132 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 



This meeting concluded the series of Evening Meetings 

 for the winter months, and it must be mentioned as very un- 

 fortunate that the weather on nearly every occasion was most 

 unfavourable, and no doubt tended to much reduce the 

 attendance at these meetings. 



Obituary. — The Committee have to deplore the loss by 

 death of several of their older members. By the death of 

 Mr. Alexander Shannon Stevenson we lose a former member 

 of. Committee and Vice-President. Though following no 

 special pursuit in any branch of Natural History, he ever took 

 a cordial interest in the objects aimed at by the Society, and 

 in the promotion of its general welfare. For many years he 

 was a frequent attender at the Committee meetings, and even 

 after his removal to the South of England did not cease to be 

 a member of the Society or lose an opportunity of visiting the 

 Museum. 



The usual number of transactions and books have been 

 received as in former years in exchange or as presents from 

 other Societies. 



The most important and interesting donation is perhaps the 

 skeleton of a Hippopotamus from Lake Nyassa, Central 

 Africa, and several horns of some of the Antelopes which are 

 now becoming rare in those districts where they formerly 

 abounded. These and a few other curios have been thought- 

 fully brought home and presented by the Rev. R. Stewart 

 Wright from the Shire district of Central Africa. Mr. 

 Gascoigne Lumley, Gateshead, presented the lower jaw of 

 a young African Elephant and several remarkable fish-shaped 

 ornaments worn on the head by natives at religious festivals 

 in Nigeria. Mr. Alfred Johnston, formerly of Gateshead, 

 presented a collection of 58 skins of birds from California. 

 A very fine example of Bewick's Swan, killed near Haydon 

 Bridge, was presented by George E. Crawhall, Esq., with 

 several other birds from the same locality. An interesting 

 collection of eggs from the Falkland Islands and Tierra del 

 Fuego was presented by Dr. Allen H. Hobbs. These, with 



