SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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Greenock Natural History Society. — The 

 usual monthly meeting was held on 26th April, 

 when Mr. M. F. Dunlop read a paper on the 

 Cladocera, with lantern and microscopic illustra- 

 tions. As a typical specimen, Daphnia pulex was 

 described in detail, and thereafter attention was 

 directed to the various species found in the neigh- 

 bourhood, amongst the rarer being Ilyocryptus 

 sordidus, Sida crystallina, Daphnella brachyura, 

 Holopedium gibberum, Polyphemus pcdiculus, Evadne 

 normanni, and Peracantha tncncata. A specimen of 

 Leptodera hyalina, a very rare species, was sub- 

 mitted, although not yet found in the locality.— 

 G. W. Nivcn, Hon. Sec., 27, Brymner Street, Greenock. 



Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. — 

 A meeting was held, April 24th, at the Museum, 

 Mr. T. Southwell, F.Z.S., in the chair. Specimens 

 of the owl-parrot (Strigops habroptilus) and the kea 

 (Nestor notabilis) were exhibited, and a short account 

 of the habits of these birds in New Zealand was 

 given by Mr. E. Corder. We understand that 

 both of the cases containing these specimens will 

 be presented, through the liberality of Mr. L. J. 

 Tillett and Mr. Alfred Haldinstein, to the Norwich 

 Museum. Mr. Gurney exhibited a specimen of the 

 Tropic bird (Phaeton athereus), which was picked up 

 dead at Cradley, near Malvern, forty years ago, 

 and which had recently come into his possession. 

 This rare wanderer, whose home is, as its name 

 implies, the South Pacific and Atlantic oceans, has 

 on a previous occasion, in the last century, been 

 found dead on the sea-coast of Lancashire, and 

 another storm-driven example has been met with 

 in Heligoland. Microscopical exhibits were shown 

 by Mr. H. D. Geldart, Mr. James Mottram, and 

 Mr. W. A. Nicholson. 



North Kent Entomological and Natural 

 History Society. — The Twentieth Bi-annual 

 Meeting of the above Society was held on 

 Wednesday, May 9th, Mr. J. Potter presiding. At 

 the conclusion of the ordinary business, exhibits 

 were made by Mr. A. S. Poore, who had a large 

 number of land and freshwater shells, which 

 included many rare and local forms, also birds' 

 eggs and larvae ; Mr. J. Potter, living specimens of 

 Salamandra maculosa ; Mr. J. Cooper, some very 

 nicely mounted pieces of wood sorrel, willow and 

 Scotch fir, showing the male and female blossoms, 

 also marine shells ; Mr. Allbuary, a series of 

 Lyccena argiolus, and other lepidoptera ; Mr. S. Pine, 

 slowworms, and land and freshwater shells ; Mr. 

 A. Old, pupa-cases and imagines of the dragon-fly, 

 Lihdhila deprcssa; Mr. J. Wilson, larvae of Bombyx 

 quercus, Lasiocampa quercifolia and Geomctra papilion- 

 aria ; Mr. E. Knight, a richly marked variety of 

 Phlogophora mcticulosa ; Messrs. W. and H.Broughton, 

 other lepidoptera. The first of a series of object 

 lessons was then given by Mr. Poore for the 

 younger members in the proper mode of preserving, 

 setting and mounting various specimens. The 

 subject selected was drilling and blowing birds' 

 eggs. The demonstration was followed with 

 much interest. 



Royal Meteorological Society. — The monthly 

 meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday 

 evening, the 16th May, at the Institution of 

 Civil Engineers, Westminster, Mr R. Inwards, 

 F.R.A.S., President, in the chair. Mr W. Ellis, 

 F.R.S., read a paper " On the relative frequency oi 

 different velocities of wind," in which he discussed 

 the anemometer records of the Greenwich Observa- 

 tory for the five years 1888-92, with the view of 

 ascertaining the number of hours during which the 

 wind blew, with each of the different hourly velo- 

 cities experienced during the period. The results 

 of this discussion show that the wind blew for the 

 greatest number of hours with the hourly velocities 

 of ten and eleven miles. Mr. W. Marriott, 

 F.K. Met. Soc, gave an account of a series of 

 observations on the "Audibility of 'Big Ben' at 

 West Norwood," which he had carried on for a 

 period of five years. The clock tower at V. 

 minster is 5^ miles distant from the point of 

 observation in a north-by-west direction. The 

 large bell, " Big Ben," was designed by Lord 

 Grimthorpe, and was cast in 1858 ; its weight is 

 about fourteen tons. It is 9 feet 5V inches in 

 diameter, and 9^ inches in thickness ; its tone L 

 E. The observations were 97G in number, and 

 were made at the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The 

 bell could be heard more frequently in the evening 

 than in the morning, and on Sundays it was more 

 frequently audible than on week-days. The direc- 

 tion of the wind most favourable for hearing " Big 

 Ben " was between west and north. The observa- 

 tions were also discussed in relation to temperature, 

 moisture, cloud and barometric pressure. A paper 

 by Mr. A. W. Moore was also read on " Earth 

 Temperatures at Cronkbourne, Isle of Man, 

 1880-S9." 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — Thursday, April 

 26th, Mr. E. Step, President, in the chair. The 

 Rev. M. Corden Jones and Mr. Francis Fell were 

 elected members. Mr. Dennis exhibited a bred 

 variety of Pararge egeria, having all the light mark- 

 ings much extended. Mr. Auld, a series of 

 Tuiiiocampa munda, with several examples of var. 

 immaculata, Stgr., taken at West Wickham ; also a 

 series of T. popitleti, taken at Westerham. Mr. 

 Enock then gave a paper entitled " Notes on Com- 

 mon Insects," and illustrated it by about fifty 

 slides shown with an oxyhydrogen lantern. The 

 paper dealt largely with common pests and their 

 parasites, such as the sycamore aphis with its 

 numerous enemies, the currant mite, the sawfly of 

 the willow with the insects which attack its larva, 

 the parasites of the Hessian fly, and beautiful 

 examples of the minute fairy-flies, of which he 

 stated he possessed at least 150 species. He laid 

 considerable stress upon the economic side of the 

 subject, and strongly advocated the following the 

 example set by the United States Government in 

 having an entomological section attached to the 

 Agricultural Department. Most of the information 

 given was the result of original observations, and 

 unobtainable in current literature. The admirable 

 manner in which the interesting and peculiar life 

 histories of these minute creatures were portrayed 

 upon the screen and described excited the greatest 

 admiration among the large number of members 

 and friends present. At the meeting of the same 

 society held May 10th, Mr. H. B. Laurence, of 

 Anerley, was elected a member. Mr. South ex- 

 hibited a bred series of Boarmia cinctaria, with the 

 parent female, from Glengariff, Ireland. Like the 



