OPENING ADDRESS. 



The affaii'S of the Union will be managed by the Council, 

 wliicli consists of two members from each of the Societies, one 

 of whom must be a Secretary ; and the Secretaries of the 

 Societies in the Union will form a Standing Committee to an-ange 

 for Jomt Excm'sions, timely notice of which will be given 

 in our pages. 



The work proposed has been set about m a quiet, unosten- 

 tatious manner, but we feel sure the results cannot fail to be 

 important, if only the many earnest students resident in the 

 central counties of England, will each do his own share of it. 



The Societies ah-eady in the Union are the foUowmg : — 

 Bu-mingham Natm-al History and Microscopical Society. 

 Bn-mmgham Philosophical Society. 

 Bii-mingham School Natm-al History Society. 

 Burton-on- Trent Natm-al History and Ai-chfeological 



Society. 

 Caradoc Field Club. 

 Derbyshn-e Naturalists' Society. 

 Dudley and Midland Geological and Philosophical 



Society and Field Club. 

 Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society. 

 Northampton Naturahsts' Society. 

 Nottingham Literary and Philosophical Society. 

 Nottmgham Natm-alists' Society. 

 Eugby School Natm-al History Society. 

 Oswestry and Welshpool Naturalists' Field Club. 

 Severn Valley Naturalists' Field Club. 

 Shropshu-e Archa3ological and Natural History Society. 

 Stroud Natm-al History and Philosophical Society. 

 Tamworth Natiu-al History, Geological, and Antiquarian 



Society. 



One of the means which the Union intends to employ in 

 effecting its objects is the monthly pubhcation of the Midland 

 Naturalist. 



The present issue will afford a general notion of the 

 character of future numbers, though we may fairly hope that 

 many improvements v>'ill be made as experience is gained, and 

 the circle of our contributors widens. We shall hope to be able 

 to secure for each month well written original articles ; short 

 items of science news ; meteorological and other observa- 

 tions ; brief reports of the recent work done by each Society ; 

 a diary of coming meetings and excm-sions ; queries and 

 answers to them ; correspondence, and other matters. 



But we cannot hope to do this single-handed. We wish 

 to interest all om- subscribers, and to do this we shall want a 

 large amount of help. We, therefore, sohcit the communication 



