48 REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 



leports of Societies. 



BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AnD MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.— 

 MicnoscopicAL General Meeting.— January 24th.— Mr. J. Levick exhibited 

 the circulation in the younf; and perfectly transparent rootlets or shoots of 

 Chara. Mr. J. E. Bagnall exhibited the very rare peristome of Fontijialis minor. 

 a moss which, from its aquatic liabitat, very rarely producesl perfecti fruit. 

 Mr. W. K. Grove exhibited the following species of Myxoinycetes, found in the 

 neighbourhood, in illustration of his paper: Pijlisaritm sinunsum, Didymiutn 

 cinereum, var. costntum, Craterium vulgare, C. leMcocephaJum, Lencarputt 

 fmgilis, Tilmadoche nutans, Spuniaria alha, Cnmo.tricha Friesiann, fitemnnitis 

 fuKca, Trichia fallax, T. varin, T. niqripes, Heminrcyria ruhiformis, Arci/ria 

 punicea, A. incarnata, A. cinerea, Prototrichia flaqeUifera, and Perich(PV(i 

 corticalin. He gave a brief '/v.s;(/h(' of the present state of knowledge concerning 

 this interesting gi-oup of Fungi. They differ from all other Fungi in the fact 

 that the spore gives origin to a naked mass of jirotoplasm, which possesses a 

 nucleus and contractile vesicle, and afterwards developes a flagellum, in which 

 state it resembles a free swimming monad. It then passes through an amoeboid 

 state. A vast number of these anueboid bodies unite together to form a cake- 

 like or reticulated mass, which itself possesses the power of locomotion, and 

 from which are produced the spore-cases or sporangia. In the first part of this 

 life-cycle the organism possesses the characteristics of animal life ; in the latter 

 part it resembles the Fungi. On this account naturalists are at present divided 

 in their opinions as to the proper place of the Myxomycetes in their 

 classification. Mr. Grove gave his decision in favour of retaining them amongst 

 the Fungi, as an aberrant group approaching the animal sub-kingdom of the 

 Protozoa. Mr. A. W. Wills made a few remarks, in which he gave a sketch of 

 Professor Huxley's opinion on the box'derland between the .\nimal and Vegetable 

 Kingdoms. 



BANBURYSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.— December .5th.— Mr. 

 Charles Gillett in the Chair. Various species of Rotifers were exhibited by Mr. 

 B. A. Walford, and a Polecat iMufitela putnriufi), from the neighbourhood, by 

 Mr. O. V. Aplin. A paper on Meteorological Oljservations was read by Mr. Sym- 

 ington. Mr. C. E. Gillett gave an account of his ascent of Ben Nevis in the 

 summer. January 2nd.— Mr. S. Stutterd in the Chair. Exhibits: Several 

 species of Thysaniira, by Mr. Stutterd; Epijxictis ensifolia from the Chiltern 

 Hills, Oxon, by Mr. O. V. Aplin. Micro-photographs by Mr. E. A. Walford, and 

 Mosses and Lichens by Mr. Symington. The Chairman made some remarks on 

 Thysanuia, illustrated by specimens under the microscope and photogi-aphs. 

 Mr. J. R. Davis communicated a note on the food of the Water Vole Arvicola 

 nmphibiiis). A short paper on the desirability of a series of Phenological obser- 

 vations being made by members was read by Mr. O. V. Aplin, and forms for 

 observations during the month of January were distributed. The Secretary 

 (Mr Walford) gave an interesting sketch of a Banbury botanist, the late 

 Mr. .\lfred French. 



NORTHANTS NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.— J anxj art 17.— The first of 

 a series of Gilchrist Lectures, under the auspices of this Society, was given in 

 the Town Hall, Northampton, by Professor Ball, Astronomer Royal for Ireland, 

 on "The Telescope and its Uses." January 24, Microscopical Meeting.— Mr. 

 Kempson exhibited Epistylis gracilis; Mr. Osborne, slides, illustrating the 

 anatomy of spiders; Mr. E. A. Durham, Hydra vulgaris, diatoms, etc.; Mr. 

 Gregory, sections of leaves, etc., stained, section of Lepidodendron, parasite 

 of owl, mounted by the exhibitor without pressure, and minute moths; 

 Mr. Dangerfleld, specimen of adulterated mustard. 



