131 



NORTHERN NEWS. 



The parasj-raphs in our issue of January as lo the indiscriminate slaughter 

 of birds for profit were intended to apply to the practice and not to any 

 particular indiviilual. We have heard from a trustworthy local authority 

 that Mr. Clarke, of Scarboroug-h, has been for the last twelve years a 

 valued and helpful member of the local F"ield Naturalists' Societ)', of whicli 

 he has occupied the presidential chair. 



Our attention has been called to an advertisement, emanating' from 

 Grasmere, in which ' larg-e cluuips' of Parsley Fern are offered at is. per 

 dozen, or 6s. per C7vf. If these are wild ferns, as is probably the case, it is 

 perhaps as well to point out how difficult it is to cultivate this species. We 

 were hoping- that the Lake District flora was well protected. We under- 

 stand the matter has been brought under the notice of the Lake District 

 Association, who are inquiring into it. 



The members of the Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists' Club have 

 undertaken a natural history survey of Hornsea Mere, and hope to publisii 

 the results of their work in a volume next vear. The Secretary of the Club 

 will be glad to have particulars of any finds made by members of the Lhiion 

 that are worthy of recording. 



Of the 412 additions to the British .Association's Geological Photog-raphs' 

 Committee's Collection during- 1902, 88 are from Yorkshire, 21 from 

 Cumberland, 16 from Westmorland, 6 from Durham, 3 from Derbyshire, 

 and I from Lancashire. The greater part oi these have been contributed 

 by Mr. Godfrey Bingley, of the Yorkshire Geological Photographs' Com- 

 mittee. 



Owing- to the recent heavy landslips at Scarborough, the naval battery 

 in the Castle Yard is considered dang'erous, necessitating- its removal. 



The Ripon Corporation is considering the advisability of adopting the 

 Museums Act, and taking over the museum and library belonging to the 

 Ripon Naturalists' Club and Scientific Association. 



We regret to record the death, on the 17th January, of Charles Donald 

 Hardcastle, who has been so intimatelv acquainted with Leeds naturalists 

 and geologists for many vears. He was Vice-president of the Leeds 

 Co-operali\e N^ituralists' Field Club, and was a member since its formation 

 fourteen \-ears ago. He also passed through the presidential chair of the 

 Leeds Geolog-ical Society. In a quiet way Mr. Hardcastle did much g-ood 

 work. He was born at Armley in 1824. 



A detailed description of the Heaton Park Borehole, near Manchester, 

 which reaches to a depth of 790 yards, is given by Mr. Joseph Dickenson 

 in the 'Transactions of the Manchester Geological Society,' Vol. 28, Part 3, 

 just issued. 



La Feuille Des Jeiines Naturalistes' for March (Paris) contains lengthy 

 summaries of two papers appearing- in our January issue, viz, that by 

 Dr. W. G. Smith on ■ Botanical Survey for Local Naturalists' Societies' and 

 Mr. Ct. Massee's on 'The Modern Method of Studying- Ag-arics.' 



With reference to the note by Mr. Edward Peacock on Ringing Bees, 

 which appeared in our March issue. Dr. C. F. George writes as follows :-^ 

 ' I read with much pleasure Mr. Peacock's interesting paper on this subjtJct, 

 but am sorry that he has chang-ed his opinion in consequence of the incident 

 he relates. I have bet?n a bee-keeper uninterruptedly for over forty years ; 

 it has been one of my hobbies during- the whole of that time. I have inter- 

 viewed some of the ringers alluded to by Mr. Peacock, and find that the 

 event took place about midday, and that before commencing ringing their 

 books, etc., were placed on the bee-stand, and near to the entrance of 

 a hive ! ! I leave it to bee-keepers and naturalists to draw their own 

 conclusions. Verbum sap.' 



\op'S April I. 



