Kepoets of Societies. 



13 



greensand of Great Brickhill, including Terehratula ohlonga, and T. 

 Proutoniana, Bhynchonella upinarensis, B. Cantahridgiensis, and Auto- 

 dichotoma. Several of the members brought specimens of plants and 

 coal fossils, but there were none which had not been already recorded. 

 The president performed a number of experiments with sulphate of 

 lithia, shewing the characteristic reactions of salts of lithium (the 

 lightest solid known), and giving an account of its bands revealed by the 

 spectroscope. It was by means of this instrument, he remarked, that 

 Ccesium and Buhidium, both rare metals belonging to the same group as 

 Lithium, were discovered. 



Rastrick and Brighouse Naturalists' Society. — Monthly Meeting 

 July 10th, the president, Mr. E. Whiteley, in the chair. About fifty 

 specimens of plants were exhibited, some of them rare in the district, 

 viz : — Erodium moschatum, Atropa Belladonna, Scandix Pecten-veneris, 

 Potentilla alpestris, Hypericum Androscemum, and H. montanum. The 

 plants were named by Mr. G. B. Wentworth. 



Selby Naturalists' Society, — Meeting June 20th. — Mr. Thomas 

 Foster read a paper on " The life history of a Moth," describing the 

 various changes undergone by insects, from the egg to the perfect insect, 

 and exhibiting a choice collection of insects and other objects illustrating 

 points mentioned in his paper. Mr. Foster said that out of the 64 

 species of British butterflies 30 may be found within a radius of six miles 

 of Selby. Dr. Willis exhibited a specimen of the nest and eggs of the 

 long-tailed titmouse {Parus longicaudatus), and the president some 

 mineral specimens. 



On July 6th the above Society had their first field excursion, which 

 was made to Riccall Common and Skipwith, the party numbering about 

 twenty members and friends. On leaving the vicarage, the party pro- 

 ceeded to the Common, and along the roadside through the village were 

 found Ghelidonium majus, Malva rotundifolia, and Bryonia dioica. On 

 arriving on the Common the company divided into sections and com- 

 menced the work of specimen collecting, each to his own special depart- 

 ment of science. This locality is usually very prolific in entomological 

 specimens, but the late weather having been unfavourable to the insects, 

 the only noteworthy captures of the day were S. janira, C. pamjjhylus, 

 H. sylvanus, F. atomaria, M. montanata, and E. russula. The bota- 

 nists made some good finds, most of the work of the day apparently 

 having been done in this branch of science. Among plants of note 

 observed on the common were Drosera rotundifolia and D. intermedia ; 

 along the roadside were specimens of Badiola millegrana ; about the ponds 

 in the middle of the Common were noticed Hypericum elodes, Littorella 

 lacustris, and Alisma ranunculoides. On the Skipwith side of the 

 Common were found Pinguicula vidgaris and Anagallis tenella ; also Habe- 



