152 MIDLAND UNION GENERAL BUSINESS. 



Mr. W. J. Harrison then read the 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 



The histoi-y of the Union during the past year has been a com- 

 paratively uneventful one. No society has seceded, and but one 

 additional society — the Nottingham G. R. S. Naturalists' Society — 

 has been admitted to the Union. The name of the Derbyshire 

 Naturalists' Society has been removed from the following list, sin3e 

 it appears to have ceased to exist. The total number of Societies in the 

 Union is now twenty-five, including — 



Banburyshire Natural History Society. 



Bedfordshire Natural History Society and Field Club. 



Birmingham Microscopists' and Naturalists' Union. 



Birmingham Natural History and IMicroscopical Society. 



Birmingham Philosophical Society. 



Birmingham and Midland Institute Scientific Society. 



Birmingham School Natural History Society. 



Burton-on-Trent Natural History and Archaeological Society. 



Caradoc Field Club. 



Cheltenham Natural Science Society. 



Dudley and Midland Geological and Scientific Society and Field Club. 



Evesham Field Naturalists' Club. 



Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society. 



Northamptonshire Natural History Society. 



Nottingham Literary and Philosophical Society. 



Nottingham Naturalists' Society. 



Nottingham Working Men's Naturalists' Society. 



Nottingham G. R. S. Naturalists' Society. 



Oswestry and Welshpool Naturalists' Field Club, 



Oxfordshire Natural History Society. 



Peterborough Natural History and Scientific Society. 



Severn Valley Naturalists' Field Club. 



Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. 



Stroud Natural History Society. 



Tamworth Natural History, Geological, and Antiquarian Society. 



It is impossible to give here a complete resume of the work done 

 by each Society during the year, interesting as such a record would be, 

 partly because of the length to which it would extend, and partly 

 because of the failure of the Secretaries of many of the Societies to 

 furnish any particulars whatever of the work of their Society. The 

 post of Hon. Secretary of a local Natural History or Literary Society 

 is one which involves a great deal of trouble without much recompense, 

 but it should certainly be considered as entailing on the holder the 

 necessity of writing a reply after not less than, say, three applications 

 from the governing body of the Union to which the said Local 

 Secretar5''s Society is supposed to belong. A full account of the 

 position, number of members, officers, and general or detailed work of 

 each Society in the Union, was, however, given in the last Report, and 

 has been published in the Midland NatuniUst. 



All, or nearly all, the Societies belonging to the Midland Union 

 have held field meetings during the summer, when practical botanical, 

 zoological, or geological work was carried out. Probably much more 

 might be done at these field meetings if they were carried out on some 

 definite plan, with some definite objects, and if the aid of experts 

 (whose expenses should, of course, be defrayed) could be secured, to 

 give short, practical demonstrations. 



