368 



NORTHERN NEWS, etc. 



The death is announced of Prof. C. E. Bertrand, the pakeobotanist. 



The Journal of the Board of Agriculture for September contains an 

 illustrated article on ' Blackleg ' or Black Stem-Rot in potatoes. 



In the Annals of the South African Museum, Vol. XVII., pt. i, the 

 Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, F.R.S., contributes part 9 of his monograph on 

 ' South African Crustacea.' 



In Nature for October 25th Mr. E. E. Lowe, of the Leicester Museum, 

 gives the results of some of his researches in connexion with the ' Isle of 

 Wight Disease ' in the Honey Bee. 



Punch tells us that to catch a butterfly, the best way is to crash a 

 chopper down on its third vertebra. Of course this is a joke, as Punch 

 knows butterflies have no vertebrae. 



The Entomologist's Record for October contains a paper on ' New and 

 Rare British Cecidomyidae, ' by R. S. Bagnall and J. W. H. Harrison, 

 which includes a number of northern records. 



In Vol. IX., part 3 of the Annotationes Zoologicce Japonenses, Madoka 

 Sasaki has a note ' On the male of Amphitretus pelagicus Hoyle,' and 

 also ' Diagnoses of Four New Species of Polypus.' 



We have received a ' Report of a Speech by the Right Hon. R. E. 

 Prothero, M.P., addressed to Agriculturists at the Mechanics' Institute, 

 Darlington, Friday, 5th October, 19 17 (12 pages), published by Darling 

 and Son, Ltd., Bacon Street, E.2. 



In the presidential address to the Manchester Literary and Philo- 

 sophical vSociety recently, Mr. W. Thompson gave a sketch of the Society's 

 work since its inauguration in 1781, as a continuation of the Warrington 

 Academy, which was founded in 1757. 



The Royal College of Surgeons has issued an interesting Descriptive 

 Catalogue of the Surgical Instruments (Hunterian Relics). (16 pages), 

 prepared by Alban H. G. Doran. It includes illustrations of various 

 instruments and other relics once the property of John Hunter, each of 

 which is carefully described. 



Our old friend and contributor Mr. J. G. Baker, F.R.S., favours us 

 with a reprint of his paper on ' the Botany of Burnham Beeches,' from 

 The Journal of Botany ; and Mr. D. A. Jones sends reprints of his papers 

 on ' New Varieties of British Mosses, Muscineae of Achill Island, and the 

 Mosses and Hepatics of the South-west of Anglesey. 



Among the contents of Wild Life for September, are papers on 

 ' The Marsh Harrier, ' by A Burdet ; ' The Story of a Long-Eared Owl, ' 

 by Edwin L. Wood ; ' Abnormal Colour in Mammals, ' by Dr. F. D. 

 Welch ; ' Botanical Notes from Watlington, Oxon,' by G. Abbey; most of 

 which are illustrated in the familiar way. There is an illustration of a 

 Bearded Tit at its nest, apparently a Norfolk example. 



The death is announced of Prof. Edward Hull, F.R.S., in his eighty- 

 ninth year. Prof. Hull was late Director of the Geological Survey of 

 Ireland. He wrote a number of books and papers on the Coalfields of 

 Britain and wrote or contributed to a large number of Geological Survey 

 Memoirs, and maps, many of which referred to the north of England. 

 In the recently published ' Bibliography of Yorkshire Geology,' he is 

 responsible for about thirty items. 



We much regret to record the death of George Charles Crick, of the 

 Geological Department of the British Museum, which occurred on October 

 1 8th. He was born in 1856. He made a special study of fossil Cephalo- 

 poda, and was one of the best authorities on that subject. Though he 

 has been in failing health for some time, he was at work at the Museum 

 until the day before his death. He contributed to many scientific 

 Societies' Proceedings and Journals, including The Naturalist.. 



Naturalist, 



