president's address. 209 



While on the subject of our publications, I should mention 

 that the Club exchanges its ^' Transactions " with many kindred 

 Societies — viz. , the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, the Greenwich 

 Natural History Club, the Plymouth Institution, the Literary 

 and Philosophical of Liverpool, the Dublin University Zoological 

 and Botanical Society, the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, the 

 Botanical Society of Edinburgh, &c., and that it is always glad 

 to increase the number of these corresponding Societies, or to 

 receive presents of scientific works for its library, which the 

 committee hope shortly to make more available for the use of the 

 members than has hitherto been the case. 



Beyond our published " Acta," I am happy to be able to inform 

 the Society that our more zealous members have been each, in 

 their respective departments, strengthening the stakes and 

 lengthening the cords of knowledge. 



In Geology, Mr. J. W. Kirkby of Sunderland has published, 

 in conjunction with Mr. T. Rupert Jones, in the "Journal of the 

 Geological Society," a paper on the Permian Chitonidce^ which 

 will appear in our " Transactions," and will complete our excellent 

 history of the Permian Rocks. He has also prepared a paper, 

 not yet published, on the occurrence of Lingula Credrien, a Per- 

 mian Brachiopod in the coal measures of Durham. Mr. Kirkby 

 also promises us a paper on some fish remains from the Durham 

 coal measures, which were discovered in a " mussel band," pierced 

 during the sinking of Ryhope Colliery, consisting of teeth, 

 scales, spines, and bones of more than one species of fish. The 

 rarity of such fossils — indeed, of all animal remains, with the 

 exception of Antlirocarice in the upper coal measures of our two 

 counties, give these remains a considerable degree of interest. 



Meteorology has continued to receive a due share of attention, 

 as the tables of the Rain-fall, compiled by Mr. Mennell from the 

 observations furnished by the Club, will show. In this depart- 

 ment also Mr. John Watson, F.R.A.S., has prepared a paper on 

 local climate, which will be presented to the members at the 

 next Evening Meeting. 



In Botany, Mr. Daniel Oliver, jun., F.L.S., has contributed 

 several valuable botanical memoirs to the " Transactions of the 



