KNUBLEY : THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



The term ' estuary " should, in his opinion, be used as meaning all parts 

 of a tidal river between the upper limit of the tide and the open sea. 



The Underground Water Committee requires information as 

 to the depth of wells, the sections passed through, the height at which 

 the water stands before and after pumping, daily records of the 

 height and chemical analyses of the waters. 



The Erratic Blocks Committee wants information as to the 

 position, size, and character of boulders of foreign origin that may 

 occur in drift-covered areas, and is anxious that the position of the 

 same should be noted on the one-inch map of the Ordnance Survey, 

 with a view to taking steps for their preservation. It was mentioned 

 that Mr. S. A. Adamson, F.G.S., had rendered valuable assistance 

 to this committee on behalf of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. 



The Sea Coasts Erosion Committee — With reference to the 

 work of this committee, Mr. Topley stated that but little assistance 

 had as yet been received from the local Societies, those in maritime 

 counties might greatly assist the committee by local observations as 

 to present changes, and by researches as to past conditions of the 

 coast. 



Life- histories of Plants. — Prof Bayley Balfour forwarded a 

 communication in which he stated that the discovery and description 

 of new forms, and the distribution of our indigenous plants is, in 

 Botany, the line upon which most of the energies of local societies 

 are principally spent, whilst habit, construction, and generally the 

 features of life-history of plants come in for attention in quite a 

 secondary way. This arose, he thought, in great part from the 

 prevalent notion that the facts of the life-history of our common 

 plants are all well known, and that there was little, if anything, more 

 to find out about them. This was an erroneous idea. He thought 

 that 2;ood results would follow if the members of their societies were 

 to Study the life-histories of indigenous plants in their entirety, i.e.^ 

 from the stage of embryo in the seed up to the production of fruit 

 and seed again. Anyone who would take up this line of study would 

 assuredly derive great pleasure from it, and would be able to add a 

 great deal to the sum of our knowledge of plant-life. Such work 

 could be well combined with the more usual systematic work, it 

 could be easily accomplished, and it would be found to give much 

 additional interest to the study of British Botany. 



Status of the Conference of Delegates. — At the Manchester 

 meeting of the Association an important resolution was framed, at the 

 instigation of Sir Douglas Galton, with the object of conferring addi- 

 tional powers upon the Conference. According to the former rules, the 

 delegates had no power of submitting resolutions or recommendations 



Naturalist, 



