156 



The Naturalist. 



council: — Beverley, Whit-Monday, May 29th; Snaith, Saturday, June 

 I7th ; Scarborough, Saturday, July 15th : Grassington, Bank Holiday, 

 Monday, Aug. 7th ; Wakefield for Haw Park, Saturday, Sept. 2nd ; and 

 Thirsk for Pilmoor, Saturday, Oct. 7th. The annual meeting to be at 

 Selby on Saturday, the 3rd March, 1883. The general officers were then 

 chosen, Mr. Jno. Gilbert Barker, F.P.S., of the Royal Herbarium, Kew, 

 and author of North Yorkshire/' a classical work to all botanists, being 

 elected president on the recommendation of the council, the adoption of 

 which was moved by Dr. Sorby, P.P. S. The two secretaries, Messrs. 

 W. Denison Poebuck and Wm. Eagle Clarke of Leeds, were re-elected. 

 A change in the auditors was made, two Leeds members being chosen in 

 the place of the gentlemen (Messrs. Crebbin and Richardson) who had 

 performed the duties of the past five years. The sections reported the 

 names of their newly-elected officers, the Botanical Section reporting also 

 that, acting on Prof. Williamson's suggestion, they had resolved to 

 nominate a small committee to investigate the life history of Fucclnia 

 graminis, a fungus which causes a loss of several millions a year to the 

 British farmer. Thanks were voted to the retiring officers, and to the 

 Bradford societies for their admirable arrangements for the reception of 

 the Union, and the meeting adjoui'ned. At 7-30 p.m., the presidential 

 address was delivered to a close-packed audience of about 800 people, in 

 the large hall. The subject of the address was " Some Points connected 

 with the Distribution of Ancient and Modern Forms of Vegetation." 

 The chair was occupied by Aid. John Hill, Mayor of Bradford. After 

 the address, a vote of thanks for it was proposed by Mr. W. T. McGowen, 

 Town Clerk of Bradford, and President of the Bradford Scientific 

 Association ; seconded by Mr. William Jagger, President of the Bradford 

 Naturalists' Society, and adopted. The Bradford local secretaries (Messrs. 

 Bennett, F. R. Starling, P. Ross, and J. E. Wilson) were then thanked 

 on the motion of Mr. Thos. Hick, seconded by Mr. A. Crebbin, and a 

 vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, was moved by Mr. Hobkirk, 

 seconded by Dr. Sorby, and adopted. After the address was over, the 

 members proceeded to inspect the numerous interesting objects on exhib- 

 ition. Down the middle of the room was a strong display of microscopes, 

 and on tables round were shown insects by Messrs. Jagger and Bennet, 

 and plants by Messrs. H. T. Soppitt (fungi, &c.), H. L. Oxley (Alpine 

 plants), and Wm. West. Dr. Evans showed a selection from his collection 

 of shells, and Mr. E. Mirfield the harmonograph. In another room, Mr. 

 A, R. Bimiie, M. Inst. C.E., F.G.S., showed a large relief model of the 

 country around Bradford, showing the extent of the Corporation water- 

 works. In this room, too, Mr. C. H. Bothamley, F.C.S., gave an address* 

 on the radiometer, while in yet another room, electric apparatus was 

 shown by Messrs. Cuttriss, of Leeds, and Tate and Clough, of Bradford, 

 and singing flames by Mr. C. J. Virgo. Altogether the annual meetings 

 were highly successful, the chief drawback being the excessively crowded 

 state of the rooms.— W.D.R., W.E.C. 



