108 



NATURALISTS FIELD CLUBS ; 



full of funds — many of them, at least. And they likewise 

 number in their ranks many naturalists of great attainments, 

 whose writings, were they disposed so to bestow them, could not 

 but confer considerable value on any publications in which they 

 appeared. There seems therefore to be no reason why other 

 Clubs, if they chose to do so, should not equal us in the matter 

 of Transactions. I think, therefore, that we should scarcely rest 

 content with merely following year after year the old beaten 

 track. Stare per antiquas vias would be scarcely a good motto 

 for a Field Club. The beaten track is a good one, so far as it 

 goes ; but the question is whether we may not, with advantage 

 to the chief objects of our Society, occasionally modify and add 

 to the ordinary course of our proceedings in such a way as to 

 promote not only the pleasure of the members, and the prosperity 

 of the Club, but likewise the scientific ends originally contem- 

 plated by it. 



Let us, in the first place, briefly glance at some of the younger 

 Clubs, and their modus operandi. I do not know how many 

 Clubs are at present extant, but I have the names of about 

 twenty, which I fancy are far from forming a complete list. The 

 more important of the societies I have tabulated as follows, ar- 

 ranging them in order of age. 



Subscription. 



No. of Members. 



206 

 522 



94 



93 



About 500. 



633 



195 



Berwickshire Naturalists' 



Field Club 1831 6s. 



Tyneside ST. F. C. ........ 1846 5s. 5s. e. f. 



Cotteswold N. F. C 1846 10s. 21s. e. f. 



Warwickshire N. F. C 1854 3s. 6d. 



Manchester Field Natural- 

 ists' Society 1860 10s. 6d. 10s. 6d. e. f. 



Liverpool N. F. C 1860 5s 



Bristol Naturalists' Society 



The numbers here given apply to June, 1864. 

 There is considerable diversity in the mode of proceeding 

 adopted by these societies, but they all agree, I believe, in two 

 important respects. They hold no property such as libraries and 

 museums ; but they do hold field meetings in their respective 

 districts during the months of summer and autumn. The Man- 

 chester and Liverpool Clubs include a large number of ladies — 



