312 GLEANINGS. 



Midland Union. — The Small Heatli Literary and Scientific Society 

 has joined the Midland Union of Natural History Societies. 



Examination of Glacial Deposits (Scheme proposed by Mr. W. J. 

 Harrison, F.G.S.) — At a meeting of the Geological Section of the 

 Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society, on October 

 22nd, it was unanimously resolved that the Section should take part 

 in the suggested examination. The Eev. H. W. Crosskcy, F.G.S., 

 (who kindly undertook to act as Secretary,) will be glad to receive 

 communications on the subject from local observers, addressed to 

 28, George Eoad, Edgbaston, Birmingham. 



Those Interested in the Progress of Natural Science at our 

 old Universities should take notice of the fact that, after considerable 

 opposition of the " Board of Studies of the Natui'al Science School," 

 the majority of that Board (chiefly by the aid of the exafniners, who are 

 London, and not Oxford, men) have carried a series of resolutions which 

 provide that " candidates for honours in Biology" may be examined in 

 Experimental Physiology. The necessary encouragement to the study 

 of this subject, viz., examination in it as an " honour subject " now 

 existing, we may hope to see as the result some activity in the Physio- 

 logical Laboratory of Magdalen College. Similarly we have to notice the 

 recognition of the Morphology and Physiology of the vegetable kingdom 

 as a necessaiy part of the study and examination of the Oxford student 

 who is a candidate for " honours in Biology." Botany was long resisted 

 and sneered at in Oxford. External pressure has, however, reinstated 

 Botany in the Oxford School of Natural Science, and it rests with the 

 examiners in future to maintain the study of this subject in the direction 

 indicated by Sachs' admirable treatise on Botany pubUshed by the 

 University press. — Nature. 



Roman Milestone. — The most perfect miliare, or Roman milestone, 

 3'et found in Great Britain is that in the Leicester Town Museum. It ia 

 cylindrical in form, and is fashioned out of the coarse sandstone known 

 as millstone grit. It is 3ft. 2in. in height and 5ft. Gin. in circumference. 

 It bears the inscription : — 



IMP CAES. 

 DIV TRAIANI PAKTH. F. DIV. NEE. NEP. 

 TRAIAN. HADRIAN. AVG. P.P. TRIE. 

 POT. IV. COS III. A. EATIS 

 II 

 showing that it was erected in the year A.D. 120, dui'ing the reign of the 

 Emperor Hadrian, at a distance of two miles from the station of Ratae 

 (Leicester.) The letters are from 2in. to 4iu. in height, deeply cut and 

 quite distinct. It was probably erected to commemorate the visit of the 

 Emperor to Britain. It was found in 1771 close to the road from 

 Leicester to Melton, (the Roman Fosse-way,) and was at first destined 

 for a garden-roller ! Rescued from this fate, it stood for forty j'ears in 

 the centre of the town of Leicester, but fortunately escaped any serious 

 injury, and finally found a safe resting-place in the Museum. In the 

 same room with this fine object of antiquity is a smaller stone cjdinder, 

 measuring 1ft. Uin. in height by -1ft. in girth. It bears the letters IMP 

 only, and was found at Six Hills, (also on the Fosse-way,) about ten 

 miles north of Leicester, in 1851. When this stone was seen by a well- 

 known antiquai-ian, ho remarked that he was once much puzzled when 

 examining tlie neighbourhood of the Roman Wall in Northumberland by 

 hearing the natives speak of an "Imp stone." When they took him to 

 see it, he found it was one of these rude milestones. Altogether about 

 fifty-four of these Roman milestones have now been found in Britain, of 

 which the fine specimen above described is the earliest in date so far as 

 is known. 



