Reports of Societies. 



141 



the 35 societies possess in the aggregate 2100 members, which, with the 

 300 subscribers, shews a total individual membership of about 2400 

 members — an increase of 322 during the year. Publications, — Part Y. of 

 the Transactions is now in the printer's hands, and will be issued as soon 

 as possible, to be followed by the other parts in arrear. Yarious causes 

 have combined to retard the punctual issue of the Transactions, but 

 arrangements have been made with the view of overcoming these 

 hindrances. Yarious papers of value have been received during the year 

 for publication in the Transactions. Mr. Porritt's Catalogue of the 

 Lepidoptera of Yorkshire — a work which our lepidopterists have much 

 needed for some time — has been completed, and is now in the hands of 

 the printer. The Report on the Fungus Foray of 1881, with the full list 

 of species then collected, has been completed by Mr. Massee, and papers 

 have been received from the Rev. H. H. Slater and others. It will be 

 well here to point out again how inadequate the present income of the 

 Union is, and your Council would suggest that a systematic effort to 

 increase it should be made. Calculation shows that if the Union pos- 

 sessed 500 regular subscribers at 5s. (not an extravagant number to 

 expect), it would permit of the issue of about 200 pages of printed 

 matter each year, and so enable the publication committee to cope with 

 the large amount of valuable manuscript now awaiting publication. The 

 balance available for this purpose on the amount of the present average 

 income will only admit of about 60 pages per year. It should not be 

 forgotten that the expenses of the meetings and the general management 

 have first to be defrayed out of the income, and that the surplus only — 

 or excess of income over expenditure — is available for the publications. 

 The expenses just mentioned are not, however, liable to increase propor- 

 tionally with the increase of the income, and they may be considered as 

 practically a stationary amount. Consequently it will be seen that the 

 whole of any increase in the Union's income is available for the publica- 

 tons. — The Library, which consists of books and pamphlets acquired by 

 donation or by exchange, has benefitted during the year by some accept- 

 able additions. Besides the exchanges, several members — amongst whom 

 Mr. G. T. Porritt and Mr. C. P. Hobkirk, who have each given a large 

 number of donations, may be cited— have contributed in this way. Mrs. 

 Windsor has presented a copy of the ' Flora Cravoniensis,' and the 

 British Association 24 volumes of their reports. Several numbers of the 

 Mineralogical Society's Magazine, one of which is a geological map of 

 Sutherland, have been received from that society ; while from the Tyne- 

 side Naturalists' Field-Club have been received a complete set of seven 

 vols, of the valuable Natural History Transactions of Northumberland 

 and Durham. Income. — The number of subscribers has remained 

 stationary at about 300, the withdrawals having nearly balanced the 

 additions to the list. When the arrears of transactions have been over- 

 come, it may be expected that the number of subscribers will again 

 increase. Proposed Map. — On this head there is nothing to report, the 



