pkesident's address. 89 



acquaintance with Mr. John and Mr. Albany Hancock, which 

 was of so much value to him in after years. Another friend- 

 ship which he early formed was that of Professor Oliver, now 

 of Kew, but who at that time resided in Newcastle. It was, 

 I am told, at the suggestion of Professor Oliver that he devoted 

 himself to the collecting and preserving of the Diatomacese, and 

 Desmidiacese, microscopic plants, which abounded in the ditches 

 of the Carr. For many years he pursued these subjects, ex- 

 tending his investigations with respect to microscopic plants 

 throughout the fresh and salt waters of the district. He had 

 made preparations for the publication of a catalogue of these or- 

 ganisms, but in consequence of his taking up another and more 

 important field of study, it was never completed. His early con- 

 nection with collieries, and his love of natural science, had led 

 him to search for fossils in the coal measures, and it so hap- 

 pened that the district in which he resided was peculiarly rich 

 in fossil remains, and thus the latter years of his life were 

 almost entirely devoted to the study of this branch of Palaeon- 

 tology. He was peculiarly fortunate, and during his investiga- 

 tions accumulated a large series of coal measure fossils, including 

 many of extreme rarity. His manipulative skill was very great, 

 and no time was thought by him too long to be bestowed in de- 

 veloping and clearing his beautiful specimens from their matrix, 

 which form one of the finest collections of coal-measure fossils 

 in the kingdom. The first paper which bears his name was 

 written in conjunction with Mr. J. "W. Kirkby, ''On some 

 Fish Eemains from the Durham and Northumberland Coal- 

 Measures," and was published in 1864 in Yol. YI. Tyneside 

 Naturalists' Field Club Transactions. From that time his name 

 is constantly associated with that of Mr. Albany Hancock, who 

 until his death assisted him in the description and illustration 

 of the choicest specimens in his collection. His still more re- 

 cent papers, written subsequently to Mr. Hancock's death, were 

 illustrated through the kind help of his friends Dr. Embleton 

 and Mr. Dinning. Mr. Atthey became a member of the Club in 

 1860, and a few years before his death was made an Associate 

 of the Linnaean Society. We may congratulate ourselves that 



