Mar., 1889 
NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY S REPORT. 
49 
THIRTIETH ANNUAL REPORT 
OF THE 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY, 
Presented by the Council to the Annual Meeting, 
February 5th, 1889. 
The Council is pleased to be able to report that the Society 
has fully maintained its position during the past year 1888 ; 
the standard of the papers read and the attendance at the 
meetings having been well kept up. It is encouraging to 
notice that this year again confirms the expectation that the 
loss of members owing to the raising of the subscription has 
now practically ceased. 
A Conversazione was held on October 80th, similar to the 
one at the opening of the Session in the previous year, and 
it proved very satisfactory, and was carried out at very small 
expense. It was held in the Examination Hall, Mason 
College, and amongst the exhibits were a fine case of Pallas’s 
Sand Grouse, prepared by Mr. Chase ; an interesting series 
of glass photographs, and a collection of objects under 
microscopes. 
An Excursion to Dovedale was taken on Whit Monday ; 
the party driving from Derby through Ashbourne to Dovedale, 
where they were kindly received by the Rev. W. H. Purchas, 
Vicar of Alstonefield, who conducted the party about the 
Dale. 
The eleventh Annual Meeting and Conversazione of the 
Midland Union of Natural History Societies was held at 
Northampton on July 4th and 5th ; Mr. W. R. Hughes and 
Mr. W. H. Wilkinson attended as the delegates from this 
Society. The meeting was held in the Town Hall, the chair 
being taken by the Right Hon. Earl Spencer, K.G., and an 
address was given by the Rev. H. H. Slater, F.G.S. The 
Darwin gold medal was awarded to Mr. J. E. Bagnall, A.L.S., 
for his “Flora of Warwickshire.” On the following day 
excursions were made to Fawsley Park and other places of 
interest in the district. 
The treasurer’s annual financial statement shows the 
receipts of the Society for the past year to have been 
£158 Is. 6d., and the payments £152 9s. 5d., including the 
repayment of one of the six £10 loans, and leaving a balance 
due to the treasurer of £1 5s. 5d., instead of £1 17s. 6d. at 
the end of the previous year. The receipts for the year have 
more than covered the expenditure for the year, leaving a 
surplus to pay off the above loan ; and the Council now 
