9 



to continue the good work. Through the Science and 

 Art Department it obtained the services of Ralph Tate, 

 F.G.S., a distinguished student of the School of Mines 

 in London. He conducted classes in Belfast and the 

 neighbouring towns in Geology, Zoology and Botany. 

 While in Belfast he compiled a "Flora Belfastiensis," 

 the earliest Ulster "Flora." He made a special feature 

 of field work in his course of instruction. 



At the end of Tate's first series of lectures some of 

 his pupils, including men afterwards well-known in 

 the Field Club — S. A. Stewart, George Donaldson, and 

 Hugh Robinson — determined to continue their fellow- 

 ship during the summer months, and arranged to meet 

 once a week and go somewhere for a walk after busi- 

 ness hours, or for a Saturday afternoon run on one of 

 the excursion trains. In this way they kept up their 

 interest in natural history, and resumed their class- 

 work in the winter with undiminished zest. 



Early in 1863 Mr. Tate had occasion to go to London, 

 and during his absence the following letter appeared 

 in the "Northern Whig" (January 27th) : — 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 



Sir, — An earnest desire to awaken the naturalists of this 

 town, especially the young ones, to the want of a "Field 

 Naturalists' Club" in this, our Northern Athens, and which I 

 sincerely hope will not continue long, has induced me to 

 trouble you with this letter. 



Field Naturalists' Clubs are formed for the furtherance of 

 natural history by means of excursions in the Summer to 

 some well-known provincial locality rich in Nature's beauties 

 and wonders, there to observe, collect, and admire. The 

 locality selected for an excursion is generally rich in the 

 subject or branch of Natural History for which the object of 

 the excursions is intended, and the members are always 

 accompanied by some of the local eminent Naturalists, who 

 lecture to them on the subject of the day's excursion. Prizes 

 are also awarded to the party who succeeds in collecting and 

 arranging the largest variety of specimens in the day's 

 excursion, and season prizes for the best collection in every 

 branch at the end of the season. Throughout the winter, 

 meetings are held in the lecture room. 



