BRITISH ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE. 195
The main discussion at the second Conference was on the effect of
broadcasting on the work of the Corresponding Societies. In the absence
of the delegate who intended to raise this question it was introduced by
Dr. A. Scott, of Stoke-on-Trent. It has been urged that broadcasting is
having a deleterious influence on the Societies by occupying the time
of their members in the evening, and by enabling them to hear lectures
at home it discourages their attendance at the Societies' meetings. Dr.
Scott, however, considered that broadcasting would not interfere with the
Societies; he thought their difficulties in recent years were due to the highly
technical nature of many of the papers read at the meeting, and that
broadcasting in subjects such as Physics had been useful, because it had
been kept on a popular and explanatory standard. He thought that such
broadcasting would stimulate interest in science, and secure recruits for
the Societies, and that this mutual help would be greater if some co-
operation were arranged between the Societies and the broadcasting
companies.
The Conference passed five resolutions which were forwarded to the
General Committee of the Association. The General Committee agreed
to immediate action in reference to two, namely, a protest to the County
Council of Devon against the spoliation of ancient monuments on Dartmoor
by road-menders, and the recommendation that all Corresponding Societies
should send a copy of each paper they publish to the bodies which prepare
bibliographies of that subject. The other resolutions have been sub-
mitted by the General Committee to the Council of the Association for its
consideration, namely, representations to the Ministry of Agriculture and
Board of Education as to the use that might be made of local scientific
societies in the utilization of the educational material of a district in the
local schools, for encouragement of regional research, especially at the
meeting places of the Association, and for the protection of the rarer British
species of plants and animals.
Peregrine at Great Leighs.—A fine specimen of Peregrine Falcon
was shot at Great Leighs in the last week of November 1924 by Dr. Carl
Gimson, of Witham, who has had the bird set up. J. M. Wood.
Buzzards in Essex.—About six years ago, while shooting in south-
eastern Essex during early October, I watched a fine buzzard circling
over the shoot at only about 200 feet above the guns, being mobbed by
rooks and swallows. ... A week or two after I saw another circling
over the same locality; both were making for the west.
F. W. Frohawk, in. litt., quoted in Country Life for Nov. 21, 1925.
Water-Pipit in Essex.—On November 27th, 1923, I came across
a Water-Pipit (Anthus s. spinoletta) in a muddy creek that leads out to
the marshes in the vicinity of Leigh. Rock and Meadow Pipits were at
hand for comparison, if required, but to my mind there is no need for
confusion with the former, or for that matter with its Scandinavian race.
The eye-stripe, showing up as it does the greyish-brown ear-coverts,
is amply sufficient for identification. I had the bird under the glasses for
the best part of a half-hour. It acted like a stranger, and did not seem to
settle down in search of food.—A. Smith (in British Birds, xix., Oct.,
1925).