94 



The Naturalist. 



proceeded with. Dr. Hime was elected president, and Mr. F. Brittain 

 was elected to his old post of hon. secretary. 



Stainxand Naturalists' Society* — Monthly meeting, December 5th, 

 the president in the chair. — The following specimens were exhibited : — 

 By J. E. Garside, woodcock (female) and the dunlin ; S. Peel, pair of 

 ring-tailed harriers. The following singular circumstance was reported 

 by a member : — On Wednesday morning, the 23rd November, two men, 

 who had left off work owing to the rain, were returning home, and at the 

 bottom of Blackley Lane they saw two magpies fighting, and a third 

 watching and chattering in a very excited manner. The men watched 

 the combat for some time, and saw the birds fasten together and roll over 

 on the ground. They then picked them up and proceeded on their way 

 home, followed for some distance by the third magpie, who kept up a 

 vehement chattering.'" After they got home, the birds were held facing 

 each other, when they pecked again and bit as savage as game-cocks. 

 They were finally trapped and shot. — C. C. Hanson, Hon. Sec. 



Tees Valley Field Club. — At the last meeting at ' Middlesbrough, 

 Dr. Veitch, hon. secretary, submitted a carefully classified list of the 

 plants that ha4 been found by members attending the field meetings. 

 These numbured 283, and out of the list three or four species have not 

 been previously recorded as occurring in South Yorkshire. It is proposed 

 to extend this list from year to year, and also to devote special attention 

 to other departments of botany than the flowering plants. Mr. Jones, 

 hon. secretary, read an account of the geological matters that had cropped 

 up in connection with the field meetings at Ayton, Forcett, High Force, 

 Glaisdale, Greta Dale, and Saltburn. -[We propose publishing this report 

 in our next issue. — Eds. Nat. ] 



Wakefield Naturalists' Society. — Special meeting, November 16th, 

 Mr. A. Dickson in the chair. — A paper was read by Mr. Coates from 

 J. Wainwright, Esq., F.L.S., being a Diary of his Continental journey. 



Monthly Meeting, Dec. 7th, Mr. G. Campbell, V,P., in the chair. — 

 A discussion took place on the advantages of museums in towns, how they 

 increased the knowledge of the different branches of natural history, and 

 that the town ought to provide one. — J. Spurling, Hon. Sec. 



York and District Field Naturalists' Society. — Monthly meeting, 

 December 14th, Mr. M. Smith in the chair. — The secretary informed the 

 meeting that he had, as their delegate, attended the council meeting of 

 the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society at Wakefield, and that 

 for the future the name of the society will be the Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Union, and the first meeting was fixed for Easter Monday at Wetherby. 

 Mr. G. C. Dennis exhibited some specimens of Macroglossa stelHtarum, 

 kindly sent by Mr. Alderman Colburn, from Mentone ; also Pcecilocampa 

 populi, and a series of Anaitis plagiata, bred from larva taken at Llan- 

 gollen. Mr. Rowntree, of Scarborough, who was present as a visitor, 

 exhibited some very fine butterflies from Nebraska, and some specimens 



