1867. 1 Geography and Ethnology. 583 



of duplicates and the better payment and increase in numbers of 

 the staff of curators. Mr. Wallace, Mr. Busk, Mr. Carruthers, and 

 others took part in a highly interesting discussion which followed, 

 nearly all were opposed to the exchange of duplicates, but agreed 

 with Mr. Murray in most other respects. 



Mr. Busk, in remarking on the papers relating to Arboriculture, 

 mentioned the fact that Gibraltar and Malta suffered from want of 

 water simply because the trees had been cut down. This was also 

 the case in Spain, and the importance of this matter could hardly 

 be overestimated. Foreign governments had taken the matter in 

 hand, and j;he art of the " forester " was carefully studied abroad. 



Mr. Tristram, in his paper, drew attention to the folly of de- 

 stroying birds of prey, since they checked the spread of disease 

 among game- birds. The Duke of Buccleuch and Sir John Ogilvy 

 concurred with the reverend gentleman, and considered that the 

 game-laws ought to be extended to vermin in order to ensure the 

 preservation of game. It is to be noted, however, that if there 

 were no game-preserving at all, there would be no epidemics among 

 game-birds. 



Sir James Alexander's paper related chiefly to the local arrange- 

 ments in Scotch Salmon-rivers. 



Among the grants of money obtaiued by Section D, is one of 

 100Z. to Sir John Lubbock, to assist in the preparation of the 

 ' Zoological Eecord,' of which we have had to speak so well before 

 in these pages. 



A recommendation on the management of the Natural History 

 Collections of the British Museum was also forwarded to the Par- 

 liamentary Committee by Section D. 



Geography and Ethnology. (Section E.) 



This Section sat on five days, from Thursday, September 5, to 

 the Tuesday following, including Saturday, when every other Sec- 

 tion adjourned for the excursions. The place of meeting was the 

 Great Hall of the new Albert Institute (of which Mr. Scott is the 

 architect), a fine apartment, with a very beautiful and simple 

 Gothic-arched roof, but so ill-adapted for hearing that only one 

 or two speakers with exceptionally powerful voices were ever 

 audible beyond the centre of the room. As is usually the case, 

 this Section was better attended than any other, although the 

 acoustic deficiencies of the Hall prevented it from being so well filled 

 as it otherwise would have been. The first meeting was particularly 

 well attended to hear the President, Sir Samuel Baker, deliver 

 his opening address, he being almost the only man present at this 



vol. rv. 2 q 



