REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 131 



reading of the Hancock Prize Essays for 1899. The First 

 Prize Essay, entitled " A Ramble round Allendale District," 

 was read by the author, Mr. F. W. Ritson. Miss Minton- 

 Senhouse's essay on " Some Fruits of the more common 

 Field Flowers," was read by Mr. Alaric Richardson. 

 Lengthened discussion followed the reading of each paper. 



The Fourth Meeting was held on the 27th February, when, 

 it being another stormy night, only about a dozen members 

 ventured to the meeting. An interesting and instructive 

 lecture, illustrated with limelight views of the luxuriant and 

 remarkable tropical vegetation of Ceylon, was given by Prof. 

 M. C. Potter, hon. secretary. Afterwards some short accounts 

 were given of the habits of some of the North American 

 Woodpeckers, which were illustrated with part of a tree stem 

 perforated by these birds, and also by a large collection of the 

 skins of the Californian species lately presented to the Natural 

 History Society by Mr. Alfred W. Johnston, formerly of 

 Gateshead. 



The Fifth Meeting, 27th March, was attended by about a 

 dozen members, the weather as usual was again very un- 

 favourable. Mr. J. E. Robson, F.E.S., came purposely 

 from Hartlepool to give an address on the British 

 Butterflies, a subject so well known to him. The members 

 present listened with great pleasure to the exceedingly in- 

 structive and detailed account of each species of Butterfly 

 indigenous to or introduced at an early or later period into 

 the British Islands, with remarks on their abundance or rarity, 

 and the food-plants of the different species. 



The last Evening Meeting, 24th April, was attended by 

 about ten members with some friends. The President of the 

 Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club occupied the chair, and read 

 a paper written by the Rev. Woodruffe-Peacock "On the 

 Cuckoo; a Study." A long discussion followed the reading of 

 the paper. Afterwards a large series of Cuckoo's eggs found 

 in the nests of numerous species of small birds was examined 

 by those present. Mr. Raine's collection of Geometer Moths 

 was also exhibited and examined. 



