30 



THE NATURALIST. 



who sent postage last season, and 

 did not succeed in obtaining a 

 supply, or to any Entomologist who 

 may require them.— Applicants to 

 pay postage. — William Porteus, 

 17, Dean Street, Pellon Lane, 

 Halifax. 



Liparis dispar. — The larvae of this 

 species are appearing in my breeding 

 cage by hundreds. I shall have 

 much pleasure in distributing them 

 to any one sending a suitable box 

 (prepaid), with return postage. — 

 Thomas Mellor, Skircoat Green, 

 near Halifax. 



^l^porte of ^otutm. 



Manchester Field Naturalists' So- 

 ciety. — The concluding Soiree for 

 the season of this Society was 

 held in the Library Hall of the 

 Athenaeum, Manchester, on Tues- 

 day, April 26th, and was perhaps 

 one of the most brilliant of these 

 usually gay assemblages. The hall 

 was profusely decorated with living 

 plants and flowers disposed on 

 tables, whilst the walls were hung 

 with large coloured drawings of a 

 variety of plants, native and exotic. 

 Amongst the living wild plants from 

 the neighbourhood of Manchester 

 may be mentioned : — Petasites vul- 

 garis, in fine flower. Primula vulgaris 

 very fine from Penketh and Mobber- 

 ley, Luzula pilosa, Caltha 'palustris, 

 Oxalis acetosella, Polypodium vulgare, 

 Hedera helix, in full ripe fruit. 



Some beautiful greenhouse exotic 

 plants contributed by several mem- 

 bers added greatly to the attractions 

 of the evening ; the Bougainvillia 

 spectabilis, with its pretty lilac bracts, 

 the beautiful cream-white panicles 

 of Spircea japonica, and the purple 

 racemes of Wisteria Sinejisis were 

 very striking objects. A specimen 

 of the Japanese Skimmia jaj)onica 

 was also on one of the tables, the 

 red berries of which had hung in 

 their rich clusters perfectly fresh 

 since last October. Deutziaparviflorat 

 Diceyitra spectahilis, several species 

 of Khododendron, Azalea, and 

 Acacia were amongst the specimens 

 shewn. A number of British mosses 

 were sent from the neighbourhood 

 of Kendal, by a lady friend of 

 the society, amongst which were 

 Dicramim scoparium, Polytrichiim 

 commune, Hypmim plumosmn, Dicra- 

 nuni majus, and Hypnum rugosum, 

 all in fruit. H. tamariscinwn, H. 

 cupressifonne, Antitrichia curtipendula 

 &c. Amongst the scientific instru- 

 ments, the most interesting perhaps, 

 was the " Natural" Stereoscope, the 

 patented invention of Mr. Joseph 

 Wood, of Huddersfield. Three of 

 these instruments were exhibited by 

 Messrs. Wood, Barker, and Shaw, 

 of the Huddersfield Literary and 

 Scientific Society, and commanded a 

 very large share of attention, from the 

 brilliancy and clearness of the views 

 shewn, and the beautiful atmospheric 



