as possible, in order that they who have schemes for rendering available for a common object thy scattered energies of the large body of earnest students in the several societies of the Union may have an opportunity of submitting them for consideration.
Such views as I have on the subject I will lay before you. The Union nosy consists of twenty-one Societies, and is, under its existing constitution, manage by a Council consisting of two Members from each of the Societies: that is, of forty-two members, with the prospect of increase. This managing body is far too large for efficient work, and I suggest that the present Council be converted into an electoral body, who shall appoint a committee for the general management of the affairs of the Union, consisting of say ten members, the Editors of the organ of the Union—the "Midland Naturalist"—to be members ex officio. I believe by this means mere concentrated attention to the work would be secured, and a larger attendance at the meetings, for when each individual member of a large committee has to travel far, and sacrifice much time to attend a meeting, he will be but too ready to excuse himself on the ground that with so many there his presence will net be necessary; the inevitable consequence will be meetings rarely attended, and probably by different members on each occasion, It is of the utmost importance that a careful selection of men interested in the work be made in the first instance, and as far as possible the same men be present when the continuous work of the Union is transacted.
I earnestly recommend that the subscription to the general funds of the Union be reconsidered; it was fixed at the ludicrously insufficient sum of one penny per member;[1] it be intended that any real joint work shall be done, and the organisation utilised as it may be, a larger though still moderate subscription is absolutely necessary, and may be profitably expended; it is premature to enter into details of this expenditure, but I may mention as an illustration of the necessity that the rest of the programme of the proceedings of this meeting would alone exhaust the whole revenue of the Union, and this is only one of many other items of legitimate expenditure for which provision ought to he made out of a common fund.
The pages of the "Midland Naturalist" form an excellent medium of intercommunication for the Members of the Union, and all of them, for their own and the general interest, ought to subscribe to it. This journal at present is the only offspring of the Union; although young, it is lusty and fall of promise; it may be safely prophesied that as long as it succeeds, so long will the Union flourish; it is, in fact, our Palladium, our existence depends on its success. Sueli as can must render its pages interesting by contributions of the results of their observations in the various departments in Natural Science; all must help to secure its commercial success; we are bound by honour to do this, for as we haverule
- ↑ At the first meeting of the representatives of the several Societies then proposing to join the Union there was a division of opinion us to the subscription which would be necessary to carry out its objects, and it was only by a majority fixed on a penny per member, upon the representation that such sum had been found to be sufficient by the experience of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union; since which date the Yorkshire Union has, to a circular addressed to its members, (printed In this number, p. 140,) called attention to the obvious inadequateness of this subscription to defray the necessary expenses.
