Reports of Societies. 



157 



The interest taken in the meetings was well sustained, the attendance averaging 

 about 60 at each. At some of them the Union was indebted to local gentlemen 

 for permission to visit their estates, and to Mr. Winter Cockill and the High 

 Sheriff of Yorkshire for their generous hospitality to the members who visited 

 Doncaster and Malham respectively. The Strensall meeting in July was disap- 

 pointing so far as regards the attendance, but on the other hand the largeness of 

 the attendance when the Union visits places which are but little known or more 

 than usually difficult of access is a source of encouragement, evidencing that 

 members are fully alive to the cardinal importance of the exploration of little- 

 known districts. 



THE SOCIETIES 



which constitute the Union are now 39 in number, an increase of four during 

 the year, the newly-added Societies being the following : — 



NO OF. 

 MEMBEES. 



Shipley Field Naturalists' Club 28 



Bradford Microscopical Society 61 



Eotherham Naturalists' Society 63 



Doncaster Juvenile Naturalists' and Scientific Society ... 24 



176 



The statistics which are furnished by the secretaries of the different Societies 

 show that the Union now includes 2408 Associates and 326 Members, or 2734 

 altogether, an increase of 361 Members and Associates during the year. 



THE MEMBERSHIP 



of the Union itself — as distinguished from that of the various individual Societies 

 — has now to be considered in a new aspect. The Annual Subscribers of former 

 years are now designated Members, and have increased in number during the 

 year, the figure now standing at 326. 



The Executive Council would now again urge upon the attention of the 

 Associates the desirability of their supporting the Union in its work by becoming 

 Members. There is much valuable matter awaiting publication in the Transac- 

 tions, for which additional funds are needed ; and it may be pointed out moreover 

 that the penny per head which is contributed by the associated Societies for their 

 members can only be looked upon as a nominal retaining-fee, much more money 

 being spent upon the Associates than the Union receives from them. It can 

 therefore be fairly expected that Associates and others who take an interest in 

 the investigation of Yorkshire Natural History and are able to contribute 

 towards its financial encouragement, should assist by enrolling themselves as 

 Members. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



Parts 5 and 6 of the Transactions have been issued to the Members during the 

 year, while Part 7 is printed and will be circulated immediately, and Part 8 is in 

 preparation. Special attention has been given to this most important branch of 

 the Union's work, and your Executive venture to think that their report upon 

 this head is a satisfactory one. 



It is also a matter for satisfaction that the year has witnessed the completion of 

 the printing of Mr. Porritt's long-expected " List of Yorkshire Lepidoptera," the 



