13 

 YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION. 



3Sth ANNUAL REPORT, for 1896. 



Your Executive have to congratulate the members on the completion 

 of another excellent year's work, characterised by continued activity 

 on the part of some of the Committees of research ; on the issue of 

 two further instalments of Transactions, and on a successful series 

 of those field meetings on which the Union relies for stimulating 

 investigation in various parts of its area. 



The Meetings held during the year have been six in number 

 as usual, one for each division of the county, and a Fungus Foray. 



The districts chosen for investigation and the dates of the 

 meetings were as follows : — 



April iS, Saturday : Tanfield and Hackfall. 



May 25, Whit Monday : Bowland. 



June 20, Saturday : Skipwith Common. 



July II, Saturday : Roche Abbey. 



Aug. 3, Bank Holiday Monday : Staithes and Grinkle Park. 



Sep. 19 to 22 : Selby for Fungus Foray. 



The usual descriptive circular for each excursion was issued to 

 members and associates. 



The opening excursion of the year was held at Ripon, for the 

 exploration of Hackfall and Tanfield, on the i8th of April, an 

 earlier date than the Union usually selects for its first excursion 

 of the year. Propitious weather enabled much good collecting to 

 be done, especially by the bryological members. Mr. B. M. Smith, 

 of Ripon, assisted your hon. secretary in making the arrangements, 

 and a report from his pen has been published in the ' Naturalist.' 



The second meeting was arranged at Whitsuntide, for the ex- 

 ploration of Bowland, which was till then the largest area of unworked 

 ground that had been left for the Union to visit. The hon. secretary 

 had very efficient assistance from Mr. Edward Peake, M.A., in 

 making the arrangements. The excursion was planned to occupy 

 four days, on account of the extent and difficulty of access of the dis- 

 trict. There were two centres of exploration, the naturalists having 

 their head-quarters fixed at Newton in-Bowland, and the geologists, 

 who had the advantage of the leadership of Mr. R. H. Tiddeman, 

 ex-president of the Union, making their explorations from White- 

 well as a centre. Much good work was done by the party, and the 

 only regret was that there was not a much larger muster in so rich, 

 picturesque and comparatively uninvestigated a country. 



