175
NOTES ON THE REPORT OF THE CONFER-
ENCE OF DELEGATES OF THE CORRE-
SPONDING SOCIETIES OF THE BRITISH
ASSOCIATION, HELD AT EDINBURGH, 1892.
THE Report of the Edinburgh Conference has already been
printed, and copies of it have been sent to the secretaries and
delegates of the Corresponding Societies. But as these societies are
at present forty-two, and as the average number of members in each
is probably over 300, it is obvious that the British Association can
hardly be expected to send copies of the Report to individual mem-
bers. Yet, as it is most desirable that the local Societies should
co-operate as fully as possible with the British Association, I was
directed, as secretary to the Corresponding Societies Committee, to
forward with the Report a list of the Committees appointed by the
Association, also a letter from which I here extract the concluding
paragraph:
"I am also requested by the Corresponding Societies Committee
to ask you to urge upon your Society, and its members individually,
the importance of taking part in the work of as many of the Com-
mittees mentioned in the accompanying list as may be found
practicable in your district. For further particulars concerning the
work of these Committees communications should be addressed to
their respective secretaries or to the secretary of the British Associa-
tion."
These Committees are altogether seventy in number, but the
co-operation of the Corresponding Societies is important only with
regard to eleven or twelve of them. The discussions at the Con-
ference of Delegates are confined to subjects about which it is
especially necessary that the delegates should exchange views and
experiences, so that either those Societies which happen to be some-
what backward in any special subject may learn from the more
advanced therein, and a common standard of work be attained; or
some united course of action be fixed upon.
One Committee is concerned with the production and collection
of meteorological photographs; and at Edinburgh the desirability of
obtaining photographs illustrating the damage done by floods,
whirlwinds, etc., the difficulties of taking such photographs, and the
work done in this department by certain Societies, were discussed
and some photographs exhibited. Another Committee exists in
order to collect and preserve geological photographs. A large
number of these was exhibited, and it was thought important that