308 THE entomologist's record. 



to receive the annual reports of the secretaries. At 3.30 the General 

 Committee met, under the presidency of Dr. Sorby of Sheffield, in the 

 unavoidable absence of Mr. C. P. Hobkirk, the president of the Union. 

 There was a very good attendance of members. The address of the 

 retiring president (Mr. C. P. Hobkirk, unable to be present) was read 

 in a very clear and interesting manner by Mr. E. R. Waite, one of the 

 hon. secretaries. He said : — " In dealing with the origin of natural 

 history societies in Yorkshire, it was mentioned that a Literary and 

 Philosophical Society was founded in Huddersfield before 1840; and 

 about that time a grand exhibition was held in the Huddersfield 

 Philosophical Hall ; and this and other such societies in Yorkshire 

 covered almost the whole field of human knowledge. Further develop- 

 ment and specialisation of scientific research led, at a later date, to the 

 establishment of field clubs and natural history societies, for the 

 investigation of local phenomena. To Huddersfield belonged the 

 honour of the foundation of the first naturalists' society in Yorkshire. 

 The Huddersfield Naturalists' Society, under whose auspices the present 

 meeting was being held, was founded in 1847, and it had never lacked 

 in able, zealous and energetic naturalists to maintain its existence, and 

 to keep alive the love of natural history in the district. The Union 

 was formed in 1861, under the title of the West Riding Naturalists' 

 Society, which title it retained for fifteen years ; and the credit of 

 suggesting and originating the formation of a confederation of societies, 

 was due to the late Mr. William Talbot, of Wakefield. In September, 

 1 86 1, at a meeting held in Heckmondwike, at which representatives 

 were present from Huddersfield, Wakefield and Halifax, Mr, Talbot 

 introduced the subject of combined and organized intercourse, and on 

 his proposition, seconded by Mr. W. H. Charlesworth, and supported 

 by Mr. R. Jessop, both of the Huddersfield Society, it was resolved to 

 form the Union for the purpose of holding joint meetings periodically 

 at the various places where societies had been already established. A 

 further meeting was held at Huddersfield, on the iSth January, 1862, 

 at which four societies — Huddersfield, Wakefield, Heckmondwike 

 and Holmfirth — were represented. The decision of the previous 

 meeting was confirmed, and the Union was constituted. The first 

 honorary secretary was Mr. Jas. Ellis of Heckmondwike, and he was 

 succeeded in 1863 by Mr. B. Bradley of Sheepridge, who held office 

 till January, 1867, and he was followed by Mr. R. Smith, Dewsbury 

 Moor, and he again was succeeded, about 1870, by Mr. J, M. Barber 

 of Heckmondwike, and he remained secretary till the society was re- 

 organized in 1876. Concurrently with the change of style and title to 

 that of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, Messrs. W. Dennison 

 Roebuck and George Brook were chosen joint secretaries. In 1864, 

 The Naturalist, the journal of the Society, was published on their own 

 responsibility, by Messrs. Geo. Tindall of Huddersfield (now of New- 

 market) and G. H. Parke of Halifax (now of Wakefield), but the 

 magazine was really edited by Mr. Tindall and Mr. C. P. Hobkirk. 

 The publication was discontinued in 1867, in the middle of the third 

 volume. In August, 1875, a new series of the Naturalist was 

 commenced under the editorship of Messrs. Hobkirk and G. T. 

 Porritt — (applause) — and published regularly at Huddersfield, and 

 afterwards at Leeds, down to the present time, by these and subsequent 



