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PROCEEDINGS OF PROVINCIAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



Mr. William Hill's Pi-esidential Address to the Geologists' Association, 

 entitled ' Rocks containing Radiolaria,' is printed in the Association's 

 Proceedings, recently issued. 



The Proceedings of the Liverpool Naturalists' Field Club for the year 

 lyii is principally occupied by a report of the Field Excursions (mainly 

 botanical), and a useful ' Contribution towards a Fungus Flora of the 

 Hundred of Wirral,' by John ^^'. Ellis. 



The Birmingham and Midland Institute has recently issued its 

 valuable ' Records of Meteorological Observations, taken at the Observa- 

 tory, Edgbaston, 191 1,' by the Curator, Mr. Alfred Crcsswell, The report 

 is supplemented by the usual tables and diagrams. It is sold at 2/- 



The Warwickshire Naturalists' and Archaeologists' Field Club has 



recently issued its 54th and 33th annual reports. They contain summaries 

 of the two years' work (1909-10) , a note on the Basement Bed of the Keuper, 

 by F. T. Maidwell, and a History of Geological Discovery in Warwickshire, 

 by the same author. The society's balance in hand yearly becomes greater. 



The Fifteenth Report of the Southport Society of Natural Science for 

 1910-11 is rather disappomting. There are articles on Halley's Comet, 

 Galileo, Photographic Optics, Aquatic Hemiptera, and Chemical Synthesis, 

 all of which subjects, excellently treated, can be found in the leading 

 reference books. There is not a single note bearing upon the natural 

 history, archaeology or geology of the Southport district. In addition, 

 the paper is very poor, and the typography is anything but pleasing. 

 Apparently the Society has too much money, and does not know how to 

 spend it. 



The Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire 

 Natural History and Antiquarian Society, N.S., Vol. XXIII. for 1910-11, 

 again lills a substantial volume, there being over 350 pages, which for the 

 most part are confined to the sphere of the Society's work. There is an 

 interesting and well-illustrated paper on Communion Tokens, and many 

 other notes of local antiquarian interest. Mr. S. Arnott has a paper on 

 ' Local Plant Names ' ; Mr. H. S. Gladstone writes on ' Cummin's Ash,' 

 an ancient ash tree ; ^Ir. Rutherford writes on ' Weather and Natural 

 Hi.story ' ; Dr. J. 'SI. Ross on ' Weather in relation to Health ' ; and Mr. 

 A. Watt gives Rainfall Records ; Mr. W. J. Payne writes on bird life in 

 the south of Scotland, and Mr. J. M' Andrew describes Hepatics and Mosses 

 of the same district. There are many illustrations, and a good index. 



The Journal of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History 

 Society (Vol. XXXIII., 191 1, 254, xxviii pp.), is well illustrated, and the 

 jiapers are all of local interest. Amongst those coming within the scope 

 of this journal may be mentioned ' The Promontory Forts of Derbyshire,' 

 by E. Trustram ; ' The " Harbour " and Barrows at Arbour-Lpws, ' by 

 S. O. Addy ; ' Bradwell Lead Mining Customs,' by S. Evans ; ' The Lows 

 in the High Peak,' by T. A. iMatthews ; ' Roman Roads ' ; and ' Roman 

 Camp near Coneygrey House,' by W. Smithard ; ' Derbyshire Cave-Men 

 of the Roman Period,' by W. S. Fox ; ' Chapel-en-le-Frith Churchwardens 

 Accounts,' by H. Kirke (with entries of amounts paid for hedgehogs, 

 ravens, badgers, foxes (11/- being paid ' for killing a fox ' in 1804) ; for 

 ' wiping Iwhippingl doggs,' etc.) ; Edward M. Wrench, M.V.O., F.R.C.S., 

 writes nonsense on ' Glacial Stones ' ; the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain gives a 

 iLseful Zoological Record for igio ; and T. Gibbs gives ' Mycological Notes ' 

 on the .seasons 1909-10, in which he records 220 new county records, and 

 15 species and one \ariety recorded are either new to science or to Britain, 



Naturalist, 



