72 REPORTS. 



to another without crossing the sea, as some of the Wagtails, Larks, Tits, and 

 Sparrow- [1 n i- also interesting to note the regularity with which our 

 rammer migrant)! arrive, contrasted with their departure or the arrival of 



ii autumn, which was no doubt to be accounted for by the seasonal 



beiug in re regular in the countries from whence they come than in 



our changeable climate The tunc of their arrival showed little variation 



□umber of years — Micboscopicax General Meeting, February 15th. 

 Mr. J. 1. Baguall exhibited a number of rare plants, iuclnding Orchis 

 purpureua, Urtiea piluli/era, and Carexfrigida; also, on behalf of Mr. 

 Cummin, of Kugby, Lagurus ovatus, Neottia aestivalis, /'ifiitaria sanguinea, 

 and Sririn.i Savii, from the Gba nel [stands ; and on behalf of He v. J. Caswell, 



amara, and Nepeta Cataria, from Stonr, Oxfordshire. Mr. W. J. 

 Harrison exhibited a palaeolithic and a neolithic flint implement, which 

 ution. Mr. A. II. Atkins exhibited Meristella tumida, 

 the spiral processes of the arms. Mr. R. W. Chase exhibited an 

 extensive series of birds in the down, including five stupes in the life of the 

 (fimnet, (Sula bassana,) the Dabchick, Owls, Snipe, Partridge, Quail, Cuckoo, 

 Kingfisher, Stormy l'etrei, and Nightingale, with fifteen otheis. Mr. W. P. 

 Marshall then read a paper, illustrated by several excellent drawings, on the 

 " Bnttertubs," some singular waterworn excavations in limestone on the slope 



[ Pell, Yorkshire. These are pits of most irregular outline, with level 

 floors and perfectly perpendicular walls, which have been scooped out of the 

 limestone by the slow chemical action of the carbonic acid gas contained in 

 the water which trickles down their Bides. They are all of the same depth of 

 'J.'ift.. which is the thickness of the limestone stratum. An interesting discus- 

 sion followed, in which Mr. Marshall's theory of their formation was finally 

 approved. 



BIRMINGHAM \M> MIDLAND INSTITUTE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 



—February 2nd, 9th, and 113th . Mr. C. .1. Watson gave a course of three 



on "Astronomy." The appearance of the stars was described, and 



their apparent movement explained by the rotation and orbital motion of the 



earth. La the secouu lecture the mechanical laws of the revolutions of the 



were explained; aud finally, in the last lecture, the seasons, tubs, 



harvest moon, mean solar time, and other phenomena more closely connected 



with the earth, dwelt upon. Mr. W. P. Marshall exhibited atd explained] a 



barl oi the Solar System, constiucted with great care, and which 



proved of mnoh interest to the members. 



BTJBTON-ON-TRE 1 NATURAL HISTORY AND ARCH.EOLOiilCAL 

 B00IET1 January L8th. Mr. T. J. Wilkins, of Uttoxeter, read a very inter- 

 paper on "Microscopic Pond Life: How to Find aud How to See." Mr. 

 bis paper by drawings, for which the society was indebted 

 to Mrs Wnkins. 



CHELTENHAM NATURAL SCIENCE SOCIETY.— January 20th.— Rev. 



i i most interesting paper eu titled "A Comparative Sketcb of 



illustrated by a number of diagrams and microscopic 



rt Smith, Dr. Fergusou, Mr. Day, and Dr. Wright, (the 

 k part in a iii~.-iis.-ion on tic- paper, for Which a vote of thanks 

 wa- unanimously given. Feb. 17th.— Mr. R. Tyrer read a paper on 

 "Meteoi > -uii its Practical results." 



CJH NATURAL HISTORY, SCIENTIFIC, AND 

 ALi iI.Kol.ni.lt \L B0CIE1 X*.- .1 tuuary 24th.— Public Meeting and Lecture 

 l,v - Mr |; ■' on "Cannon Street to Cabul," illustrated with the 



"'! *J bydrogen apparatus. February 1st.— Lecture by Mr. B.N. Shaw, 



D icB to the Dniversity of Cambridge, on "Weather 



rad Btorm Warnings," illustrated by means of charts, &c, to show 

 itionol tbi 1 obarsbj means of which the weather is foretold. 



