BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, a society first organized in I831, mainly through the exertions of Sir David Brewster. Its first meeting was held at York. 27 Sept. 1831. Its objects described in the preamble to the rules of the Association are: aTo give a stronger impulse and a more systematic direction to scientific inquiry; to promote the intercourse of those who cultivate science in different parts of the British empire with one another and with foreign philosophers; to obtain a more general attention to the objects of science and a removal of any disadvantages of a public kind which impede its progress.° The second meeting took place at Oxford in 1832, under the presidency of Dr. Buckland, and since then a meeting has been held every year up to the present. All the principal towns of the United Kingdom have on one or more oc casions formed the place of rendezvous, a different locality being chosen every year. In 1884 the meeting took place at Montreal, in 1897 at Toronto, and in 1902 the 72d annual meeting was held in Belfast, Ireland. It has also met in Winnipeg, and once in South Africa where the session was divided between Cape Town and Kimberley. It also met in 1914 in Australia, where a five weeks' visit, the beginning of which was coincident with the outbreak of the European War, included in its itinerary Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. In 1916, the Association met at Newcastle under the presidency of Sir Arthur Evans. The sittings extend gen erally over about a week. The Society is divided into sections, which, after the presi dent's address, meet separately during the sittings for the reading of papers and con ference. Soirees, conversaziones, lectures and other general meetings are usually held each evening during the meeting of the Association. The sections are: A. Mathematics and Physics; B. Chemistry; C. Geology; D. Zoology; E.
Geography; F. Economic Science and Statis tics; G. Mechanical Science; H. Anthropology; I. Physiology; K. Botany; and L. Educational Science. Local committees are formed to ar range for meetings, etc. The important national benefits conferred by the labors of various members of the Association have long been duly recognized. Among these may be mentioned more especially the experiments on electricity and magnetism which have achieved such important consequences in the establish ment of the electric telegraph and a more thorough knowledge of the laws which govern the weather and other meteorological phe nomena. In mechanical science also the labors of members of the British Association have been productive of the most important results. As the funds which the Society collects at each meeting are more than suffiaent to cover its expenses, it is enabled each year to make direct grants for the pursuits of particular scientific inquiries, which otherwise could not be con ducted so efficiently, if at all; but besides this direct encouragement, its indirect influence on the promotion of science is undoubtedly great in many ways. Among thepresidents of the Association have been many distinguished men, including Dr. Whewell (1841), the Earl of Rosse (1843), Sir John Herschel (1845), Sir R. Murchison (1846),, Sir David Brewster (1850), Sir George Airy (1851), Sir Richard Owen (1858), Prince Consort (1859), Lord Armstrong (1863), Sir Charles Lyell (1864), Sir J. D. Hooker (1868), T. H. Huxley (1870), Lord Kelvin (1871), J. Tyndall (1874), Sir John Lubbock (1881), Lord Rayleigh (1884), Lord Playfair (1885), Sir William Huggins (1891), Sir. A. Geikie (1892) and Sir. W. Crookes (1898).