THORNEWILI. : OBITUARY NOTICE OF P. B. MASON. I05 



Trent Natural History and Archgeological Society, of which he was 

 several times President, and to whose proceedings he made some 

 valuable contributions ; and this Society is still in a flourishing 

 condition. 



It is not generally known that Mr. Mason became the eventual 

 possessor of the notorious 'Shapira' manuscript, which for a time 

 deceived some of the most experienced authorities on such matters, 

 but was at length discovered to be a remarkably clever forgery. He 

 acquired several of the most notable entomological collections in 

 existence, including the Lepidoptera of Mr. Edwin Brown, Mr. 

 Douglas, and Mr. Wilkinson ; the Coleoptera of Mr. Rye and the 

 Rev. A. Matthews ; the Aculeate Hymenoptera of Mr. F. Smith ; 

 and the Hemiptera of Mr. Douglas and Mr. Scott. 



His natural history library, which has just been dispersed at 

 Stevens', was a very complete and valuable one. For several years 

 past his health had been manifestly failing, and in spite of the unre- 

 mitting attention of his devoted wife, he passed away on Nov. 5th of 

 last year, beloved and lamented by a large circle of friends, both 

 private and scientific. Mr. Mason left no family, and his various 

 collections have passed into the keeping of his widow. 



Report on the Miller's Dale Ramble. — Owing to the number of species to 

 be found in this dale and its close proximity to Manchester, it was again decided to 

 have a ramble to this district, July i6th, therefore, again found us here. The day 

 was favourable, and we were looking forward to a good bag. On arriving at 

 Miller's Dale station we were met by Mr. T. Hey, of Derby, who had brought up 

 his party representing the Midland Railway Natural History Society, Derby. A 

 move was then made towards the habitat of Cacilioides aciaila, for which the dale 

 is noted, and a number of dead and living examples were soon collected. The 

 other shells common in the dale were Helix hortensis, vars. lutea, coalita, etc. (still 

 confined to the clump of nettles near the railway arches) ; H. arbustorum, the 

 greater number of which were var. flavescens ; H. nemoralis (not common living, 

 but quantities of broken shells were noticed strewn about). Two specimens of 

 Helicigona lapicida were found, and numerous examples of the following were 

 taken : Pyramidula riipestris, P. rotundata ; Hygroniia hispida ; Vitiea nitidula, 

 V. alliaria, V. crystallina ; Eiiconulus fulvus •,Janiinia nucscoriu/i, J. cylindracea ; 

 Claiisilia bidentata ; Ena obsaira ; and Carycliiiim initiininm. In the river we 

 found numbers of Ltj/iiUEa pereger and Ancylus Jiuviatilis. Avion atei- was the 

 only slug noticed, this being very abundant, but no varieties were found. — 

 J. Wilfrid Jackson [Read before the Society, September 14, 1904). 



