88 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly Feb. 



This society has an annual Long Meeting, lasting six days, which 

 always strikes us as not only a most excellent and enjoyable institution, 

 but also an indication of great vitality in the members. Last year the 

 scene of the Long Meeting was Criccieth and its vicinity. Much good 

 work is recorded in these Transactions, particularly by the hon. 

 secretary, Mr H. E. Forrest, who is engaged in the compilation of a 

 Fauna of North Wales, a task of considerable difficulty and magnitude. 

 A valuable paper is that by Mr Horvvood on the fauna of the district 

 round Marrington Hall, the borderland of Salop and Montgomery. 

 Little had been done on this locality previously. The membership of 

 the club now stands at 173. 



Correspondence. 



Reptilia. — " Will you allow me to thank you for your most explicit 

 article on the young Adders and the 'ovary' ? In common with many 

 others, no doubt, I have now a tolerably clear idea of the naked-eye 

 appearances one may expect to find towards the end of gestation, and 

 am glad to find I was not mistaken in supposing that young Adders 5 

 inches long do not dwell in the ovaries of their mothers. Might I 

 suggest that an article on the transmission of acquired characters in 

 animals would prove of value to readers of the F. N. Q. ?" — " Ophis." 



(We propose dealing with " acquired characters " in some future 

 issue. — Ed. F. N. Q.) 



The Duty of Field Clubs. — " I have been a member of a well-known 

 field club — one before which the Editor of the F. N. Q. has lectured — 

 for some years, and I have regularly attended its summer excursions and 

 its winter lectures. I cannot recollect a single meeting at which any 

 attempt has been made to expound the scientific principles upon which 

 our work is based. There is no more urgent want in these societies than 

 this, and I rejoice that the subject has been urged upon secretaries in 

 your last editorial. In my own particular Society there are some well- 

 known specialists who do most excellent work, — and who would do it 

 whether they were members or not, — but no effort has ever been made, 

 to my knowledge, to help the general run of members to get a clear 

 grasp of the great general laws of biology. I feel sure I am voicing the 

 opinion of many field naturalists when I say that any efforts which the 

 F. N. Q. makes to help in this direction will be warmly appreciated. 

 Most of us are busy men who have no time for systematic scientific 

 reading, and who join these clubs in the hope of gaining from our more 

 learned brethren the knowledge of science which we were never taught. 

 Now that attention has been directed to the point, I trust our officials 

 will make it their duty to help us more in this direction in future." — 

 " Field Naturalist." 



