326 PEESIDEJiTl's ADDKESS, 



ADDEESS TO THE MEMBEES OE THE TYNESIDE 

 I^ATIJEALISTS' EIELD CLUB, 



BEAD BY THE PEESIDENT, H. COOPER ABBS, ESQ., AT THE POBTIETH 

 ANNIVEESAEY MEETING, HELD IN THE LIBBAKY OF THE LITEBARY 

 AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ON MONDAY, 

 MAY 24th, 1886. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, — It is now my duty, as President during 

 the past year, at this the fortieth anniversary meeting of the 

 Tyneside !N"aturalists' Eield Club, in compliance with a rule of 

 our Club, to read an address containing a written summary of 

 the proceedings at the several Eield Meetings held during the 

 year with such observations as I may deem conducive to the 

 welfare of the Club and the promotion of its objects. In per- 

 forming this duty, I desire first to express to you my sense of 

 the honour which you did me in electing me to the office of 

 President for the year which has now expired. I felt at the 

 time of your electing me, and I feel still, that it is an honour 

 of which I am unworthy. Though an ardent admirer and lover 

 of IS'ature I have not made l^atural History, or any particular 

 branch of it, the subject of systematic study. I feel, therefore, 

 that the honour you conferred upon me twelve months ago was 

 more due to my having been for some years a member of the 

 Club, and perhaps also in some degree to my relationship to a 

 former President and original member of the Club (whom I now 

 represent) than to any personal fitness for the post. I shall 

 now endeavour to comply with the rule referred to. 



The EmsT Field Meeting of the year was held on Eriday, 

 May 29th, at Blaydon Burn, High Spen, and Eowland's Gill. 

 About twenty members proceeded by train soon after mid-day 

 from ^Newcastle to Blaydon Station. A brief conference was 

 necessary here as to the appointment of the hour and place for 

 a ''frugal dinner," under one of the original rules of the Club, 

 the landlord at High Spen, who had been req^uested to provide 



