SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



317 



Bcenagrion mercuriale out of less than a dozen seen 

 in the only known English locality, a certain 

 ditch in the New Forest. Ornithological and 

 astronomical summaries of 1896 were also delivered 

 by Messrs. Austin and C. Nicholson respectively. — 

 Lawrence J. Tremayne, Hon.Sccyetary. 



Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists' 

 Club. — The usual fortnightly meeting was held in 

 the Friendly Societies' Hall, Hull, on Wednesday 

 evening, February 17th, Mr. Paul IJavis occupied 

 the chair. Notice was given that it was the 

 intention of the Club to hold an Exhibition in the 

 .\utumn, and the members were requested to bear 

 this in mind during the summer, with the view of 

 making it a thorough success. The Secretary 

 presented a "Newspaper Extract Book" to the 

 Club, in which he had inserted one or two extracts 

 of local natural history interest. The members 

 were asked to cut out suitable paragraphs for 

 insertion from any papers which they may read, 

 and bring them to the Club, together with the 

 name and date of the paper. If this is carried out 

 the Club will, in time to come, be in possession of 

 a valuable record. The Curator kindly undertook 

 to take charge of the book. It was suggested that 

 the paragraphs, if not too numerous, should be 

 read at each meeting, and, if necessary, discussed, 

 as were the extracts already referred to. Several 

 members gave vent to their feelings respecting the 

 manner in which so-called scientific men are the 

 means of exterminating rare species, both of 

 animals and plants. A further series of South 

 African butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, etc., was 

 exhibited. Mr. C. Waterfall handed round a 

 specimen of the lesser reed-grass [Calamagrostis 

 lanccolatd) which he had obtained from Hornsea 

 Mere last Autumn ; the plant is an addition to 

 the flora of the East Riding. Mr. J. F. Robinson, 

 a Vice-President of the Club, then read a paper on 

 "Charles Darwin and Evolution." The lecturer 

 then gave a i-esuine of Darwin's greatest scientific 

 achievements, and described his method of working 

 as slow, but sure. The paper was illustrated by a 

 number of excellent drawings and specimens, which 

 included examples of " Protective Colouration." 

 A discussion followed, in which Messrs. Davis, 

 Stather, Audas, Seath and Hill took part. — 

 At the meeting held on March 3rd, the Presi- 

 dent, Dr. J. Hollingv/orth, M.R.C.S., occupied 

 the chair. Mr. J. W. Boult exhibited specimens 

 of some of the most notable of our British 

 butterflies, together with examples of the same 

 species from Germany, India, Assam, Japan, 

 Africa, and other parts of the world. This most 

 instructive series afforded an excellent opportunity 

 of studying the variations which exist in butterflies 

 from different climates. Mr. Boult also handed 

 round some specimens of the small white ant from 

 South Africa, which is such a pest to naturalists in 

 that part of the world. Mr. J. Porter reported the 

 capture of a specimen of Hybernia Icucol'iucaria, at 

 Anlaby, near Hull. Though this moth cannot be 

 said to be a rarity, it does not appear to have been 

 previously noticed in the Hull neighbourhood. 

 From the reports of excursions made, given by 

 Messrs. Robinson, Boult, and Porter, it would 

 seem that some sections of the club are already 

 engaging themselves in field work. Several 

 extracts from the local press were handed over to 

 the curator for insertion in the scrap-book. Some 

 of these were read. Mr. T. .\udas, L.D.S., then 

 read a paper on "The Aligration of Birds." The 

 lecturer explained that it is only during the last 

 few years that any works have been published 



respecting this important subject, and it is from the 

 efforts of Charles Dickson, H. Giitke, and a Com- 

 mittee of the British Association, that most of our 

 information on the migration of birds is derived. 

 The final report of the British Association Com- 

 mittee, published in the "Liverpool" (1896) 

 number of the Proceedings, gives valuable informa- 

 tion on the point, which has been principally 

 derived from the records collected at the various 

 lighthouses and lightships around our coasts. 

 With the assistance of a map of the world, the 

 routes taken by various species of birds during 

 their summer and winter migrations were pointed 

 out by the lecturer, and a rcsiinn' given of the 

 explanations offered by different people as to the 

 origin and cause of these migrations. A lengthy 

 discussion ensued, in which the President and 

 several members took part. Owing to the lateness 

 of the hour, the Secretary's paper on the " Extinct 

 Animals of Holderness," was deferred until some 

 future occasion. Some specimens, brought by Mr. 

 Walker to illustrate this Paper, were handed round 

 at the close of the meeting. These consisted of 

 exceptionally fine antlers and bones of the red 

 deer {Cennis elaplius) from the " submerged forest " 

 at Withernsea, and a mammoth tooth in excellent 

 preservation, also from this district. — T. SJieppavd, 

 Hon. Sec, 78, Shei'burn Street, Hull. 



Cambridge Entomological and Natural 

 History Society. — The annual meeting was held 

 on February 26th, Dr. Sharp in the chair. Pro- 

 fessor Newton, the professor of zoology, was 

 elected an honorary member. Mr. Harmer, of 

 King's College, was elected President for the 

 following year. Dr. Sharp exhibited a larva of 

 one of our common Geotrupes, and called attention 

 to its stridulating organ, in which one pair of 

 legs work upon the pair in front of them. He said 

 that this beetle in the imago state also possesses a 

 stridulating organ, but it is situated in a different 

 position anatomically, and therefore not corres- 

 ponding with the larval organ. The latter is lost 

 in the imago, and it is clear that this elaborate 

 structure exists solel)' for the larval state. Dr. 

 Sharp acknowledged that he was unable to guess 

 what use such a structure could be to a larva leading, 

 as this does, an underground life, and having, as 

 far as we know, no relations with the lives of 

 individuals of its own species that could be 

 influenced by any sound it might make. — At 

 the meeting of the Societj' held on March 

 i2th, the President in the chair, Dr. Sharp 

 exhibited, on behalf of Dr. Haviland, part 

 of his magnificent collection of termites. His 

 method of preparation consists in placing the 

 various forms of a species found in one nest in 

 glass tubes, divided into compartments by cotton- 

 wool, and filled with spirit. .\ photograph of a 

 termitarium of Tcnncs malayansis, taken in situ after 

 it had been sectionised, showed the royal cell in 

 the middle of the structure, and the chambers for 

 growing fungi — this species being a fungus grower 

 — about the periphery. Portions of this nest and 

 individuals taken from it were exhibited. The 

 nest is composed of thin fragile lamina? of a 

 pottery-like structure, but the ro_\-al cell, composed 

 of this substance, is very thick and solid. The 

 fungus-chambers are not constructed of clay, but 

 of comminuted vegetable matter, subsequently 

 cemented together. The specimens taken from 

 this nest includes two queens and one king from 

 the royal cell, large and small soldiers, and large- 

 headed and small-headed workers. — L. Doncaster, 

 Hon. Sec, King's College, Cambridge. 



