214 Yorkshire Philosophical Society 



The Council commence their Report by congratulating the Society 

 on taking possession of its new premises, and having thus entered 

 on a new sera of its existence. " Hitherto it could only be considered 

 as preparing the plan, not as acting the part, of a scientific institution 

 for the county of York. It has now that of which all who have 

 attended to the history of such institutions, know the importance, — not 

 a local only but a visible habitation, and stands forth to open view, 

 challenging the public *ye, and satisfying, as it is hoped, the public 

 taste, — it calls with confidence on whatever public spirit, whatever 

 respect or zeal for science is to be found, within the most extensive, 

 the wealthiest, and the most patriotic district in England." After 

 noticing the great obligations of the Society to the architects Avho 

 had given it their valuable and gratuitous assistance, and stating 

 that the Council had endeavoured to do justice to Mr. Wilkins's 

 designs, by adhering to them with scrupulous fidelity, the Report 

 gives an account of the plan contemplated for laying out the garden 

 in such a manner as to combine a botanical distribution of the plants 

 with a pleasing effect to the eye, mentions the intention of the 

 curator* to adopt DecandoUe's method of arrangement; and states, 

 that by the activity of the sub-curator, lately appointed, 500 plants 

 have been obtained; and that from the liberality to be anticipated in 

 these donations, the Society may soon expect to possess a very large 

 collection of hardy herbaceous plants. — The beautiful specimens of 

 architectural sculpture displayed in the Museum are then mentioned, 

 and a hope expressed, that large accessions will be made of other 

 antiquarian relics. " A depositary for the numerous remains of 

 Yorkshire antiquities has long been desired, and where can such a 

 depository be formed with greater propriety than in the capital of this 

 county, amidst so many existing monuments of ancient grandeur, and 

 the yet distinct vestiges of successive generations ; and under the 

 auspices of an institution which will afford, in the increasing stores 

 of its Museum., the readiest and most invaluable aid to the labours of 

 the future topographer, as well as to those of the student and historian 

 of nature. And though there is no part of real knowledge, whether 

 of art or nature, to which the Society does not wish to apply itself, 

 yet local information, and whatever relates to Yorkshire, are its prin- 

 cipal objects : — of those objects, in whatever degree its establishment 

 may be enlarged, it ought by no means ever to lose sight. Other 

 collections within these walls will have their use for the instruction of 

 the student; but as far as the progress of learning or science are con- 

 cerned, intelligence of the district to which we belong, is our proper 

 study, and our most useful pursuit." — Several instances are then 

 noticed of the attention of the Society to subjects of local research, 

 as in Mr. Rankin's account of the discovery of a Roman road on the 

 Wolds ; in Mr. Phillips's excellent'illustrations of the geology of our 

 coast, which have been the means of communicating to distant 

 countries the information to be drawn from the Society's collections; 

 and in the investigation of a very remarkable deposit of fossil bones 

 on Mr. Worsley's estate, near North Cliff: it is added, that at the 



• The Rev. William Hincks, iM.A. F.L.S. 



same 



