140 



The Naturalist. 



the members apon the Union having now attained its majority — in itself 

 a strong evidence of vitahty — and while considering that it is at present 

 in a sound and healthy condition, more especially as regards its member- 

 ship, feel that they would be failing in their duty were they not to express 

 their opinion that the attendance at the meetings calls for the serious 

 attention of the members. The Field Meetings during the year — for each 

 of which the usual arrangements were made and circulars issued — were 

 six in number. The places visited were — Beverley on Whit Monday, 

 May 29th ; Snaith on Saturday, June 17th ; Scarborough on Saturday, 

 July 15th ; Grassington on Monday, Aug. 7th ; Wakefield on Saturday, 

 Sept. 6th ; Thirsk for Pilmoor on Saturday, Oct. 7th. There have been 

 — probably to a greater extent than in most years — remarkable fluctua- 

 tions both in the attendance at, and the success of, the meetings ; and 

 while there cannot but be gratification with the manner' in which the 

 anticipations of the promoters of some of the excursions were realised, it 

 is matter for regret that at others the attendance was discouraging, 

 particularly as it involved heavy pecuniary loss to the Union in respect ef 

 the guarantees entered into for the tea. The smallness of the attendance 

 was not attributable to any inaccessibility of the place of meeting, for the 

 three places with which most disappointment was felt were convenient of 

 access to large centres of population. The weather accounted for two of 

 these failures, as the Thirsk meeting was utterly marred by rain,' and the 

 Scarboro' one partially so. The smallness of the attendance at Wakefield 

 is more inexplicable, considering the very central position of that town. 

 On the other hand, the Grassington meeting, fixed for one of the most 

 remote and inaccessible of places, was remarkably successful, both as to 

 attendance and as to the character of the work done ; and the Council 

 feel that this circumstance demonstrates that the members appreciate to 

 the full the importance of arranging for the investigation of localities 

 whose natural history is but little known. Railway Arrangements. — 

 During the past year the railv^ay companies have granted us increased 

 facilities. The North Eastern Railway Co. have, in connection with each 

 of our meetings, allowed our members to obtain return tickets at reduced 

 fares to the place of meeting, on production of the stamped card of mem- 

 bership at the booking-office. The privilege has been conceded by all the 

 other companies in Yorkshire for the present meeting, with the additional 

 convenience of its being made available on through tickets. It is hoped 

 that members will avail themselves largely of these concessions, and so 

 insure the success of our future meetings. — The Societils in union at the 

 commencement of the year were 31 in number. Out of these, the Hud- 

 dersfield Scientific Club has virtually ceased to exist. On the other hand 

 five newly established societies, all of them vigorous and flourishing, have 

 been admitted. These are — Beverley Field Nat. Soc, 43 members -; 

 Ilkley Scientific Club, 53 ; Ripon Nat. Club and S. A., 98 ; Scarboro' 

 Scientific Society, 60 ; and York St. Thomas's F.N.S., 47: total, 301 

 members. The statistics furnished by the different societies show that 



