214 



Y. N. U. NOTES AND NEWS. 



tions were presented by deputations from Beverley, Malton, and Dewsbury, the 

 first-named of which was eventually accepted. Proceeding to the election of 

 officers, it was announced that the Presidency had been accepted by the Rev, W. H. 

 Dallinger, LL.D., F.R.S., Pres.R.Micr.S. , of Wesley College, Sheffield. The 

 two Secretaries, Messrs. W. Denison Roebuck, F.L.S., and W. Eagle Clarke, 



F. L.S., of Leeds, were re-elected; and the Executive Council, composed of 

 Rev. W. Fowler, M.A., Liversedge, Rev. W. C. Hey, M.A., York^ Messrs. J. W. 

 Davis, F.S.A., Hahfax, John Emmet, F.L.S., Boston Spa, C. P. Hobkirk, F.L.S., 

 Dewslsury, G. T. Porritt, F.L.S., Huddersfield, J. J. Stead, Heckmondwike, 

 B. Holgate, F.G.S., Leeds, H. T. Soppittj Bradford, and E. B. Wrigglesworth, 

 Wakefield, was also elected, Messrs. S. A. Adamson, F.G.S.,and J. E. Bedford, 

 of Leeds, were chosen as auditors. After votes of thanks to the retiring officers, 

 the meeting was adjourned until evening. 



Meanwhile the various sections met and elected their officers, the results being 

 as follows: — Vertebrate Section, Mr. John Cordeaux, M.B.O.U., Great Cotes, 

 president; Mr. James Backhouse, jun., York, secretary. Conchological Section, 

 Rev. W. C. Hey, M.A., York, president; Messrs. J. Darker Butterell, Beverley, 

 and John Emmet, F.L.S., Boston Spa, secretaries. Entomological Section. Mr. 



G. T. Porritt, F.L.S., Huddersfield, president ; Mr. E. B. Wrigglesworth, Wake- 

 field, secretary. Botanical Section, Mr. Thomas Hick, B.A., B.Sc, Harrogate, 

 president; Messrs. P. F. Lee. Dewsbury, and Geo.Massee, F.R.Micr.S., Scarborough, 

 secretaries. Geological Section, Rev. E. Maule Cole, M. A., Wetwang, president; 

 Messrs. S. A. Adamson, F.G.S., Leeds, and J. E. Wilson, Bradford, secretaries. 



The annual public meeting was held in the Mansion-house in the evening. 

 Lord Walsingham occupying the chair. The annual report having been again 

 read, and the excursion programme announced for the benefit of the members 

 generally, the Rev. Canon Brock, M.A., as president of the Doncaster Micro- 

 scopical Society, assumed the chair, and Lord Walsingham delivered the annual 

 presidential address, which forms the principal and central feature of the annual 

 gatherings of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. The subject of the address was 

 ' Some probable causes of a tendency to Melanic Variation in Lepidoptera of high 

 latitudes.' We have not space to give an account of the line of argument, but this 

 is the less necessary as the address itself is already printed as part of the Trans- 

 actions of the Union. A vote of thanks to his Lordship was then adopted on the 

 motion of Dr. H. C. Sorby, F.R.S., seconded by the Rev. Canon Wright. His 

 Lordship having replied, resumed the chair, whereupon Mr. Cordeaux proposed a 

 cordial vote of thanks to the Mayor of Doncaster for his kindness in granting the 

 use of the noble rooms he had placed at the Union's disposal, and to the Doncaster 

 Society and its members for their hospitable and kind reception. This was 

 seconded by Rev. W. C. Hey and carried unanimously, as was also a similar vote 

 to Canon Brock. The remaining portion of the evening was occupied by a 

 brilliant and most successful microscopical conversazione, organised by the Don- 

 caster Society. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The foundation stone of the new museum at Chester, in establishing which the 

 Chester Society of Natural Science and the Chester Archaeological Society have 

 united their efforts, was laid on the 5th February, by the Duke of Westminster. 

 The building is to cost over ^8.000, most of which has already been subscribed. 

 Not merely is it to be a museum, but includes provision for educational work, in 

 the form of laboratories and class-rooms, both for science and art. 



>oo< 



Dr. Francis Day is to be heai'tily congratulated on the completion of his excel- 

 lent standard work on British and Irish Fishes, A monograph on this class of 

 our fauna, brought up to date, was much needed, and it is fortunate that an 

 ichthyologist of Dr. Day's attainments was forthcoming to undertake the task. 

 The book leaves nothing to be desired unless, indeed, the valitable adjunct of 

 coloured plates, though even in this respect the plates are the best we have seen on 

 the subject. We commend, too, the author's systematic arrangement of his subject 

 matter to all undertaking work of a similar character ; the saving of time secured 

 by such an admirable arrangement cannot be over-estimated. Naturalist 



