188 



The Naturalist. 



Pecten demissus, &c., but all had been recorded by members of the 

 Society at previous visits. Mollusca : Helix virgata and Helix erietornm. 

 One fungus Peziza cerea new to the district was found. At Wressle the 

 party were met by Rev. Kennedy and were conducted by him over 

 the ruins of the Castle, where they learnt some interesting particulars of 

 its history. Owing to a continuous downpour of rain no attempt was 

 made to examine the flora of the neighbourhood. On the walls and near 

 the ruins were found Arahis Thaliana, Draba verna, C'orydalis lutea, 

 Asplenium Tricliomanes ; near the Castle Narcissus pseudo-narcissus is very 

 abundant and blooms freely. Mosses, Mninm U7idulatum, M. punctatum, 

 &c. Hepaticse, Fegatella conica. Lichen, Physcia parietaria. — Thomas 

 BiRKS, Jun. 



The Second Excursion of the season was made on May 16th, to 

 Cottingham and Beverley. The party walked through pleasant fields 

 past Cottingham chalk pits, Risby Park, Walkington, Westwood and 

 Burton Bushes to Beverley. At the chalk pits good sections of the upper 

 or white chalk (with flints) were seen, capped in one of the pits with 

 drift beds. Some remarks explaining the character and geological 

 history of the chalk were made by the president. No fossils were found 

 here, but at Mr. Fisher's whiting works near Beverley, where the chalk 

 is quarried to a depth of nearly 150 feet, a collection of fossils found on 

 the spot was examined ; they comprised but few forms, the principal 

 being Belemniies moicronatus (the last of its race), Ananchytes ovatus, and 

 several kinds of sponges, especially Ventriculites. Westwood is not, as 

 its name would lead one to suppose, a wood, but a wide open common 

 left by an abbot of old to the freemen of Beverley. At one corner of it, 

 however, is a genuine bit of ancient forest —Burton Bushes — with vener- 

 able oaks and tall holly bushes scattered about in picturesque disorder, 

 and open green glades between them. 103 flowering plants, 21 mosses, 

 and some lichens and fungi were observed. Among the birds noted were 

 the swift, swallow and martin, the chiff'-chaff, willow- wren, coot, waterhen 

 and stock dove, as well as the more common species. — Thos. Birks, Jun. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Monthly 

 meeting, May 26th, the [president, Mr. S. J. Capper, in the chair. — 

 Mr. Wall read a paper on " The use of the Microscope in the Study 

 of Entomology. " The author laid special stress on the impossibility of 

 a scientiflc and systematic prosecution of the study without the aid of 

 microscopic research. On the conclusion of the paper, the subject was 

 further illustrated by the exhibition of a series of entomological prepara- 

 tions by several members and friends, who had kindly lent their microscopes 

 for the occasion. 



The Leeds Naturalists' Club and Scientific Association. — 334th 

 meeting. May 20th, Mr. B. Holgate, F.G.S., in the chair,— Mr. W. 

 Barwell Turner, F.C.S., read a short paper on the pea-crab {Pinnofheres 



