J. R. Mortimer: The Evolution of the Millstone. 99 
in the barrows I have examiiéd. Nevertheless,+both may 
have been comparatively abundant at that early time, in spite 
of there being little trace of them remaining now. 
The early use of these cereals is highly probable, as it is most 
likely that wild barley and wild oats are indegenous to this 
island, and may have been cultivated and used for human food 
long before the introduction of w heat ; thus necessitating the 
use of millstones to make them more agreeable to the tastes 
of our ancestors, of whom we know so little, and are striving 
to know more. 
MUSEUM NEWS. 
The Seunthorpe Town Council, at its recent meeting, decided to take 
the necessary steps to adopt the Museums and Gymnasiums Act so far as 
it relates to Museums. 
The Report of the Warrington Museum for roto includes a record of 
2436 specimens of zoological, ethnological, botanical, and archelolgical 
specimens. Amongst them is Mr. L. “Greening's collection of prepared 
skins of British birds. The wild flower table has also been kept up. 
The Hastings Corporation Museum report for 1909 records many addi- 
tions, including a fine collection of Wealden and Purbeck fossils presented 
by Mr. E. J. Bailey. Mr. W. Ruskin Butterfield, the Curator, has also 
issued ‘ Notes on Sussex Pottery’ (12 pp., 2d.), with a catalogue of the 
specimens exhibited at the museum during the summer. 
The Report of the Manchester Museum for 1909-10 (40 pp., 6d.), refers 
to some changes in tne staff. Mr. Hardy has re-arranged tie collection of 
British Coleoptera (11,200 specimens and 2374 species). Valuable additions 
to the list of exotic mollusca are recorded. The Herbarium has also had 
many additions. The same museum has likewise issued, as publication 67, 
a Catalogue of Hepatic (Anacrogyne) in the Manchester Museum (31 
pp., 6d.), by Mr. W. EI. Pearson. 
The Report of the Council of the Natural History Society of Northum- 
berland, Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne is largely devoted to the 
progress at the Neweastle museum. This has been possible by the 
additional income of about £200 per annum bequeathed by the late G. E. 
Crawhall. A cabinet has been obtained for the collection of coleoptera, 
which, as in some other museums, has received special attention recently. 
A local specimen of the beluga or white whale, has been added, and a 
specimen of the Wiite-beaked Dolphin has also been secured. 
The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery report includes a pleasing item 
of information. Lady Smyth has given £1500 in order that a companion 
room may be made to that for which she previously gave £2000. This has 
enabled the natural history department to be considerably inproved. 
In this museum a cabinet of British coleoptera has been commenced, and 
ten drawers have been completed. Much attention is being devoted to 
economic biology. In the antiquities’ section, several additions to the 
collection of local historical specimens are recorded. 
The Third Annual Report of the National Museum of Wales shews that 
‘progress is being made w ith what will, some day, be a truly palatial build- 
ing. Plans have now been accepted, and a lengthy report on the plans 
1s ‘given by tne architects. There are also reports of the Directors’ visits 
to the Museums Association, and tne International Zoological Congress 
at Graz, Austria. There are also particulars of some additions to the 
collection, two of whic are of exceptional importance, 
maT rors 
1gtt Feb. 1. 
