223 



NORTHERN NEWS. 



We understand that Sir Hercules Read, Keeper of the Department 

 of the British, etc.. Antiquities at the British Museum, retires in July, 

 having completed 40 years' service. 



At a recent meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological 

 Society, Mr. Chas. P. Rimmer exhibited a long series of Cerastis vaccinii 

 to shew the variation of the species at Delamere Forest. Mr. W. Mans- 

 bridge shewed Selenia ietralunaria which had emerged in a warm room 

 during February. A further meeting was held at the Liverpool School 

 of Tropical Medicine, when the visitors were received by Professor Robert 

 Newstead, F.R.S., and the staff of the Entomological Department. 

 Professor Newstead gave a brief sketch of the work of the Enjomological 

 Department since the last visit of the Society. Investigations bearing 

 on questions of public health had been carried out on behalf of the Ministry 

 of Health and the Port Sanitary and the Public Health Departments 

 of the City of Liverpool. There were exhibited some living examples 

 of the larvae of the rot-hole breeding mosquitoes, Anopheles phimbeus 

 and Ochlerotaiiis geniculatits, from the district round Liverpool ; also 

 adults of Culex pipiens and Anopheles bifurcatus. 



The annual general meeting of the Darlington and Teesdale Naturalists' 

 Field Club was held in the Museum and JNIeeting Room, Mechanics' 

 Institute, Darlington, on April 26th. The President, Mr. E. O. D. 

 Gibson, in the chair. The Treasurer's report showed a balance in hand 

 of ;^io I2S. 6d. The Hon. Treasurer, Mr. R. H. Sargent, explained 

 that the fall in balance was due to some heavy payments having to be 

 made, and that the profits from the joint-popular lectures had not yet 

 been received. The Hon. Secretary, Mr. J. E. Nowers, in his report, 

 stated that there was an improvement in the attendance at the meetings. 

 The excursions had all been carried out, and the museum had received 

 many specimens, including a type collection of British birds' eggs. 

 .\ series of popular lectures had been held jointly with the Mechanics' 

 Institute. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : — 

 President, Mr. C. P. Nicholson ; Vice-Presidents, E. O. D. Gibson and 

 Walter Hodgson ; Hon. Treasurer, R. H. Sargent ; Hon. Secretary, 

 John E. Nowers (6 East Mount Crescent) ; Librarian, Jas. Broadhead ; 

 Curator, E. O. D. Gibson. The Section Leaders : — Archaeology, J. B. 

 Ord ; Botany, R. H. Sargent ; Zoology, W. Hodgson ; Geology, S. W. 

 Hughes, M.Sc. ; Photography, L. W. Williamson. 



The annual meeting of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society 

 was held recently under the chairmanship of the President, Mr. Sidney 

 D. Kitson. The report presented by Lt.-Col. E. Kitson Clark (Hon. 

 Secretary) stated that the membership was 204, as compared with 218 

 last year. The Christmas museum lectures given by the Curator had 

 been attended by 1183 persons, as against 929 the previous year, and the 

 number of visitors to the miiseum during the year was 30,914, a decrease 

 of 170 on that of last year. These numbers did not include visits made by 

 school children under the Schools' Museum Scheme, and over 15,000 

 pupils and 500 teachers had attended the lectures. The situation which 

 has arisen out of the negotiations for the transfer of the Society's property 

 is still receiving the close attention of the Council. In moving the adop- 

 tion of the report, Mr. J. E. Bedford said he hoped to see their collection 

 housed in a modern museum, and he believed the Society would do even 

 still greater work in better premises. Mr. R. A. Wilson (Hon. Treasurer) 

 reported that at the beginning of the year there was a balance due to the 

 treasurer of /^i245, and at the end of the year £906, but this was due 

 to the realisation of an investment, which brought in ^jjg. Actually, 

 there was a loss on the year of ;^440. Lt.-Col. Kitson Clark expressed the 

 view that their building would serve the purposes of the present museum, 

 given light. In the upper rooms there was plenty of space in which to 

 display the collection. The report and balance sheet were adopted, 

 and the cheers re-elected. 



