' T 0 ( ) U R HE A 1) E R S; 

 Pour prendre cong^.'" 



it is now nine years since, at the request of the Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Union (then the West-Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society), we 

 undertook to edit and publish this Journal. It has appeared regularly 

 ever since, indeed we believe we are correct in saying it has never been 

 a day late, but has always been in our subscribers' hands by the first 

 of the month during the whole of that period. Financially, it has 

 always been satisfactory, there having been at the end of every year^ 

 a small balance in hand. Of its utility we must leave others to 

 judge. Many of the articles have been of great value ; the discovery 

 of species new to the county or to Britain, in nearly all branches of 

 Natural Science has been promptly recorded, and many have been 

 described for the first time in this Journal. The Notes, &c., have 

 kept the naturalists of this large county thoroughly informed as to 

 what was being done by their brethren in the Various branches of 

 Natural Science ; and, consequently, cannot fail to have advanced 

 the knowledge of the natural history of our county very materially. 



iTo all our contributors we offer our warmest thanks for the hearty 

 co-operation they have always accorded to us. Personally we have 

 made many friends among them, through our little Journal, and our 

 labours in connection with it have always been so great a pleasure, 

 that it is only other and urgent duties which have induced us to 

 resign the position entrusted to us. Even this we did not carry out 

 until we had secured the promises of Messrs. W. D. Roebuck and 

 W. E. Clarke that they would, if appointed, undertake the editing 

 in future ; but, knowing it is to be in the hands of such competent, 

 enthusiastic, and conscientious naturalists, we have no hesitation of 

 misgiving in handing it over to them, and we trust more support 

 ts'ill be accorded to them even than has been to us. 



C. P. HOBKIRK. 

 G. T. PORRITT, 



N.S., Vol. ix. July, 1884, 



