Vol VII] 
[Part III. 
PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
YORKSHIEE 
GEOLOGICAL AND POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY 
Edited by JA.MES W. DAVIS, F.S.A., F.G.S., &c. 
1880. 
ADDRESS ON THE WORK OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES, BY THE 
MARQUIS OF RIPON, K.G., ETC., PRESIDENT. 
The Marquis of Ripon, in opening the proceedings, expressed his 
sense of the honour conferred upon him at the last meeting, by his 
re-election to the office of President of the society. He congratu- 
lated the members upon the position which the society occupied. 
He believed he was justified in saying that it had, at no previous 
period, been in a more flourishing condition. The number of mem- 
bers showed a continual increase ; and the value of the papers read 
before the society from time to time, had at all events been sustain- 
ed, if it was not improving from year to year. (Applause.) He did 
not know whether all those who were present were members of the 
society. The meeting was open to other persons who might honour 
them with their presence, and in the supposition that there might 
be some there, or others by whom his words might be afterwards 
read, who might not be altogether aware of the work which the 
society was doing, he would allude very briefly to the labours of the 
society during the past year. They had made visits to three differ- 
ent parts of the county. This society, originally connected exclu- 
sively, in its title at all events, with the West Riding, had within 
the last few years extended the sphere of its operations to the whole 
county of York, and in accordance with that extension they were 
now visiting different parts of the county in the various Ridings 
