416 REPOBT OF THE NATrRAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



Society, for surely in these days, when elementary and scientific 

 education receive so much attention, the advantage of having a 

 well ordered Museum open to the general public almost free 

 should not be overlooked. 



Duiing the past year the Society has had to deplore the loss 

 of one of its oldest members, Mr. W. C. Hewitson, whose death 

 took place at Oatlands, Surrey, on May 28th, 1878. 



The deceased gentleman was a member of this Society fi'om its 

 commencement; he was a member of the first Committee, and 

 for two years he held the office of Honorary Secretary : he was 

 also one of the original Trustees. 



During his official connection with the Society he took an 

 active part in furthering its objects, and when he removed from 

 the neighbourhood still took a warm interest in its welfare, so 

 much so, that some years before his death he increased his an- 

 nual subscription from one to five guineas. 



As a fitting memoir of Mr. Hewitson will appear in the Tran- 

 sactions of the Society, your Committee will not enter into any 

 detail of his works other than to say, that his published works 

 have won for him a world-wide reputation, and that he occupies 

 a foremost place in the roll of eminent naturalists who have made 

 the name of ^N'cwcastle famous in all Natural History circles. 



In distributing his fortune, Mr. Hewitson has amply shown 

 his warm interest in the welfare of the Society, and by his will 

 has left to it the munificent bequest of £3000 free of legacy 

 duty. In addition to this he has also bequeathed to the Society 

 his valuable Natural Histoiy Library, consisting of upwards of 

 four hundred volumes, chiefly upon his favourite subject, the 

 Lepidoptera, and which we understand is one of the most com- 

 plete in that branch of Natural History in Europe. 



Mr. Hewitson's bequest of £3000 has been invested in North 

 Eastern four per cent, debenture stock at 103 J. 



The valuable collection of fossils collected by Mr. Thomas 

 Atthey, A.L.S., of Oosforth, illustrative of the Fauna of the 

 Northumberland Coal-Mcasures, has been presented to the So- 

 ciety through the liberality of one who takes a warm interest 

 in the welfare of the Institution, but who for the present wishes 



