16 



The adi»antages which had been anticipated to the 

 illustration of Natural History, from a Society confining its 

 attention to a particular field of research, and yet spread over 

 a district of suteh extent and variety as the County of York, 

 are already beginning to be conspicuous. It will appear 

 from the list subjoined to this Report,^ that in the last year 

 upwards of two thousand specimens of Minerals and 

 Fossils, for the most part illustrative of the Geology of York- 

 shire, have been entered on the Society's Catalogue, as 

 gratuitous donations, exclusive of the two hundred and 

 FORTY FIVE specimens from the Cave of Kirkdale, which 

 formed the commencement of this part of the Museum ; and 

 it will be also seen, that in the various branches of Xoology, 

 and in the Antiquarian Department, valuable contributions 

 have been furnished, and the foundation of future collections 

 laid. 



The principle on which the Society has proceeded, of fixing 

 the terms of Subscription as low as possible, in order that no 

 cultivator of Science might be excluded from it by pecuniary 

 considerations, renders the utmost economy necessary in the 

 management of its funds ; and the Committee have not thought 

 themselves justified in laying out any considerable sum in 

 the purchase of Fossils, however desirable for the Museum, 

 but have trusted, for the enlargement of the geological col- 

 lection, almost entirely to the zeal and liberality of individual 

 Members. But with respect to Mineralogy, in which speci- 

 mens arc more expensive and less easily procured, they have 



