TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 541 
8. New British River-worms. By Professor E. Ray Lanxester, F.R.S. 
9. The King Crab and the Scorpion. 
By Professor HK. Ray Layxester, F.R.S. 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. 
The following Papers and Report were read :— 
1. An Attempt to Classify Rotifers. By C. T. Hupsoy. 
2. The Fauna and Flora of the Ashton-under-Lyne District. 
By J. R. Byrom. 
Immediately after the foundation of the Ashton-under-Lyne Biological Society, 
in October 1880, the members felt the need of a reliable record of the Fauna and 
Flora of the neighbourhood. It was therefore resolved that the first and foremost 
work should be to prepare a list of the Fauna and Flora of the district comprised 
within a radius of ten miles from the meeting room (Mechanics’ Institution), and 
the following gentlemen have acted as chairmen of the various sections into which 
the work was divided, viz. :— 
FAUNA. 
Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia . ; er ote : . Mr. William Beaumont. 
Pisces : : : < : : - - Mr. William Parkinson. 
Protozoa . : : : . - . ; . Mr. Thomas Whitelegge. 
FLORA. 
Phanerogams . : : ° 3 é : . Myr. John Whitehead. 
Cryptogams— 
Filices, Musci, Hepatic : : : : rs 5 
Characeze, Algee, and Myxomycetes . ‘ . Mz. Thomas Whitelegge. 
These gentlemen have been very kindly assisted by the naturalists of the neigh- 
bourhood, and also by other members of the Society, especially our indefatigable 
secretary, Mr. J. S. Rowse. The result, so far, is the very comprehensive catalogue 
which IT now have the honour to present for your consideration. 
The district embraces portions of four counties : Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, 
and Derbyshire. A 
It is traversed by portions of several considerable streams, viz.: the Roch, 
Irk, Medlock, Irwell, from the Lancashire side; the Tame on the eastern side ; 
the Goyt and Etherow on the south; the last three of which uniting form the 
Mersey. 
The scenery is highly diversified, being generally flat or undulating on the west 
and south-west, whilst the east and north-east is occupied by the high moorlands 
of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire; the greatest altitude attained being 
1,980 feet, at Kinder Scout in Derbyshire. oie 
The geological structure is also varied, the principal area being covered by 
various members of the Carboniferous series, including the upper and lower coal 
measures, which occupy the centre and north-west portion; the Millstone Grits 
which appear on the east, forming the high lands, whilst the Yoredale shales are 
found occupying some of the valleys in the same district. Then in the west and 
south-west we have several strips of Permian rocks, and a large area of New Red 
Sandstone. There are also immense deposits of drift in various localities, and one 
or two bog-mosses of considerable extent. 
