292 Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 



From the Birmingham Natural History and Philosophical Society we 



have received its Proceedings (Vol. XII., No. 5, pp. 1-23), entirely occupied 

 by a paper on the Algae of Stanklin Pool, Worcestershire, by B. M. Griffiths. 

 It is illustrated by diagrams. The same Society's Annual Report for 1911 

 contains details of the work done by the different sections, and there are 

 particulars of recent exposures in the drift on the Great Western Railway, 

 with illustrations. 



Vol. LVL, part 11 of the Memoirs and Proceedings of the Manchester 

 Literary and Philosophical Society contain, among others, a paper on the 

 ' Presence of Maxillulae in the Larvae of Dytiscidae,' by J. Mangan ; ' On 

 the Interpretation of the Vascular Anatomy of the Ophioglossaceae, ' by 

 W. H. Lang ; and ' The Smelt in Rostherne Mere,' by T. A. Coward. Ap- 

 parently this mere is the only locality in England where the smelt can be 

 obtained inland, and the species seems there to have become accustomed 

 to the fresh-water conditions. 



Vol. II., No. 4 of the Journal of the East Africa and Uganda Natural 

 History Society (pp. 79-139, 5s. 4d.), has been published by Messrs. Long- 

 mans, Green & Co. There are papers on Fish Culture in British East 

 Africa ; the Biting Flies of the same district ; Collecting and Drying 

 Plants ; Fish in Lake Magadi ; the Water Elephant ; a human skull 

 from British East Africa ; the Importance of Africa in Vertebrate Palaeon- 

 tology, and Bats. There are a number of shorter notes, and amoug the 

 few illustrations is a reproduction of a photograph of the skin of a Saddle- 

 backed Zebra. 



The Transactions of the North Staffordshire Field Club, Vol. XLVI. for 

 191 1-2, edited by the Hon. Secretary, Mr. \\'. Wells Bladen, form a sub- 

 stantial volume of over 160 pages. Besides containing reports on the 

 birds, entomology, botany, geology, meteorology, archaeology, etc., of 

 North Staffordshire, there are a number of well-illustrated papers, prin- 

 cipally of an antiquarian character. Among those likely to interest our 

 readers are ' The Roman Camp at Chesterton,' by S. A. H. Burne ; ' An 

 Astronomical Study of some ancient Monuments,' by A. M. McAldowie, 

 and the reports of the excursions. 



Under the editorship of Mr. C. E. Bowles, the Derbyshire Archaeological 

 and Natural History Society has recently issued volume XXXIV. of its 

 Journal, which contains over 250 pages, and numerous illustrations. Most 

 of the papers have an antiquarian interest, but among those likely to 

 interest our readers are 'Cinerary Urn found near Eyam,' by R. M. S. 

 O'Ferrall ; ' Ravencliff Cave,' by R. A. Smith ; ' Fin Cop Prehistoric 

 Fort,' by E. Tristram ; ' Milandra Castle Excavations,' by H. Lawrence, 

 an excellent ' Zoological Record for Derbyshire, 1911,' by F. C. R. Jour- 

 dain, and ' Lepidoptera,' by H. C. Hayward. 



The Forty-lirst Annual Report of the Chester Society of Natural' 

 Science, etc (48 pp., 1912)), contains details of the additions to the Society's 

 Library and Museum, and also the sectional Secretaries' reports. The 

 last include reports of lectures, a few ornithological records, and a descrip- 

 tion of a new diatom from Bournemouth, viz., Coscinodiscus heliozoides, 

 Siddall. We learn that Mr. Siddall has read a paper on the subject before 

 the Royal Microscopical Society, so that if the Chester Society's report 

 has appeared lirst, the species will not be " n. sp." when the paper in the 

 Royal Microscopical Society's Journal is published. 



The Annual Report for 191 1 of the Scarborough Philosophical and 

 Archaeological Society has been published, and includes the report of the 

 Scarborough Field Naturalists' Society. Both appear to have had a good 

 year. The Recorders' reports published by the latter society contain 

 many valuable natural history records, particularly under the heads of 

 Marine Invertebrate Zoology, and Coleoptera. The records are contributed 

 by Messrs. W. J. Clarke, A. S. Tetley, E. A. Wallis, E. C. Horrell, E. B. 

 Lotherington, J. Irving, J. A. Hargreaves, E. R. Cross, A. E. Peck, and H. C. 

 Drake. The Societies' Balance Sheets are satisfactory, and intelligible. 



Naturalist, 



