15 
Procechings of the Society. 
THIRD WINTER SESSION—1867-1868, 
The concluding conversazione of the present Winter Session was held, 
according to custom, in the Town Hall, on Tuesday, May 5th, and was a 
great success in every respect. Every branch of Natural History was fully 
represented, and the arrangement of specimens was very good. It would 
be impossible to catalogue all the objects exhibited ; but the following 
were among the most noteworthy in their respective branches :— 
ZooLocy.—A live Hedgehog, captured by Miss M. Vernon in Whittington 
Park, attracted considerable attention ; a stuffed White Mole, lent by Mr. 
Wane, which was, we believe, taken in our district ; bones of the African 
Elephant ; a skeleton of the American Crocodile (Crocodilus Americauus) ; 
the head and jaws, with the molar teeth, of a young Indian Elephant ; the 
shoulder-blades of a whale : the leg-bones (casts) of the Dinornis maximus, 
from New Zealand ; skulls of the Bear, Hyena, etc. 
ORNITHOLOGY.—This branch was one of the most fully represented. 
Stuffed specimens of birds in glass cases were lent by Messrs. Marshall, 
Simmonds, Browne, A: Lucas, Rutty, Saunders, and F. Wheeler: these 
included the Heron, Bittern, and Little Bittern, Kestrel, Green Wood- 
pecker, Goatsucker, Short-horned and Brown Owls, Sea Swallow, Gull, 
Snipe, Water-rail, etc.: a specimen of the Goshawk (Astur palumbarius) 
shot near Stone, deserves especial mention, as the species is not included 
by Mr. Clark-Kennedy in his recent work on the birds of Berks and Bucks. 
There were two collections of British Birds’ Eggs. Foreign Ornithology 
was illustrated by specimens of the Argus Pheasant of the Himalayas, 
lent by Mr. Beck ; a case of Humming-birds ; and some of the remarkable 
a of the Weaver Bird, brought by Mr. Small from the Western Coast of 
rica. 
EntTomoLocy.—In this department our British Insects were far sur- 
passed in size and colouring by a collection of Himalayan Lepidoptera lent 
by Mr. Beck. British Butterflies, Moths, Bees, and Beetles were shown by 
the President : and a case of West Australian Beetles was lent by Miss 
Abbott, of Wycombe Marsh. 
Borany.—A table of living Wild Flowers, arranged by Miss Chandler, 
attracted much attention by its elegant appearance, and by the number of 
species which had been pressed into the service, all collected in our own 
immediate neighbourhood, Among the most noteworthy were the Coral- 
wort (Dentaria bulbifera), the Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia), and the 
Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum). W.G. Smith, Esq., of London, to whom we 
have been already indebted for two interesting papers, lent a large number 
_ of drawings of our British Plants: these attracted considerable notice, the 
accuracy of the colouring, and the natural appearance of the drawings, 
being much admired. Miss Chandler’s valuable herbarium, and a collec- 
tion of British Ferns, were also on view. We must not omit to mention 
some very graceful bouquets, composed entirely of Wild Flowers, arranged 
with great effect by Miss Chandler and the Misses Giles. 
- GEOLOGY.—This section was, as usual, chiefly represented by the Presi- 
dent’s valuable collection. Representative Fossils of the Chalk, Upper 
Green Sand, Oolite, Lias, Gault, and Kimmeridge Clay were exhibited ; 
with Corals from the Carboniferous Limestone of North Wales, and from 
_ the Deyonian, Mrs. Woollams, Mr, Rutty, and others, contributed to this 
section. 
