144 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 



papers relating to the management and arrangement of Museums, 

 and to promote a system of exchanges of duplicate specimens, 

 and generally to further the development of local and provincial 

 Museums ; such work being considered in accordance with and 

 carrying out some of the objects aimed at by this Society, a 

 cordial invitation was given to the members to visit Newcastle. 

 The meeting was fixed to be held in the last week in July, and 

 our distinguished Yice-President, the Eev. Canon Norman, was 

 selected as President of the Newcastle Meeting. The members 

 met on the 23rd July, in the Durham College of Science, in 

 which rooms had been obligingly granted by the Council of the 

 College to the Association, and the general meetings were held 

 during four days in the Physical Lecture Theatre of the Col- 

 lege. At the first meeting an excellent address was given by 

 the President on the origin of the Natural History Society — 

 the work done by its members and the members of the Tyne- 

 side Naturalists' Pield Club — and many details regarding the 

 establishment of this Society and the growth of the Museum 

 and its important collections. Afternoon visits, after the morn- 

 ing reading and discussion of papers, were made to Durham to 

 visit the Cathedral and Rev. Canon Tristram's Collection, and 

 to Burnmoor Rectory to see the President's extensive collections 

 of Northern Invertebrata. A Conversazione and Reception of 

 the Associates was held in the Museum on the "Wednesday even- 

 ing, and a visit to the Sunderland Museum, and an invitation to 

 dinner by the Mayor of Sunderland, took place on the Friday 

 evening. Numerous papers on important subjects connected 

 with the organization and arrangement of Museums were read 

 and discussed at the morning sittings, and notwithstanding the 

 very unsettled and stormy state of the weather, which prevented 

 the carrying out of contemplated excursions to the Durham coast, 

 the Newcastle Meeting was considered to be, in the main object 

 of such gatherings, very successful. 



Two Evening Meetings were held in January and February 

 in connection with the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club, in the 

 Committee Room. At the first meeting the Rev. Arthur Watts 

 read an elaborate essay on the " Life History of Coal," which 



