xlii Reports of Committees. 



deration the subject submitted to them, viz., the Formation of Sec- 

 tions in the Institute, have to report that they are of opinion — 



I. That it is desirable that the Members of the Institute prose- 

 cuting particular departments of science shall have opportunities of 

 meeting and working together with fewer formal restraints than are 

 necessary at the ordinary meetings of the Institute. 



II. That for this purpose it is desirable that Sections be estab- 

 lished for the following departments, viz. : — 



Section A — Physical, Astronomical, and Mechanical Science, 

 including Engineering. 



Section B — Chemistry, Mineralogy, and Metallurgy. 



Section C — Natural History and Geology. 



Section D — Medical and Microscopical science, including Phy- 

 siology and Pathology. 



Section E — Geography and Ethnology. 



Section F — Social Science and Statistics. 



Section G — Literature and the Fine Arts, including Archi- 

 tecture. 



III. That the meetings of the sections be for scientific objects 

 only. 



IV. That there be no membership of the Sections as distinguished 

 from the membership of the Institute. 



V. That there be for each Section a Chairman to preside at the 

 meetings, and a Secretary to keep minutes of the proceedings, who 

 shall jointly prepare and forward to the Secretary of the Institute, 

 prior to the 1st of November in each year, a report of the proceed- 

 ings of the Section during the past year ; such report to be sub- 

 mitted to the Council. 



VI. That the Chairman and the Secretary of each section be ap- 

 pointed at the first meeting of the Council after its election in March, 

 in the first instance from members of the Institute who shall have 

 signified to the Secretary their willingness to undertake those offices, 

 and subsequently from such as are recommended by the Section as 

 fit and willing. 



VII. That the first meeting of each Section in the year be fixed 

 by the Council — the Section subsequently to arrange its own days 

 and hours of meeting, provided these be at fixed intervals. 



JOHN I. BLEASDALE, 



Chairman. 



