Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/398

 390 SEVENTH REPORT, JUNE 1885.

The Council hope that by setting these schemes prominently before the members of the Society many new workers may be induced to take up the study, and to join the Society in order that no time may be lost in carrying out the work that such a field of inquiry suggests.

The tabulation of Folk-Tales has been steadily progressing, and many contributions have been printed in the Folk-Lore Journal, The most gratifying results of the Society's labours in this direction is the adoption of the tabulation scheme by Captain R. C. Temple in his volume of Indian Folk-Tales, pub- lished in 1884, under the title of Wide-Awake Stories. If the Society could induce all collectors of stories to follow Captain Temple's admirable example it would be of signal advantage to the student.

The system of local secretaries initiated last year promises to develop very widely when means are forthcoming to admit of it ; and it is suggested that this organisation should be extended to foreign countries, and to India and the Colonies. Mr. J. Stewart Lockhart has recently written, offering to become Local Secretary for Ilong Kong, where he resides, and express ing a belief that there is a great deal of material at hand in China if the Society could assist in getting it together. It has also been intimated to the Council that the Folk-lore Societies now established in Spain, Portugal, and Italy would be willing to confederate with this Society in organisation and work. It appears to the Council that the work of the Society must be, for some time to come, mainly that of collection and classification of material ; and in no way could this be better accomplished than by making the Society inter- national in its operations and organisation. The Council pro- pose appointing a small committee to consider what steps could bo taken to further this object; and probably a congress of folk-lorists might be assembled to definitely decide this and other important points.