32 



Northern News, 



From the 'Hull Daily Mail" :— ' Rara Insectus : A fly of the above 

 jCciuis was seen in the stackyard of a farmer in the neig-hbourhood of 

 Drewtoii Dale. It is the first time that it has been known to visit this part. 

 In appearance it is very much like the common or domestic housefly, onlv it 

 has eyes very much larj^^er and is continually humming-. Several of the farm 

 hands tried to effect a capture, as we are informed that a large price is 

 off"ered for the rarity. It evaded its would-be captors, and was last seen 

 making a bee line for Hull, humming the while. We suppose the extremely 

 mild weather is accountable for its presence with us.' [The specimen has 

 not arrived at the Hull Museum. — Ed.] 



At the annual meeting of the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union, held at 

 Lincoln on Nov. 23rd, the officials were re-elected. The President (the Rev. 

 E. A. Woodrufte Peacock) read a paper on ' The Stoat and its ways.' In 

 his opinion the 'record' was held by a stoat at Pennyhill, which ' killed 

 during one night 11 turkeys, 30 ducks, and 20 chickens.' We cannot beat 

 that record ! The present membership of the Lincolnshire Union is 106. 

 We are glad to notice that the Union has a ' balance in hand," and trust it 

 will now consider the advisability of printing annual transactions. We feel 

 .such a departure would result in an increased interest being taken in the 

 natural history of the county. 



We quote the following from the Eastern Morning Neias :—^ \X. the 

 Gainsborough Police Court, a baker was charged, under the Wild Birds' 

 Protection Act, with having in his possession a horned owl. The fact was 

 admitted, but defendant maintained that the bird was perfectly tame, and 

 was allowed to fly about the house. He had had it between two and three 

 months, and it was tame when he bought it. The Chairman pointed out, 

 and quoted a case to show, that it was no offence in law to keep one of these 

 birds in captivity, unless it could be shown that it had been recently taken. 

 It was a bad state of the law perhaps, but they had to take the law as it 

 stood, and the case must be dismissed.' 



A meeting of the leading Yorkshire antiquaries and representatives of 

 various Yorkshire Societies was held at the Leeds University- on December 

 i6th on the invitation of Principal Boddington, The object of the meeting 

 was to consider the advisability of forming a Committee to advance the 

 study of Roman antiquities in Yorkshire by the formation of a Bibliography 

 and the production of a map, and by the investigation of Roman roads 

 and of sites of buildings, and other remains within the county. It was 

 unanimously decided that such a Committee be formed, and the following 

 officers were elected and formed the Executive Committee : — President, 

 Principal Boddington ; Yice-Presidents, Rev. Julian (Sheffield) and Mr. 

 Dickons : Prof. Foster (Sheffield), T. Sheppard (Hull), and T. Boynton 

 (Bridlington), with Mr. .Sidney Kitson as Hon. Secretary. The first meeting 

 of the Society will be held at York in March. 



We cannot resist reproduc- 



mg the accompanying block 

 from a recent issue of Punch, 

 wliicli the proprietors of thai 

 journal have kindly en.ibled 

 us to do. The birds in the 

 fjackground are evidently not 

 wasting their time in discuss- 

 ing ' protection ' : — 



TOO MLCIl Ol" .V C.OOI) THING. 

 Mr. Bird. " I was witii 

 them when they started the 

 Society for the Protection of 

 Wild Binls, but now tiiey're 

 forming ont- for the protectit>n 

 of wild worms -it's a bit too 

 sympathetic." 



.*.-v^- 



Naturalist, 



