24 I'ROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. OBITUARY. 



him. I have heard of Martins stopping a Sparrow in their nest, but I never 

 heard of such a circumstance as this before; but this was related to ine by 

 an eye witness a day or two after the occurrence took place. — Georcje B. Clarke, 

 Wohum, Beds. January loth., I80I. 



^.^rnmMiigs nf fnrirtia 



Yorkshire NatKralists' Club, February 5th., 1851. — E. Charlesworth, Esq., in the, chair. 



Dr. Morris mentioned the occurrence, in the York market, of several specimens of the Ear- 

 taih'il God\\it, (Limosa riifa,) and of the Graj' Plover, ( Sqiiatarola cinerca,) wliicli were hrought 

 from near Perth. They but rarely make their appearance in York. 



Mr. Graham exliibited specimens of several of ovu- rarest British birds, which had been sent 

 to him to mount, from A. Strickland, Esq., of Bridlington. 



Mr. CiiARLESWORTH exhibited a fossil Saurian phalangeal bone, from the cabinet of lEr. Ilipley, 

 of AVTiitby, i-emarkablc as coming from the lias, and yet presenting, in its massive proportions, 

 more analogy to the coiTCsponding bone in the ten-estrial extinct _Saurian reptiles, than to the 

 species hitherto known in the lias formation. Mr. C. regarded the discovery of this fossil as a 

 most important addition to the extinct fauna of Yorkshire;; and he particularly called attention 

 to the skilful manner in which the intensely hard investing matrix of ironstone liad l)een removed 

 from the surface of the bone, by Mr. Dew, of the British Museum. 



Mr. 0. A. Moore exhibited some fine specimens of minerals from South ^Vmciica, namely, native 

 copper, in three states, from the north of Chili; native silver; native gold in quartz, from 

 niapel, in Chilli; and some fine specimens of nearly pure gold from California, one weighing 

 above one ounce. Mr. Moore then proceeded to read some remarks upon the supposed transmutation 

 of species, which had been drawn up at the re<iuest of sonu; nuimbers of the club, on the question 

 being raised by ]Mr. Smallwood at one of the previous meetings. He commenced by disclaiming 

 anv intention of doing more than giving an abstract of the piincipal evidence on this subject, 

 deduced from ancient and modern writers. Of these lie gave quotations from Pliny, Virgil, 

 Plautus, Theophrastus, Galen, ilattliiolus, Thomas Jolinson, Parkinson, Riy, Morison, Olans 

 Wormius, and others of the older writers; and illustnited the same by the observations of 

 Dr. "\Veis.scnbom, the Coburg Society, Lord Arthur Ilaiwey, Captain Ilen-ick, Sir R. Plullips, 

 Mr. Rhodes, of Xawton, the Author of the "Vestiges," and others ui modem times. The experi- 

 ments of Messrs. Sidebotham and Watson were adduced on the other side as opposed to this theory. 

 Mr. Moore considered, from a careful examination of all the evidence, that sufficient was adduced, 

 •with regard, e.g., to the passage of oats into rye or barley, imder a peculiar system of treatment, 

 which was fully detailed, to warrant further investigation; and that the instances of two kinds 

 of grain o<-curring on one spike, as shown by T. Jolnison, Wormius, and Captain Herrick, A\ero 

 singular, and deserving of peculiar attention. — Mr. Brines mentioned a similar case, as quoted by 

 Dr. Luidley, in a horticultural journal, and a discussion followed, in wlii(;h Messrs. William 

 Matterson, Chai-lesworth, Smallwood, Dr. Morris, and others took part^ referring not only to tliis 

 subject, but also the general question of specific distinction. — -At the suggestion of the Chainnan, 

 a committee, consisting of Messrs. Baincs, Smallwood, William Matterson, Buniett, and Moore, 

 was appointed to uiquire into the subject, and make experiments, with a view to I'eporting on a 

 future occasion. 



(Dliitnnrg. 



Bled Janitary 27th. 1851, John James Audubon. — It is with sincere regi-et that we annomicc 

 the death of the celebrated Audubon, at the advanced age of seventy-six, at his residence in New 

 York. His "American Birds" will however remain a perpetual memorial of liis perseverance and 

 accuracy of observation ; there is a certain freshness in liis desciiptions, that carries you irresistibly 

 along ^vith hun, and places the object treated of personally before you; to us the whole work 

 has always had a greater charm than the most piquant novel, from the conviction that it was a 

 true history, and that the lives of the bu-ds had been noted down hi their o^\^l wild and solitary 

 haunts. Ornithological science has sustained a severe loss by the death of Audubon. 



