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economy of the fresh-water sponge. The monthly 

 meetings of this [society are marked by a spirit of 

 thorough and earnest scientific inquiry. The 

 "Society of Inquiry," which holds its meetings in 

 the Museum at Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, is not so 

 ambitious in its aims. It is a quiet but commendable 

 band, chiefly of "Inquirers" into natural science, 

 who are pursuing their studies under the direction of 

 Dr. Grierson, Dr. Sharp, and other naturalists, and 

 we wish them every success. The Goole Natural 

 Histoiy have several energetic members, notable 

 among whom is Dr. Franklin Parsons, a well-known 

 botanist and naturalist, whose thoughtful and well- 

 written paper recently read before the Goole Society, 

 on the " Coverings of Animals," we hope before long 

 to publish. The Staffordshire Field Naturalists' 

 Club have already commenced their well-attended 

 summer excursions. These cannot fail to make such 

 societies popular and attractive ; and we commend 

 them, if only sufficient care is taken to preserve, 

 instead of destroying, the rarer animals and plants 

 which may form the chief scientific attractions of such 

 outings. 



Metropolitan Societies. — The West London 

 Scientific Association and Field Club hold their 

 meetings at the rooms, Horbury Schools, Notting- 

 hill Gate. The president is the Rev. Professor 

 Henslow, M.A., F.L.S. ; and thehon. secretary, Mr. 

 Henry Walkei", F.G.S. Three excursions, on Satur- 

 day and Tuesday afternoons, have already been held 

 up to the end of May, to different places of geological 

 and botanical interest ; and three lectures and papers 

 on geology and zoology have been given by Dr. 

 Foulerton, Mr. F. P. Pascoe, F.L.S. , and Miss C. 

 Donagan. The West London Entomological So- 

 ciety (established 1868), president, Mr. E. G. Meek. 

 Meetings are held every Friday evening, between 

 8.30 and II p.m., in the club-room of the St. 

 Mark's Institute, George-street, Oxford-street, W. 

 (near Grosvenor-square). The object of the society 

 is for the promotion and investigation of entomo- 

 logical science by reading of papers and members 

 exhibiting their captures. The library contains 

 many valuable works on Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, 

 and Botany, which are lent to the members ; and the 

 library is increased as fast as the funds will permit. 

 During the past three years the society has held three 

 exhibitions, which have been very largely attended. 

 The number of members on the books is 93. The 

 subscription is 4s. \A. per annum, with an entrance- 

 fee of IS. All information and rules can be obtained 

 from E. W. Timms, secretary, at the address of the 

 society. 



The Borough of Hackney Microscopical 

 AND Natural History Society. — This society was 

 established March 20th, 1877. There are now about 

 fifty members. The Meetings are held the first and 

 third Tuesday of every month, at 194, Mare-street, 



Hackney ; Mr, C. Wilmott, hon. secretary. The 

 Society invite the support of all microscopical students 

 and lovers of nature. 



Birds' Eggs.— We are glad to see that the Wool- 

 hope Club has abolished its practice of giving a 

 reward for the best collection of Birds' Eggs. We 

 should like to see every natural history society in the 

 kingdom following the example, and thus declining 

 to keep company with nest-robbers. Indeed, we hold 

 that it is the duty of all our natural history societies 

 to do all they can to carry out the Wild Birds 

 Protection Act as far as possible, and by their 

 influence thus to make a very poor and discreditable 

 piece of legislation as thoroughly effective for pre- 

 servative purposes as it can be. We should like to 

 hear what our ornithological readers have to say on 

 this important subject. 



The Folk Lore of Natural History. — We 

 have received a copy of a lecture on this extensive 

 subject, given before the Warrington Literary and 

 Philosophical Society, by an old correspondent of 

 Science-Gossip, Mr. Robert Holland, a naturalist 

 well capable of dealing with this suggestive and 

 interesting question. 



"The Sun-Birds."— Capt. Shelley, F.Z.S., has 

 completed his Monogi-aph of the Cinny rider, or 

 family of Sun- Birds, and it is now being issued in 

 one-guinea parts. The plates, of which there are 

 ten in each part, are magnificently got up. We have 

 never before seen the metallic tints or shades of colour 

 so well represented, and those who are acquainted 

 with the Sun-Birds know how important it is that 

 any coloured delineation of them shall express it. 



The Centrine Shark. — Mr. Thomas Cornish 

 gives an account in the Zoologist of a specimen of the 

 Centrine Shark [Sqtcalus centrina) taken in twenty- 

 six fathoms of water near the Wolf Lighthouse, off 

 the Cornish coast. This, he believes, is the first 

 specimen taken in English seas. It is not uncommon 

 in the Mediterranean, but has not before been noted 

 as occurring farther north than Lisbon. . 



Coloured Butterflies and Coloured 

 Flowers. — Mr. A, S. Packard, jun., calls attention 

 in the American A^'atiiralist to some interesting 

 observations of his own. He noticed in a field where 

 a low white Aster and a common Golden-rod 

 (Solidago) were abundant, twelve European Cabbage 

 butterflies {Pieris' rapa) fly directly to the less con- 

 spicuous but white Aster, and that they invariably 

 passed by the yellow flowers of the Golden-rod. On 

 the following day they visited some of the Golden- 

 rods, but evidently had a partiality for the white 

 Asters. On the other hand, the yellow sulphur 

 butterfly {Colias philedoce) visited the flowers of the 

 Golden-rod much oftener than those of the white 

 Asters. 



