ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1897. I 3 



Member of the Union, as a slig^ht mark of appreciation of the 

 value of his services to the Union rendered in many ways for 

 a long- series of years, and more especially as regards the 

 List of Yorkshire Coleoptera. 



British Association. — The Union has again been appointed 

 one of the Corresponding- Societies of the Association, but the 

 British Association meeting- having- been held this year in 

 Canada, your delegate was unable to be present, and Mr. 

 Harold Wager, F.L.S., was invited to act in his place. 

 Mr. Knubley's removal from Yorkshire creates a vacanc}' in 

 the position of Deleg-ate to the British x\ssociation, which 

 should be filled up at the present annual meeting. 



The Executive. — In accordance with the resolution passed 

 at the last annual meeting-, whereby the number of members of 

 the Executive appointed by the General Committee was fixed at 

 nine, of which the three senior members were to be ineligible for. 

 re-election until after the expiration of a 3^ear, Messrs. Charles 

 P. Hobkirk, F.L.S., Benjamin Holgate, F.G. S., and John James 

 Stead retire from a bod}- on which they have served for 20 

 years, and their colleagues would place on record their deep 

 sense of the obligations under which these g'entlemen have laid 

 the Union by their services during- so lengthened a period. 

 It is with sentiments of profound regret that members will learn 

 that Mr. Hobkirk has further intimated his intention to retire 

 altogether from ofiice in a Union in which he is b)' far the 

 oldest office-bearer, and for which he has done so much for 

 about thirty years. 



The Secretariate. — No permanent colleague for Mr. Roebuck 

 has 3-et been found, but he and the Union have been placed 

 under much obligation for assistance rendered in organizing 

 the excursions by Messrs. LI. J. Cocks, J. H. Rowntree, 

 J. J. Marshall, E. G. Bayford, and Arthur Crabtree, the last- 

 named undertaking two of the excursions — one in the total 

 absence of the Secretary of the Union. 



The Presidency. — Your Executive have the pleasure and 

 satisfaction of announcing" that the Presidency of the Union for 

 1898 has been accepted by Professor Michael Foster, Professor 

 of Physiology at Cambridge University and Secretary of the 

 Royal Society, who — it may be added — is also distinguished for 

 his attainments as a scientific horticulturist. 



In conclusion your Executive have to express their sense of 

 the great indebtedness under which Prof. Boyd Dawkins has 

 placed the Union b}' his tenure of the Presidential office, which 

 terminates at the present meeting. 



