peesident's addeess. 245 



should be a frugal one. Ladies were to be admitted as mem- 

 bers. Wanton persecution of rare birds, and tbe extinction 

 of rare plants, were to be strongly discouraged. Notes were 

 to be accumulated, instead of specimens, "by which our closet 

 collections would be enriched only at the expense of nature's 

 great museum out of doors." Last, and certainly not least, 

 the members were to endeavour to promote a taste for care- 

 fully preserving all monuments of antiquity from wanton in- 



The seed thus planted fell into good soil. Men able and 

 willing took part in the work, and the success of the Club was 

 soon assured. The Natural History Society of Northumberland 

 and Durham held out a friendly and helping hand to the new 

 Club, and they have gone forward hand in hand ever since. 

 Before long, the proceedings of the Club attracted the attention 

 of outside Naturalists, and its fame was established and spread 

 abroad by the catalogues and anatomical papers published iu the 

 first volume. 



In the first days of its career, as I have already said, this 

 Club was indebted to the Natural History Society for valued 

 aid. In the year 1864 the alliance of the two societies became 

 more complete, as it was then arranged that the " Transactions" 

 of both should be jointly published. The arrangement then 

 made has continued till now, with great advantage to both. 

 And I may mention that the volumes containing the joint 

 Transactions are now eagerly sought after, and command a high 

 price in the London book market. Many of those who formed 

 the little band of earnest men who established the Club, and 

 contributed to its fame, have, like our first President, passed 

 away. Men, whom to know was to love and respect. But, 

 thank God, we have some of them with us, and laboui'ing for us 

 still. Yery quietly, it is true, and, as has ever been their wont, 

 with no touch of ostentation. But the result of that labour, 

 begun so long ago, and carried on so quietly that only few of 

 their fellow-townsmen were aware of it, will appear before long. 

 Citizens of Newcastle, who had not even a dream of it, wUl 

 awake one morning to find their town made famous by the 



