OBSERVATIONS. 



219 



only to gratify the eye of the visitor, 

 but to inform the mind, and to instil, 

 where possible, a love for the study 

 of Nature and her works. — G.T. 



Doncaster Philosophical Society. — 

 At the meeting of this Society held 

 on Monday evening, Oct. 3rd, John 

 Lister, Esq., V.P., in the chair, a 

 pftper was read by Mr. Appleby, 

 F.L.S., " On the Transformation of 

 British Ferns." The subject was 

 divided into eight sections, four of 

 which were treated of in this paper, 

 viz. ; Their appearance, — structure, 

 — genera, — and economy, habits and 

 locations. The other four — repro- 

 duction, — distribution, — physiolo- 

 gy and transformation, — and their 

 liability to new forms, were reserved 

 for a future paper. The paper was 

 received with much gratification by 

 the members present, but as we may 

 have an opportunity of printing it 

 in extenso during the winter, we for- 

 bear making any further remarks 

 on it at present. 



On Monday evening, Oct. 17th, 

 Mr. Samuel Appleby was to have 

 given the concluding half of his 

 paper on the " Transformation of 

 Ferns," but having an attack of 

 bronchitis he was prevented from 

 attending. To meet the contingency 

 the Eev. W. S. Smith, who was the 

 next in order, kindly consented to 

 change places with him, and read 

 his paper on " The Nest-Building 

 Propensities of Sticklebacks." The 



paper gave a description of the many 

 peculiarities of this lively little in- 

 habitant of the aquarium, its vora- 

 city of appetite, and pugnacious 

 qualities making it a terror even to 

 animals much larger than itself, yet 

 evincing most tender care for its 

 young, fighting with numbers of 

 other sticklebacks who wish to make 

 a savoury meal of the ova. The 

 paper throughout shewed much close 

 observation and did not fail to secure 

 the attention of the audience — par- 

 ticularly when the mode of building 

 and apparent use of the nest was 

 described. 



The Dipper {C. aqiiaticus). — A fine 

 specimen of the above bird was taken 

 at Howley, near Batley, on Friday, 

 the 14th October, by Mr. E. Day, 

 of the latter place. — B. 



Winter Quarters of the Toad. — E arly 

 in the spring of 1860, having occa- 

 sion to remove some unhewn timber 

 from beneath a hedge, we found 

 several toads in a state of semi- 

 hybernation. They were each of 

 them embedded among leaves and 

 pieces of dried grass. A small hol- 

 low had been made in the ground, 

 lined with fine grass, upon which a 

 quantity of leaves (beech leaves) had 

 been collected, into which the toad 

 seemed to have crept. — J. Ranson, 

 Linton-upon-Ouse, York. — Commu- 

 nicated by the Rev. F. 0. Morris. 



