Reports of Societies. 



Ill 



Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. — The eighteenth annual meeting, 

 held at Huddersfield, on the 17th January, was most successful through- 

 out. The business meetings were held in the Lecture Hall of the 

 Literary and Scientific Society. The Sections held their annual meetings 

 at 3 30 p.m., resulting in the elections of the following officers: — Mr. 

 Thos. Lister, of Barnsley (re-elected) president, and Mr. W. E. Clarke, 

 of Leeds (re-elected), secretary of the Vertebrate Section ; Mr. Wm. 

 Cash, F.G.S. of Halifax, president, and Mr. J. Darker Butterell, of 

 Beverley, secretary, of the Conchological Section ; Mr. G. T. Porritt, 

 F.L.S., of Huddersfield, president, and Mr. S. D. Bairstow, of Hudders- 

 field (re-elected) secretary of the Entomological Section ; Mr. C. P. 

 Hobkirk, F.L.S., of Huddersfield, president, Mr. William West, of 

 Bradford (re-elected) secretary for cryptogamic, and Mr. F. Arnold Lees, 

 F.L.S., of Wetherby, secretary for phanerogamic botany, of the Botanical 

 Section; and Prof. A. H. Green, M.A., F.G.S., of Leeds (re-elected) 

 president, and Mr. J ames Spencer of Halifax (re-elected) secretary of the 

 Geological Section. The general annual meeting was opened at 415 p.m., 

 the chair being taken by the president, Dr. H. Clifton Sorby, F.R.S., 

 Pres. G.S., &c. After the confirmation of the minutes, the list of 

 additional subscribers was read, and thanks voted. The annual report 

 was read by Mr. George Brook ter., F.L.S., secretary. It congratulated 

 the members on the steady progress of the Union during the year, 

 enumerated the meetings held, stated that the membership was about 

 1500 (with 26 societies), recommended invitations being extended to other 

 societies, reported the publication of Part ii. of the Transactions, and 

 referred to the exhibition held at Leeds in January, ] 879. The report 

 also informed the members that, with regard to the proposed map of 

 Yorkshire, Mr. E. Filliter, C.E., who had kindly undertaken to transfer 

 the contour lines from the ordnance maps, had made substantial progress, 

 and might be expected to finish it in the ensuing year. The geological 

 portion was, however, not reported in so forward a condition. The 

 petition sent to Parliament against the enclosure of Maltby Common, the 

 formation of a library for the Union, and the increase of the number of 

 subscribers from 164 to 221, were also referred to ; and the report con- 

 cluded with an expression of the sense which the council entertained of 

 the honour conferred upon the Union by Dr. Sorby's tenure of the chair 

 for two years, and of the impetus thereby given to its prosperity. The 

 balance-sheet showed an income of £86 10s. 9d., and an expenditure of 

 £63 3s. 9d. The report and balance-sheet having been adopted on the 

 motion of Messrs. F. A, Lees and S. L. Mosley, the excursion programme 

 for 1880 was resolved upon, as follows : — Masham or Ripon, Easter 

 Monday, March 29th ; Malton, Whit Monday, May 17th : Barnsley, 

 Saturday, June 12th ; Boston Spa, Saturday, July 10th ; Marsden, 

 Monday (Bank Holiday), Aug. 2nd ; and Market Weighton, Saturday, 

 Sep. 4th. It was also resolved to have a special excursion in the autumn 

 for the collection of fungi, several promises of assistance by competent 



