THURSDAY, OCTOBER 173, 1870 
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NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES 
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XISTING Natural History Societies, or Field Clubs, 
E may be divided into two classes : those which have 
: already a definite scientific position, and aim especially at 
_ working out the flora and fauna of their country or dis- 
trict ; and those which have for their object the popularis- 
ing of the various branches of Natural Science, always with 
due regard to scientific exactness. The first consist chiefly 
of professed naturalists ; the second of intelligent persons 
who have some desire to gain a little insight into the 
wonders with which they are surrounded. Some societies 
combine the two ; and these are, perhaps, the most useful 
of the three classes. Although taking a somewhat lower 
_ tone, our second class is to the full as important as the 
more advanced one; and if by its means our fellow- 
_ countrymen obtain even a slight knowledge of some branch 
of Natural History, something will have been done to 
diminish in some measure the mass of ignorance on 
matters connected with Natural Science which still pre- 
yails among educated people. Apropos of this, we may 
mention one instance which has lately come to our know- 
ledge. Some people, of average education and intellect, 
who had resided for fifteen years in a country district, had 
brought to them a full-grown larva of the Privet Hawk- 
moth. Having no idea of its nature,—although one 
suggested that it was a “locust !”—but a sort of dread of 
its mysterious appearance, and of the horn on its tail, a 
council of war was held, and, it being considered too large 
to “squash,” the unfortunate creature was forthwith placed 
in a pail of water, where it remained for eight or ten hours. 
At the end of this time a naturalist intervened, and the 
caterpillar was rescued from its bath ; when, strange to 
relate, it positively lived for three or four days, but died 
while passing into the state of pupa. 
Having had some practical experience in the working 
of more than one local’ society, and somewhat special 
opportunities for becoming acquainted with the modus 
operandi pursued by others, a few notes on some of the 
more salient points which they presert may be of some 
interest, and possibly of some use, to those who purpose 
taking part in establishing such a body. On the present 
occasion, we will confine ourselves to those societies which, 
either from the long period for which they have been 
established, or from other favowing circumstances, have 
attained a definite position, and are-chiefly maintained by 
experienced naturalists, deferring for a future paper some 
hints and suggestions on the formation of less pretentious 
bodies. 
One of the most important duties which devolves upon 
a society or field club possessing a fair proportion of 
working members, is the investigation of the flora and 
fauna of the district in which it is placed. Agreeing, as 
all will do, with Linnzeus, thet “turpe est in patria vivere, et 
patriam ignorare,” it is evident that it is mainly through 
the agency of such bodies that a knowledge of the Natural 
History of the country generally is to be obtained. For 
such purposes there is no plan so satisfactory as that 
VOL, II. 
NATURE 
y 
which is termed “ working by sections.” On this system, 
the society is divided into a number of smaller bodies, 
each having for its object the investigation and reporting 
upon some one branch, and consisting exclusively of those 
who are able and willing to devote both time and attention 
to the subject. Each section has its chairman and secre- 
tary, and holds its meetings independently of the re- 
mainder of the society. This plan has two advantages— 
only those who really woré will undertake to join a section, 
and their meetings are kept free from any hindrance 
arising from the “drones,” who, it must be confessed, are 
to be found more or less in every society, great or small. 
Besides, the three or four members forming each section 
can always conveniently meet at each other’s houses, a 
proceeding which could not be so readily carried out if the 
whole number were assembled for each meeting ; and as 
the societies which have the advantage of a room specially 
retained for meetings are but few in number, this con- 
sideration is not unimportant. 
The thorough and convenient investigation of the 
Natural History of a district, though an important, is not 
the only duty of a field club ; the same body may be of 
yet greater service in aiding in the publication of the 
facts which have been collected by its members. In this 
manner local societies have already done good service to 
science ; thus, in botany alone, we owe to the Tyneside 
Naturalists’ Club, Mr. J. G. Baker’s valuable “Flora of 
Northumberland and Durham ;” to the Holmesdale 
Naturalists’ Club, Mr. Brewer's “ Flora of Surrey ;” to the 
Worcestershire Field Club, Mr. Lees’ “ Botany of Worces- 
tershire ;” while of similar works in preparation we may 
mention the “ Flora of Herefordshire,” by the Woolhope 
Club (of which Part 1 is already published) ; that of East 
Kent, by the East Kent Natural History Society; of 
Folkestone, by the Folkestone Society ; of Berkshire (a 
much needed contribution to British botany), by the New- 
bury District Field Club; and many more. The Tyneside 
naturalists certainly stand first in the value and import- 
ance of their published proceedings, which, especially 
since their union with the Natural History Society of 
Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle, have attained 
a scientific position which renders them indispensable to 
those who would obtain a complete knowledge of the 
Natural History of the country at large. Asa proof that 
local matters are not neglected in these volumes, catalogues 
of the Lepidoptera, Mollusca, Zoophyta, recent Forami- 
nifera, and Fossils, have been published in them, and a'so 
issued separately at a moderate cost ; and the last volume 
contains a paper on the “Crustacean Fauna of the Salt 
Marshes,” and a “ Catalogue of the Aculeate Hymenop- 
tera,” of the two counties. We have been thus particular 
in commenting on these transactions, as they appear to us 
to afford a very good example of what the publications of 
the higher class of field clubs ought to be: essentially 
local, yet at the same time of sufficient general interest to 
be really valuable contributions to the Natural History 
of England. Second only to them in importance are the 
“ Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club,” of 
which the sixth volume is now in progress. This society 
is of especial interest as being the first local field club 
established in the kingdom. 
Another advantage attending the publication of local 
floras by field clubs, is that by their means the expenses 
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