specimens. But they were still wanting in a proper organisation of their local museum for educational purposes, and the sentiments expressed at that meeting would enable him to urge the matter with additional emphasis before the Town Council.

Mr. T. W. Shore stated that three years ago he had moved a resolution, at the Cambridge meeting of the Museums Association, pledging the Association to do what it could to obtain aid for museums from County Councils. He hoped that the gathering before him might be able to aid the movement in some way. Mr. Peek had mentioned that the clerks of many County Councils expressed doubts as to the legality of grants to museums, but Mr. Cambridge had shown how the difficulty might be overcome. It was clear that grants could be made by County Councils to defray the expense of lectures and demonstrations in museums. He would therefore suggest that circulars might be sent to County Councils pointing out that, in the opinion of that meeting, grants in aid of lectures and demonstrations in museums might be made with excellent educational results and without any risk of going beyond the law.

Mr. Sowerbutts remarked that, though County Councils might be subject to the Government Auditor, County Boroughs were (he thought) not so controlled. In Lancashire they did not trouble the auditors, but when the councillors became extravagant they turned them out at the next election.

Mr. Kenward said that in Birmingham the Corporation had established an excellent museum and an art gallery which were entirely supported by the rates. They had never sought aid from the County Council.

Mr. T. V. Holmes had in his hands a letter from Mr. William Cole, Secretary to the Essex Field Club, who was intimately acquainted with the system of technical education as it was carried out in Essex. Mr. Cole lamented that nothing had been granted by the County Council to aid museums, but thought that to do so was probably beyond their legal powers, and hoped for an amendment of the Act. He would doubtless be cheered by Mr. Peek's observations on that point, which showed that grants to museums were by no means unquestionably illegal-to say the least. Mr. Cole's experience had given him a very low notion of the efficiency of mere lecturing, especially in rural districts. Of course a lecturer usually brought specimens with him, but with the departure of the lecturer the specimens also departed, and scarcely any real interest in the subject was aroused. What was really wanted was a permanent central museum which was continually sending forth loan collections to the remoter districts, and which allowed them to remain there for a certain time after the lectures, illustrated by these collections, had been given. Mr. Cole, however, did not think that museums should be entirely worked by County Councils, as that would greatly weaken the interest taken in museums by the naturalists and field clubs who had usually originated them. But the funds of almost all societies of naturalists were so small that the greatest hindrance to the development of a museum was a want of money, which suggested a want of permanence. By a small grant towards the expense of a curator, or for some similar purpose, obtainable only while the museum remained efficient, a County Council might do very much to render a museum permanent and efficient without diminishing the interest of individual naturalists in its development.

Dr. Brett said that, in order to bring the matter to a practical conclusion, he would like to propose that their Secretary should write to 1894.

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all the County Councils in Great Britain, urging upon them the importance of giving aid to their own local museums.

After some discussion, in which Dr. Brett, Sir Douglas Galton, Mr. Gray, Sir John Evans, Mr. Cushing, and Mr. Whitaker took part, the following resolution was proposed by Sir Douglas Galton, who remarked that in his county it was held to be contrary to the law for a County Council to give directly to a museum :

'That in the opinion of this Conference it is desirable that local natural history societies, and those in charge of local museums should place themselves in communication with the technical instruction committee of the county or borough in which they are placed with the view of obtaining pecuniary grants towards extending technical knowledge by means of lectures or by demonstrations in museums.'

Dr. Brett seconded the resolution.

Mr. Coates stated that at Perth they were building a large addition to their museum, and had applied for aid both from the Town Council and the County Council. They had obtained a grant from the County Council on the condition that they should provide specimens suitable for agricultural teaching. These specimens would be used for lectures and demonstrations. They had been advised that they could not otherwise

obtain the grant.

A

Mr. Elworthy said that a difficulty under which many of them laboured had not yet been touched upon. They needed the services of an expert who would visit a museum, and, for a certain fee, pronounce with authority 'this is rubbish' in the case of worthless specimens. Secretary who would not venture to get rid of rubbish on his own responsibility would do so at once if backed by the opinion of a disinterested expert.

Sir John Evans thought that the opinion of the Secretary ought to be deemed sufficient. In answer to a suggestion that the word 'specimens ' should be added to 'lectures and demonstrations' in the resolution, he remarked that County Council money could not be spent in acquiring specimens.

The Chairman then put the resolution to the meeting, and it was unanimously adopted. He then asked if any delegates had other points connected with museums to bring forward.

Mr. Seward, as representing the County Borough Council of Cardiff, was most anxious to learn, if possible, what things bought for a museum with the view of making it more attractive and useful to the poorer classes could be legally purchased under the Act.

Sir John Evans replied that it seemed to him that the last resource in these cases was the Science and Art Department at South Kensington. If the Borough Committee wished to purchase specimens to illustrate lectures for the advancement of technical education, the Clerk of the Council should write to South Kensington to inquire as to the legality of the proposed grant. If the specimens were required simply to increase the efficiency of the lectures, they would probably be regarded as part of the lecture apparatus, and the vote sanctioned.

Mr. Gray remarked that at Belfast they always got assistance from South Kensington in acquiring proper specimens for the museum.

The Chairman thought that the Conference could not possibly attempt to decide the point raised by Mr. Seward. He felt sure that they were all most grateful to Mr. Peek for having introduced this discussion on museums, which he believed would lead to most useful results.

SECOND CONFERENCE, AUGUST 14, 1894.

The Corresponding Societies Committee were represented by Professor R. Meldola (Chairman), Dr. Garson, Mr. Hopkinson, Sir Rawson Rawson, Mr. Symons, Rev. Canon Tristram, Mr. Whitaker, and Mr. T. V. Holmes (Secretary).

The Chairman said that with reference to the discussion at the last Conference, he hoped that those delegates who were situated in places where there were local museums would do their best to further the resolution then passed, and report progress at the Conference next year. They had now to consider work done in connection with the various Sections, beginning with Section A.

SECTION A.

Meteorological Photography.-Mr. Clayden remarked that two years ago he had asked to be put into communication with gentlemen willing to photograph clouds and other meteorological phenomena. He had been put into communication with photographers, but the number of photographs sent had been very small. Nevertheless, an almost sufficient collection had been received. He would, however, be grateful for photographs of lightning showing anything abnormal. Now and then he read of the remarkable results of a whirlwind in some district, when it was too late for him to take steps to have the effects photographed. But if, in such cases, the secretary of a local society would get photographs taken at once, and send them to him, such records would be most valuable.

Sir Rawson Rawson inquired if Mr. Clayden had the photographs of storms and lightning recently exhibited at the Royal Society, and Mr. Clayden replied that he thought he had a considerable number of them.

Mr. Holgate thought that if Mr. Clayden wrote to the secretary of a local society, the latter would always be able to obtain information as to the existence of photographs showing the results of a whirlwind or other abnormal occurrence. Mr. Clayden replied that he had often tried that plan, but had usually found that the damage had been cleared away, and that he was too late. It was therefore desirable that the secretaries of the local societies should arrange for photographs.

Mr. Hembry inquired whether Mr. Clayden had received photographs showing the results of a thunderstorm a few weeks ago in which a church had been struck and two men killed. Mr. Clayden replied that he had not.

Mr. Symons remarked that much help could be given by local societies if they would send in reports promptly. The difficulty was that individual members did not feel personally responsible in the matter. Everybody's business was nobody's business.

Remarks on the advantages to be derived from, and the means of securing increased co-operation between British Association committees and local societies were made by Mr. Kenward, Mr. Gray, and Mr. Symons.

Earth Tremors.-Mr. Davison said that in the last Report of the Earth-tremors Committee there was a description of a bifilar pendulum invented by Mr. Horace Darwin. It had been tried for a year at Birmingham, and in consequence of experiments made there a new form of instrument now exhibited was being constructed. Its cost would be about

607. The local societies were so distributed over the country that most places where it was desirable that one of these instruments should be placed were within the area of one of them. Instruments placed on the course of great lines of fault (or dislocation of the strata) would yield results of much value.

Mr. Horace Darwin exhibited and explained the construction and use of the bifilar pendulum. He said it was not affected by the rapid, complicated movements which took place during an earthquake, or by the slight tremors caused by passing carts or trains. The movements which

it would measure were such as would make a factory chimney or a vertical post fixed in the ground lean over to one side. Extremely small movements of this kind could be measured and recorded on photographically prepared paper. A full account of the instrument was given in Nature, July 12. It is made by the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company.

Mr. Symons, as Chairman of the Earth-tremors Committee, explained how the work of the Committee had grown and in what direction they needed additional help. In the first place, the attention of the Committee had been directed to a solution of the question why certain vibrations were recorded by an instrument which had been placed at the bottom of one of the deep coal-mines of the district of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Instead of a straight line a series of pulsations had been obtained. They were traced to two causes-one the gradual settlement of the ground in consequence of the removal of the coal, the other the beating of the waves on the coast. They had since been looking for traces of earthquake tremors. Mr. Davison, on one occasion, watched his instrument for some time, as he found pulsations were taking place. These pulsations eventually turned out to have been produced by the earthquake then going on in Greece. They wanted information as to the changes going on in connection with the faults in geological strata, and, if possible, to get records of the alterations in the earth's crust caused by tidal waves. When the ocean was piled up at one part of the earth's surface it was quite possible that the elastic surface of the earth bent slightly under it. Observations of that kind should be made at more than one station. The work was now going on at Birmingham under Mr. Davison, but they hoped that the Association would give them a grant for a second instrument. They wished to make sure that they were recording, not merely local phenomena, but the great general phenomena of the earth's crust. He was glad to be able to record that one instrument had been established at an observatory south of Biarritz by M. Antoine d'Abbadie, who had kindly presented a duplicate instrument to the new observatory at Edinburgh. They were anxious to see two or three instruments of this kind established in different parts of the British Isles, and hoped that some of the wealthy friends of the societies represented at that Conference might co-operate in finding the money for the instruments.

Mr. Tiddeman asked whether the instrument could be placed in an ordinary house, or whether it required a special place in a separate building.

Mr. Symons replied that Mr. Davison had placed it on the cellar floor. A separate building might be preferable, but was more expensive.

Mr. Mills did not think the instrument would be of much use to persons without a special knowledge of it.

Mr. Symons remarked that Mr. Darwin had undertaken to give all the necessary information, and so had Mr. Davison.

In answer to a question from Mr. Mills, he added that it was not essential that an instrument should be placed in a mining district, but it was desirable that they should be scattered throughout the country.

Mr. Seward said that he would try to get one placed in one of the deep mines of South Wales.

The Chairman hoped that by next year some of the Corresponding Societies would have something to report on this question. Mr. Darwin had kindly offered to explain, after the termination of the Conference, the mechanical details to any persons interested.

SECTION B.

Pollution of Air in Towns.-Dr. G. H. Bailey said that for three or four years they had been engaged in Manchester, in connection with the Manchester Field Naturalists, in examining the air of towns with the view of ascertaining the extent to which it was polluted. This was a question of much practical importance, for the amount of the pollution was a pretty good indication of the death rate. Those times of the year at which the air was most polluted were those at which the death-rate was highest. Hitherto there had been very little attempt to ascertain the nature and degree of the pollution, and it had been their endeavour to examine the methods by which the pollution of town air could be detected, and to determine its nature and amount. They had almost perfected a method for determining the amount of sulphur compounds in the air, and one for measuring the amount of sunlight in towns. They had found that, whilst in extreme cases of pollution carbonic acid gas varied between four and seven parts in 10,000, the sulphur compounds varied from less than one up to fifty per million parts. The pollution varied practically as did the amount of the sulphur compounds. The work was hardly yet in so complete a state that he could recommend its adoption at a large number of other towns, but it would interest the delegates to know what had been done. They were at that time working at a method for determining the nature and amount of the pollution of different districts of large towns. The work already done had been chronicled in the Journal of the Manchester Field Naturalists' for 1893. They had come to the conclusion that about 50 per cent. of the daylight was cut off by the smoke of a town, speaking of that form of light which could be registered, viz., the actinic rays. They had found that the centres of large towns sometimes showed a diminution, as compared with the suburbs, of about 50 per cent., the diminution of light in the centres of large towns as compared with the open country amounting to about 75 per cent. When their methods were more fully perfected they hoped to have the co-operation of members in more rural districts. They had been working at the indoor as well as the outdoor pollution of the air.

Mr. Slater remarked that the plants of very smoky districts were either destroyed or injuriously affected by the smoke.

The Chairman said that it was well known to London naturalists that lichens were once common on tree trunks in Epping Forest, but few if any were to be found there now. It is too near London for them to flourish.

Mr. Symons remarked that Dr. Bailey had apparently employed the