82 Reports and Proceedings : 
Mr. Charles Moore, F.G.S., who was also present, conducted the 
Members to the old worked-out Roman mines at Charter House, 
where he gave an account of a discovery, made by himself some 
time ago, of a series of Liassic fossils found in a lead-vein more than 
one hundred feet below the surface. The vein running through the 
Carboniferous Limestone, he infers, from the presence of these fossils, 
that the contents of the fissure were a comparatively recent deposit 
from a Liassic sea which once covered the Mendips. ‘This most 
pleasant excursion was brought to a close by an inspection of the 
Cheddar Cave, and by a vote of thanks being returned to Messrs. 
Dawkins and Moore, especially to the former, who had contributed 
so much to the scientific interest of the day’s excursion.—H. H. W. 
Oswestry AND WeELSHPOOL NATURALISTS’ Fie_p-cLus.—This 
Society, which has just completed the seventh year of its existence, 
held a highly successful Conversazione in the Public Hall, Oswestry, 
on Friday evening, December 30th, 1864. The Society, in addition 
to objects of Natural History and other Sciences, derived from the 
collections of its own Members, solicited contributions of a like kind 
from the general public; and so hearty was the response, that the 
choicest and most extensive collection of interesting objects ever 
exhibited in the West-Midland Counties was arranged in the Hall, 
tastefully decorated for the occasion. Beside the collections of 
paintings, photographs, antiquities, coins, seals, stereoscopes, micro-: 
scopes, &¢., there was an interesting assemblage of objects illustra- 
tive of the Natural History of the neighbourhood. Its Geology was 
represented by the choice specimens of five cabinets, containing 
some good Fossils from the ‘Bala’ Rocks of North Wales, and the 
‘Upper Silurian’ of South Shropshire ; together with a series of 
Fossils from the hitherto almost barren ‘ Wenlock Shale’ of North 
Wales, including two groups of the beautiful Encrinite Actinocrinus 
pulcher (Salter ), exhibited by Mr. D.C. Davies, of Oswestry, who also 
showed a series of Fossils, from the. Sandstone beds of the ‘ Mill- 
stone-grit :’ and it may be observed, in passing, that the discovery 
of fossils in this formation, hitherto considered to be devoid of 
remains of former life, is one of the good results achieved by local 
geologists, who are now mostly members of this Society. The Pond- 
life of the locality was well displayed in three large and several 
smaller Aquariums. The numerous living Ferns of the Welsh Border 
were seen in cases belonging to Mr. J. S. Davies, of Oswestry. Some 
dried plants were also exhibited. The Insect-life of the locality was 
shown by a well-arranged collection, belonging to Master G. C. Davies, 
and placed amidst several good general collections. Ornithology 
was well illustrated by Birds and Eggs. There was a very com- 
plete series of the Land and Freshwater Shells exhibited by Mr. 
Whitwell, of Oswestry. An exceedingly fine stone weapon, dug 
out of a Saxon battle-field near the town, was lent by Mrs. Aubrey; 
and it was interesting to trace the resemblance of this British or 
Saxon weapon with others upon the tables, recently brought from 
the Society Islands and from Australia. The attendance was good, 
