1898] NEWS 69 
thesis, however true, is not easily illustrated by such an exhibit. The perennial 
green oysters were brought wp again by Profs. Herdman and Boyce, while even 
Dr Sorby’s charming preparations of marine animals, as lantern slides, were 
somewhat lacking in novelty. A little more topical was the series illustrating the 
bacteriology of calf-vaccine lymph exhibited by Sir R. T. Thorne and Dr Cope- 
man. Dr C. A. MacMunn is working on the digestive glands of Mollusca and 
Crustacea, and exhibited some microscopic sections of the same. Prof. Sherring- 
ton had some admirable microscopic preparations of the sensorial endings of 
nerve-fibres stained by gold chloride. Naturally the photographs of, and appa- 
ratus connected with, the recent solar eclipse cast everything else in the shade, 
while most people were attracted by Prof. Hele Shaw’s experiments on the flow 
of water, and Prof. Oliver Lodge’s magnetic space telegraphy. But the chief ex- 
citement of the evening was afforded by the efforts of various gentlemen, con- 
nected with the Science and Art Department, to induce eminent Fellows of the 
Royal Society to sign a petition to the Government with reference to the great 
South Kensington question. 
Pror. MicHart Foster is to be president of the British Association at its 
Dover meeting in 1899. 
THE Geological Society of London has elected as Foreign Correspondents, 
Marcellin Boule of Paris, W. H. Dall of Washington, and A. Karpinsky of 
St Petersburgh. 
Tue Oxford University Junior Scientific Club held a successful conversazione 
at the University Museum on May 24. Lectures were delivered by Prof. H. B. 
Dixon on “Climbing in the Rocky Mountains”; by Dr Gustav Mann on 
“ Microphotography” ; and Mr G, J. Burch on “ Artificial Colour-Blindness.” 
Tuer Preston Scientific Society, started some five years ago, appears to be 
doing useful work in propagating a knowledge of science in that neighbourhood. 
It numbers 520 members and has recently had granted to it by the Town Council 
of Preston the use of a Lecture Hall and other rooms in Cross Street. This 
Society does not confine itself to listening to lectures, but we read in the Annual 
Report that the members of the Botanical Section have studied the flora of the 
district within a radius of ten miles from Preston, with the object of forming a 
complete catalogue as well asa herbarium. The Geological Section proposes to 
study the geology of the neighbourhood. At Whitsuntide the Society organised 
an eight-day excursion to Oban ; other summer excursions are to Owen’s College, 
Trough of Bowland, Grange, Stonyhurst, Brock Bottoms, and Ingleton. The 
President is Dr Collinson ; and the Secretary, W. H. Heathcote, 47 Frenchwood 
Street. 
THE Report of the Rugby School Natural History Society for 1897 shows a 
continuance of useful work, but there still appears to be a wide field of research 
open, Mr S. T. Dunn, who contributes some new botanical occurrences, writes : 
“Scarcely anything is known of the range and frequency of our water buttercups, 
brambles, roses, or pondweeds.” The mosses and hepatics also require workers. 
The Entomological Section seems to confine itself, as is usually the case, to the 
study of Lepidoptera, while it is only natural that the report of the Zoological 
Section should deal chiefly with birds. It is always a difficult matter to attract 
the attention of schoolboys to the smaller and less popular plants and animals. 
The editors draw attention to the fact that one of the most important duties of a 
secretary of a section in such a society as this is to educate a successor ; in this 
the secretaries who have recently left seem to have been quite successful. 
Tue Report of the Cheltenham Natural History Society also shows that a 
good deal of active work is being carried on. We are glad to see that this 
Society, as well as that of Rugby, encourages phenological observations, and 
