Or THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 441 



increasing age, and for many years he had been little seen amongst 

 us; but he was an active member in its early days, and contri- 

 buted several papers to the quarto volumes of Transactions, the 

 most important of which was the " Catalogue of the Birds of 

 Northumberland and Durham." He was best known to the scien- 

 tific world in connection with his fine work on British birds, 

 and his name appeared to the last as one of the conductors of 

 the " Annals and Magazine of Natural History.'''' 



The Museum has been much enriched during the past year, 

 chiefly by presentation. Purchases have been confined to a set 

 of plaster models of Fungi, of Italian manufacture, and a series 

 of Dr. Anton Fritsch's models of Foraminifera, both of which 

 are now in the Museum. 



The Herbarium of the Society has been augmented by Sir "W. 

 C. Trevelyan's gift of a large collection of British plants, which 

 is now in course of arrangement with the previously existing 

 British Herbarium. 



Through the ever- watchful kindness of Sir W. Gr. Armstrong, 

 the whole of the Natural History collections, and scientific library 

 of the late Joshua Alder, have become the property of the Society, 

 and cabinets for their reception are in course of construction. 

 It is impossible to over-estimate the value of these collections 

 to the Society from their close connection with the marine zoo- 

 logy and zoological literature of the North of England. 



The general list of donations, subjoined to the report, will be 

 found similar in extent to those of former years and calls for no 

 special remark. 



The Museum retains its attractions for sight-seeing visitors to 

 the town, and the income from this source is a pleasing feature in 

 the Treasurer's report. About sixteen thousand persons, chiefly 

 of the working classes, represent the amount set down for pay- 

 ments at the door. 



The Treasurer's statement is appended to the report, and shows 

 a satisfactory state of the funds of the Society. The floating 

 debt has been further diminished since the last Anniversary 

 Meeting, and your Committee trust that ere another year is 

 past, it may be entirely extinguished. 



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