SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



and Co., the conditions of brine-pumping at North- 

 wich and Winsford thus geologically and com- 

 mercially being entirely different. 



Natural History Society of Glasgow. — The 

 eighth and concluding meeting of the forty-fourth 

 winter session was held in the society's rooms, 207, 

 Bath Street, on April 30th last. — Mr. Robert 

 Kidston, F.R.S.E., F.G.S., vice-president, in the 

 chair. Professor M'Kendrick, M.D., F.R.S., was 

 elected an honorary member, and Mr. J. T. 

 Marshall, Torquay, and Dr. R. Broom, Taralga, 

 New South Wales, corresponding members. Fifteen 

 gentlemen were admitted as ordinary members, 

 and six others as associates. The hon. librarian 

 laid on the table a newl}--prepared catalogue of the 

 society's library ; and a hearty vote of thanks was 

 moved to Mr. Duncan Mackinnon, of London and 

 Calcutta, for his kindness in defraying the entire 

 cost of printing 500 copies of this catalogue for 

 free distribution to members. Gifts to the library 

 of scientific works were intimated, and donations 

 from Rev. J. E. Somerville, B.D., Mentone, and 

 two others, with which to inaugurate an illustration 

 fund in connection with the " Transactions." Pro- 

 fessor Thomas King, the president, exhibited 

 specimens in spirit of the gulf-weed, Sargassum 

 bacciferum, Agardh, from the North Atlantic. It 

 belongs to the Fucacea^, its globular air-bladders 

 having led to the specific misnomer bacciferum, and 

 it forms the home of countless marine animals of 

 remarkable habits. Colonel J. S. Stirling, of 

 Gargunnock, exhibited, on behalf of the chair- 

 man and himself, specimens, from Stirlingshire, of 

 the newly-determined pond-weed Potamogeton ben- 

 nettii. Fryer, considered to be a hybrid between 

 P. crispus and P. obtusifolius, and he offered some 

 remarks on this difficult genus. Mr. A. Somerville, 

 B.Sc, F.L.S., submitted specimens of the scarce 

 burr-weed, Sparganium affine, Schnizl, obtained by 

 him near Lagg, in the Island of Arran, and not 

 previously recorded as occurring in the county of 

 Bute. Mr. James Campbell, CM., read a paper 

 on " The habits of w r asps," as observed by himself 

 while painting in the open air. Wasps living near 

 roads or dwellings act differently from those 

 in fields or woods, becoming familiar, and, if 

 encouraged, coming dail)- to share your lunch. 

 They will sit on the easel or arm, and, after con- 

 fidence is established, will not resent being stroked 

 with the finger. A popular paper, entitled "The 

 Gulls and their Neighbours," by Dr. David 

 Robertson, F.L.S., F.G.S., was read. The reading 

 of this paper also was followed by an interesting 

 discussion. Two papers — viz., " On the Anatomy 

 of a Four-winged Chick," by Dr. R. Broom, B.Sc, 

 and "A Note on Mergulus alle, L.," by Mr. W. 

 Craibe Angus, were held as read. Intimation was 

 made of the excursions of the society to take 

 place during May, and that Rev. G. A. Frank 

 Knight, M.A., had accepted office on appointment 

 as summer secretary. 



Royal Meteorological Society. —At the 

 meeting held on May 15th, Mr. R. Inwards, 

 F.R.A.S.. President, in the chair. Mr. G. J. 

 Symons. F.R.S., and Mr. G. Chatterton, M. Inst. 

 C.E., read a paper on " The November Floods of 

 1894, in the Thames Valley," which they had 

 prepared at the request of the Council of the 

 Royal Meteorological Society. Mr. F. J. Brodie 

 also read a short paper " On the barometrical 

 changes preceding and accompanying the heavy 

 rainfall of November, 1894." 



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CORRESPONDENCE. 



J. Burns (Swansea). — The contents of tube were dead and 

 putrid, impossible to identify. 



Deal. — The plant is Common Alexanders (Smyrnium 

 olusatrum), 



EXCHANGES. 



Notice. — Exchanges extending to thirty words (including 

 name and address) admitted free, but additional words must 

 be prepaid at the rate of threepence for every seven words 

 or less. 



Living Helix pomatia. — I will present a couple or more 

 of living specimens of H. pomatia to anyone who wishes to 

 study their habits, so long as I have specimens remaning. 

 Send small tin canister and return postage on addressed 

 label. Any specimens of cleaned and named British land or 

 freshwater shells, with localities and dates, gratefully 

 received for distribution among beginners. — John T. Car- 

 rington, 1, Northumberland Avenue, London, W.C. 



Wanted, No. i "Naturalists' Journal"; cash or foreign 

 stamps offered. — Chas. Mosley, printer, Huddersfield. 



Butterflies. — Australian butterflies offered in exchange 

 for others. — Mrs. G. J. Waterhouse, Ellerslie, Waverley, 

 Sydney, N.S.W. 



Wanted, eggs of cuckoo with those of foster parents ; 

 good exchange in other eggs. — W. Wells Bladen, Stone, 

 Staffordshire. 



Wanted, to exchange foreign marine shells (mostly South 

 Australian) for foreign marine shells not in my collection. — 

 Lewis Shackleford, Ripley, Derbyshire. 



Peripatus Trinidatis, of Sedgwick ; recently collected 

 specimens. What offers ? — H. G. Hart, Botanic Gardens, 

 Trinidad, W.I. 



Offered, New Zealand ferns, carefully dried and cor- 

 rectly named. Wanted, foreign shells, marine, land, or 

 freshwater. — L. Shackleford, Ripley, near Derby. 



Larv.e of carpini in exchange for others, also imagos of 

 belgiaria (grey scalloped var.), unset. — A. Binns, Dean 

 Lane, Sowerby, Sowerby Bridge. 



Offered, Science-Gossip, parts for 1881, 1888-9, 1890-4. 

 Wanted, British Lepidoptera, any stage, or offers. — A. H. 

 Shepherd, 81, Corinne Road, Tufnel Park, London. 



Offered, birds' eggs, British and foreign shells, dragon- 

 flies, lepidoptera, reptiles, zoophytes, skins of ermine and 

 squirrel, etc. Wanted, books on entomology, ornithology, 

 botany, etc, — W. Harcourt Bath, Ladywood, Birmingham. 



Wanted, good field-glass or telescope, also few good 

 specimens of fossil oak from Derbyshire; will give Alston 

 Moore minerals in exchange. — William Hetherington, 

 Nenthead, via Carlisle. 



Twelve superior objects, ready for mounting, and 

 especially suited to the binocular microscope, offered in 

 exchange for foraminiferous material or two good micro, 

 slides. — A. Earland, 10, Glenwood Road, Catford, S.E. 



Wanted, mounted coal sections, diatoms and marine 

 zoological specimens ; in exchange for botanical and zoolo- 

 gical (rabbit, frog, tadpole, chick,- Anodon amphioxus, earth- 

 worm, etc.) slides.— N Walker, 14, Broomfield View, Leeds. 



