104 PROCEEDINGS OF PROVINCIAL SOCIETIES. 



remote a geological period, and for which the Society is indebted to 

 the Rev. Christopher Sykes. It also includes a beautiful cast of the 

 Plesiosaurus, presented by Chantry ; and a cast of a fragment of an 

 Ichthyosaurus recently presented by the Bristol Institution. Nor 

 must the splendid fossil Irish Elk (mentioned in our last as having 

 been dug up on the estate of G. L. Fox, Esq., near Waterford) be 

 forgotten, as being the finest remains of this extinct but noble ani- 

 mal in England. 



The raineralogical room contains a good illustrative series of mi- 

 nerals, arranged in cases along the centre of the room ; and on its 

 walls three large, ancient, and highly interesting tapestry maps of 

 portions of England, added to the society's possessions by the Arch- 

 bishop of York. The centre of the zoological room is occupied by 

 cases containing rudimentary collections of British and foreign 

 shells, Crustacea, and Corals. In the cases on one side of the wall 

 are the British birds — by no means complete — the Struthionidce and 

 their skeletons, and a small case of British fishes ; on the other side 

 are the foreign birds. The gallery contains Mammalia, small fo- 

 reign birds, and a valuable collection of the skeletons of birds, 

 the property of, and prepared by, Mr. AUis. In another part of 

 the gallery is a small collection of the skeletons of Mammalia and 

 Reptilia. 



In 1836 a veiy beautiful bust, by Chantry, of the Rev. W. Vernon 

 Harcourt — the first president, and one of the most devoted friends of 

 the Society — the gift of many of the members, was placed in the 

 library. Several valuable donations were also received during 

 the year, among which may be specified the noble fossil Elk 

 already alluded to; one hundred and thirty-seven skins of Austra- 

 lian birds, presented by Capt. E. Markham, many of them of great 

 beauty and rarity, and a great portion among the desiderata of the 

 Society ; a collection of skins from the Himalayas, by Dr. Wake ; 

 and a series of fossils in spirits, eighty in number, from the Medi- 

 terranean, from Mr. AUis. 



The most important proceeding of the Society during the past 

 year was the purchase from the crown of the remaining five acres . 

 of land forming the manor share, and lying between the Society's 

 garden and the river, for the sum of £2,500 ; thus effectually se- 

 curing itself from all annoyance from that quarter, and furnishing 

 itself with means for enlarging its grounds whenever it may be re- 

 quisite. 



Several scientific communications have been received during the 

 year, and a club, formed from the members, assembles every Monday 

 evening during the winter ; at this meeting each member in ro- 

 tation produces a paper on some scientific subject, which then be- 

 comes the subject of discussion. 



It must be confessed that the Society has hitherto obtained a fair 

 share of public patronage, and that the subscriptions for its establish- 

 ment were liberal ; yet when we look at the object of the Society, 

 and remember that it is a Yorkshire institution for the promotion 



