252 REPORT OF THE COUNCIL 



A beginning has been made with an index of another and 

 much more extensive kind, a card catalogue of the fauna 

 and flora of Northumberland and Durham. This was first 

 advocated by Mr. R. S. Bagnall, and he, the Rev. J. E. Hull, 

 Mr. W. H. Young and others have already made themselves 

 responsible for considerable sections of it. The catalogue is 

 intended to form a permanent record of what is known of each 

 species in the two counties, and as it will be in the form of 

 cards, one for each species, it will be easy to make any 

 additions to it that may be required. Such a catalogue will 

 be of the greatest possible use to future workers. 



The Hancock Prize Competition again produced some good 

 essays. The judging was undertaken by the Rev. J. E. Hull 

 and Mr. George W. Temperley, who had no hesitation in 

 awarding the prize to Mr. J. Horsley for an essay describing 

 the birds seen during a walk along the coast near Bamburgh. 

 For the forthcoming competition additional prizes are offered 

 by the President. Lord Joicey is providing a second prize of 

 the value of £2, and two junior prizes, of the value of 25s. 

 and 15s. respectively, for competitors under sixteen years of 

 age. The Council particularly welcome this encouragement 

 to juvenile naturalists, and would be glad if it could be made 

 an annual adjunct to the main competition. 



A few other matters which have been before the Council 

 during the year may be briefly alluded to. Mr. J. D. 

 Challoner was appointed a member of the Council during 

 the year, to fill the place of Mr. George A. Atkinson, who had 

 gone abroad. Col. C. H. E. Adamson succeeds the late Mr. 

 R. R. Dees as the representative of the Natural History 

 Society on the Board of Governors of Armstrong College. 

 The Museum grounds have received a good deal of 

 attention and various improvements have been carried out, 

 notably in the condition of the grass and the groups of shrubs. 

 As usual, the Society has been indebted to a number of 

 members and others for gifts of museum specimens ; these 

 are acknowledged in a later section of the report. Of gifts of 

 other kinds, one which calls for special mention is that of a 



