96 



The Naturalist. 



Seebohm. It was incidentally 

 mentioned that tlie paper read, 

 was also read on the 16th by that 

 gentleman before the Zoological 

 Society of London, which holds its 

 meetings in Hanover Square, the 

 chairman (Mr. Salvin) stating that 

 he had not seen such rare specimens 

 of ornithology since WooUey's 

 return from Lapland many years 

 ago. 



Wakefield Naturalists' So- 

 ciety. — Meeting 2nd December, 

 Mr. H. Sims in the chair. — Mr. 

 Dickson exhibited the following 

 fungi : — Agaricus (Clitopilus) pru- 

 nulus, edible; A. (Lepiota) procerus, 

 edible ; A. {Clitocyhe) dealhatus, 

 edible; A. (HypJioloma) fascicularis, 

 not edible ; Folyporus sulphureus. 

 not edible ; Lycoperdon giganteum, 

 edible ; Bovista plumhea, Lycoperdon 

 (probably) pyriforme — all collected 

 in Thome's Park, Wakefield, end 

 of November, 1875. — Mr. George 

 Wilson exhibited a very fine series 

 of Diloba cm-uleoecphala. — Mr. 

 Campbell exhibited the nest, eggs, 

 and skeleton of the greater tit 

 {Parus major) found in the centre 

 of a large elm tree, which had been 

 blown down by the late gale. — W. 

 Talbot, Secretary. 



York and District Field Natu- 

 ralists' Society. — The usual 

 monthly meeting of this society 

 was held Wednesday, Dec. 8th, 

 Mr. H. R. Moiser, F.G.S., one 

 of the vice-presidents, in the 

 chair. The hon. secretary read 

 the minutes of the last meet- 

 ing, after which the chairman 



exhibited and gave a description 

 of a number of minerals, amongst 

 them being marcasite, or white 

 iron pyrites, which occurs sparingly 

 in the chalk formation at Folke- 

 stone, and being susceptible of a 

 high polish, and freedom from 

 tarnishing, is manufactured into 

 various ornaments, such as pins, 

 ear-rings, brooches, &c., by the 

 French and Swiss jewellers. A 

 very large white variety, called the 

 stone of the Incas, was made into 

 mirrors and used by the ancient 

 nobles of Peru : Magnetite, from 

 Norway, which also occurs in our 

 own country at Rosedale. This 

 substance, when found in large 

 masses, is used for natural load- 

 stones : Chalybite or Spathie iron 

 ore from Cornwall. This mineral is 

 the valuable ingredient in the clay- 

 iron ore of Cleveland, where it 

 occurs combined with sand, clay, 

 and various other carbonates, as 

 brown earthy flattened nodules. 

 Mr Wolstenholme, polished speci- 

 mens of the onyx, jasper, and other 

 agates ; Mr. Simmons, several very 

 remarkable eggs of the common 

 fowl ; Mr. Helstrip, a specimen of 

 the Amazon parrot, which had 

 lately died at the age of 100 years, 

 also a fine specimen of Acherontia 

 Atropos, bred from larva taken this 

 year near Malton, and a box of 

 Indian butterflies ; the secretary 

 (Mr. Prest) the following lepidop- 

 tera : — a fine series of Sphinx Con- 

 volvuli, taken this year at Darling- 

 ton by Mr. J . Law ; Agrotis, 

 Ohelisci and Lncernea, taken in 

 Berwickshire by Mr. W. Shaw ; 

 Noctua ditrapezium, Dasypolia 

 Templi, and Xanthia Aurago. 



