Nov. 23, 1S88.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



54i 



recently received from the Gold Coast and other parts of 

 West Africa. The collection included about forty-seven 

 species belonging to the genera Papilio, Diadema, Sala- 

 mis, Romaheosoma, Charaxes, Harma, Euryphetne, Juno- 

 nia, Aterica, Hypanis, Eurylela, Mycalesis, Cyrestis, Ne- 

 pheronia, Mylothris, Beleiiois, etc. Mons. Wailly stated 

 that several of the species were undescribed, and were 

 not represented in the British Museum collections. 



Mr. Jenner Weir exhibited four bred specimens of 

 ant-lions, two of which were from Saxon Switzerland, 

 and the other two from Fontainebleau. He stated that 

 that he believed the specimens belonged to two distinct 

 species. Mr. M'Lachlan said that the specimens all be- 

 longed to one species, viz., Myrmeleon formicarius, 

 Auct. = Europceus, M'Lach. 



Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited an example of Ptevophorus 

 setterstedtii, taken at Sydenham. He remarked that this 

 species had hitherto only been recorded from Lynmouth 

 and Folkestone. 



Mr. Enock exhibited specimens of Cecidomyia destructor 

 (Hessian fly), illustrating the life-history ol the species, 

 and made remarks on them. 



Mr. Wallis Kew exhibited a specimen of Dytiscus 

 marginalis having a small bivalve shell attached to one 

 of its legs. The bivalve had apparently attacked the 

 Dytiscus, and refused to relax its grasp. 



Mr. W. E. Nicholson exhibited several specimens of 

 Acidalia immorata, Linn., caught by him near Lewes. 

 Mr. Jenner Weir remarked that the species had only 

 recently been added to the British list, and that it was 

 remarkable how so comparatively large a species could 

 have been hitherto overlooked. It was also remarked 

 that a specimen of this species from the collection of the 

 late Mr. Desvignes had been exhibited by Mr. Stevens 

 at the meeting of the Society in November, 1887. 



Dr. Sharp exhibited a large number of species of 

 Rhynchophora, collected by Mr. George Lewis in Japan. 



Mr. F. P. Pascoe read a paper entitled " Descriptions 

 of New Longicorn Coleoptera." 



Dr Sharp read a paper on " The Rhynchophorous 

 Coleoptera of Japan." 



LIVERPOOL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



At the meeting held on November 13th, the President 

 (Mr. H. C. Beasley) in the chair, Dr. C. Ricketts, F.G.S., 

 described some interesting specimens of liassic fish 

 remains and other fossils from fissures in the carboni- 

 ferous limestone at Holwell, near Frome, obtained by 

 him during the recent meeting of the British Association 

 at Bath. Mr. O. W. Jeffs then exhibited an old atlas, 

 kindly lent by Mr. E. K. Hay ward, dated probably about 

 1720, and engraved by Tobias Conrad Lotter, of Augs- 

 burg. The features of the maps consisted in the prin- 

 cipal meridian being taken trom Teneriffe, and the de- 

 lineation of the great lakes of Africa (supposed to have 

 been only recently discovered), which are placed in their 

 approximate positions as feeders of the Nile. In the 

 map of Great Britain, Liverpool was not shown, but small 

 places like Par and Leigh, near St. Helens, were duly 

 marked. 



A paper by Sir James Picton, F.S.A., entitled " Notes 

 on the Local Historical Changes in the Surface of the 

 Land in and about Liverpool," was then read. Sir James 

 first called attention to a series 01 maps illustrating the 

 topography of the neighbourhood. These were of various 

 dates, the oldest representing Liverpool in 1650, and 

 showed the gradual extension of the docks and buildings 



and development of the inhabited portion of the region 

 depicted. He then proceeded to explain how the culti- 

 vation of the land, draining of the marshes, improvement 

 of watercourses, and construction of canals and railroads 

 have imparted to the country an entirely different aspect 

 to its natural character. Geology showed the effects of 

 natural lorces, ever at work, in altering the surface-con- 

 tour of the land, and these changes were often aided by 

 the direct operations of man. Since the foundation ot 

 Liverpool there had been many changes in its superficial 

 contour well worthy of notice. At the close of the gla- 

 cial period the landscape on the eastern side of the 

 Mersey presented a picturesque aspect, resembling the 

 rocky slopes of Bidston Hill on the opposite side of the 

 river, and the high lands at Everton, Low Hill, and Edge 

 Hill were broken up into crags and precipices with de- 

 posits of clay in the hollows. This declivity was inter- 

 rupted by two ancient sea margins, referred to by Mr. 

 Robert Chambers, one of which was stated to occur near 

 the summit of William Brown Street. The upper sea 

 margin constituted the flat ground at the foot of Low 

 Hill, on the summit of which was a pre-historic tumulus. 

 The author gave a mass of topographical detail of an 

 interesting character, in the course of which he referred 

 to the old Moss Lake and other physical features which 

 have long become obliterated. On the subject of the 

 post-glacial geology of the two basins of the rivers Dee 

 and Mersey, Sir James occupied an important portion of 

 his paper, and called attention to one or two aspects not 

 usually considered by geologists. He claimed that the 

 valley of the Dee had for many ages been undergoing a 

 process of shallowing and silting, and that the channel 

 of the Mersey had been gradually deepening. Thus, 

 whilst one valley was sinking, the other had been gradu- 

 ally rising, such diverse action going forward in two 

 estuaries so near to each other being a very remarkable 

 phenomenon. The globe which we inhabit was not a 

 mere inert mass ; forces of elevation or depression were 

 continually in progress. The greater or less depth of 

 water in a river channel might change the entire course 

 of commerce, and affect the welfare of millions. It was 

 necessary, therefore, to watch these processes of nature, 

 and aid by science and skill whatever makes for the 

 benefit of our race and age. 



A long discussion followed the reading of this paper, 

 in which Messrs. T. Mellard Read, F.G.S., G. H. Morton, 

 F.G.S., W. Hewitt, B.Sc, C. Potter, Rev. S. Gasking,and 

 Dr. Ricketts took part. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 At a meeting of the Scientific Committee, on November 

 13th, a report was read on the "Jensen System ot 

 Moulding Potatoes." 



During two successive seasons elaborate experiments 

 and careful observations were made as to the effect of 

 the Jensen system of moulding. The experiments were 

 made at Chiswick under the superintendence of the 

 Scientific Committee. Although results of considerable 

 practical interest were obtained, yet the primary object 

 of the experiments was frustrated by the non-appear- 

 ance, or rather, by the scanty development, of the 

 Potato-mould. Moreover, it became apparent that the 

 cost of the experiments, as then carried out, would be 

 such as to preclude their imitation on a large scale for 

 practical purposes. 



During the present season the potato disease set in at 

 Chiswick with virulence about July 29th. Up to that 



