282 AWt'.v ttiui ( 'aiiuiicn/s. 



ruins — the river, and even the museum and its beautiful 

 i^rouuds, all lend themselves admirably to the purpose. In 

 the matter of hospitality, also, much had been done ; in fact, 

 almost every possible want had been well catered for. Perhaps 

 the main exception was the ' British Association Refreshment 

 Room ' which most of the members went to, once. In one other 

 way, though perhaps not a very serious matter, was there 

 ground for complaint, and that was the very poor arrangements 

 made for enabling- the visitors to purchase books etc., relating; 

 to the g-eology, natural history, archaeology, etc., of the county. 

 In fact obstacles were purposely put in the way of the proper 

 exhibition of such works ! 



STATISTICS. 



The number of members attending- the York meeting- this 

 year was 1973, as compared with 2557 at the former visit to York 

 in i88i. In South Africa last year 2130 members attended the 

 meeting-, and the year previous, at Cambridge, the number was 

 2789. The figure for this year is therefore exceedingly dis- 

 appointing. The Lord Mayor of York, in various speeches 

 before the meeting, expressed the hope that the present would 

 be a record gathering ; and in view of the fact that last year's 

 meeting was in South Africa, where so many were unable to 

 attend, and also having regard to the circumstance that this 

 was the Anniversary meeting at York, after the foundation at 

 that city of the Association three-quarters of a century ago, 

 there was every reason to hope that the present meeting would 

 be exceptionally well attended. At any rate, all belie\ed that 

 the number recorded in 1881 would be reached. But it was not to 

 be. We can only assume that the cause is the inconveniently 

 early date of the York meeting this year, as was pointed out in 

 our Auijust issue. 



ENTERTAINMENTS. 

 There can be no doubt that York did its best to make those 

 who did attend get the greatest advantage therefrom. Numerous 

 and various garden parties and ollur functions occupied the 

 attention of the by no means small proportion of the visitors 

 who make a point at these meetings of having a sort of scientific 

 picnic, and care little for tlie ' solid ' work. This is perhaps as 

 well, as those who attended for the purpose of serious study were 

 thus sa\ ed the inconvenience that arises from a great crow d of 

 peo])le who know little and care less about what is going on. 



Naturalist, 



