
NOTES AND COMMENT 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 
At a recent meeting of the Roydl Society of Edinburgh, 
Dr. A. E. Cameron read a paper on ~* The Insect Association 
of a local environmental complex in the district of Holmes 
Chapel, Cheshire.’ The districts with which the study is 
concerned were two fields, Glover’s Meadow and the alluvial 
pasture situated in the farm land of the Holmes Chapel Agri- 
cultural College. In these fields the soils were respectively 
a reddish clay loam and a dark coloured loam. The plant 
environment and its relation to the insects were fully con- 
sidered ; also the physical factors of the environment, such 
as water content, humidity, light, temperature, precipitation, 
wind, soil, exposure, slope and the like. The index of an 
insect’s habitat is where it breeds, and it is important to 
recognise endemic forms which are proper to an association 
and polydemic forms which are invaders. Detailed accounts 
were given of the various orders on insects found, such as 
Diptera, Coleoptera, Neuroptera, Apterygota, Hymenoptera, 
etc., and the facts were brought together in a series of tables, 
showing the months of occurrence of the different species, 
their habits, and the plants with which they were associated. 
Another point of interest was the relation of the soil-inhabiting 
insects to the food habits of ground-feeding birds. 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION MEETING AT NEWCASTLE. 
The preliminary programme for the 86th Annual Meeting 
of the British Association at Newcastle in September has been 
issued. On the evening of Tuesday, September 5th, Sir 
Arthur Evans, F.R.S., will deliver his Presidential address in 
the Town Hall, where Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell is also to speak 
on Friday evening on ‘ Evolution and the War.’ Sectional 
meetings will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 
and, if necessary, on the Saturday morning, the following 
being the chairmen of sections :—Mathematical and Physical 
Science, Dr. A. N. Whitehead, F.R.S.; Chemistry, Professor 
G. G. Henderson, D.Sc. ; Geology, Professor W. S. Boulton, 
Sc Zoology. Professor E. W. McBride, D:Sc., F-R:S.: 
Geography, Mr. D. G. Hogarth, M.A. ; Economic Science and 
Statistics, Professor A. W. Kirkaldy ; Engineering, Mr. G. G. 
Stoney, F.R.S.; Anthropology, Dr. R. R. Marett ; Physiology, 
Provessor oak. (Gushny,- MD. FURS. ;..Botany, Dr: <A. 7B 
Rendle, F.R.S.; Educatioual Science, the Rev. W. Temple, 
M.A. ; and Agriculture, Dr. E. J. Russell. 
MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. 
The Museums Association held its annual meeting in 
Ipswich, July troth-12th, under the presideney of Mr. E. 


1916 Aug. 1. 
Q 
