132 BRITISH ASSOCIATION MEETING.
Royal Society did this, it would confer a benefit on its weaker brethren
and add fresh laurels to its crown.
As it is not customary to criticise a President's address, the usual
vote of thanks was awarded him, with the request that his address be
published and issued to the various societies.
The next item on the programme was a discussion on "Local
Museums," introduced by Dr. W. E. Hoyle, of the Cardiff Museum.
Dr. Hoyle considered that it was the duty of an opener of a discussion
on any subject to throw down a few "bones of contention" for those
present to worry. Acting on this maxim, he said the first and fundamental
function of a Local Museum was to preserve. He defined a Local Museum
as "a museum existing in a place, belonging to that place, destined for
"the instruction and delight of the dwellers in that place, and illustrative
"of that place."
Having asserted the prime duty of the Local Museum, he raised the
question—"Should the Local Museum undertake any other duties ?"
His reply was "Yes, so far as its means and opportunities permitted."
He advocated that Local Museums should develop special subjects, quite
disconnected with the locality, and should undertake the formation of
index or introductory collections.
These few bones of contention were worried by almost all the
delegates present, each one singing the praises of his or her own Society's
Museum. Several queries were raised as to what specimens should be
kept in the Local Museum and what in the National one, and as to whether
the Curators should have the additional duties of teaching imposed upon
them or not. The discussion was closed by the Vice-Chairman, Mr. W.
Whitaker, who paid a well-merited compliment to the Essex Field Club's
Museum at Romford Road, and suggested that the delegates present
should take the opportunity of visiting it when next in London.
The second meeting of the Conference was held on Friday, 10th Sept.,
when Sir Thomas Holland again presided. The proceedings were
opened by the Vice-Chairman, Mr. Whitaker, who made a few explanatory
remarks on the Chairman's address, in reference to the existing practice
of publishing the proceedings of the various societies, which he considered
afforded no guarantee to research workers as to the merits of the respective
papers. After a general discussion, the following resolution was passed :—
"That this Conference of Delegates invites the attention of the Corres-
"ponding Societies' Committee to the President's opening address, in
"which suggestions are made for reforming the existing varied and un-
"organised practice of publishing original papers."
Mr. J. Ramsbottom, M.A., next read a communication on Colour
Standards. He remarked that, in many branches of natural science,
the need of uniformity of colour-description has been felt for a long time,
and he suggested that some definite colour-standard should be adopted.
Many schemes have been proposed at different times, the oldest and
commonest being that of referring the colour to that of some well-known
object. Another method is to have a scale of colour-samples. In support
of this, he exhibited at the meeting Ridgway's "Colour Standards," which
is a descriptive list of some 1,176 different tints. This is an American