HinroIn^QiPF jOakrali^h' ^nion. 



E/EZPOE/T. 



I^/^N compiling this, the first Report of the above Union, it 

 Jf will perhaps be advisable to give a brief history of the 

 circumstances which led to the formation of a Naturalists' 

 Union for the County of Lincoln. 



Having lived for some years in Yorkshire, and there seen the 

 excellent work done by the Naturalists' Union in that county, 

 it seemed, to the writer, a great pity that Lincolnshire, with its 

 great natural advantages of marsh and fen, ancient forests, and 

 sandy wastes, should be, to all intents, an unknown land to the 

 Naturalist ! 



To remedy this state of things, my friend, Mr. Joseph Coe, 

 and I communicated with several of the most prominent Nat- 

 uralists connected with Lincolnshire : — Mr. F. M. Burton, f.l.s., 

 F.G.S., of Gainsborough ; Rev. W. Fowler, m.a., of Liversedge ; 

 and Mr. J. Cordeaux, of Eaton Hall ; all of whom gave every 

 assistance in their power. The Secretary of the energetic Louth 

 Natural History Society, Mr. J. Larder, was then communicated 

 with, and, after some hesitancy, the Louth Club joined in, and, 

 by their help contributed very largely to the success with which 

 the efforts were finally crowned. 



After much deliberation, Mablethorpe was chosen as the scene 

 ofthe first meeting, as being a sea-side resort to which cheap 

 return tickets were issued, and also a place concerning which 

 some little information was already known. 



A descriptive circular was printed, and scattered broadcast 

 over the county to every one who was known to be interested in 



