PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
183 
at which brief reports of the results of the excursions were 
given in, and a well-deserved vote of thanks accorded to 
the local Society for the successful manner in which it had 
carried out all the arrangements for the annual meeting. 
No definite arrangement has yet been made for next year’s 
annual meeting. Though your delegates are fully sensible 
of the claims of Perth as the locality in which an early 
meeting should be held, they are of opinion that, as the 
foundation meeting of the Union was held in Perth, and 
the first annual meeting in a locality so near at hand, it 
would not be desirable for the sake of the Union to have 
next year’s meeting here, but rather in some more distant 
part of the district. They did not therefore think it 
advisable to bring forward the claims of Perth on this 
occasion. At the same time they consider it desirable 
that our Society should invite the Union to fix Perth as 
the place of the annual meeting at no very distant date, 
and solicit instructions on this point. 
REPORT OF THE DELEGATES (MR ROBERT PULLAR, F.R.S.E., 
AND MR RUFUS D. PULLAR, F.C.S.) TO THE MEETING OF 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION AT MONTREAL. 
REPORTED BY MR ROBERT PULLAR. 
I had the honour of being nominated as delegate 
from the Perthshire Society of Natural Science to 
the great meeting of the British Association for the 
Advancement ©f Science, which held its annual meet¬ 
ing this year at Montreal from August 27 to Sep¬ 
tember 3. I feel a difficulty in knowing how to 
give an account of my stewardship, so many and varied 
were the experiences of that memorable occasion. I 
saw so many scientific men, British, Foreign, and Colonial, 
and heard so much about their various researches, that a 
feeling akin to despair was engendered as I realised how 
little I comprehended of the vast stores of learning poured 
forth in the various sections during so many days in the 
beautiful and commodious rooms of the Macgill University 
and adjacent buildings. The meetings of the British 
Association are at all times interesting and improving,—no 
better holiday can be spent, no pleasanter recreation can 
be obtained, than to go to the autumnal Association meet¬ 
ings wherever they are held,—but this occasion was one of 
peculiar interest, seeing it was the first on which the Asso¬ 
ciation had held meetings beyond the bounds of our own 
country. Grave doubts were at first expressed as to the 
wisdom or policy of this movement, but the experiment 
has proved an entire success, and doubtless ere many years 
elapse some of our other colonies will be visited. In proof 
of the desire for this, an application was considered at the 
meeting of the British Association Committee in London on 
11th November, in which the city of Melbourne cordially in¬ 
vited the Association to pay a visit at some early period to 
that great Australian city. 
I shall not detain you by attempting any descrip¬ 
tion of the voyage across the great Atlantic. It had 
its ups and downs like all other paths through life* 
and science has not yet sufficiently advanced to provide 
a remedy for those cruel rollings and tossings which agree 
so badly with many constitutions, but which once over are 
soon forgotten. In one respect we did profit greatly by 
the advancement of science, as our good ship Germanic 
was lighted throughout with the incandescent Swan lamps, 
and a very great improvement they were over the evil, 
smelling and dismal oil lamps of former days, be¬ 
sides greatly diminishing the risk of fire. The excellence 
of the arrangements made by the Montreal Committee 
was worthy of all praise, and added much to the comfort 
and pleasure of visitors. The Dominion Government and 
the local authorities, the railway and steamer companies, 
the cable and telegraph companies, the authorities of 
Macgill University and other public institutions, as well 
as private individuals, vied with each other in their kind 
consideration for the comfort of visitors; and, favoured as 
we were with bright and pleasant weather, we were able 
to appreciate and enjoy the afternoon garden parties and 
excursions, as well as the morning meetings of the Sections, 
where so many valuable papers were read and scientific 
discussions took place. At least 800 members attended 
from Great Britain, and as many more from various parts 
of Canada and the United States became associates for the 
Montreal meeting. 
It was gratifying to find so many delegates from 
local societies like our own. At least 50 were so re¬ 
presented, and an important meeting of the delegates 
was held, at which I was present, when the following 
rules were submitted as those under which local scientific 
Societies may be connected with the British Association :— 
Corresponding Societies. 
(1) Any Society is eligible to be placed on the List of Corres¬ 
ponding Societies of the Association which undertakes local 
scientific investigations, and publishes notices of the results. 
(2) Applications may be made by any Society to be placed on 
the List of Corresponding Societies. Application must be ad¬ 
dressed to the Secretary on or before the first of June preceding 
the annual meeting at which it is intended they should be con¬ 
sidered, and must be accompanied by specimens of tire publica¬ 
tions of the results of the local scientific investigations recently 
undertaken by the Society. 
(3) A Corresponding Societies Committee shall be annually 
