xvi PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
Before leaving this subject, I may say that I will be very glad to 
receive any information — however little—about local names and 
uses. 
During the past summer we endeavoured to carry out more 
extensively than we have hitherto done the scheme of inviting the 
neighbouring Societies to take part in our excursions, and, though 
our attempt was not so successful as it might have been, yet it 
received sufficient support as to encourage us to repeat it another 
year. All the invitations we extended to the neighbouring Societies 
were cordially accepted, but it sometimes happened that the other 
Societies were not very numerously represented at the excursions. 
Curiously enough, the largest attendance was given by a Society 
which had not been invited, for the very good reason that we did not 
know of its existence, but whose members—chiefly ladies—were not 
the less welcome on that account, and whom I trust we may meet on 
another occasion. In adopting this plan of joint-excursions we are 
only trying to put in practice the principles which led us to take part 
in forming the Union of the Natural History Societies of the East 
of Scotland. The bond which binds these Societies together is the 
maxim that in Union is Strength. That is to say, that much more 
good and effective work can be done if the Societies united in some 
joint system of labour than if each went its own way regardless of 
what is being done by the others. As the Union is to hold its 
Annual Meeting in Perth this year, a few words about its present 
position will not be amiss. 
The East of Scotland Union of Naturalists’ Societies embraces 
the counties of Fife, Perth, Forfar, Kincardine, and Aberdeen, and, 
with very few exceptions, all the Scientific Societies in these counties 
have joined it. The object of the Union is not only to promote a 
friendly intercourse amongst the Societies, but, more especially, to 
direct the energies of the members into a common channel, and by 
a division of the work to prevent a waste of labour. The subject 
which the Union has at present in hand is the thorough elucidation 
of the Natural History of the district over which it extends. At the 
first Annual Meeting (which was held at Dundee in 1884) a number 
of reports on the present state of our knowledge of the Zoology, 
Botany, Geology, &c., of the district were submitted by various 
members, and since then more detailed, but still preliminary, lists of 
the species of some of the Zoological and Botanical classes have been 
published. These include the Birds, by Col. Drummond Hay; Fishes, 
by Dr. Howden; &c. Other lists dealing with the other branches 
are in preparation, and, with these to guide them, the members of 
the Union will be able in course of time to publish an exhaustive 
account of the Natural History of the district. I may mention that 
each Society receives a number of copies of each year’s reports. 
Those that we have received have not been issued to our members, 
but any member who wishes to have a copy will receive it on appli¬ 
cation to our Librarian. We have adopted this plan in order that 
the copies should not be wasted, but be available for future workers. 
The business of the Union is conducted by a council of delegates, 
each Society being represented by two or more in proportion to the 
