288 HULL SCIENTIFIC AND FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 



tions. In 1809 he commenced writing scientific papers, and in 

 that year submitted a " Monograph of the British Species of the 

 Genus Choleva " to the Linnaean Society. Some " Observations 

 on the Disease of Turnips, termed in Holderness Fingers and 

 Toes," were read to the Holderness Agricultural Society in 181 1, 

 and printed at their request in the following year. This runs into 

 twenty pages. Later, he was President of this Holderness Society. 

 Other scientific papers of his are : — " On an Insect which is 

 Occasionally very Injurious to Fruit Trees," " Vulgar Errors 

 among Gardeners respecting Insects being Destroyed by Cold," 

 " Observations relative to Dr. Cam's Discovery of the Circulation 

 of the Blood in Insects," " Remarks on Planting Trees and 

 Shrubs in Masses of the Species," and numerous others, printed 

 in the Gardeners' Magazine, the Magazine of Natural History, the 

 Transactions of the Horticultural Society, &c. In 181 1 the Rockingham 

 contained an able article from his pen on the " Pleasures and 

 Advantages to be Derived from the Establishment of a Botanical 

 Garden in Hull." 



In 1883 was published an interesting work, " Extracts from the 

 Minutes of the Holderness Agricultural Society, from the forma- 

 tion of the Society in 1795 up to the Year 1850." From this we 

 find that Spence joined the Society on December 23rd, 181 1. In 

 1814 he was its President, and he frequently attended its meetings 

 and contributed to its proceedings. At the meeting held at the 

 Sun Inn, Hedon, on Monday, the 30th of March, 1812, Mr. Spence 

 produced three hundred copies of his essay on the disease called 

 " Fingers and Toes in Turnips," and it was resolved that a copy 

 of the essay be sent to each member of the Society and to each 

 agricultural society in the kingdom. Mr. Spence had read this at 

 a previous meeting. 



To the " Life of the Rev. William Kirby, M.A., F.R.S., &c., 

 Rector of Barham," by John Freeman, M.A., Spence contributed 

 the following interesting notes : — 



" Our acquaintance began in this way. Chancing', one evening in August, 

 1805, when walking on the Humber bank, to meet my friend George Rodwell, 

 Esq., then a resident at Hull, he told me he was about to visit Barham in a few 

 days, and said if I had any insects to send to Mr. Kirby he should be happy to 

 convey them. This offer I gladly accepted, and prepared a box, which was 

 taken by Mr. Rodwell, along with the following letter: — 



" Drypool, Hill, 26th August, 1805. 

 "Sir, — Your friend, Mr. Rodwell, knowing me to be a smatterer in that 

 branch of natural history to the advancement of which, in Britain, you have so 

 largely contributed, told me the other day that he was about to visit your 

 neighbourhood, and said he would be glad to convey to you any duplicates of 

 insects I might have, that I judged might possibly be new to you. I embraced 

 his offer with pleasure, and I have accordingly sent a few insects which I have 

 reason to think scarce, or not described in ' Entomologia Britannica." . . . 



