SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



257 



the Insecta, which are obviously the most highly 

 specialized of all the Arthropoda. There could be 

 only one reason for placing them in that position, 

 and that was that their method of aerating the 

 blood is very similar to that of the Insecta, and 

 certainly different Irom that of the lower forms. 

 Messrs. C. Nicholson, Harvey, Wheeler, Miss 

 Nicholson, and Messrs. Bacot, R. W. Robbins, 

 L. J. Tremayne, Dadd and Simes took part in the 

 discussion which followed. The proceedings 

 terminated with the usual vote of thanks. — . 

 Lau'icncc J . Tremayne, Hon. See. 



RovAL Meteorological Society. — The annual 

 general meeting of this Society was held on 

 Wednesday, the 20th inst., at the Institution of 

 Civil Engineers, Great George Street, West- 

 minster, Mr. E. Mawley, P'.R.H.S., President, in 

 the chair. The Secretary read the report of the 

 Council, which showed that the Society had made 

 steady progress during the past year, there being 

 an increase of seventeen in the number of Fellows. 

 The President then delivered an address on " Shade 

 Temperatures," in which he stated that of all 

 meteorological observations there were none 

 approaching in importance those made of the 

 temperature of the air, generally known as " shade 

 temperature." Indeed, the first question invariably 

 asked in regard to almost any climate was as to 

 its temperature. Mr. Mawley traced the history 

 of the different methods of exposing thermometers 

 since the time that regular observations of the 

 weather had been made in this country. For 

 many years open screens were most favoured by 

 meteorologists, that devised by Mr. J. Glaisher, 

 F.R.S., and the late Astronomer-Royal (Sir G. B. 

 Airey) being the pattern principally used. In 

 1S64 Mr. T. Stevenson, C.E., invented an ad- 

 mirable form of closed screen with louvred sides, 

 which was considered preferable to the open type 

 of screen, and has now almost entirely superseded 

 the Glaisher stand. In 18S3 the Stevenson screen 

 was considerably improved by a Committee of the 

 Royal Meteorological Society. Mr. Mawley then 

 described his own e.xperiments at Croydon and 

 Berkhamsted, as regards this improved screen, 

 known as the Royal Meteorological Society's 

 pattern. He showed that the only two defects 

 which had been attributed to this form of thermo- 

 meter e.xposure were virtually non-existent, and 

 therefore advised its general adoption both in this 

 countr}- and on the Continent. Mr Mawley had 

 recently made observations in the Stevenson 

 screen, and also in the screens used in France and 

 Germany, and the conclusion he had come to was 

 that the results obtained in the Stevenson screen 

 were not only the nearest to the true air tempera- 

 tures, but also more likely to be strictly comparable 

 with temperatures taken in a similar screen but 

 with different surroundings elsewhere. — William 

 Marriott, Assistant Sec. 



Hull Sciextific and Field Naturalists' 

 Club. — The first meeting this year was held in the 

 Friendly Societies' Hall, Albion Street, Hull, on 

 Wednesday evening, January 6th. The President, 

 Dr. J. Hollingworth, r^I.R.C.S., occupied the chair. 

 There was a very good attendance of members. 

 Mr. J. W. Boult exhibited the preserved larva and 

 pupa and also some living specimens of the swallow- 

 tail butterfly (Uropteryx sambitcaria), which he had 

 reared. Mr. T. Sheppard handed round some huge 

 bones which had recently been dug up in the 

 vicinitv of Goole and sent over bv Mr. Thos. 



Bunker, of that place. On comparing these with 

 the large whale's skeleton in the Hull Museum, 

 they proved to be part of the bones belonging to 

 the fin of a young whale, no doubt a relic of the 

 old whaling days. There are several grooves and 

 impressions on them, which have evidently been 

 made by a plough-share passing over. It was pointed 

 out that in the neighbourhood of the Humber, and 

 especiall}' around Hull, the lower jaw-bones of the 

 whale are frequently used as gate-posts, or as orna- 

 ments in gardens, etc. Odd ones are to be seen utilized 

 in this way at some \-illages which are situated 

 a good distance from the Humber. Mr. A. H. 

 White brought a series of platinotype photographs 

 of local antiquarian interest. These were most 

 beautifully executed. .A few lantern-slides, repre- 

 senting the homes and habits of sea-gulls at 

 Twigmoor guUery and Scarborough respectix-ely, 

 were thrown on the screen by the President and 

 Mr. Slade. Several books and pamphlets were 

 added to the library, which formerly belonged to 

 the Hull Field Naturalists' Club. These included 

 several of the first numbers of the " Naturalist " 

 (1S64), and other interesting items. Mr. J. A. 

 Ridgway, F.R.A.S., of Beverley, and Mr. A. 

 Dobson, of Hull, were elected members of the 

 society. The rest of the evening was occupied by 

 a lecture on " Astronomical Measurements," by the 

 Rev. H. P. Slade, F.R.A.S. This was of a very 

 interesting character, and was illustrated by a 

 number of lantern-slides. The lantern used was 

 one of the lecturer's own design, and had man}' 

 advantages over ordinarj- lanterns. The new 

 illuminant, acetylene, was also used, with success. 

 On the proposition of Mr. Ridgway, F.R.A.S., 

 seconded by Mr. A. H. White, a hearty vote of 

 thanks was accorded to Mr. Slade for his valuable 

 lecture. Mr. Ridgway, who had not met the 

 lecturer before, but had made use of his "micro- 

 meter," complimented him on the lucid manner in 

 which he had expressed himself, and Mr. ^^■hite, 

 who had made the acquaintance of Mr. Slade through 

 the pages of the " English Mechanic," gave some 

 humorous remarks respecting his first attempts at 

 studying astronomy. Several other gentlemen 

 also spoke, and the proceedings were brought to 

 a close by some experiments with acetylene gas. — 

 T. Sheppaui, Hon. Sec., 78, Slierburn Street, Hull. 



The Scarborough Field Naturalists' Society, 

 January 14th, 1S97. The President, Mr. D. W. 

 Bevan, in the chair. Three new members were 

 proposed and elected. The minutes of the annual 

 meeting were read and confirmed. Christmas 

 festivities having interrupted work since last 

 meeting, there were few records. A burbot fish, 

 fifteen inches long,' was reported as having been 

 taken by a trawler in deep water. This is rather 

 unusual, as it is more often taken in fresh water. 

 A fine paper nautilus was exhibited by Mr. \\'. J 

 Clarke ; also a pair of ruffs in breeding plumage. 

 Two single \alves of the large mollusc Pinas were 

 shown, the latter one measuring over twent)--four 

 inches in length. These were from abroad. Mr. 

 J. A. Hargreaves showed a very fine specimen of 

 Grvphea incnrra, commonly known as '' the miller's 

 thumb," which may be found on the shore. 'Mv. 

 W. Gyngell exhibited a few varieties in shells. 

 Mr. W. Bevan showed a chart of the move- 

 ments of Mars since October 20th, 1S96, which 

 indicated quite a variation from its usual course. 

 The presidential address followed these reports, 

 and the new President, ISIr. D. W. Bevan, gave a 

 verv pleasant account of "The naturalist at his 



