156 YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION AT BEVERLEY. 



later; at Coimbra (lat. 40°i3' N., long. 8° 25' W.) the number is 21 

 before Giessen; Edinburgh, 36 days after Giessen; Sparham (Norfolk), 

 1 day after Giessen ; Wisbeach (Cambridge), 6 days before Giessen. 



As will be noticed from the table the average number deviates 

 but slightly from that of the individual species, a fact which goes far 

 towards proving the correctness of the method. 



THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION: 

 ANNUAL MEETING AT BEVERLEY. 



The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Y.N. U. , which was held at Beverley on 

 Monday the 22nd of March, was in every respect a thorough success. Every atten- 

 tion had been paid by the officers and members of the Beverley Field Naturalists' and 

 Scientific Society to secure the comfort of their visitors, and the exhibition (open 

 for the whole week) which they had organised was a most admirable one, including 

 as it did contributions from the collections of most of the East Yorkshire naturalists. 

 There was a large attendance of members from all parts of Yorkshire, representa- 

 tives of more than twenty societies being present. The proceedings commenced 

 at 4.15 in the afternoon, when the General Committee of the Union assembled at 

 the Town Hall (kindly lent by the Mayor) to transact the business of the annual 

 meeting. Dr. Dallinger, F.R.S., the president of the Union, presided. The 

 minutes having — from lack of time — been taken as read, Mr. R. C. Chaytor, of 

 Scrafton Lodge, Middleham, and Mrs. L. Gaunt, of Laisterdyke, were elected 

 members. The power which the General Committee possesses of electing additional 

 permanent members of itself was then exercised — Messrs. James Backhouse, F.L.S., 

 York, J. E. Bedford, Leeds, J. W. Dunning, M.A., F.L.S., London, J. Ray 

 Eddy, F.G.S., Skipton, Leonard Gaunt, Laisterdyke, Wilfrid H. Hudlestone, 

 F.R.S., Weybridge, Rev. E. P. Knubley, M.A., Staveley, George Roberts, 

 Lofthouse, and Rev. R. A. Summerfield, North Stainley, being chosen. The 

 Annual Report of the Executive was then read. It stated that the Union was in 

 a most satisfactory condition and had enjoyed a year of marked prosperity, as 

 evidenced by the interest which the members and associates displayed in its work 

 and the good attendance at the meetings. The five meetings of the year were then 

 passed in review, special note being taken of the joint meeting with the Nottingham 

 Naturalists' Society at Anston Crags as being a precedent worthy of future repeti- 

 tion, and of the occasion of meeting in Washburndale as the specially invited 

 guests of Lord Walsingham, a much-valued ex-president. The Societies in Union 

 had decreased from 39 to 34. The Huddersfield Naturalists' Society had with- 

 drawn, and four other Societies had become defunct, viz. : — The Doncaster Juvenile 

 Scientific Society, the Holmfirth Botanical Society, the Huddersfield Literary and 

 Scientific Society, and the Ilkley Scientific Club. The names of one of the York 

 and one of the Hull Societies disappeared from the list as the result of amalgama- 

 tion with other Societies in those places. It is to be regretted that the name of 

 Huddersfield (where the Union originated) now disappears from the list. Two 

 Societies had been admitted during the year — the Scholes Botanical and Naturalists' 

 Society, and the Practical Naturalists' Society (Yorkshire members). Statistics 

 were next given to the effect that the Union included 371 members and 1,939 

 associates — being 2,310 altogether. Reference having been made to the number 

 of subscribing members and a hope expressed that associates would consider the 

 claims the Union had upon their direct support, the services of the local treasurers 

 were acknowledged as being of much value. The transactions having been referred 

 to, announcement was made of the approaching completion of the MS. of Mr. 

 F. Arnold Lees' ' West Riding Flora.' The library had received considerable 

 accessions during the year, including 63 volumes of the Annals and Magazine of 

 Natural History, and expression was given to a hope that members and others 

 would present useful works. The report announced that an insurance had been 

 effected on the Union's library and stock of unissued publications, and reference 

 was then made to the honour which Dr. Dallinger had conferred upon the Union 

 by his tenure of the presidency. In conclusion the Executive congratulated 

 Yorkshire naturalists generally upon the large amount and sound val ue of the 



Naturalist, 



