PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
157 
Society in promoting a knowledge of science. While on 
this subject, I may notice the success which has attended 
the issue of the “Proceedings” of the Society, which has 
now reached its third part, and for which there is ever an 
increasing demand. Members should therefore endeavour 
to make the “Proceedings” more valuable by bringing 
forward at the meetings notes on the local natural 
history, the more especially as our Society is one of the 
few local Societies in Scotland which publish “ Proceed¬ 
ings.” 
In other matters the Society has not been idle, 
having, in conjunction with other neighbouring Societies, 
mooted the question of the advantages that would 
accrue from a Federation of the several scientific 
Societies in the East of Scotland. A meeting of dele¬ 
gates was accordingly arranged to take place on the 9th 
of February last in Perth, at the Perthshire Society’s 
Natural History Museum, in Tay Street, when the follow¬ 
ing Societies were represented from the Counties of Aber¬ 
deen, Kincardine, Forfar, Fife, Kinross, and Perth, viz., 
Aberdeen Natural History Society, Alford Field Club and 
Scientific Society, Arbroath Natural History Society, 
Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 
Dundee Naturalists’ Field Club, Kirkcaldy Naturalists’ 
Society, Largo Field Naturalist Society, and Perthshire 
Society of Natural Science, being all the Societies but 
four in the above-mentioned counties. Two of these latter 
considered that their objects did not quite entitle them to 
join the proposed Federation, at least for the present; 
and from the other two no response had been received. 
[One of these has since joined the Union.— Editor.] After 
deliberation, it was resolved to federate the above- 
mentioned Societies under the title of “The East of Scot¬ 
land Union of Naturalists’ Societies,”—the objects of the 
Union being the promotion of good systematic work by 
the various Societies in it and a friendly intercourse 
amongst their members; its affairs being conducted by a 
Council of representative members, two being elected by 
each Society; the President to be a man of scientific 
eminence connected with the district; a general meeting 
to be held annually at the headquarters of the various 
Societies in rotation; and the first general meeting to take 
place in Dundee on the 6th of June—Dr Buchanan White, 
F.L.S., President. This certainly may be considered as 
a great move in the right direction, especially when we 
take into account that the Union has a membership of 
about 1300 to commence with; and if numbers have any¬ 
thing to do with it, good work should not fail the Federa¬ 
tion, 
But I pass on to another matter, one I can scarcely pass 
over in silence, namely, as to some of the changes in the 
office-bearers. I would first and foremost express my 
extreme satisfaction, as I am sure I do that of all those 
who hear me, at the election of our new President, Dr 
Buchanan White, and rejoice that his arrangements 
leave him free to accept office, and that he is still to 
remain among us, which we hope may be for long to 
come. We all know what our new President’s capa¬ 
bilities are, but were this not so, the very fact of his 
having been unanimously chosen the first to preside over 
so large a body as the East of Scotland Union (as a man 
of scientific eminence) would have been sufficient of itself. 
But we know still more,—Dr Buchanan White was the 
first President of this Society, and one of the foremost of 
its original promoters, having held the office of President 
during all its first years. Under his influence and early 
training the Society took its first start in life, and has 
grown to what it is now —- in its seventeenth year 
—one of the “leading local Societies in Scotland.” 
Another change I must allude to, which is not to my 
mind so pleasing, and that is the retirement of Mr Mac- 
gregor from the Treasurership, an office which he has 
held for so many years, and the affairs of which he has 
conducted in so efficient a manner. I therefore beg to 
return him our hearty thanks on his retirement. 
I feel that I could not close this address without ex¬ 
pressing our sorrow at the loss the Society has sustained 
by the death of one of its oldest members, one who has 
held office as Vice-President, and has been for so many 
years a member and a constant attendant at our meetings, 
I mean the late Sheriff Barclay. Though not an active 
naturalist, yet he sympathised most cordially in the 
objects of the Society, and did all he could to promote 
them. He will, in consequence, be much missed among 
us, and his demise deeply regretted. 
On the motion of Mr K. Pullar, seconded by Mr 
Brown, a cordial vote of thanks was awarded Colonel 
Drummond-Hav for his address. 
April 3rd, 1884. 
Dr F. Buchanan White, F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 
NEW MEMBERS. 
The following were elected :—Miss Mercer, Miss Louisa 
Mercer, and Miss Charlotte Mercer, Balcraig, and Mr 
Robert S. Trotter, Perth. 
