Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/37

Rh and journals, and maybe discover another Tom Tit Tot—to search, I mean, systematically for the Society, and, having finished any particular section, to record the fact in our Journal, even if the results are nil so far as folk-lore is concerned. At least, this will secure work not being done twice over.

One other matter of organisation is of somewhat more importance to the Society and to folk-lore, and it lies outside the Society's immediate control. I mean the establishment of a folk-lore section of the British Association. I think the time has come for this. Anthropology has long since been recognised there; folk-lore should also now be recognised, and independently. I think, until this is done, it would be well if the Council of the Society sent a representative to the meetings of the Association, who should draw up a report of folk-lore matters dealt with there, and their relationship to other subjects. The Society, in my humble judgment, should assert itself, and put itself into communication with such other societies as take up any branch of its work, or illustrate any important feature of the science. It would thereby spread its useful- ness, and would, I am convinced, increase its members.

Taking the work done, and noting the work to be done, it occurs to me that the record of the past session has been substantial and good. Such of it as I have been able to note indicates that we are proceeding slowly, no doubt, but systematically. We are urging forward collection, and our handbook for collectors is the best evidence of our action under this branch of work. We are urging forward analysis and scientific arrangement, and our tabulation work, under the superintendence of Miss Roalfe Cox, will show this. We are formulating our interpretation of certain phenomena in folk-tales, our materials, perhaps, in all cases not being quite perfect. We are discussing and taking careful note of our methods of work. We are watching the progress of other scientific work which bears upon our own. We already find that philology has beaten