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NORTHERN NEWS, etc. 



The Thirty-eighth Annual Report of the Libraries and Museum at St. 

 Helens, contains particulars of a gift of two large pictures, which have 

 been renovated. It is pleasing to notice that the Museum is ' growing 

 in interest and value each year, and continues to attract a large number 

 of visitors,' especially as the amount provided for Museum purposes 

 appears to be ^36 os. 4d., apparently all of which has been expended. 



A resident in a well-known Yorkshire city promised his boy tbat 

 'someday ' he would take him to the local museum. After several re- 

 minders, he at last put off his harmless, but necessary, game of golf, and 

 spent two long hours in explaining the various exhibits to his young 

 hopeful. Being far more tired than if he had ' done ' an eighteen-hole 

 round twice, he sat down, and awaited the boy's verdict. After a painful 

 silence the boy looked up and said A ' Father, when does it begin ? ' 



In The Meaning of Life for December (8 pp.) ' E.K.R.' tells us that 

 ' undoubtedly ' there is a soul-line, ' a line above which creatures have 

 a spiritual consciousness or instinctive knowledge that they possess a 

 soul .... and I am not inclined to say that an intelligent domesticated 

 animal, after long companionship with good human beings, may not 

 acquire a glimmering of it. ' In the same publication we learn that ' khaki ' 

 is ' a little word of five letters.' We have counted them and find this to 

 be correct. 



Liverpool University has received a gift of ^10,000 for the endowment 

 of a chair of geology. In making the announcement at the Annual Meeting 

 of the court, Alderman Alsop said the gift was from Professor and Mrs. 

 Herdman, who desired the chair to be a memorial to their son, George 

 Andrew Herdman, who was killed in action on the Somme, and who was 

 an earnest student of nature and deeply interested in scientific investiga- 

 tion. Professor Herdman was one of their oldest professors, and Mrs. 

 Herdman, who belonged to a family known for its gifts and service, was 

 formerly a distinguished student of the old University College. 



We learn from the press that at Thirsk recently ' Enoch Kitching, 

 innkeeper, South Otterington, was summoned under the Wild Birds 

 Protection Order for shooting a bittern on November 9th. Defendent 

 pleaded guilty to shooting, but said he did not know it was a protected bird. 

 Supt. Walker, Northallerton, said defendant told him he thought the 

 bird was a seagull. Bitterns had frequently tried to settle in the district, 

 but had been ' unfortunate in meeting with men like Mr. Kitching.' The 

 Superintendent asked for the full penalty, which was only £1. The Bench 

 fined defendant £1, including costs.' Bearing upon this is the following 

 note in The Field for November 25th, 1916 :■ — ■' A fine Bittern was shot on 

 November 9th by Mr. Enoch Kitching, in the Otterington Willow Garth, 

 near Northallerton, and has been entrusted to us to mount ' (Edward 

 Allen & Co., York). 



We have just received the Annual Report of the Brighton and Hove 

 Natural History and Philosophical Society for 1916. It contains an 

 account by Mr. A. W. B. Anderson of his alleged discovery of fossil animal 

 bones, which Mr. Toms stated were only ordinary flints (see The Naturalist, 

 1915, page 376). Apparently the specimens were submitted to the 

 authorities at the British Museum, but they were not able to support 

 Mr. Anderson's theory ; notwithstanding this he still continues in his 

 belief that he is right ! In the same publication, Mrs. Maud Dickinson 

 writes on ' Vegetable Radium,' which was referred to in this journal for 

 July, 1916, page 214. There are reports on other papers dealing with 

 'Modern Explosives,' 'Inland Navigation,' 'Thoreau,' 'Evelyn,' etc. 

 Personally we should like to see a few more papers bearing upon the 

 district covered by the Society's Transactions. 



1917 Jan. 1. 



