194
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
Records of the agricultural history of the parishes are now mouldering in
the muniment rooms of country houses, and in the strong rooms of banks
and lawyers. The recent abolition of copyhold will render the continued
preservation of these documents uncertain. Sir Daniel Hall therefore urges
that the next few years offer an unique opportunity for the study of these
records and the compilation of parish agricultural histories. He regards
this work as of high importance, and thinks it offers a wide field for the
continued usefulness of field clubs and local societies. Copies of the maps
prepared in connection with it would be of great educational service in
the schools.
At the same meeting the usefulness of the Conference of Delegates was
illustrated by the announcement of arrangements that had been made
with the Treasury in reference to the taxation of scientific societies. The
law on the question is uncertain, and the Treasury has proposed that test
cases should be submitted to the Courts, and it offers to pay the costs of
both sides. After a formal decision as to the existing law it would then be
possible to decide whether alterations are necessary, and, if so, on what
lines.
At the second Conference one of the delegates urged that the statistics
at the Agricultural Department should be printed and made fully avail-
able for students of agriculture-economics; but the Chairman explained
that many of the statistics in the Department were confidential, and their
full publication would be impracticable. Prof. Myres then explained to
the Conference the reasons for the proposal that the list of papers in local
journals, now compiled under the supervision of Mr. Sheppard and issued
in the Annual Report of the Association, should be no longer published.
Certain subjects, such as Geology, have been omitted from the published
list in recent years, as they are included in the annual index published by
the Geological Society. The question whether the list was worth its
cost has now to be seriously considered, and it has been suggested that
it should no longer be printed, but that a card catalogue should be continued
and placed for reference in the London office of the Association. Dr.
Scott pointed out that the list in the Geological Society's library is not
complete, because it only includes works added to that Society's library;
and if, therefore, such special bibliographies were to replace the British
Association list, all corresponding societies should present a copy of every
paper they publish on any branch of science to the Society or other or-
ganization preparing an index of literature in that subject. It may be
remarked in reference to this discussion that if the card index were not
much used that fact would give no clue as to the use now made of the
annual list published in the Association's Report, for that is probably
used mostly by residents in the provinces, as in London there are other
sources of reference to the literature.
The Secretary reported some correspondence with Mrs. Julian in
reference to the famous Torquay caves. Digging is still going on in them
by the lessees in order to sell the specimens found to visitors. Much
valuable material may thus pass from the caves and be lost. It is therefore
suggested that the material found and the excavations should be inspected,
and that the lessee should offer any material of special scientific interest
for sale to a museum where it would be preserved for reference.