REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. Corresponding Societies Committee.-Report of the Committee, consisting of Mr. W. WHITAKER (Chairman), Mr. F. W. RUDLER (Secretary), Rev. J. O. BEVAN, Dr. HORACE T. BROWN, Dr. VAUGHAN CORNISH, Principal E. H. GRIFFITHS, Mr. T. V. HOLMES, Mr. J. HOPKINSON, Professor R. MELDOLA, Dr. H. R. Mut, Mr. C. H. READ, Rev. T. R. R. STEBBING, Professor W. W. WATTS, and the GENERAL OFFICERS. (Drawn up by the Secretary.) THE Committee beg leave to report that at several meetings during the past session they have had under consideration the suggestions with reference to Corresponding Societies which were brought forward by Principal E. H. Griffiths at the Conference of Delegates at Cambridge last year. In accordance with a Resolution passed at that meeting, and sent up to the Committee of Recommendations, the General Committee of the Association appointed a Committee, consisting of certain Members of the Council, with representatives of the Corresponding Societies, in order to consider the present relation between the British Association and the local scientific societies, with power to make suggestions for the greater utilisation of such relationship. This Joint Committee duly reported to the Council of the Association, and their Report was remitted by the Council to the Corresponding Societies Committee. The recommendations in the Report were discussed and amended by this Committee, and were finally adopted, in the amended form, by the Council. As a result of this discussion there will henceforth be two classes of local societies eligible for relationship with the British Association. One class, to be called Affiliated Societies, will consist, as at present, of such societies as undertake local scientific investigation and publish the results. Each Affiliated Society may be represented at the meetings of the British Association by a delegate, who must be a Member of the Association, and who will be, for the time being, a member of the General Committee. The new class of corresponding societies, to be called Associated Societies, will include societies formed for the purpose of encouraging the study of science, which have been in existence for at least three years and number not fewer than fifty members. Each Associated Society will have the right to appoint a delegate to attend the Annual Conference. This delegate, who may be either a Member or an Associate of the British Association, will have all the rights of a delegate from an Affiliated Society, except that of membership of the General Committee. With regard to the suggestion made in the Chairman's Address to the Delegates at Cambridge, that a 'Journal of Corresponding Societies' should be established, the Committee, after very careful consideration of the subject, came unanimously, though regretfully, to the conclusion that, in their opinion, the publication of such a Journal by the British Association would be impracticable. The question of obtaining, if possible, reduced railway rates for members of local scientific societies when travelling even singly for scientific purposes was referred to this Committee by the Delegates at the Cambridge Conference. A form of application to the various railway companies has consequently been drafted, and distributed to all the Affiliated Societies with the view of ascertaining their opinion. This application has been generally, but not unanimously, approved, and it now remains for the Committee to submit the matter to the Council of the Association before further action can be taken. In view of the visit of the British Association to South Africa, it has been felt that the most convenient course to adopt this year would be to hold the Conference of Delegates in London after the South African meeting. This suggestion has been approved by the Council, and it has consequently been arranged that the Conference shall be held October 30 and 31, the latter being the date of a meeting in London of the General Committee of the British Association, which the delegates of the Affiliated Societies have a right to attend. on It is proposed that at this Conference the following subjects, among others, shall be discussed : 1. The Preservation of our Native Plants. 2. The Law of Treasure Trove. 3. Copyright Law as it affects Scientific Societies. The usual Schedule of Questions has been sent out to the Affiliated Societies, and from the returns which have been received it appears that twenty-one Societies have been engaged during the past session in more or less original scientific work of a local character. The City of London College Science Society has been added to the list of Corresponding Societies. As the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society has failed to return the Schedule after repeated application, the Committee regret that they are compelled to recommend its removal from the list of Corresponding Societies. The Committee ask to be reappointed with a grant of 251. As the Committee have been charged by the Council with the duty of collecting information regarding the Societies of the United Kingdom which are eligible for relation with the British Association under the new class of Associated Societies, much additional correspondence, needing extra expenditure for clerical assistance, &c., will be thrown upon the Committee during the forthcoming year. It will probably not be easy to discover all the smaller societies scattered throughout the country, and the Committee will consequently be glad of any information which will assist them in this branch of their work. Report of the Conference of Delegates of Corresponding Societies held in the Rooms of the Linnean Society, Burlington House, Lowion, October 30 and 31, 1905. Chairman A. Smith Woodward, LL.D., F.R.S. W. Whitaker, B.A., F.R S. . F. W. Radler, L.S.O. The following Corresponding Societies nominated Delegates to represent them at the Conference. The attendance of the Delegates is indicated in the list by the figures 1 and 2 placed in the margin opposite to the name of each Society, and referring respectively to the first and second meetings. Where no figure is shown it will be understood that the Delegate did not attend.' List of Societies sending Delegates. Andersonian Naturalists' Society. M. A. B. Gilmour, FZ S. 1 2 Bath Natural History and Antiqua- ; Rev. C. W. Shickle, MA, ESA. rian Field Club. 1 2 Belfast Naturalists' Field Club . Belfast Natural History and Philoso phical Society. Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. W. Gray, MRIA. Dr. Joht.son Symit gton, F.RS. A. H. Evans, M A., F Z. S. Birmingham and Midland Institute W. Bayley Marshall, M Inst CE. Scientific Society. Birmingham Natural History and Buchan Field Club Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Club Cardiff Naturalists' Society C. J. Watson. J F. Tocher, F.I.C. Croydon Natural History and Scien-w F. Stanley, F.G 8. tific Society. 2 Hull Geological Society 1 E. R. Sykes, B.A. Prof. G. A. J. Cole, F.G.S. A. 8. Reid, M.A. W. Taylor, J P. F. W. Rudler, I 8.0. J. B. Murdoch. Peter Ewing, F.L.S. G. T. Beilby. Hon. Rollo Russell. J. Hopkinson, F.L.S. Rev. R. Ashington Bullen, B.A., G. W. B. Macturk. Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists' T. Sheppard, F.G.S. Club. The attendances are taken from the Attendance-book, which each Delegate is requested to sign on entering the Meeting-room. |