REPORTS OF SOCIETIES OBSERVATIONS. 



253 



Richmond and North Riding Naturalists' 

 Field Club. — Monthly meeting, December 

 12th. President Mr. E. Wood, F.G.S.,in 

 the chair. Many interesting specimens 

 were exhibited on all of which explana- 

 tions and discussions took place. The 

 president exhibited a beautiful specimen 

 of Graptolites, and a remarkable slab of 

 Sandstone from the coal formation pre- 

 sented by Mr. Duff, of Etherly, on which 

 are deep indentations, or footprints of 

 some animal. He explained the nature of 

 the deposit and stated that these right and 

 left horse -shoe like markings had puzzled 

 the geologists of the age, who, so far, could 

 but guess at the character of the creature 

 that had left such mysterious foot-]prints 

 behind it. Mr. S. Richardson exhibited 

 some specimens of the Death's Head Moth, 

 Acherontia atropos, on which he read a 

 paper by Mr. J. Aspdin, Mr. "VV. Hawx- 

 well exhibited a fine specimen of the Great 

 Grey Shrike, Lanius excuhitor, on which 

 he also read a paper. The specimen was 

 shot at Whitcliff, near Richmond, on the 

 8th of November last, and was presented 

 to the museum of the club by Mr. W. 

 "Woughty. Mr. T. Ableson presented a 

 powerful glass to the museum, for the 

 examination of minute objects — Mr. L. 

 Bradley, F. G. S. , stated that he was ready 

 to fill the drawers in one of the cabinets in 

 the museum with a labelled collection of 

 the minerals of the district. In answer to a 

 question from one of the members present, 

 *' Are live toads ever found embedded in 

 solid blocks of stone" — the president gave 

 a long and interesting explanation, pro and 

 con, of this oft discussed question, by 

 stating his firm conviction that it is im- 

 ];)ossible, and said he would gladly pay 

 £5 for a broken open stone, with the toad 

 that harl come out of it, provided the 

 stone had been solid until the time of its 

 discovery. The meeting terminated with 

 an address from the president upon the 



amount of work done and , information 

 given and'^obtained during this the first 

 year of the club's existence ;"'trusting for a 

 great increase of members and a hearty co- 

 operation for the new year. After a vote 

 of thanks to the chairman the meeting 

 adjourned to the second Tuesday in Jan- 

 uary. — James Aspdin, Hon. Sec. 



^ The Queckett Miceoscopical Club. 



At the monthly meeting of the above 

 society, held at their rooms, 32, Sackville- 

 street, Piccadilly, on Friday evening, 22nd 

 December. Mr. P. Le Weve Foster, vice- 

 president in the chair. 



Mr. Bockett read a very interesting and 

 practical paper on ' ' How to arrange and 

 keep a cabinet, "^after which an animated 

 discussion took place. 



The suggestion made at a previous meet- 

 ing, for the appointment of a Sub-Com- 

 mittee to investigate vegetable fibres was 

 again 'adverted to, and a committee was 

 appointed " to examine vegetable fibres, 

 with a view to ascertaining permanent 

 structural characters, whereby one fibre 

 may be distinguished from another, and to 

 report thereon." 



Mr, Hislop exhil)ited and described a 

 microscope which had been made to his 

 drawings and which comprehended several 

 novel features. 



Twenty-thi-ee members were elected and 

 eleven candidates were proposed. 



At the conversazione which followed, 

 Mr. Beck and] Mr. ^Powell exhibited their 

 respective j modifications of an American 

 suggestion for brilliantly illuminating 

 opaque objects when under^ examination 

 with high powers. 



Anas ficsca— On the 20th of Nov. a fine 

 specimen of the Velvet Scoter, Anas fusca, 

 in perfect plumage, was killed by Mr. 

 Robert Croft, of Fleetwood, on the River 

 'Wyre, about two miles from the mouth of 

 the riAX'v, and was forwarded in the flesh to 



