214 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Mr. W. J. Lucas, specimens of dragonflies including 

 JEschna juncea and IE. cyanea taken in copula at 

 Bournemouth. Mr. Ashdown, also local species 

 and varieties of Odonata, including Gomphus vulga- 

 tissimus and an intermediate var. Calopteryx virgo. 



In general zoology, Mr. Oldham exhibited the 

 skin of a cliff fox from Folkestone Warren. Mr. 

 M. H. Winkley, a reptilian happy family, including 

 living specimens of tortoise, chameleon, lizard, and 

 ringed snake and young. Mr. T. W. Hall, F.E S., 

 a series of fine antelope horns. Mr. E. Step, living 

 specimens of sea-anemones. Mr. Sauze, a collection 

 of beautiful foreign shells, among which were cones, 

 murices, Cyprasa, etc. Mr. Dedman, a number of 

 species of British land shells, including rare 

 varieties of Helix hortensis. Mr. R. A. Adkin, 

 British land and freshwater shells. Mr. Gude, 

 splendid shells from the Philippines. Mr. John T. 

 Carrington, a collection of some thousands of 

 British banded Helices especially arranged as a 

 study in variation, in two large and admirable 

 show cabinets designed by himself, to be placed on 

 a wall, also a number of South European shells 

 and a small collection of freshwater shells from 

 Lake Manitoba, all collected by himself. 

 Mr. Perks, a series of living water-snails with 

 explanatory sketches. Mr. Manger, several cases 

 of British and foreign Crustacea. 



In the Ornithological section, Mr. C. A. Briggs 

 exhibited eggs of the crested lark and the golden 

 eagle, and a case of the little auk. Mr. H. Mead- 

 Briggs, a pseudo -albino variety of the sparrow, and 

 a well-arranged case of stoats and squirrels from 

 Kent, set up by himself. Mr. McArthur, a beautiful 

 white variety of pheasant and a case of grouse. 

 Mr. Beaumont, a fine albino of the whitethroat. 

 Mr. C. H. Watson, a living albino ring-dove. Mr. J. 

 A. Cooper, a fine case of ferns and a very magnificent 

 collection of British birds' -eggs, those of the sea-birds 

 being notably varied and beautiful. Messrs. B. W. 

 Adkin and Henderson also showed stuffed birds. 



Botanical specimens were shown by Miss M. 

 Adkin and Miss F. Winstone ; the former some 

 British plants, and the latter a very large number 

 of admirably mounted specimens collected by 

 herself in Manitoba and other parts of North- 

 west Canada during the autumn of 1894. The 

 fungi exhibit was a great feature, several of the 

 members, under the guidance of Messrs. Briggs 

 and Edwards, had, the previous day, taken some 

 forty or fifty species at Oxshott, and Dr. M. 

 C. Cooke was present at the exhibition to make 

 remarks on the exhibit, and also gave an address 

 in the lecture-hall adjoining on these curious plants. 

 Microscopes were lent and shown by Messrs. 

 W. West, E. West, F. E. Filer, J. W. Hardy, 

 H. Cooper, A. W. Dennis, W. Turner, C. West, 

 W. Burton, T. W. Brown, and Mrs. Brown, and 

 a number of beautiful living and other objects were 

 exhibited and much appreciated. Mr. Henson, of 

 Regent Street, had a beautiful display of minerals, 

 including a set of models of the famous diamonds 

 of the world and a number of rough and carved 

 opals. Messrs. Cooke and Sons, entomological 

 apparatus and zoological specimens. 



Mr. R. Adkin showed entomological books to illus- 

 trate the rise of that form of literature, and Mr. A. E. 

 Pearce, a large portfolio of beautiful drawings in 

 water-colours, being studies of plants by himself. 



Mr. Enoch twice gave, in the annexe to the large 

 hall, his attractive lectures, aided by the lantern, 

 on " Insect Architects," and the musical arrange- 

 ments were carried out by Mr. W. Latter, R.A.M., 

 and a few friends. — H. J. Turner, Hon. Reporting Sec. 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



An Introduction to the Shidy of Seaweeds. By 

 George Murray, F.R.S.E., F.L.S., Keeper of the 

 Department of Botany, British Museum. Pp. vii. 

 and 271, 8vo, with eight coloured plates and 

 eighty-eight other illustrations. (London and New 

 York. Macmillan and Co., 1895.) Price 7s. 6d. 



We have long been waiting for some authoritative 

 manual of the British seaweeds, and although Mr. 

 Murray's book is not a manual in so far as it 

 describes every species, it is most valuable in 

 bringing the subject up to date. Since the last of 

 the four volumes of Harvey's great work, 

 "Phycologia Britannica," was published in 1851, 

 the study has been completly changed by the 



Reinke's Dredge. 

 From Murray's " Introduction to Seaweeds." 



progress of research. To produce a properly 

 illustrated manual of our seaweeds would be a 

 heavy work indeed, and is one still open to the 

 patient labourer in Phycology. The book before 

 us consists of an admirable introduction in which 

 seaweeds are treated historically, scientifically, and 

 from the collector's view, to which is added a useful 

 bibliography arranged systematically under the 

 general divisions and geographically. The seaweeds 

 themselves are dealt with in the book proper under 

 five sub-classes, which are again divided into 

 families. After shortly dwelling upon the sub- 

 class, each family in it is carefully described with 

 full and good illustrations, one of which, Himanthalia 

 lorea, we reproduce by the kindness of the 

 publishers. 



We feel sure Mr. Murray will pardon us if we 

 dip rather fully into his interesting introduction, for 

 we consider it forms one of the most carefully 

 written essays we have read for some time past 



