10 
YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION. 
the books and papers published has arisen either directly or 
indirectly from the impetus which our activity has given to these 
studies. 
"The Naturalist," a monthly journal of natural history, 
which is our organ, is one of the oldest scientific journals. It 
dates back to 1833, and although there are several series, and 
intervals of time between some of them, there has always been 
a connecting link, a transfer of title and of copyright, sufficient 
to enable us to regard the journal as a continuous whole. 
The first series was one of twelve numbers, published 
in 1833, under the title of "The Field Naturalist," and the 
editorship of Prof. James Rennie. The second series began in 
October, 1836, and was simply "The Naturalist." Its first 
editors, were B. Maund and W. Holl. With the second volume 
it became distinctly a Yorkshire publication, under the editor- 
ship of Neville Wood, of Campsall, near Doncaster, when the 
series ran to its fifth volume, and ended with the year 1839. 
The journal remained now in abeyance for about eleven 
years, when the title and copyright were transferred to a new 
series, edited by Beverley R. Morris, and afterwards by the Rev. 
F. O. Morris, both of whom had been actively concerned in the 
preceding series. This series was one of eight volumes, which 
appeared in the years 1851 to 1858. 
It was now that our own Union, then the West Riding Con- 
solidated Naturalists' Society, appeared on the scene. It had no 
sooner established its own existence than, at its second meeting, 
it discussed the need for a periodical, and a resolution was passed 
that one be established under its auspices, and eventually in 1864 
a new (fourth) series of " The Naturalist " was commenced and 
printed at Huddersfield. 
The title and copyright were transferred to this by the Rev. 
F. O. Morris. This series, every number and volume of which 
bore the sub-title, " Journal of the West Riding Consolidated 
Naturalists' Society," and edited by Messrs. George Tindall and 
C. P. Hobkirk, lasted for two volumes and an incomplete third 
volume, from May, 1864, until it collapsed with the number for 
May, 1867, from want of adequate support. 
The next (or fifth series) was called " The Yorkshire 
Naturalists' Recorder : Journal of the West Riding Consolidated 
Naturalists' Society," and lasted a year. It was printed, pub- 
lished, and edited at Wakefield, July, 1872, to August, 
1873. It contains the only history of the West Riding Con- 
solidated Society we have. 
Direct action was again taken by the Society a couple of 
years later for the revival of the magazine, and in response to a 
resolution passed at Rastrick, on 12th June, 1875, a sixth series 
was commenced, printed and published at Huddersfield, and 
edited by Messrs. Charles P. Hobkirk and G. T. Porritt, as the 
" Journal of the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society." 
