l8 YORKSHIRE naturalists' UNION ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1894. 



Yorkshire Coast-line. Mr. Buttereil, of Beverley, who has under- 

 taken the secretariate of the Committee, has utilised his time at the 

 sea-side in investigating the shore-life, and some bibliographical work 

 has been commenced on behalf of the Committee. 



Wild Birds' Eggs Committee. — No further evidence has been' 

 collected since the last report was presented. The efforts of the 

 British Association Committee, for whom this Committee collected 

 evidence, have been directed towards promoting a Bill to amend the- 

 Wild Birds' Protection Act, iSSo, of prohibiting the taking or 

 destroying of tlie eggs of such wild birds as are in danger of extinc- 

 tion unless their eggs are protected. Though the Bill has been 

 before both Houses of Parliament, it has not yet passed through its. 



final stages. 



British Association. — The Union has again been appointed 

 one of the Corresponding Societies of the Association, and was 

 represented at the Oxford meeting, in the unavoidable absence of 

 the Rev. E. P. Knubley, M.A., by Mr. M. B. Slater, F.L.S., who- 

 reports that at the conferences special attention was devoted to- 

 a discussion on local nuiseums, and the best manner in which they 

 might be made available for scientific and educational purposes. 



The Secretariate. — Your Executive regret that they have to- 

 announce that Mr. Walter F. Baker fmds it necessary to retire from 

 the Secretariate, owing to other demands upon his time — and tlicir- 

 regret is the greater in view of the ability which he has shown during, 

 his brief tenure of the office in the management of the Union's 

 affairs. It is a pleasure to know that the Union will continue to 

 have Mr. Baker's aid in its work in otlier capacities, and it is- 

 unfortunate that your Executive have no suitable successor in view. 

 It is, however, always difficult to meet with members in whom the- 

 various necessary cjualifications for such an office are to be found. 



The Presidency for the ensuing year lias been offered to and 

 accepted by Dr. Robert Braithwaite, in whom we, as Yorkshiremen,. 

 feel that we possess the ^facile princeps ' of British bryologists, and 

 whose 'British Sphagnacex' and 'British Moss-Floia,' now being 

 issued, as well' as other ]japers on British and foreign mosses, will 

 long rank as the standard works for students of that group of 



plants. 



In conclusion, your Executive have to express their sense of the 

 great service that our retiring President lias conferred upon the 

 Union, not only by his occupancy of the chair, but also by the 

 sustained interest he has shown in its work. 



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