HOLMESDALE NATURAL HISTORY CLUB. 23 



Eteninq Meeting, Nov. 8th, 1878. The President announced 

 that the Committee had awarded Prizes to the following competitors, 

 for collections sent in, in response to the offer made by the Com- 

 mittee ; for Botany, 1st prize to Miss Eliza Wilson, Springfield Villa, 

 Reigate ; 2nd to Mr. E. P. CoUett, Grammar School, Reigate ; 

 3rd to Miss Rosa Marriage, Dunedin, Meadvale ; for Entomology, 

 1st prize to Mr. Edwin Ashby, Bridge Road, Redhill ; and for 

 Geology, a 3rd prize also to Mr. E. Ashby. 



Mr. Tyndall read a paper on the Yew-tree, describing its manner 

 of growth, the characteristics of its bark, wood, foliage, &c. He 

 referred to the great age attained by this tree, and enumerated a 

 number of well-known Yews remarkable for their age or size. He 

 also referred to the practice of planting Yews in churchyards, which 

 appears to have been adopted from the custom of the Greeks and 

 Romans, who planted the cypress as an emblem of immortality. 

 The poisonous nature of the leaves, especially after being clipped 

 some time was also mentioned, and the circumstance that goats and 

 some other animals are said to eat them with impunity. 



Public Lecture, Dec. l'6th, 1878. A Lecture was delivered 

 by Henry Seebohm, Esq . F.Z.S. of London, entitled *' Six Months 

 in Siberia." Mr. Seebohm's visit took place in the year 1877, his 

 principal object being to pursue investigations in Natural History, 

 and to collect specimens, chiefly of birds and their eggs. He gave 

 graphic descriptions of incidents in his journey, the break-up of the 

 ice on the River Yennesay, the immense flocks of migratory birds 

 such as Swans, Geese and Ducks, and the suddenness with which 

 winter gave place to summer. Amongst the eggs obtained by 

 Mr. Seebohm were those of the following species of birds, which 

 up to that time had not been obtained, viz. Phylloscopus borealis 

 (Bias.), Phylloscopus tristis (Blyth), Charadrius fulvus (Gm.), 

 Turdus obscurus (Gm.); also Emberiza pusilla (Pall.), and Anser 

 ruficollis (Linn.), only taken by Middendorf, 25 to 30 years ago ; 

 Cygnus minor (Pall.) and Tringa minuta (Leist.), only previously 

 taken by Mr Seebohm and -Vir. Harvie Brown on their visit to the 

 Petchora in 1875 ; and Phylloscopus superciliosus (Gm.), the eggs 

 of which had previously been taken by Brooks in Cashmere. 





