46 



The Naturalist. 



arranged with much skill and taste. Mr. Swarbreck, of Bedale, left on 

 the table of the museum " The Military Antiquities of the Romans in 

 Britain." The case of humming-birds will also remain in the museum 

 for a short time. 



Tees Valley Field Club. — Meeting and Excursion 2nd September. — 

 This meeting was chiefly of archaeological interest, the places visited being 

 Barnard Castle, Egglestone Abbey, Greta Bridge, Scargill Wood, Brignall 

 and Bowes, the locality of ''Do the Boys Hall " of Dickens' "Nicholas 

 Nickleby." The botanists, however, did not neglect collecting, some 85 

 plants in flower being gathered during the day. 



Wakefield Naturalists' Society. — Monthly meeting, Sept. 7th, the 

 president in the chair, — Mr. Fogg exhibited H. petasites ; Mr. Lumb, 

 eggs of the black-headed bunting, grey bunting, a variety of the eggs of 

 song thrush, and a number of others ; Mr. Wilcock a specimen of Veronica 

 scutellata, and a box containing a large number of Coleoptera ; Mr. Talbot 

 a living locust taken in the prison yard. It was also proposed that the 

 following books be bought and added to the library : — Morris's " British 

 Birds, Nests, and Eggs"; Rye's "Coleoptera"; Smith's (British 

 Museum) " British Bees." — J. Spurling, Hon. Sec. 



York and District Field Naturalists' Society. — Meeting 13th Sep- 

 tember, Mr. R. Cooke in the chair. — Mr. Ripley exhibited heads of the 

 Thar, Gerow, and Musk deer (shot by Mr. R. D. D. Wilson, Bishopton, 

 Ripon, and Major Craster, Otterington House), from the snowy moun- 

 tains of India, and very rarely shot by Englishmen ; a fine specimen of 

 the knot {Tringa canutus), a rare British bird taken near Rillington 

 Station. The knot is a native of the high latitudes of Europe and 

 America, and frequents our shores in the autumn ; also a fine specimen 

 of the common sandpiper, taken from a large pike, which had evidently 

 bolted the bird alive. The fish was captured by a gentleman residing at 

 Birdsall, near Malton. Mr. Gillar : eggs and down of the Eider duck 

 {Anas mollisma), taken by himself in the Shetland Isles. Nr. C. D. 

 Wolstenholme : eggs of the scoter {Anas perspicillata), little crake (Crex 

 pusilla), and a fine fresh specimen of Colias edusa, taken by himself near 

 Tuxford railway station, August 21st. Mr. Wm. Simmons : a specimen 

 of Sirex gigas, taken at Strensall ; also Cymatophora fluctuosa, dark 

 specimens of Gnophos ohscurata, Eupithcecia succenturiata and suhciliata, 

 Lohophora viretata, Limacodes asellus, Lythria purpuraria, and Eupmcilia 

 implicitana. Mr. Robinson : living larvse of Acidalia imitaria. Mr. 

 Potter : a collection of rare mountain plants, taken by himself in the 

 South Tyrol in 1875. The secretary (Mr. Brest) living larvse of Hadena 

 rectilinea ; a specimen of Aplecta occulta, taken at Sandburn, near York, 

 and very rare in this county ; Vanessa Antiopa, taken at Castle Howard 

 in 1872 ; and a fine series of Lucanus cervus, the stag beetle from 

 Reading. — W. Prest, Hon. Sec. 



