120 Notes and Comments. 
are well illustrated, and reflect every credit upon our Liverpool 
friends. 
THE GRASSINGTON MINES. 
We learn from The Yorkshire Observer that it is stated 
the historic lead mines at Grassington are to be re-opened. 
Almost at any time during the past fifteen years a rumour 
to this effect has been current, but in the present instance 
something like solidity is given it by the additional particulars 
that the mines have been let to a wealthy company, who will 
forthwith begin to work them on modern lines. Probably 
never since the mines were closed nearly half-a-century ago 
has the moment been more opportune for their re-opening, 
for with lead at £30 per ton they should prove a paying con- 
cern. It was the discovery of surface lead ore in Spain which 
chiefly brought about the closing of the dale mines and also 
led to the scattering of the population which inhabited the 
dale villages. The mines, of course, are not confined to Grass- 
ington. They stretch along the hills to Pateley Bridge, as the 
disused shafts and mills still to be seen on the moorland prove. 
There are also abandoned and disused mines in Arkengarthdale 
and Teesdale. Should the story of their re-opening prove 
correct, there will be one or two little problems to face both 
for the company and the local authority, for with the develop- 
ment of Grassington as a holiday resort the question of housing 
accommodation will have to be dealt with. 
PUNCTATION OF THE BRACHIOPODA. 
At a recent meeting of the Manchester Literary and Philo- 
sophical Society, Mr. F. G. Percival read a paper on ‘ The 
Punctation of the Brachiopoda.’ The shells of the Tere- 
bratulacee are perforated by thousands of little pores, through 
which pass tube-like processes of the mantle. The number 
of these punctz per sq. mm. varies in different species, and 
this variation has been used as a means of distinguishing 
between different species. Unfortunately, an examination 
of large numbers of individuals belonging to one species shows 
that the variation within a single species is so great as to 
render the character useless as a means of distinction, e.g., 
166 individuals of Terebratula biplicata Brocchi, were examined 
and found to range from 39 to 129 per sq. mm. Similarly, 
367 specimens of 7. punctata Sow., showed a total range from 
66 to 240 persq. mm. All the readings were taken at approxi- 
mately the same distance from the umbo, because the number 
per sq. mm. increases with the distance from the umbo. These 
two species alone cover the greater part of the total variation 
possible from the group, and the variation in number is there- 
fore almost useless as a means of specific distinction. 
Naturalist, 

