REPORTS. 263 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY.—Microscorircan GenerRaAL Mrrrinc.—August 19th. Mr. 'T. Bolton 
exhibited an alga, supposed to be a young state of Anteromorpha intestinalis 
which had appeared in one of his aquaria. Mr. J. Levick exhibited Lacinularia 
socialis and Plumatella repens, from Barnt Green; Mr. W. H. Wilkinson 
Painassia palustris and Pyrola rotundifolia, from Southport; Mr. J.W. Cotton sent 
for exhibition a specimen in spirits of Loligo vulgaris, the Squid, from Barmonth ; 
Mr. W. Graham exhibited Argulus foliaceus, from Spurrier’s Pool. GEOLOGICAL 
Srcrion.—Angust 26th. Mr. W. Southall exhibited a number of plants fom 
the West of England, including Bartsia viscosa, Brassica nigra, (wild,) Verbascwm 
virgatum and V. nigrum, Scirpus maritimus, Radiola millegrana, Arenaria 
rubra, and Glaux maritima; Mr. W. B. Grove two of the beautiful cater- 
pillars of the Vapourer moth, (Orgyia antiqua;) Mr. W. H. Wilkinson 
specimens of ‘several species of Libellula ; Messrs. Caldwell and Butterfield 
specimens of Bromus asper, Corydalis lutea, &c. ; Mr. C. J. Watson micro- 
scopic sections of a boulder from the drift at the Pleck cutting, near Walsall. 
He also exhibited the printing apparatus called the Scriptograph, (see page 235 ) 
Greyerat Mrrtinc.—September 2nd. Mr. W. B. Grove contributed Raphidia 
viridis from Sutton Park, and an embryo snail, showing pulsation of the heart, 
and ciliary action on the foot. Mr. H. E. Forrest exhibited a goldfish from the 
aquarium at the Aston Lower Grounds, having two tails, united together along 
their upper edges in the shape of an inverted V; Mr. Montagu Browne 
the femur and part of the tibia of the extinct Dinornis of New Zealand; Mr. J. 
Levick a supposed new species of Rotifer. Brotocrcan SECTION.— 
September 9th. Mr. W. Graham announced that the rare Entomostracan Lepto- 
dora hyalina, recently found by members of this society at Ulton, and not beiore 
recognised in England, had been again taken in enormous quantity in Edgbaston 
Pool, on occasion of the visit of the members, by dipping to a depth of about four 
feet from the surface. He also exhibited a new form of portable microscope, 
manufactured by Mr. Parkes, of this town, and possessing the essential points of 
a good instrument at a very moderate price; also, a compressorium of improved 
construction, ensuring actual parallelism of the two surfaces. Mr. Bolton con- 
tributed Ophrydium sessile, Leptodora hyalina, Hyalodayhnia Kahlbergensis, 
Aleyonella fungosa, Piwmatella repens, aud Spiregyra Miillerit, all from 
Edgbaston Pool. 
NOTTINGHAM NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY.—September 8rd. A special 
general meeting was held to consider several subjects of special interest to the 
society—September 17th. There was a discussion on the origin, extent, and 
chemical composition of the Magnesian Limestone. The debate was commenced 
by the Hon. Sec., who gave a description of the Permian rocks generally, 
particularly with regard to the character of the red sandstones and marls, of 
which a great variety were exhibited from the cutting of the Bennely and 
Bulwell Railway, together with about 100 specimens of fossil teeth from the 
caves of Cresswell Crags. Votes of thanks were awarded to the Hon. Sec. for 
his address, and to Mr. Bull for his assistance in procuring the rock specimens. 
OSWESTRY AND WELSHPOOL NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB AND 
ARCHAMOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—The fourth excursion took place on Thursday, 
September 4th. The day was fortunately fine. ‘The members and friends met 
at Whitchurch, and walked first to Pan Castle, a flat-topped mound of some size, 
and nearly square, with a moat round it. It was probably a fortified place of 
considerable strength ; the country on one side being low and marshy may have 
formerly been under water, or could possibly be submerged ; while on the other 
side, where the ground is higher, there is a deep ditch cut, at a little distance 
from the mound, probably used as a hiding place for the defending garrison. 
From Pan Castle the route lay by Iscoed Park and Wolvesacre Hall, (where 
there is a portion of an old moat,) and then along the Wiches Brook, which 
divides Flintshire from Cheshire, past one of the Salt Springs. It is a 
round pit, two or three yatds across, and close to the brook side, into 
which the overflow runs. The water of the spring is very salt indeed, 
and the edge is white in places with a thin incrustation of salt. 
It is not used now. The party then left the Wiches Valley, and proceeded 
along a Roman road to Malpas, said to have received its name in ancient times 
