96 president's address. 



constantly varying brilliancy, which were alternately extin- 

 guished and revived every moment, reminding him of a brilliant 

 gas illumination on a windy night. Mr. Mennell observes that 

 only on one occasion,^ some eleven years ago, had he seen an 

 equally beautiful Aurora, and he believes that it is by no means 

 a common phenomenon. I fully agree in Mr. Mennell's description 

 and his conclusion, and shall only add that I saw this Aurora 

 earlier than he did, and that I had a peculiarly favourable 

 opportunity of observing the former Aurora alluded to by him, 

 that of the 24th October, 1847, being a traveller by the 

 night mail from London to Newcastle. An interesting and ably 

 illustrated description of it was published by Messrs. John H. 

 Morgan and John T. Barber, both of Cambridge, a copy of 

 which, belonging to the Literary and Philosophical Society, lies 

 on the table ; and it will be found to contain Notes by Professors 

 Phillips, Challis, and Chevallier, detailing their observations at 

 York, Cambridge, and Durham; and an important paper by Mr. 

 Glaisher, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, with reference 

 to the disturbance of the magnetic needle observed ; and I would 

 particularly refer to the concluding observations, " On the 

 methods of observing the Aurora Borealis." 



Having now traced the proceedings of the Club durmg the 

 year, I must notice the works in progress by some of our most 

 active members. 



Mr. John Hancock is engaged in preparing a Catalogue of the 

 Birds of the two Counties for our " Transactions." 



Mr. John Thornhill is engaged on a Catalogue of the Mosses. 



Mr. Henry B. Brady is engaged in studying the Foraminifera^ 

 and will be glad of specimens and information on local forms. 



Dr. Donkin, and Mr. Atthey are investigating Diatomacece. 



Mr. Bold will probably catalogue some of the smaller classes 

 of insects, the scarcity of books on this subject in our local 

 libraries being the great drawback. 



The second part of Mr. Wailes's catalogue of Lepidoptera will 

 probably be ready in the Autumn. 



Mr. How se's paper on Jarrow Slake is still "expected shortly." 



We have to regret that no further progress has been made 



