PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 

 TO THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' 



UNION, 



Delivered at Middlesborough, October 26th, igoo, 

 Colonel Sadler, M.P., -in the Chair, 



GEORGE T. PORRITT, F.L.S., F.E.S., 



President of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, igoo. 



At the end of the closing- year of the nineteenth century, 

 during nearly forty years of which era our own Union has been in 

 existence, either under its present or its original title, it seems 

 to me fitting that we should examine our whereabouts, as pro- 

 fessedly scientific naturalists, as compared with our scientific 

 notions during the early years of our association. Naturalists' 

 societies and associations are essentially products of the nine- 

 teenth century ; for although the Linnean and one or two 

 other societies certainly were founded prior to its commence- 

 ment, it is this century, and indeed the latter part of it, which 

 has witnessed such a marvellous multiplicity of them. 



Our own Union was formed expressly for the purpose of 

 investigating- every nook and corner of our large county, and 

 so in time gain a sufficiently complete knowledge of its 

 geology, fauna, and flora, to justify the publication of lists 

 with localities, etc., of the species in all the various branches ; 

 but I fear that in its early days comparatively few of our 

 members at all realized the necessity and importance of these 

 aims. 



My own connection with the Union dates from near its 

 formation, and what strikes me most now, as compared with 

 the early days, is the altogether difli'erent method of study 

 adopted. The days I allude to may be described as the col- 

 lecting age of the Union. Collecting and the acquisition of 

 specimens in those days appeared to be the highest ambition 

 of members, i.e., of the majority of those members who did 



