1904-1905.] 303 



societies were not better represented ; that the rules of admis- 

 sion should be changed ; and that a greater interest should be 

 exhibited. Judging from the numbers present I considered 

 it a poor meeting, and my first impression as a Delegate was 

 not a bright one. The names of the Delegates were published 

 in the journal, and I could see that many did not attend at 

 all, and some only for a few minutes, and I soon formed an 

 opinion that there was " something rotten in the State of 

 Denmark." To see a Delegate enter, write his name, shake 

 hands with a few, and then run away, is very much like a 

 melancholy farce. My advice is, never appoint anyone to 

 any position unless he will promise to attend, work, and 

 render an account of his stewardship. 



Principal Griffiths opened the proceedings by reading a 

 short paper, in which he said the present arrangement of 

 allowing only the Societies which printed " Proceedings " to 

 be represented should be kept, but extended to Societies 

 which had museums, but did not publish. He seemed to 

 think '' Proceedings " a poor test, and his faint praise of 

 them carried the usual condemnation, not to use the more 

 emphatic word. He also proposed the establishment of a 

 journal, commencing in a modest way, which might even- 

 tually be a source of much use. To meet this a tax of five 

 shillings per fifty members, equal to about one penny far- 

 thing per member, could be imposed on Represented Socie- 

 ties. At this meeting the poor " Proceedings " seemed to 

 come in for a large share of attention, which seemed to me 

 much out of place. 



A delegate from Hazelmore proposed that, as many So- 

 cieties were strong in good workers, and did not waste money 

 on " Proceedings," but applied it to work in the field, &c. — 

 and had not even a museum — it would be better to send out 

 Inspectors or Visitors from the British Association to all 

 Scientific Societies and on their report to invite such societies 

 to send in representatives. This was the most practical sug- 

 gestion I heard. Eventually all these ' suggestions " were 

 sent forward to the Council. 



