188 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
duty as your President this year, I am called upon to deliver. But 
as in Optics the largest object to our vision is not that which is 
largest in itself, but that which is nearest to the eye, so in the 
present case another event, not so important nor reaching so far in 
its results, but of more immediate and local interest, presents more 
pressing claims to our attention. 
I need not say that I refer to the visit to Plymouth of the 
‘‘ British Association for the Promotion of Science,” a Society 
which has on its roll the names of the most distinguished men in 
almost every department of science. Such a visit could not fail to 
be of the highest interest to the town in general, and to the mem- 
bers of this Institution in particular. Our position indeed in the 
scientific world is far too humble to admit of our taking any leading 
part in the entertainment of the Association in a corporate capacity, 
but through the individual action of our members the Plymouth 
Institution has done almost more than its full share in making the 
visit of the distinguished guests both pleasant and successful. 
Looking through the list of local officers elected for the occasion, 
we find that the three Secretaries were each for some years the 
Hon. Secretaries of our Institution (Mr. W. Adams, Mr. W. Square, 
and Mr. H. Whiteford), and an Ex-President and member of our 
Council (Mr. C. Spence Bate, F.n.s.), had the honour of being elected 
one of the Vice-Presidents of the Association. The Institution was 
represented among the Secretaries, and other officers, of every 
Section, viz. : 
Section A.—Mathematical Science. Mr. F. G. Landon, m.a. 
Section B.—Chemical Science. Dr. Oxland, F.c.s. 
Section C.—Mr. W. Pengelly, F.z.s., r.a.s. (President) 
Section D.—Biology. Mr. F. Brent, Mr. J. B. Rowe, F.us., F.s.4. 
Section E.—Geography. Mr. F. E. Fox, B.a., F.R.a.s. 
Section F.—Economic Science. Mr. W. F. Collier. 
Section G.—Mechanics. Dr. Merrifield, F.R.A.s. 
Of the real work done in these various Sections, a fair share was 
also taken by our members. On the jirst day, Aug. 16th, Mr. 
Landon read a paper in the Mathematical Section, ‘‘On the Ten- 
dency of Heavenly Bodies to Centralize and Applanize, if subject 
to resistance in their Motions ;”” Mr. Spence Bate read his ‘‘ Report 
on the present state of our knowledge of Crustacea,” which will be 
published in full in the Transactions; and Mr. R. N. Worth, ¥.a.s., in 
the Geological Section, read a paper ‘‘On the Palzontology of Ply- 
mouth.” On the second day, Aug. 17th, Mr. T. Archer Briggs, F.1.s., 
