•v 



JUN2 4^0 



NOTES AND COMMENT s^^SaaUSSSJ 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION'S REPORT. 



The Report of the Newcastle meeting of the British 

 Association was issued in July, and, notwithstanding the 

 present conditions, it contains over 800 pages, most of which 

 are printed in the interests of the advancement of science. 

 In The Naturalist for October last, reference was made to the 

 presidential addresses, etc. : these appear in the present report 

 in extenso. In addition to the reports of the papers read at 

 the sections, there are valuable Reports on the state of science, 

 the Report of the Conference of Delegates, etc. 



SHELLS AND EARLY CULTURE. 



Mr. J. W. Jackson of the Manchester Museum has produced 

 a book on ' Shells as evidence of the Migrations of Early 

 Culture,'* and in case recent events may confuse the nature 

 of the ' shells," which seem to be associated with Culture in 

 these days, let us hasten to add that Mr. Jackson refers to 

 Mollusca. The nature of the work is well shown in Professor 

 G. Elliot Smith's Preface, where it is stated that ' Mr. Jackson 

 undertook the task of collecting the ethnographical evidence 

 relating to the cultural use of shells and of determining the 

 specific identity of the latter. The first fruits of the preliminary 

 survey rivalled the products of ' Father O'Flynn's ' intellectual 

 achievements : — 



' Down from mythology into thayology, 

 Troth ! and conchology, if he'd the call." 



A SCIENTIFIC STUDY. 



' Mr. Jackson submitted a series of six reports upon his work 

 to the Manchster Literary and Philosophical Society and these 

 wire published in its Proceedings.' These are reprinted, with 

 certain additions, in the present volume, and we certainly 

 congratulate the author on the way in which he has handled 

 his subject. The story as told is very fascinating, and his 

 theme shows that much valuable scientific research can be 

 accomplished by a trained worker, and that there is much in 

 the study of mollusca besides the compilation of lists. The 

 book is illustrated and there are distribution maps. 



YORKSHIRE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



The Annual Report of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, 

 York, for 1916, is principally occupied by the eleventh instal- 

 ment of a ' Catalogue of the British Plants in the Society's 

 Herbarium,' by H. J. Wilkinson, the last number being 1574. 

 Details of localities, collectors, etc., are given. There is also 



* Manchester University Press. 216 pp. 7/6 net. 

 1917 Oct.]. 



