OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 153
to students. "We are distinctly in need of a series of books to
treat of ignorance rather than knowledge." The Chairman was
not disposed to hide the fact that the local societies had not
followed to any great extent the organised lines of research
which had been suggested from time to time at the annual Con-
ferences ; but he found a partial explanation of this neglect in the
spirit of individualism, so characteristically British, which
penetrates even to our scientific societies. "We cannot endure
the feeling that we are merely units in the working of an organ-
ised machine; we all wish for freedom to follow our own
inclinations."
Dr. William Martin, of the Temple, introduced a discussion
on "The Law of Treasure Trove, especially in relation to local
scientific societies.'' He held that in the interest of archaeology
the law, so far from being abolished, as some have suggested,
should rather be extended. Meanwhile, he suggested that
printed notices should be sent to every post office, where they
should be publicly displayed, in order that it might be generally
known that any finders of valuable antiquities would be reason-
ably, or even liberally, rewarded.
Mr. W. Morris Colles, the Director of the Authors'
Syndicate, and Mr. Harold Hardy, of the Temple, explained to
the delegates the present Law of Copyright as it affected the
proceedings of scientific societies. It appears that if a paper be
read at a society, where the audience consists only of its
members and a limited number of invited persons, the author is
entitled to its copyright, but if read before a meeting to which
the general public are admitted the author can only protect his
copyright by certain legal methods of a cumbrous character.
With regard to lectures orally delivered, in which the lecturer
has at present little or no protection, Mr. Hardy suggested that
the law relating to lectures should be made analogous to that
which rules in the case of plays. In the discussion by the
delegates, the general opinion seemed to be that scientific
societies had no wish to restrict the re-publication of any of their
papers, since this, if duly acknowledged, was rather a compli-
ment to the Society, and decidedly assisted in the dissemination
of scientific knowledge.
At the second meeting Professor G. S. Boulger initiated a
most interesting discussion on the Preservation of our Native
M