172 



The Naturalist. 



plants to man, as from it we either directly or indirectly derive nearly all 

 our food. The plant most useful to man is Oryza sativa, the common 

 rice plant, about 50 varieties of which are cultivated as food for man. 

 This grass supplies more people with food than any other kind in the 

 world. The distinction between grasses and allied orders was pointed 

 out. The first part of Mosley's work on European Butterflies was shown ; 

 it pleased the members exceedingly. Mr. Firth reported the wood wren 

 and house martin for May 4th, also the yellow , wagtail, garden warbler, 

 and sedge warbler for May 12th. Mr. Carter reported H. impluviata 

 from Gilstead, and N. pulveraria from Hawksworth. both of which are 

 new to the district. Messrs. Soppitt and West showed Stellaria nemorumj 

 Scirpus paucifiorus, Frunus Padus, Rihes rubrum, Potamogeton crispus^ 

 Pyrus Aria, Geranium phcBum, Ranunculus Lenormandi, &c. — William 

 West, Sec. 



HuDDERSFiBLD SCIENTIFIC Club. — Meeting May 10th, Mr. G. T. 

 Porritt, president, in the chair. — Mr. James Varley exhibited a specimen 

 of the lessser whitethroat, killed by flying against telegraph wires on May 

 5th ; he also showed living specimens of Bombyx cecropia, reared from 

 cocoons from America ; also a valuable series of the male of Saturnia 

 carpini, taken a few days previously ; one of them was a particularly dark 

 specimen. Mr. S. D. Bairstow, a box of lepidoptera recently taken in 

 various parts of North Wales, including Lyccena Argiolus, Thecla rubi, 

 Hemerophila abruptaria, Cidaria suffumata, &c. The chairman, living 

 larvae of Anchocelis lunosa, Scopula olivalis (on Lamium), Myelophila cri- 

 brella (in thistle stems) and also some larvae in Aira ccespitosa, supposed to 

 be those of Miana furuncula, received from Mr. J. Gardner, of Hartle- 

 pool. Mr. S. L. Mosley showed larvse of Satyrus Semele, S, Janira, and 

 Procris Geryon, also from Hartlepool ; also the following Hemiptera- 

 homoptera, taken at Sherwood Forest in April, Psylla pineti and Trioza 

 hcematodes. The first part of Mr. Mosley's "Illustrations of Exotic Butter- 

 flies " was also on the table, and gave universal satisfaction, it being con- 

 sidered that the execution of the plates could not be surpassed. Mr. G. 

 Brook ter. showed the following mosses from the Eden district : — Weissia 

 crispula, W. viridida, Funaria fascicidaris, &c. ; also a diseased fish, in 

 corroboration of the remarks contained in his paper read at the last 

 meeting. He said exception had been taken to his statement that the 

 fungus killed the fish rapidly, but the fish exhibited had only died the 

 day before, and there was no trace of fungus until five days previously. 

 The mouth was completely crammed with fungus, although it had 

 commenced in the fins. Mr. Byram Littlewood shewed eggs of perch 

 with the microscope. The development appeared to be much more 

 rapid than in the trout, and at the end of about fourteen days (as 

 exhibited) the fish was very lively, and could be distinctly seen to very 

 often turn completely round within the egg ; the embryo trout, on the 

 contrary, seemed able to move but very little. At the close of the 



