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MIDLAND UNION OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES. 
First.—That they should rigidly abstain from encouraging or 
countenancing the purchase from professional plant-liunters of any 
native plants, for the sake either of their rarity or of their decorative 
value. 
Second.—That botanists should resort to the assistance of Exchange 
Clubs, if at all, only for the purpose of obtaining single specimens 
necessary to fill up blanks in their herbaria, using such assistance 
with discrimination, and excluding from their operations plants of 
great rarity. 
Third.—That all teachers should inculcate upon their pupils, by 
precept and example, the lamentable consequences of the wholesale or 
indiscriminate gathering of plants, especially with their roots or when 
in seed. 
Fourth.—That individual botanists should seriously reflect on these 
consequences, and abstain from taking more than the smallest number 
of specimens iudispensible for the purposes of genuine study, and even 
from taking any where the extermination of a particular species from 
a restricted habitat is threatened. 
Fifth.—That tourists and amateurs should be urged to refrain from 
collecting plants of any degree of scarcity, especially when in flower 
or seed, it being impossible that ten per cent, of those gathered under 
such conditions can possibly live after removal. 
Finally, the Council earnestly appeals to the editors of all journals 
devoted to Science and Art as well as to Horticulture and Floriculture 
and to those of the leading London and provincial papers to assist it in 
creating a healthy public opinion on this subject by the expression of 
their sympathy with the effort which the Council is making, and by 
refusing insertion to advertisements from professional plant hunters. 
The Committee hearing that a Society has been formed in Geneva 
for the preservation of Alpine plants, adopted the following resolution, 
which was sent to the Secretary, from whom a number of the publica¬ 
tions of the Society has been received. 
Resolution—“The Committee of the Midland Union of Natural 
History Societies, deeply regretting the extermination of many of the 
native plants of Switzerland, desires to express its sympathy with the 
Soeiete pour la Protection des Plantes, and to pledge the members of 
its own societies to contribute by all means in their power to the 
cause of the preservation of the native flora of that glorious land 
which has been the resort and the delight of so many of themselves 
and of their countrymen.” 
Review of Progress. 
In conclusion the Council wish to thank the Birmingham Societies 
for the excellent arrangements which they have made for the com¬ 
fortable holding of the meeting of the Union ; and feel that the 
second meeting in Birmingham affords an opportunity for looking 
back to the former meeting there in 1878, and for considering how 
far each of the component societies has grown since then, and how 
far they are now fulfilling the objects for which they then entered 
into association. While regretting that the apathy of the members, 
to which attention was directed in the last report still exists, the 
Council think they can see signs of a little improvement, and hope 
that all who are interested will try to do their utmost to further the 
progress of the Union. The need of the Union will mainly be felt 
by active workers—those who are trying to engage in some scientific 
investigation, in which they feel the necessity of the help and 
approval of their fellow-workers. To these, when they belong to 
