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NORTHERN NEWS. 
George Baker, who ‘ was half a century ago one of the keenest and 
best of our British Lepidopterists ’’ died recently in Germany. 
Mr. A. Harker, F.R.S., will represent the Cambridge University at the 
Twelfth International Geological Congress to be held in Canada in August. 
The Balance Sheet recently issued by the Manchester Geological and 
Mining Society shows that there is a ‘ balance in favour of the society’ of 
£1,837 Ios. 3d. 
At the forthcoming meeting of the British Association at Birmingham, 
Professor E. J. Garwood will preside at the Geological Section; Dr. 
H. F. Gadow, at the Zoological, and Miss Ethel Sargent, at the Botanical 
Section, 
At the recent Anniversary Meeting of the Geological Society, the 
following awards were made :—The W ollaston Medal to the Rev. O. 
Fisher : the Murchison Medal to Mr. G. Barrow; the Lyell Medal to Mr. 
S. S. Buckman and the Bigsby Medal to Sir Thomas Holland. 
We notice in a contribution to a ‘natural history ’ journal that ‘ Nat- 
uralists who write books arrange birds in many different ways; but, if 
the arrangement were left to me, I should put our British birds in an order 
which has, I think, never been used before, because I should place the 
great tit first.’ If! 
Over two thousand fragments of carved stone from St. Mary’s Abbey, 
York, and other sites in that ancient city, have been placed in the large 
room under the new lecture theatre at the Museum there. The collection 
is very creditable to all who have worked so hard in gathering the pieces 
of sculpture together. 
We much regret to learn of the death of Mr. E. Mitchell, of Leeds, 
which took place recently. For many years Mr. Mitchell regularly 
attended the meetings and excursions of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ 
Union, and took a great interest in its welfare. Geology was perhaps his 
favourite subject. He was 68 years of age. 
In a letter to the press a well-known Yorkshire ornithologist refers to 
‘the unnecessary multiplication of sub-species, each with a formidable 
Latin name, and with the name of the sfittey tacked on to it.’ Is this 
still another new name, or is it merely that the printer has omitted a 
letter which makes a ‘1’ of a difference ? 
There is nothing like modesty. We learn from an author’s advertise- 
ment of a forthcoming book on Entomology, which is ‘ finished at last,’ 
that ‘ This work is what every collector has wanted. . . . Index per- 
fection, . . . isright up to date, and . . . wiil prove the most valuable 
work ever issued. {[!] . . . I can thoroughly recommend it.’ 
A well-known Yorkshire Ornithologist recently visited a Yorkshire moor 
in order to see a pair of strange birds which were nesting. These had been 
described by the keeper in a wonderful way, and one of the features was a 
‘red wedge-shaped tail.’ Investigation proved the birds to be redshanks, 
and the ‘ red wedge-shaped tail’ was ‘ the legs of the bird sticking straight 
out.’ 
From the Fourth Report on the condition of the Bardney Abbey excava- 
tions, with accounts for the year 1912, it is apparent that the excellent 
work being carried on at this site shows no sign of abatement. Indeed we 
learn that ‘ a great quantity of beautiful carv ed stone has been unearthed ; 
the best of it has been put into the museum with the result that the floor 
has given way.’ 
Naturalist, 
