THE NATURALIST 



FOR 1903. 



EDITORIAL. 



THE XA rr/^AL/ST -PAST 

 Thk Xatiiralist is one of the few natural history mag"azines that 

 has had an uninterrupted career for over a quarter of a century, 

 and it can be said to have existed, with slig'ht breaks, for nearly 

 seventv years. The first series of The Naturalist, edited by 

 B. Maund and W. HoU, and afterwards by Neville Wood, ran 

 into five volumes, the last four being- printed at Doncaster. 

 This was between 1836 and 1839. The second series was edited 

 between 1851 and 1858 by Dr. B. R. Morris, succeeded by the 

 Rev. F. O. Morris. This was published at York, and consisted 

 of eight volumes. The third series contained two complete 

 volumes and one incomplete, and was published at Huddersfield 

 under anonymous editorship between 1864 and 1867. The 

 fourth set was also published at Huddersfield, commencing in 

 1875, ^"'^ consisted of nine volumes, edited by Messrs. C. P. 

 Hobkirk and G. T. Porritt. In 1884 the place of publication 

 was transferred to Leeds, where it appeared under varying- 

 editorship until 1889, from which date it has been issued most 

 regularly, edited solely by the present indefatigable President of 

 the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, Mr. W. Denison Roebuck. 



AND FUTURE. 



It is sincerel}' hoped that the chang"e in the editing of the 

 journal, with the present issue, will not result in the magazine 

 deteriorating in popularity or scientific value. As the org-an of 

 the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union it is necessarily of primary 

 interest to Yorkshiremen, but its sub-title, ' .A. Monthly Journal 

 of Natural History for the North of England,' defines its scope. 

 It should be borne in mind that the future of the magazine 

 depends upon the contributors. Every effort will be made to 

 keep it of interest and value to northern naturalists, principally 

 by the publication of original articles relating- to their district, 

 but also b}' recording- within its pages particulars of anv similar 

 work appearing elsewhere. These will appear under ' Northern 



