president's address, 135 



Harbour to secure a cup of tea before the 5 o'clock train started 

 for Newcastle. Mr. Cobb, of Sundeziand, led the party through 

 Ryhope Dene, and did most of the botanizing that was possible 

 at this late season. 



A joint Evening Meeting of the members of the Club and of 

 the Natural History Society was held in the Library of the New 

 Museum, on the evening of February the 27th. The chair was 

 occupied by Mr. J. F. Spence. After the election of two mem- 

 bers to the Club, Dr. Embleton read a most interesting Memoir 

 of the Life of John Hancock There was a good attendance of 

 members of both Societies, This was the first meeting held by 

 the Club in the New Building. 



Some members often complain that we have so few evening 

 meetings during the winter months. If they would only kindly 

 favour us with a few Natural History Notes, or some original 

 paper on subjects which come within the scope of the Club's 

 proceedings, it would be possible to have these pleasant gather- 

 ings more frequently, but, in the absence of such contributions, 

 winter evening meetings cannot be held. 



During the last year, the second and completing part of Vol- 

 ume X, has been issued to members. It is but bare justice to 

 say that our Transactions not only sustain the character of the 

 Club as a Naturalist's Society, but they still carry out, to some 

 extent, the original object of the founders of this Society — which 

 was to form reliable catalogues of the natural productions of 

 these counties. There are still many interesting subjects re- 

 maining for future investigators, if such would only come for- 

 ward and lend a helping hand towards the formation of a more 

 complete set of catalogues of our local Fauna and Flora, There 

 are still many large groups of organized beings whose local distri- 

 bution requires working out. We have no complete list of the 

 Diatoms, the Desmids, the Microscopic Algae, Fungi, and many 

 of the minuter groups of Insects, Spiders, etc., have yet to be 

 catalogued. Fifty years ago, without, or with very imperfect 

 microscopes, several of these subjects were almost unapproach- 

 able, or were undertaken at great disadvantage ; but, in the pres- 

 ent day, it is earnest and enthusiastic workers that are the dcsid- 



