FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT, FOR I905. 
Astragalus danicns Retz. (vel. A. hypoglotfis Linn.), nowhere 
common in Yorkshire, has had a new station added to the 
Flora of the East Riding, namely, at Garton-on-the-Wolds. 
Serratula tinctoria Linn., hitherto meagrely recorded for WQ. 63, 
was found in fair abundance near Bentley, Doncaster. Rosa 
spinosissima is now recorded from the wolds, whilst Leonunis 
Cardtaca, only a " denizen," of course, is nevertheless, new to 
the East Riding at Barlby, and finally it may be mentioned 
that there seems to have come upon us a sort of fresh orchid 
hunting fervour, if one may judge from the several new localities 
discovered during the past and previous years, for that tiny and 
seldom seen member of the order — Malaxis paludosa. 
Who can cry "finality" in any department of botanical 
science ? 
Only one suggestion have the Secretaries of the phanerogamic 
section to make, and that is with reference to the more thorough 
study of " critical " species for which there is such fine oppor- 
tunities in the area dominated by the Y. N.U. Valuable increase 
to our knowledge of plants and their history might accrue from 
fresh application to this branch. At all events it might tend to 
clear up one's views of the word "species," and settle for good 
whether this is not altogether too artificial and arbitrary a term 
to De used, at least in plant natural history. 
The following were elected for 1906. — 
President— W. G. Smith, Ph.D., Leeds. 
Secretaries — H. H. Corbett, Doncaster; J. F. Robinson, Hull. 
Representative on Executive — P. Fox Lee. 
Representative on Committee of Suggestions— S. Margerison. 
Geological Section.— Mr. Cosmo Johns, F.G.S., writes : 
The various excursions of the Union were well attended by 
members of the Geological section, and with the exception 
of that at Ripon, one or more sectional officers were always 
present. As a detailed report of the work done at each excursion 
appeared in the following number of the "Naturalist," it will not 
be necessary here to do more than indicate its bearing on that to be 
attempted during the coming season. To be effective, the work 
done should be capable of co-ordination and of being worked up 
later into something more valuable than mere scattered notes. 
To this end the sectional work should always have in view one 
or more of the problems bearing on the life history of the rocks 
of Yorkshire. For instance at Askrigg we were confronted with 
the unsolved problem of connecting the Carboniferous rocks north 
of the Craven Faults with those to the south, and to determine the 
age and sequence of the earth movements that produced the great 
