COUNCIL FOR I902. 
9 
As in previous years, your Council has done all in its power 
to help forward the work of kindred Societies and to assist in 
great public functions. The gardens and museum were placed 
at the disposal of the Lord Mayor (Mr. Aid. L. Foster), for a 
reception intended to celebrate the coronation of his Majesty 
King Edward VII ; and the museum and grounds were thrown 
open to the public on the day on which this event should have 
taken place. 
At the meeting of the Reformatory League held in York in 
1902, the members attending the Conference were allowed the 
use of the museum and grounds. The York Medical Society, 
the York Universities’ Extension Committee, and the York 
Field Naturalists’ Society have made use of our premises as in 
past years, and during the year the Council has extended this 
hospitality to the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeolo¬ 
gical Society. By an arrangement made with Mr. Jalland's 
Company, the members again had the privilege of seeing an 
out-door play performed. Permission has been granted to 
Elementary and Secondary Schools within a radius of twelve 
miles from York to visit the museum free of charge, on certain 
specified conditions, carefully framed to ensure the safety of the 
collections and the adequate control of the pupils. The plan 
of having Student Associates has been put into operation and 
with good results. 
An attempt is being made to label the antiquities in the base¬ 
ment of the “ hospitium ” ; if the experiments now tried are 
successful, the work will be carried out. 
Special thanks are due to Mr. James Backhouse for his 
munificent gift of over two thousand European bird skins. 
This donation will be referred to more in detail in the report 
of the Ornithological Department, but it deserves at least 
passing notice here. 
The proceeds of Dr. Anderson’s lecture in the Festival Con¬ 
cert Room have been, at his special request, devoted to the 
Excavation Fund. So well was this lecture attended that, 
despite somewhat heavy expenses, a sum of about £20 was 
added to the fund in question. The illustrated lecture on the 
Cruise of the Ophir , given by Lord Wenlock in the Festival 
Concert Room, was enthusiastically received by a crowded 
