204 NOTICE OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB. 



The following notice of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club is ex- 

 tracted from the Rev. Dr. A. Humes History of the Learned 

 Societies of Britain, published in the present year : — 



" ' The Berwickshire Naturalists' Club' was founded Septem- 

 ber 22, 1831. Its general object was to encourage a taste 

 for natural history in the district, and its special one to in- 

 vestigate the Natural History and Antiquities of the Eastern 

 Borders. 



" This Society possesses some features of a peculiar kind, 

 which make it very interesting, especially to its own members. 

 It meets by day, not in the evening ; usually at -eight or nine 

 o''clock A.M. It examines the specimens of Natural History, 

 &c., in situ, and the explanations, whether oral or written, are 

 more interesting. It admits ladies and none else as honorary 

 members. It is itinerating within a certain district, and a 

 number of pleasing circumstances not directly connected with 

 the general objects are associated with every meeting. Some 

 of the members, who are familiar with the working of 

 learned societies, give it a decided preference to any other of 

 them. 



" A candidate for membership requires the assent of three- 

 fourths of those present at the meeting at which he is pro- 

 posed. There are no specific fees, the contingent expenses 

 being met by an annual contribution which averages about 7s. 

 One meeting is held yearly, in Berwick-upon-Tweed, and the 

 others are at different places appointed. The days are the 

 1st Wednesday in May ; 3d Wednesday in June ; last Wed- 

 nesday in July ; 3d Wednesday in September ; and the Wed- 

 nesday nearest to full moon in October. At the October 

 meeting the accounts are balanced ; and the places of meet- 

 ing for the succeeding year are appointed. 



" There were nine original members, of whom only five re- 

 main, and there were four candidates for admission as ordi- 

 nary members at the 1st meeting of 1847. The Club has 

 already issued one volume of Transactions, entitled, ' History 

 of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club/ and four parts of 

 a second volume." 



