156 NATURAL SCIENCE. Aug., 



The First Report of the Scientific Society of University College of Wales, for 

 session 1892-93, has just appeared. It is a modest little pamphlet of 12 pp. and 

 contains besides business matters a tentative list of the Flora and Fauna of the 

 district around Aberystwith. Since the formation of the Society, Oct. 20, 1892, the 

 members have made eight excursions, chiefly to places of geological interest, their 

 enthusiasm even taking them afield in November and December. 



The thirteenth report of the Manchester Microscopical Society is prefaced by 

 an excellent portrait of the President, I'rofessor Milnes Marshall. There are two 

 readable presidential addresses, the one on "Death," the other on " Recent Embryo- 

 logical Investigations " ; and Professor Weiss briefly discusses Symbiosis in plants, 

 Mr. P. Cameron contributes part ii. of his description of the galls of Mid-Cheshire, 

 with two plates ; and Messrs. W. Moss and F. Paulden give an illustrated account 

 of the reproductive organs of Bulimus acutus. 



The Guernsey Society of Natural Science and Local Research has completed 

 the first decade of its existence, and the new part of its Report and Transactions 

 contains several valuable papers. Mr. E. D. Marquand supplements his list of the 

 flowering plants of Guernsey by an account of the mosses, hepaticae, and lichens, 

 and it is noteworthy how many species common in Devon and Cornwall appear to 

 be absent in this island. Mr. W. A. Luff publishes a list of the Hemiptera- 

 Homoptera, the first of the kind relating to any of the Channel Islands. Mr. G. 

 Derrick describes the Guernsey clays, and in another geological paper Mr. A. 

 Collenette considers that the raised beaches and associated phenomena prove 

 Guernsey to have been completely submerged at a recent period. A brief account 

 of the rocks of Alderney is also given by Mr. C. G. De La Mare. 



Circulars dated June 10 inform us that "The World's Congress of Geologists 

 will meet in Chicago " immediately after the meeting of the American Association 

 in Madison. The Geological Society of America will also hold its fifth summer 

 meeting on the 15th and i6th of August at Madison. The Excursions proposed for 

 the Geological Society of America will comprise the Lake Superior Region, the 

 Dells of the Wisconsin, and the driftless area in the vicinity of Madison. Messrs. 

 Wadsworth, Van Hise, Chamberlin, and Salisbury will conduct the Excursions. 



The Geologists' Association of London called a Special General Meeting on 

 July 7 and passed some important alterations in the rules. It was decided that 

 the names of those proposed as members should, after being read out from the 

 chair, be declared duly elected unless a ballot was demanded. It is hoped by this 

 means to avoid much unpleasantness and expenditure of time, while opportunity is 

 afforded of an appeal to the ballot, if any one of those proposed for election is con- 

 sidered ineligible. Another important change is the increase of the commutation 

 fee or life subscription to seven pounds ten shillings, being fifteen years' purchase. 

 This is in accordance with the practice of other Societies, it having been found that 

 the low commutation fee has been a loss to the Association for several years past. 

 The third important change is an expulsion clause. We trust the Association has 

 not been compelled to adopt this in self-defence, but rather as a terror to possible 

 evil-doers. The clause appears to us to be very cautiously worded, and will no 

 doubt prove valuable if required. Ugly as these clauses are, they are necessary for 

 the general welfare of the members. 



The 42nd meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 

 will be held in August at Madison, Wisconsin, under the presidency of William 

 Harkness. The president of the Geological Section will be Mr. C. D. Walcott, 



