ANNUAL CONGRESS OR CONFERENCE. 363
societies during the past 15 years, but the authors of the schemes
in too many cases forget that to carry on steady and continuous
work of the kind recommended, not only is scientific enthusiasm
and devotion necessary, but a considerable annual income is
also required. My own observations lead me to think that most
natural history societies suffer rather from a lack of the money
needed for carrying on investigations which they know to be
necessary than from ignorance of what lines of work to take up
in their respective districts.
The practical question arises—Can anything be done to
improve the position of our East Anglian societies? In the fore-
going remarks I have simply stated my doubts as to the
practicability or advisability of any system of real business
federation; I by no means wish to discourage co-operative work
by neighbouring societies. On the contrary, I most strongly
support such action. As a means to an end, I beg to put
forward a proposal that an Annual Conference or Congress of
our East Anglian societies should be established on some such
plan as the following: —
That the members of the three societies should meet
together annually in one or other, in succession, of the
counties of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. The meeting
should be carefully organised, and made as attractive as
possible. It should be a two-day meeting (at least)—i.e.,
the members should assemble on the morning of one day
for the reading of papers and discussion of plans of work : a
general meeting or conversazione should be held in the
evening; and on the second day excursions should be
arranged to localities of interest in the neighbourhood, and,
if possible, dredging and other natural history work
undertaken.
There is nothing novel in the suggestions thus put forward ;
some such plan is adopted by many scientific and archaeological
societies from the British Association downwards ; but it would
be quite a new departure in our section of the kingdom, and one,
I venture to think, of very considerable permanent value, not
only to the societies, but also to the cause of nature-study in our
midst.
We should be obliged to arrange for the reading of papers
and the delivery of addresses or lectures, and special efforts
should be made to obtain interesting local exhibits. All these
things will be useful in order to induce members and visitors to
attend the meetings, and to attract popular interest. But the
great value of the Congress would be from opportunities afforded
to the active members of the societies of meeting together, and
discussing methods. There are many lines of investigation and
work capable of being carried on by the three societies in co-opera-