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THE SHEFFIELD MEETING OF THE YORKSHIRE 

 NATURALISTS' UNION. 



The 42nd Annual Meeting- of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union 

 was held at Sheffield — Sorby's city — by the invitation of the 

 Sheffield Naturalists' Club, on Friday, 29th January 1904. 

 A fair number of members arrived in the forenoon to examine 

 the fossil trees exposed on the asylum g-rounds at Wadsley 

 and were conducted roimd by Dr. W. S. Kay, the superinten- 

 dent. From a paper appearing- in the ' Quarterly Journal 

 of the Geological Society,' August 1875, entitled, 'On the 

 Remains of a Fossil Forest in the Coal Measures at Wadsley, 

 near Sheffield,' by Dr. H. C. Sorby, it appears that these trees 

 were orig-inally exposed in the autumn of 1873. They occur in 

 the Coal Measures, sandstone, and shale, and fortunately have 

 been protected by sheds and can consequently be readily 

 examined. The accompanying- block illustrated Dr. Sorby's- 

 paper, and has been kindly lent by the Council of the Geological 

 Society. 



Section showing the Position of the Stumps in the Fossil Forest at Wadsley. 



a. Sandstone, b. Clay-li'ke shale. (Scale: i inch to 40 feet.) 



An interesting point in Dr. Sorby's paper is the. fact that 

 a careful examination of the roots of the trees resulted in their 

 furnishing- evidences of the direction of the prevalent winds at 

 the time when they g-rew. 



At about two o'clock the members began to assemble in the 

 Public Museum and Mappin Art Gallery, which had been kindly 

 placed at their disposal by the Corporation of Sheffield, and 

 proved a most admirable suite of rooms for meeting's of this 

 kind. 



At the Sectional Meetings various officers for the year were 

 recommended and elected at the General Meeting-. The formation 

 of a new Committee of Suggestions for Research was of interest, 

 including as its first members representatives of various other 

 Committees of the Union, with Mr. P. F. Kendall as chairman^ 

 and Dr. W. G. Smith, as convener. 



1904 March i. 



