] I I REPORTS. 



by L. Lee. entitled "Can Evolution or Blind Chance account for those rela- 

 tions which are found to exist between the Organic and Inorganic Forms of 

 Matter :" a paper by E. Wilson, F.G.S., on " The Permian formation in the 

 North-east of Englamd," in course of publication in these pages. 



OXFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.— April 28th, in 



; om of the University Museum, Professor Westwood, M. A., 



F.L.S , in the chair, Mr. 0. V. Aplin read a paper by Mr. F. Aplin, of 



Snrbiton, on "Bird Description," whicn suggested that a complete history of 



a biru should include the title, geographical range, habit, nniifieatiou, a 



iription of the plumage of adult, male and female, and of the young, 

 notice of the soft parts, and measurements of wing, tarsu-, and total length 

 of male and female. Mr. Aplin gave illustrations of tue proposed inscriptions, 

 which seemed very complete and useful. — Mr. Maephersou, of Oriel College. 

 read a very interesting paper on " London Zoology," which began by stating 

 that the Whinchat, the Goatsucker, the Hawfinch, the Nuthatch, the Wheatear, 

 the Blackcap, and the Spotted Flycatcher are regular visitor* to Kensington 

 Gardens, the latter even nesting there, some Wheatears are always to be 

 fonud near the Reformer's Oak in Hyde Park, and that Chaffinches, Linnets, 

 Skylarks are common in the parks, while the Great Titmouse's short but varied 

 i K>res may often be heard near Holland Park, and the Cole Tit and the laughing 

 Blue Tit haw bees captured in a trap-cage in Bays water; a well-authenticated 

 record of the Kingfisher in Regent's Park is extant. Having alluded to the 

 occurrence of the Pipistrelle and Great Bat in Kensington Gardens, and the 

 LoDg-eared Bat, which had also been found in the same locality, Mr. Mac- 

 pherson described ins visits to the various bird-catchers of Lisson Grove, 

 S v. n Dials, and Shoreditch. In the first-named place he saw the Siskin, a 

 winter visitor from the North of Europe, which like the Brambling is chiefly 

 supported on insects in their native Norwegian birch woods; here also were 

 the little tawny le&ser Red Pole, strictly confined to Great Britain, or which 

 would be so did they not migrate into Southern Europe in hard winters, the 

 Mountain Linnet or Twite, and the Redwing; of soft-billed summer birds, 

 those only worth noticing were the Tree Pipit and Ray's Wagtail. Seven 

 Dials was next explored, and Mr. Maephersou here explained that few of 

 the Western dealers caught their own birds, but drew supplies of 

 Linnets from Bedfordshire, Sea., Go;dfincbes from Gloucestershire, 

 Worcestershire, and the South Coast; notwithstanding the Wild Birds' 

 A ,-. he Bucceei d in catching a glimpse of two fresh-caught Nightin- 

 The Goldfinches here seemed to be singularly deficient in the 

 y markings on the tips of the secondaries, so that the Norfolk synonym, 

 Seven-spotted Linnet, for the Goldfinch was quite inappropriate. Having 

 pleasantly described the Hawfinches, Crossbills, and Snow Bunting, Mr. 

 Maephersou concluded bis paper by mentioning several rare birds kept in a 

 private aviary, and giving a short account of a recent visit to the Zoological 

 Gardens.— Mr. V. Aplin read a note on the occurrence of the Cornish 

 Chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus, (Linn.,) near Banbury, the first record of the bird 

 in Oxfordshire. From the contents of the crop it appeared te have been in the 

 Mi Hands for some time. — The secretary. Mr. G. C. Druce, exhibited Leucojtnn 

 oermim, from Dorsetshire, in order to explain the former occurrence of the 

 plant in Ox 'ii ; Utujt'a hitcn, or Yellow Star of Bethlehem, from some new 

 rd localities; ami Muacari raeemosum, or Starch Hyacinth, once found 

 in Shotover Plantation by Mr. Boswell, of which a single specimen 

 had been found this year by Mr. Aplin, in the north of the county. — Mr. 

 Maephersou exhibited a specimen of Coronilla lecvis, or Hampshire Smooth 

 Snake, and a male and f( male Palmate Newt, and a hybrid between the Liuuet 

 and Greenfinch. — Professor Westwood then exhibited and described a series of 

 the white butt rflii -. Pieris rapes, napi, and brasriccB, and stated that the two 

 formi rom their variability had been made into five species by some 



entomologists, the spring broods varying considerably from the summer broods, 

 nut it had i ut ■ ly been found that by hastening or retarding the development 

 of the insect, i.e , by potting the chrysalis in a warmer or colder atmosphere, 

 the summer markings conld be made to appear on the spring broods, or vice 

 1 i Pr< identalso showed some splendid plates of Lepidoptera. 



