

 colleges. Another useful work in this depart- 

 ment might be the publication of instructions, 

 in the form of a leaflet, to workmen in quarries, 

 stoneworks, clay and gravel pits, etc., urging upon 

 them the great importance of the careful extraction 

 and preservation of fossils and especially bones. 

 Sir Richard Owen mentioned in his work on 

 " Palaeontology " that, but for the carelessness and 

 indifference of some workmen, a complete skeleton 

 of a British mammoth might have been preserved. 

 How many a good thing has been lost from the 

 same cause it would be impossible to say. The 

 leaflets might be sent to the Fellows in each 

 county, and each should be asked to distribute 

 them as opportunity offered. 



5. The Admission of Ladies as Members and 

 as Fellows. — I am quite aware that the admission 

 of the gentler sex to the ranks of the Geological 

 Society has already been discussed by members, 

 and that there is a great difference of opinion on 

 this subject. But we are only at the beginning 

 of a long struggle on the part of the ladies for 

 admission to all our learned societies, and as they 

 seem to have made up their minds on the question, 

 it seems to me that we of the sterner sex had 

 better bow to the inevitable at once, for the 

 women are sure to win in the end. Apart from 

 this argument it is an acknowledged fact that 

 there are women of considerable scientific attain- 

 ments, who are fully entitled by the papers they 

 have written and the work they have done in 

 various directions, to the honour of belonging 

 to the learned societies. To take Geology alone, 

 we know that excellent work has been done 

 by ladies, and that some papers of great merit 

 have been read on their behalf at certain of our 

 meetings. Some people are afraid that there 

 would be a danger of our societies becoming too 

 popular if ladies were admitted, that the standards 

 might be lowered, and the more serious work 

 comparatively neglected for geological excursions 



