Northern News. 135 



The Council of" the University of Liverpool has decided ' That a reader- 

 ship in ethnography be instituted in recog'nition of the scholarship of 

 H. O. Forbes, LL. D., director of the Public Museums of Liverpool, and 

 that Dr. Forbes be appointed to the said readership.' 



We learn from a London daily of March 3rd, that ' a bird known to 

 naturalists as the Pacific rider [eider], and which is said to be only the 

 second ever captured in Europe,' has just reached Scarborouo;h. It was 

 shot a few days before in the Orkneys. We presume the specimen will not 

 leave Scarborough so readily as did the previous specimen ! 



As the subject of his Presidential Address to the Bradford Scientific 

 Association recently, Mr. H. E. Wroot dealt with the life, work, and 

 scientific friendships of Dr. Richard Richardson of Brierle}- Hall, a well 

 known botanist, and a contemporary of Abraham Sharp, the astronomer. 



' Notes on Some Speeton-clay Belemnites ' is the title of Hull Museum 

 Publication No. 29, just issued (A. Brown & Sons, Ltd., Hull, one penny). 

 It contains illustrations of some rare and curious Belemnites from the 

 Speeton and Kimeridge claj's, part of an extensive collection recently placed 

 in the Hull Museum by Mr. C. G. Danford of Reighton. 



A special effort is being made to secure a goodly list of new members for 

 election at the first field meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Lhiion for 

 1906, which will be held at Ingleton from May i2th-i4th. The Secretary 

 of the LInion (at the IMuseum, Hull) would be glad to hear of any person 

 wishing to join, or would supply particulars of the work of the Union, &c., 

 to anyone interested. 



\'arious teachers in the East Riding, interested in natural history, have 

 formed an ' East Riding Nature Study Association,' and have decided to 

 affiliate with the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. A list of excursions has 

 been arranged, and early in October there will be an exhibition and con- 

 ference at Pocklington. Mr. W. J. Algar, the Schoolhouse, Lockington, is 

 the Hon. Secretar}-. 



The County Press, of 19 Ball Street, Kensington, W. , is issuing a 

 novel series of educational post cards, the first example of which (natural 

 history department) is a picture presentment, on seven cards, for the 

 price of sixpence, of the whole of the British Ferns (42 species nature 

 prints) from the illustrative plates of Mr. Francis George Heath's work, 

 ' The Fern Paradise.' 



A conference to consider the promotion of extension work in connection 

 with the University of Leeds, was held at Leeds on Saturday, March 17th. 

 The \'ice-Chancellor (Dr. Bodington) presided. Sir John Gorst and others 

 addressed the meeting. A general committee was appointed to promote 

 the extension work of the University. The Yorkshire Naturalists' Union 

 was invited to send a delegate, and was represented by Dr. E. O. Croft, 

 Leeds. 



At the annual meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union held at 

 Bradford, the Fossil Flora Committee was enlarged in its scope, and will 

 in future be known as the Fossil Flora and Fauna of the Carboniferous 

 Rocks Committee. Added to it were several members interested in the 

 mollusca of the coal measures, and doubtless good will result from the 

 committee's labours. Messrs. Wheelton Hind, and Walcot Gibson, have 

 kindly agreed to assist the committee in its work. 



Several of our readers will be sorrv to hear that the ' Leeds Mercury 

 Supplement' has ceased to appear. In former 3'ears this paper was welcomed 

 b)- all northern naturalists and antiquaries on account of the excellent 

 articles, reports of meetings, &c., which there appeared. The editor, Mr. 

 W. S. Cameron, was ever ready to further natural science in any way in his 

 power. In recent times, however, the paper has changed considerably in its 

 scope, to the regret of man}' of its readers. The death of the ' Leeds 

 Mercury Supplement ' leaves a distinct gap in Yorkshire joiu'nalism. 



1906 April 1. 



