Sept., 1892. midland union of natural history societies 195 
prosperity in store for it. They desire to lay stress upon the 
fact that the aim of the Union is to assist and en'courage the 
Societies of which it consists in the pursuit of scientific 
research, and to facilitate the record of the scientific results 
which they obtain. 
The Midland Union of Natural History Societies is not— 
and never was intended to be—an organisation capable of 
doing scientific work, except in so far as the publishing of the 
results of such work or observation, may be so considered. 
Its function is that of an organiser of work and a recorder of 
work done—a central organisation by means of which the 
scientific work of the more active Societies in the Midlands 
may be rendered more effective, and by means of which they 
may also be enabled to help, whether by support or by stimu¬ 
lation, their more feeble brethren. 
THE WORK OF THE UNION DURING THE ENSUING YEAR. 
Your Council and its Executive Committee have devoted 
much thought to this subject, because they feel that there is 
much valuable work that the Union might be made the 
means of accomplishing, and they hope that as a result of 
their deliberations the machinery of the Union may have 
been rendered a little more perfect in one or two points. 
Owing to the distance which separates the constituent 
parts of the Union from one another, it is evident that 
personal intercourse of members with one another cannot 
play the important part which it does in some Unions, such 
as the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. The Midland Union 
has, consequently, to rely mainly upon its published periodical, 
the “ Midland Naturalist,” as the means by which one 
society may assist another. 
It is, therefore, hoped that a determined effort will be 
made to increase the circulation of the “ Midland Naturalist,” 
and also, what is of equal importance, that each scientific 
society and member in the Union will feel that the success 
or the reverse of this periodical and of this Union is dependent 
upon the willingness of its members individually to contri¬ 
bute short papers or notes upon scientific subjects in which 
they are interested, and which may prove of interest and 
instruction to many of their fellow members. 
Much useful scientific work has been, and can in the 
future undoubtedly be, done in the Midlands by local 
scientific societies in their own particular localities. Here 
their local knowledge, and the fact of their being constantly 
on the spot, gives them opportunities for scientific observation 
unattainable by any occasional visitor. Your Council hopes 
that honorary secretaries and members of our various 
societies will use their best endeavours to assist the executive 
