NOTES AND QUERIES. 267 
— 
MANCHESTER MurcroscopicaL Socirety.— The Manchester 
Microscopical Society had an excursion of more than usual interest 
on Saturday, Aug. 4th, in company with the Ashton-under-Lyne 
Biological Society, the Oldham Microscopical Society, and the 
Stalybridge Microscopical Society, the rendezvous being Marsden 
in Yorkshire. The members of the four societies left the railway 
station under the leadership of Mr. J. B. Robinson, F.R.M.S., of 
Mossley, and proceeded to the other side of the valley along the 
old road over Standedge, and turned sharply to the left up a nar- 
row lane which leads to Wessenden Clough. This clough is of 
considerable extent, the upper portion being a gathering ground 
for two reservoirs belonging to the Huddersfield Corporation, 
which are situated between two and three miles up the valley. 
Wessenden is becoming a favourite resort for botanists, and rarely 
have the fields been more varied than on this occasion. A large 
variety of mosses, liver-worts, grasses, sedges, ferns, and flowering 
plants were collected by the members. ‘The ivy-leaved bell-flower 
(Campanula hederacea) was the prize each was desirous of obtain- 
ing, and several gentlemen were successful in finding it. After the 
afternoon’s botanizing the party returned to Marsden, where, after 
tea, Mr. W. Stanley, F.R.M.S., was called to the chair. It gave 
him the utmost pleasure to meet friends from Ashton, Oldham, and 
Stalybridge belonging to societies like the Manchester Microscopi- 
cal Society, formed for the study of natural history in general and 
the use of the microscope in particular. It is not often that four 
flourishing societies meet upon the same day, at the same place, 
and for the same purpose ; but he hoped that in future a similar 
meeting would be arranged every year, which, besides extending 
our knowledge of natural objects, would promote a good feeling 
amongst the societies taking part in the excursion. Referring to 
the work that was being done by the mounting section of the Man- 
chester Microscopical Society, he invited members of the other 
societies present, who took an interest in mounting objects for the 
microscope, to favour the society with their company at the open 
meeting for practical demonstration in October, further particulars 
of which would be sent to the secretaries of each society. Mr. 
Charles Walters, the energetic secretary of the Oldham Micros- 
copical Society and Field Club, gave an interesting description of 
the various grasses, sedges, ferns, and flowering plants gathered 
during the ramble. The inconvenient arrangement of trains on 
the Manchester and Leeds line caused the party to disperse much 
earlier than was desirable; but some of the party, determined to 
make the most of a fine evening, walked over Standege to Diggle 
in time for the last train south. 
SENDING SPECIMENS BY Post.—Some time ago a correspondent 
