30 Yorkshire Naturalists at Wakefield. 



The Ma\^or welcomed the members on behalf of the citizens 

 of the ancient City of Wakefield, remarking that this was the 

 third occasion upon which the Union had held its annual 

 meeting at Wakefield, the first time being on the 6th October, 

 1877. ^ 



The Presidential address of Sir Archibald Geikie was read 

 by Prof. Kendall, the subject being ' A Yorkshire Rector of 

 the Eighteenth Century.' The address contained the result 

 of his extensive enquiries into the career and scientific labours 

 of an eminent Yorkshire Scientist, the Reverend John Michell, 

 Rector of Thornhill, near Wakefield, who resided there from 

 1767 to the time of his death in 1793. The result of these 

 enquiries showed how extensive was the range of the investi- 

 gations of this Rector of Thornhill, and especially how true 

 were his pioneer achievements in Physics, Astronomy, and 

 Geology. The address will appear in the pages of TJie Natura- 

 list. 



A vote of thanks was accorded to Sir Archibald Geikie for 

 his address, on the proposition of Dr. Forsyth, President of 

 the Yorkshire Geological Society, seconded by Mr. A. Gilligan, 

 B.Sc, Secretarv of the same Society. Votes of thanks were 

 also accorded to the Wakefield Corporation for the use of the 

 rooms at the Town Hall, to the Mayor of Wakefield for light 

 refreshment, and to Mr. H. G. Townsend for making the local 

 arrangements ; to the Wakefield Naturalists' Society, Wakefield 

 Paxton Society, and Wakefield Photographic Society for their 

 entertainment, and making the meeting the great success it 

 was. Col. Brotherton responded on behalf of the Wakefield 

 Paxton Society, and Mr. H. V. Pollard on behalf of the Wakefield 

 Naturalists' Society. The concluding resolution, most heartily 

 carried, to Prof. Kendall for his services, was moved by Canon 

 Welch, seconded by Prof. Garstang. 



After this meeting, a pleasant evening was spent at the 

 Town Hall. One room was set apart for exhibits, the contribu- 

 tors thereto being as follows : — Mr. F. W. Tattersall, architec- 

 tural views of the cathedrals of Wakefield, Norwich and Ely, 

 and landscape views in the neighbourhood of Settle and the 

 Wharf e Valley ; Mr. A. Pickard, ^dews of old Wakefield, York 

 Minster, and Bolton Abbey ; Mr. H. G. Townsend, views of 

 York Minster and Beverley ; Mr. J. B. Butterworth, old 

 fire-arms and helmets, and cases of foreign lepidoptera and 

 coleoptera ; Mr. C. W. Halden, armour co-incident with the 

 Battle of Wakefield ; Mr. George Wadsworth, eggs of the 

 Ostrich and Emu, petrified bird's-nest and eggs, photographs 

 of Australian natives, and British agricultural grasses ; Mr. 

 H. V. Pollard, cases of Enghsh birds ; Mr. George Parkin, a 

 splendid series of mounted British grasses, club-mosses, mosses 

 and hchcns ; cases of insects, chiefly Diptera and Hymenoptera, 



Naturalist, 



