PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 27 
Three Eventna Merrinas were held during the year, at the 
second of these, on February 19th, the following papers were 
read :— 
1. On Proteus angunuis, by Mr. W. Henderson. 
2. On a Chimpanzee, which died in a Menagerie, at Newcastle, 
by Dr. Embleton. 
3. An account of the opening of a tumulus, at Grundstone Law, 
with a description of the contents by the Rev. W. Greenwell 
and Dr. Embleton. This paper will be printed in the Trans- 
actions. 
The Rev. G. C. Abbes gave a short account of the trawling 
operations now going on on this coast, to the great injury of the 
fisheries. It was resolved to petition Parliament in favour of 
Mr. Fenwick’s motion for a Royal Commission to enquire into 
the subject, and the Secretaries were requested to draw up a 
petition accordingly. This has been done—and the petition was 
sent to Mr. Somerset Beaumont for presentation.* 
Before I conclude my address, there are one or two matters on 
which I wish to say a few words. The first, and which is I 
believe, a very important matter, as regards the Club, is the 
restrictive law passed last year, as regards the admission of new 
members. I cannot but regret that this measure was ever passed, 
* To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 
in Parliament assembled, 
The bumble Petition of the Tyneside Naturalists’ Field Club, 
SHEWETH—:-That for some time past there has been on the coasts of Northumberland, Dur- 
ham, and Yorkshire, a large number of Fishing Smacks, whose mode of fishing is new to 
the coast, injurious to the interests of a large body of industrious men, and uiterly destruc- 
tive of the future supply of a most important article of food. 
That the immense nets used by these vessels are calculated to sweep from the sea bed 
every thing that comes in their way; thus not only bringing up multitudes of smail imma- 
ture fish, but also dragging to the surface, in prodigious quantily. the spawn, which, when 
once detached from the place where it was deposited, is exposed to certain destruction. 
That one of the chief objects of your Petitioners (lub, is the preservation of animal and 
vegetable life, in their district, from wanton destruction; they therefore pray your honourable 
House to institute an enquiry into the results of the system of Trawl-fishing, with a view 
to the prevention of the evils which threaten the ruin of the fisheries on this coast. 
And your Petitioners will ever pray. 
Signed, on behalf of the Tyneside Naturalists’ Field Club, 
W. GREENWELL, President. 
SEORGE S. BRADY, 
. } Secretaries. 
THOMAS Pice, M.D. 
