370 Miscellaneous. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Seventh Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science. 



The Meeting- of the British Association was arranged by previous 

 agreement to be held this year at Liverpool, the general meetings to 

 commence on Monday, I lth September. In the preceding week the 

 preliminary arrangements were made by the Council and General 

 Committee, while the town and corporation of Liverpool opened its 

 institutions, and prepared accommodation on the most liberal scale 

 for the various assemblies which were contemplated. The private 

 institutions in the town, and the principal manufacturing establish- 

 ments were also opened during the week of meeting ; excellent and 

 commodious rooms were allotted for the business and debates of each 

 of the sections ; and altogether, the proceedings of this year have 

 been most important and satisfactory. Our particular department 

 being connected with one section, we shall only now notice the pro- 

 ceedings in Zoology and Botany, but previously will offer one or two 

 remarks on the manner in which some parts of the general business 

 has been conducted. 



The British Association has always had our warmest wishes for its 

 success, and when circumstances permitted us to attend its meetings, 

 we departed at their conclusion impressed with a feeling of deep re- 

 gret that they had terminated, and that the friendly and scientific in- 

 tercourse had so soon been broken off; we thought that it was an 

 association which bid fair to extend the march of science, and would 

 give an additional thirst for the acquirement of knowledge to many, 

 who would not have been directed to any of its branches, simply be- 

 cause, what they had in reality to learn required to be pointed out ; 

 and where the direction of the subjects treated of, and the occasional 

 lectures given, as at the pi'esent meeting with reference to the local 

 application of science, the most important results might be expected. 

 We are sure then, that, having expressed our opinion thus of the 

 utility and importance of this great national assemblage, we shall not 

 be thought as invidiously finding fault with any portion of its manage- 

 ment, but that we wish to give the warning of a sincere well-wisher 

 to a body which we would most anxiously cherish. At the same 

 time, making the fullest allowance for occurrences which must take 

 place to a certain extent, where the members are so numerous and 

 the arrangements so multitudinous, there are one or two occurrences 

 which we feel it would not be our duty to pass over in complete si- 

 lence, particularly as we have seen that none of our periodicals have 



