ON THE COMBINATION OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 331 
in combination with the metropolitan head-quarters. Take Mal- 
vern first as an example. There the London Association would 
go, and would be joined by the Worcester, Cotteswold, Leicester, 
and other Societies around, and by the members of those more 
distant societies, such as the Kent, the Cornish, the Scotch and Irish, 
who felt interest in the geology of that instructive region. 
Mr. Salter is now pointing out in our columns good work to be 
done on the Longmynds. If the London Association inaugurated 
an excursion there under efficient leadershiiJ , say even, perhaps, under 
that of Mr. Salter himself, would there not be a hundred or more 
geologists from all parts of England who would be ready and willing 
to enjoy a week's work on the mountains of Shropshire ? 
The constitution of the Geological Society is framed for the pub- 
lishing of accomplished results, and there is an inherent dignity in 
the fiMtij of its meetings ; but the geologists of the Association com- 
bined, if we understood their original purpose rightly, for mutual 
instruction and active work. 
Let it not be understood that we are advocating mere gatherings. 
A concourse of people accumulated at one spot for the purpose of 
strolling over a country and dining together at the end of their 
ramble, does no more than promote good fellowship. It does almost 
nothing for science, not even so much as one stalwart arm would do 
in solitude by itself. But the work on such occasions should be con- 
templated and designed beforehand, and the geologists of the party 
should, like trained soldiers, he each put to his proper duty. Suppose 
a party of geologists at Dover, what good would they be likely to 
do scrambling along the cliffs one after the other ? Give each mem- 
ber of the party a particular duty to do — a particular stratum to 
examine, a section to measure and draw in detail, a tract of country 
to examine and map. Send out an exploring party to find cuttings 
or sections, faults or fissures ; another party to level and take dips. 
With such an organized party surveying the ground, marking every 
bed, and labelling every fossil, no field-day would be a dies non, but 
each would be "a red-letter day" for geology. If the Geologists' 
Association has been slothful, let them buckle on their armour and 
set-to even this summer. There is yet time for them to work out 
their proper destiny and attain their proper position. The last meet- 
