GLEANINGS — REPORTS. 141 



Beds.) Then came a line of erosion. In the Bunter Series were the 

 Upper Mottled Sandstone, (with the millet-seed grains,) then the Pebble 

 Beds, which had a different kind of current-bedding from that of the 

 Frodsham Beds, then another line of erosion and the Lower Mottled 

 Sandstone, with millet-seed grains again. The bedding of the sand- 

 hills of Lancashire much resembled that of the Frodsham and other 

 rnillet-seed beds in their high angle and rapid change. 



A Nest-bcildixg Fish (p. 111.) — An extremely interesting Natural 

 History exhibit has recently been on view in the room of the Birming- 

 ham Natural History and Microscopical Society, at Mason's College, 

 during the past month. By way of practical instruction in rearing the 

 young of the stickleback, Mr. Wilkins, assisted by Mr. Bolton, placed 

 a fish and nest, obtained at Bilston, in a small aquarium, about 

 fifteen inches in diameter, and the members of the society have had 

 the opportunity daily of watching the hatching out of not less than 

 400 fry in a most healthy condition. The parent throughout, defiant 

 of observation, has been tame and apparently unconcerned. The 

 young have now disappeared, apparently having been eaten by the 

 cannibal father. 



Drawings of Living Organisms. — Part 5 of Mr. Bolton's portfolio of 

 drawings and descriptions of living organisms, (animal and vegetable,) 

 illustrative of freshwater and marine life, which have been sent out by 

 him from his studio, 57, Newhall Street, Birmingham, with the living 

 specimens, has just been issued, price one shilling. 



i> 



Jxcprts. 



BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 

 SOCIETY.— Geological Section, April -26th.— Mr. A. H. Atkins exhibited 

 Orthis Budleighensis, from a Bunter Pebble Bed at Kinver Ease. The Rev. 

 P. B. Brodie, M.A., F.G.S., gave a lecture on " The Lias, with especial reference 

 to Warwickshire." He described the country from Shuckburgh Hill to Lawford, 

 between which places ail the Lias zones crop out with their peculiar fossils. The 

 best sections are at Harbury, Rugby, Stockton, Bimon, and Wilmcote. The 

 lecturer also described the life of the period, and referred to the exceptional 

 position of Birmingham in not having a Museum of Natural History. — 

 Biological Section, May 10th. — Mr. J. E. Bagnall exhibited Salix cinerea, 

 showing the passage of stamens into carpels, Primus insititia (Buliace) and 

 Prunus avium, (Wild Cherry,) all from near Solihull. Mr. E. W. Badger 

 exhibited a Primrose, in which ail the parts of the flower were doubled. Mr. 

 Harvey Collett exhibited Distoma hejiaticum or Fasciola hep a tic inn, (Fluke,) 

 from liver of Ox. Mr. A. W. Wills read a paper on '' Some New Species of 

 Desmidieas" from North Wales, in which he described three forms new to 

 science, viz.: Cosmariiun cambricum, Cosmarium coronatum, and Staurastrum 

 anatinum, specimens of which were exhibited under the microscopes. He also 

 called attention to two other rare specifs found in a gathering from Mr. 

 Levick's pond, Closterium obtusum, hitherto recorded only in Ireland, and 

 Closterwm pronum, which is added for the first time to the British flora. He 

 also exhibited a variety of Micrasterias dcnticidata. which he proposed to call 

 M. denticulata, var. licmoides. He then gave some practical directions as to 

 the best manner of studyii.g and identifying these beautiful plants, and 

 explained a very ingenious method which he had adopted for facilitating the 

 identification of doubtful species, by making drawings to scale of every form 

 met with and attaching the drawings to small cards of a uniform size, which 

 are then to bi arranged in groups having the greatest similarity, numbered in 

 rotation, so that on finding an unknown species it could be at once referred to 

 the group which it most resembled and placed next to the individual in that 



