3IO REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 



script waiting to be printed. Tliis includes the final 

 sections of Mr. Robson's catalogue, a number of papers to 

 be embodied in a general part of the Transactions, and the 

 Rev. W. J. Wingate's work on local Diptera, which is at 

 present in the printer's hands, and which promises to possess 

 an importance far exceeding the limits of purely local natural 

 history. It is highly desirable that all this matter should be 

 published without delay, but on the other hand the Society is 

 scarcely justified in publishing anything more at present. The 

 usefulness of the Society is being hampered seriously in many 

 directions by lack of funds, and your Council would appeal to 

 the members for help in securing what appears to be the only 

 remedy, a largely increased roll of annual subscribers. 



Eleven essays were submitted in competition for the Hancock 

 Prize in 1904. Canon Tristram and Canon Norman again 

 kindly consented to act as judges, and upon their recommenda- 

 tion the prize was awarded to Mr. A. Cleghorn, of Darlington, 

 for an essay on the natural history of the sea shore at Marsden. 

 The judges also specially commended the essays submitted by 

 Mr. R. S. Bagnall and Mr. W. Tweddle, and felt justified in 

 saying that the essays sent in this time were the best set they 

 had yet been called upon to examine. It is gratifying to find 

 that latterly the competition has met with decidedly increased 

 success in caUing forth and encouraging local talent in the 

 field of outdoor natural history. 



The donations received during the year include several of 

 special interest. The bird room has been enriched by more 

 than fifty birds selected from the well known collection of Mr. 

 George Bolam, of Berwick. The remainder of the collection 

 has been purchased by Lord Armstrong, who will give it a 

 permanent resting place in Bamborough Castle. Several other 

 very interesting birds have been presented by Mr. G. E. 

 Crawhall. Through Miss Embleton, as a bequest from the 

 late Dr. Embleton, has been received the original of the 

 " Sleeping Leopard," a taxidermic study by John Hancock 

 which formed the subject of one of his published drawings. A 

 number of excellent and unusual marine specimens have been 



