1900-1901.] »97 



formal business of the evening, to refer briefly to an important 

 event reported since we entered this room, an event which has 

 closed the Victorian Era, and excited feelings of profound sym- 

 pathy and sorrow through the united Empire, if not through 

 the entire civilised world. I refer to the death of our Most 

 Gracious Sovereign Queen Victoria, whose reign will be for 

 ever distinguished for the advancement made in science and its 

 application to the practical purposes of mankind, issues due in 

 no small degree to the impulse imparted by the efforts of the 

 late Prince Albert. A reign no less remarkable for the culti- 

 vation of domestic and moral virtues, which, in the person of 

 the Sovereign, shed a brilliant lustre around the throne of 

 Queen Victoria, whose death we each and all most sincerely 

 deplore. 



Mr. Gray's report as delegate gave a detailed description of 

 the origin, development, and the present modes of procedure 

 of the British Association, which held its first meeting in York 

 in t 83 1 , so that its history to the present is coincident with the 

 late Queen's reign. In 1884 the British Association arrange 1 

 for holding an annual conference of delegates from such local 

 scientific societies as conducted original investigations and 

 published results of a satisfactory standard, and when accepted 

 as a corresponding society of the association, has the right to 

 send a delegate to the conference, who becomes for the time 

 ex officio member of the governing body of the association, 

 and has a voice in its deliberations. The conference of dele- 

 gates is specially intended for the discussion of matters relating 

 to the local societies, their plans of operation, and modes of 

 publishing results. The question ot copyright, and how best 

 to co-operate with the association, and to help in carrying out 

 its investigations were very fully discussed in Bradford. Mr. 

 Gray then gave a detailed account of the different subjects of 

 original inquiry engaging the attention of the several sections 

 of the association, and referred particularly to such subjects as 

 tii j Belfast Field Club may be enabled to consider and co- 

 operate with the committee in charge, such, fo example, as 



