Mr. H.H. Corbett then read a paper on “The Field Naturalist – an Animal in Danger of Extinction”.

After alluding to Mr. Kirk’s paper upon Extinct Animals, the essayist went on to say that the Field Naturalist was in danger of sharing their extinction. He then described a typical field naturalist as a student of facts in nature rather than a spectator upon the cause of such facts. Gilbert White being spoken of as a good example.

He then showed how, by the increase of knowledge brought about by the field naturalist themselves, their true type was becoming impossible, specialization became necessary, and the modern representative of the field naturalist became rather a Botanist, an Entomologist or some other kind of specialist or might even degenerate into a mere collector.
Richard Jeffreys was mentioned as a recent of the true field naturalist.

In conclusion the essayist spoke of the usefulness of naturalists societies such as the Y.N.U. where all branches of nature may be studied by different individuals & their works combined.