90 pkesident's addeess. 



through the liberality of Lady Armstrong Mr. Atthey's grand 

 collection of fossils, which includes many choice types, has been 

 purchased and presented to the Natural History Society, in whose 

 Museum it is now deposited. 



Mr. Prancis Charlton, C.E., who had accompanied us in some 

 of our rambles during the past year, died very suddenly, at his 

 residence, at Tynemouth, on April the 9th, 1881. He was one 

 of the Charltons of Hesleyside, and was Surveyor for the County 

 of Northumberland. "Without devoting himself to any special 

 branch of Natural History he took a lively and intelligent in- 

 terest in it. He became a member of the Field Club in 1874, 

 and was a frequent attender at the Field Meetings, where his 

 general information and his special knowledge of the old county 

 families and history always rendered him an interesting and 

 agreeable companion. 



Mr. W. M. Wake died at Sunderland, April 23rd, 1881. He 

 was elected a member of the Club in 1860. He took an active 

 interest in its aifairs, and for many years was a member of the 

 committee. He was an ardent student of Palaeontology, and 

 had a very good collection of Tertiary and other Possils, includ- 

 ing a fine series of those from the Permian beds of Tunstall and 

 its neighbourhood. He was much interested in the Museum at 

 Sunderland, and devoted much time and care to the arrangement 

 of its collections. 



"While thus paying a tribute to the memory of those who are 

 taken from us, I cannot but express my regret that I see so 

 few young Naturalists rising up in the district to take their 

 place. The Tyneside Naturalists' Pield Club maintains its 

 number of members, but unless new blood of young and ardent 

 devotees of science is infused into it, it cannot long maintain 

 that very high rank which it has hitherto held among scientific 

 societies, and which has made its Transactions to be regarded as 

 the most valuable publications of any provincial society in the 

 kingdom. "Why will not our younger members apply them- 

 selves to the attentive study and working out of some one 

 special group of the animal or vegetable kingdoms, as those who 

 bore the honoured names of Alder, Hancock, Hodge, Atthey, 



