HEPOiir OF THE COMMITIEE. 193 



NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 



OF 



NOETHUMBERLAND, DURHAM, AND NEWCASTLE- 

 UPON-TYNE. 



ANNUAL MEETING-, 14th OCTOBEE, 1896. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR 1895-96. 



The past year of the Society, which has been of an uneventful 

 character, has closed with a membership of 276, being a net 

 increase of fourteen members. Twenty-four new members haye 

 been elected during the year, six have resigned, and the Society 

 has lost four more of its elder members by death. It must be 

 pointed out that the increase of members is due partly to the 

 circular which, in accordance with the resolution passed at the 

 last Annual Meeting, was issued to the leading residents of 

 Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. While 

 this circular has not immediately resulted in so large an increase 

 of members as might have been expected, the Committee stiU 

 hope that its distribution may lead to a wider interest being 

 taken in the welfare of the Society. 



The attendance of the public has been, on the whole, much 

 the same as in past years, though on some of the public holidays 

 unusually large numbers have availed themselves of the oppor- 

 tunity of visiting the Museum. 



During the year a special outlay has been caused by the 

 repainting of the wood and iron work on the outside of the 

 Museum and the building generally has been kept in a proper 

 state of repair. Notwithstanding the somewhat heavy expendi- 

 ture which this has entailed, the Committee are glad to report 



