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Tfie Naturalist. 



Leeds Naturalists' Club and Scientific Association. — 238th. 

 meetingj Tuesday, January 30th, Mr. Samuel Jetferson, F.C.S., president, 

 in the chair, — Mr. J. Holmes Walker, of Pudsey, gave an interesting 

 lecture on The Two Electrical Theories," illustrated by a large display 

 of apparatus and diagrams. There was subsequently a good discussion. 



240th Meeting, Tuesday, February 13th, Mr. S. Jefferson, F.C.S., 

 president, in the chair. — Mr. Frank Curzon gave a lecture on ''The 

 Scientific Bases of Physiognomy," illustrated by diagrams and freehand 

 sketches on the black board. — W. D. R. 



Leeds Conchological Club. — A small Society, intended more for 

 practical work than is usually the case, was founded on the 12th October, 

 1876, by the conchologists of Leeds. The meetings are fortnightly, at 

 the residences of the members ; seven have been held, including the one 

 on the 1st February, 1877. At the seven meetings the shells of the 

 county have been well attended to, 150 records having been made and 

 duly verified by specimens exhibited, 66 species and varieties being 

 represented. The extra-Yorkshire geographical distribution of shells has 

 also been well attended to, and other departments of the science have not 

 been overlooked. 



2nd Meeting, Oct. 26th, 187 6, Mr. William Nelson, president, in the 

 chair. — Mr. Henry Crowther undertook, by a series of chemical experi- 

 ments, to prove the presence of a small quantity of phosphorus in the 

 shell of the mussel {Mytilus edulis). The experiments were of an 

 interesting nature, and clearly showed— giving credence to the tests laid 

 down by our leading chemists — the existence of an element in shells, the 

 presence of which has been denied by one of our leading conchologists — 

 Dr. Jeffreys (Brit. Conchol., vol. i, p. xlv). The whelk {Buccinum 

 undatum) has also been tried by Mr. Crowther, but with so poor a result 

 as almost to lead one to believe the truth of Dr. Jeffrey's statement : 

 this subject Mr. Crowther intends to take up more thoroughly at some 

 future time, and in a more systematic manner, thinking that it is of 

 some slight importance to the conchologist. 



4th Meeting, Nov. 23rd. — The president (Mr. Nelson) remarked that 

 specimens of Cyclostoma elegans from shady places were lighter in colour 

 and larger in size than those found in more exposed situations, thus 

 showing the influence of the presence or absence of light, and of 

 surrounding conditions on the development of shells. 



5th Meeting, Dec. 7th, the president in the chair. — -A letter from 

 Miss E. B. Fairbrass, of Faversham, Kent, was read, confirming Mr. 

 Nelson's views as to the influence of light, &c. , on Cyclostoma elegans. 

 At this meeting it was resolved to join the W. R. C. N. Society. 



6th Meeting, Jan. 11th, Mr. W. Nelson, president, in the chair. — 

 Mr. John W. Taylor exhibited three species of Tulstoma — T. magniftca 

 from the Alabama river, Ala. ; T. angulata from Coosa river, Ala. ; and 

 T. coosaensis from same locality — and remarked that singular confusion 



