REPOET OF THE COMMITTEE. 361 



NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 



OF 



NORTHUMBERLAND, DURHAM, AND NEWCASTLE- 

 UPON-TYNE. 



REPORT EROM APRIL, 1872, TO JULY, 1874. 



The somewhat lengthened period which has elapsed since last 

 the members were called together has been owing chiefly to the 

 absence of any matters on which it was essential that your Com- 

 mittee should report. 



Since April of 1872 the work of the Society has proceeded very 

 much as usual, and offers really but little on which to remark. 

 The number of members has continued about stationary, as a 

 result of which, the Society can hardly be said to have reaped 

 its full share of the commercial prosperity of the district. Your . 

 Committee would again urge on individual members the neces- 

 sity of exertion in this respect. By the exercise of the strictest 

 economy your Committee have been able to pay their way, and 

 to maintain a balance in hand, but the development of the col- 

 lection has, your Committee cannot but feel, been seriously in- 

 terfered with thereby. 



Your Committee have to record, with feelings of the deepest 

 regret, the losses which the Society has sustained, during the 

 period covered by this report. They have but to mention the 

 successive deaths of Albany Hancock, of Thomas Bold, and of 

 Dr. Edward Charlton, to remind this meeting of the gaps pro- 

 duced in the ranks of local workers in our science. 



