158 Notes and Comments. 



Literary and Philosophical Society, and the members attended 

 them ail. As a contrast, we have the state of things to-day, 

 when, beyond the presidential address and one or two meetings 

 at most (and of course social gatherings), the members da 

 not get an opportunity of conversing with each other, but are 

 divided into twelve or more sections, each of which is of 

 such a specialised nature that it is almost hopeless, excepting 

 in rare instances, for anyone but a specialist in a particular 

 section to understand what is going on. The advancement 

 of science is such that its annual conference is almost trans- 

 formed into a veritable ' Tower of Babel,' where there is 

 much confusion of tongues. From recent discussions in 

 the scientific and general press it seems clear that, without 

 minimising the value of special work, the time has arrived 

 when more attention should be devoted to popularising- 

 science, and at the Hull meeting strong efforts should be made 

 to see that the artisans and students have every possible 

 facility for hearing and benefitting from the remarks of the 

 leaders of scientific thought who will then be assembled in 

 the city. The various committees which have the arrange- 

 ments in hand for the Hull meeting will have this aspect 

 of the meetings constantly before them. 



A YORKSHIRE ARCH^OLOGIST. 



Under the will of the late W. T. Lancaster, of Leeds, who 

 died in November last, the Yorkshire Archaeological Society 

 will eventually benefit considerably. The will was proved 

 for £23,447. The testator leaves an immediate legacy of ;^2oo, 

 his copy of ' Dugdale's Baronage,' and all his manuscripts 

 or personal literary productions — of which there were many — - 

 to the Yorkshire Archseological Society, in whose work he 

 took an especially keen interest. He published privately, 

 at his own expense, 'The Chartulary of Fountains Abbey,' 

 in two volumes, another of his productions being ' The Chartu- 

 lary of Bridlington Priory ' ; he wrote or edited works on 

 Kirkstall Abbey, Arthington, Adel, and Horsforth, as well 

 as ' Letters addressed to Thoresby,' and at the time of his 

 death there was in the press an article on Birstall and Oakwell, 

 and the Batt family. The sum of ;^200 is also bequeathed 

 to the Thoresby Society, and there are a few legacies to rela- 

 tives and personal friends. The life interest of the residue 

 is left to a relative, and when this falls in, the whole of this 

 amount— roughly about £20,000 — will go to the Yorkshire 

 Archaeological Society. 



: o : 



Mr. F. W. Frohawk, in Country Life of March 12th, ic)2i (p. 314). 

 states that a fine adult male Pine Marten was captured in Cumberland 

 on November 22nd, 1919. Its total length was 23 inches. — H. B. B. 



Naturalist 



1 



