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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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#2 5CIENCE GOSSIP 



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Among the recently elected members of the 

 Geological Society of France was Mdlle. !Marie 

 Lo^-ez, Professor of Natural Sciences, Paris. 



AIr. Ernest Swinhoe, Avenue House, Oxford, 

 has sent us his sixth (1S97) Catalogue of Exotic 

 Butterflies and Moths, v.ith prices of the speci- 

 mens. 



A MEETING of the International Congress of 

 Zoology will be held at Cambridge, com- 

 mencing on August 23rd, 1S98. Sir William 

 Flower v\-ill be the President. 



Some of our readers may be glad to know that 

 there exists at i, Stamford Road, Singapore, 

 Straits Settlements, an agency for the supply of 

 natural science objects. The proprietor has 

 favoured us with one of his circulars. 



Messrs. R. and J. Beck, of 68, Cornhill, 

 London, have issued a nev.- catalogue of Petro- 

 logical and Metallurgical ilicroscopes, at popular 

 prices. It contains at least three new models, 

 which should be of value to students of rocks and 

 ores. 



M. G. BucHET, who is in charge of the mission 

 at Santa Cruz de la Palma (Canary Islands;, is 

 preparing a work upon the greater fish of the 

 Western Coast of Africa. He will be glad to 

 receive any zoological or other notes bearing on 

 the subject. 



An important paper on " The Land Mollusca of 

 County Antrim," by Mr. Robert Standen, which 

 appeared in the January " Irish Naturahst," 

 has been reprinted and issued in pamphlet 

 form by the author. 



The Annual Report of the Society for the 

 Protection of Birds for 1896, states that the 

 members and associates reach nearly iS,ooo in 

 number. The excellent v.-ork done by this Society 

 is well known. The Hon. Secretary is Mrs. 

 Lemon. HUlcrest, Redhill, Surrey. 



A leaf-mining PyraJid in the habit of feeding 

 in the larval state is a novelty of this large 

 group of moths. It is named TUanio hdianthiaUs, 

 and described in the " Canadian Entomologist " for 

 March, by INIary E. Murtfeldt, of Kirkv/ood, 'Slo. 

 It is said to be a true leaf-miner and works 

 between the cuticles of Helmnthus. 



The City of London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society propose to hold a 

 Conversazione and Exhibition of Natural History 

 Objects on Tuesday evening, April 27th, at 

 the Library of the London Institute, Finsbtiry 

 Circus. Many VN-ell-known London naturalists, 

 especially entomologists, have promised to exhibit. 

 Musical selections and light refreshments will be 

 given during the evening. The admission -n-ill be 

 by ticket, tv,o shillings each, which may be 

 obtained from the Acting Secretary-, Mr. H. A. Sauze, 

 4, Mount Villas, Sydenham Hill Road, S.E. 



AzECA ELONG.^TA, a supposed addition to the land- 

 shells of Great Britain, is figured and described as 

 a nev." species, by ZMr. John W. Taylor, F.L.S., in 

 the •■ Yorkshire Naturalist" for March last. 



The Journal of the Essex Technical Laboratories 

 for February contains a well-written article upon 

 ■' Sulphur in its relation to Crops." There are also 

 other articles which, though popularly written, are 

 thoroughly scientific in character. The Journal is 

 issued under the auspices of the Essex County 

 Council, at the Laboratories, Chelmsford, and is 

 only priced threepence. 



Messrs. Friedlander and Son, of Berlin, have 

 sent us "Natural No\dtates " smd their catalogue 

 of botanical works (Crj-ptogamaei just issued. 

 The latter contains fort}- pages of closely-printed 

 titles of vs'orks. Other cataloges are issued by 

 this firm on Fungi, Lichens, Algae, Characeae, 

 Desmidieae and Diatomeae. Most of these subjects 

 also occur among the titles in the catalogue 

 before us. 



We ob3er\-e that the Hull Scientific and Field 

 Naturalists' Club has commenced a cuttings book 

 for insertion of nature notes of a local character. 

 It is suggested that these should be discussed at the 

 meetings before being entered. This is v.ise, for 

 we have a fine collection of newspaper natural 

 histor}-. chiefly of an unconsciously humorous 

 character. If one desires abundant inaccuracy, it 

 v.ill be found in newspaper cuttings on science 

 subjects. 



We have received a " Supplementary List of 

 the Bryozoa of the Chatham Chalk," by Mr. W. 

 Gamble, of Chatham. The fixst hst pubhshed by 

 IMr. Gamble was issued in 1S92, and contained 125 

 species and varieties. This second hst, compiled 

 last year, adds seventy-five species and varieties. 

 As there does not appear to be any properly 

 arranged collection of fossil polyzoa in this 

 country, these Usts cannot fail to be useful in 

 indicating what ma}- be expected from the chalk 

 of the Chatham district, which has been diligently 

 v,"orked by IMr. Gamble for some years past. 



L.^ncashire has recently lost two of its leading 

 entomologists, both of v,-hom v,-ill be sadly missed, 

 ha\ing been authorities for the past forty years. 

 Following the death of Joseph Chappell, of >,Ian- 

 chester, which occurred on October 3rd last, has 

 come that of J. B. Hodgkinson, late of Preston. 

 Both these men vrere excellent practical entomolo- 

 gists, v.-hose repute had extended to all parts 

 of the world where English entomology is studied. 

 Mr. Hodgkinson died in February' last. !Mr. 

 Chappell was sixty-seven, and ]\Ir. Hodgkinson 

 seventy-four 3-ears old. 



The illustrated supplement of the Paris Petit 

 Journal, v.hich newspaper is beheved to have the 

 largest circulation in the world, has latterh- given 

 much attention to popular natural history. This 

 has taken the form of full-page coloured illustra- 

 ticns of " good and bad" fungi, otherv'dse poisonous 

 and edible ; " Birds useful to man," is an important 

 series of portraits of v.-ild native birds to be 

 preser%-ed in France; "Venomous and Harmless 

 Reptiles of France" is another series, and at 

 present the poisonous plants of Western Europe 

 are being illustrated. Such a series would do 

 much good in Britain if produced at the same 

 price, xiz., one halfpennv per number, and as 

 effectivelv coloured. 



