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THE NATURALIST. 



Society of Amateur Botanists. — The 

 annual meeting of this Society was 

 held on the 23rd ult., and was well 

 attended. The greater portion of 

 the evening was occupied in hearing 

 the president's address, an abstract 

 of which, as showing the present 

 state of the Society, may not be un- 

 interesting. In opening his address, 

 the president observed that the So- 

 ciety had, during the past year, 

 performed in a satisfactory manner 

 the work which it had laid out for 

 itself. He thought that the best 

 way of rendering an account of the 

 Society's proceedings would be to 

 follow the order of subjects set forth 

 in the prospectus. Excursions had 

 taken place on Saturday afternoons, 

 often once a fortnight, but had not 

 been so numerously attended as 

 might have been wished. He 

 thought that this was caused mainly 

 by a want of enthusiasm among the 

 members. The annual excursion 

 to Darenth Wood was but thinly 

 attended, and nothing of much con- 

 sequence was then observed : this 

 might, perhaps, be partially attri- 

 buted to the excessive dryness of 

 the summer. Exchange of Plants 

 had been successfully carried on 

 among the members themselves ; 

 but at present the Society had not 

 sufficient space at its command to 

 enable it to keep specimens for a 



more extensive system of exchange. 

 The Pampers read before the Society 

 during the past year had been of 

 greater interest and more variety than 

 in the preceding : among them were 

 some of great value, as instances of 

 which he need only refer to those 

 on Euphorbia amygdaloides, Crucifer- 

 ous flowers. Orchids, Abnormal 

 Developments, &c. The Herbarium 

 was now fairly established, and had 

 acquired, during the past year, a 

 fasciculus of Leefe's Salices, Bloxam's 

 Rubi, and Mosses from the herba- 

 rium of the late A. O. Black ; with 

 various other contributions from 

 members. The greatest difficulty to 

 contend with was want of space : and 

 on this account it was not to be regret- 

 ted that the Carpological collection 

 was still in abeyance. After a few 

 other remarks it was proposed that a 

 Council should be formed to execute 

 the business of the Society during the 

 coming year ; and the president and 

 other officers were unanimously re- 

 elected. The Financial statement 

 of the treasurer shows a considerable 

 balance in hand ; and altogether the 

 Society may be considered as being 

 in a flourishing condition. 



Leeds Naturalists Society. — A Plea 

 for Little Birds. — At the December 

 meeting of this Society, Mr. Dixon, 

 secretary to the Leeds General In- 

 firmary, read a very interesting pa- 

 per bearing the above title. We are 

 all, said Mr. Dixon, fond of little 



