Anthropology at the British Association

Abstract

IN a retrospect of the proceedings of Section H at Birmingham, first place must be given to the dis-cussion on the practical application of anthropological teaching in universities, which was opened by the president, Sir Richard Temple, who, speaking with the authority of an old administrator as well as an anthropologist, pointed out the advantages which would follow did the future administrators of our subject races receive some training in anthropology before taking up their duties. He suggested that the organisation of a school for this special purpose, well equipped with library and museum, might well be undertaken by one of the newer universities, such as Birmingham. Sir Richard, at the close of his remarks, quoted extracts from letters received from Sir R. Wingate, Sir F. Swettenham, Sir George Scott, Prof. Seligmann, and others, in which his proposals received strong support. In the discussion which followed, Sir Everard im Thurn, late High Commissioner in the Pacific, Mr. W. Crooke, and Colonel Gurdon of Assam, endorsed the president's views as to the desirability of the proposal from the administrative point of view, while Dr. Haddon, of Cambridge, Dr. Marett, of Oxford, and Prof. P. Thompson, of Birmingham, made suggestions as to the general lines upon which such a school might be organised, and gave a brief account of the anthropological instruction already given by their respective universities. The discussion has aroused much interest, and it may be hoped that the committee which has been appointed to consider the question will make some practical proposal to which effect can be given by one of the existing schools or a school still to be established.