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The Naturalist. 



birch in Askham bog. Tephrosia biundularia was common at Sandburn, 

 with various other species. Enpithecia lariciata and Melanthia albicillata 

 had been taken at Bishop's Wood, near Selby, by members who had 

 called there on their way to the meeting. Dr. Parsons, secretary of the 

 Botanical Section, reported that the undulating clay and alluvial country 

 in the neighbourhood of York had yielded little but the ordinary plants 

 of cultivated lowland districts. Askham Bog was a swampy thicket, 

 occupying the surface of a peat bed which filled up a depression in the 

 clay ; it was probably a relic of the conditions which formerly prevailed 

 over a large part of the vale of York. The flora of the Bog had in the 

 main a peaty character, but the absence, so far as observed, of the heaths 

 and the foxglove, and the presence of certain limestone-loving plants, 

 indicated that the soil partook somewhat of a calcareous nature. Owing 

 to the backwardness of the season comparatively few species were found 

 to what would have been the case later in the year, but some of those 

 found were of considerable rarity. 179 Vasculares were seen, among 

 the rarer being Ranunculus Lingua, Stellaria glauca, Carduus pra- 

 tensis (a southern plant), Hottonia palustris, and Cladium Mariscus. 

 The special rarity at Askham Bog was, however, a sedge ; Carex para- 

 doxa, which grew in tall tussocks plentifully all over the Bog, but found 

 in only three out of the 11 2 counties of Great Britain. Of ferns, N'ephro- 

 dium Thelypteris and Osmunda regalis were abundant in the Bog, but in 

 deference to the desire of Capt. Severne no specimens were brought away. 

 In neighbouring ditches were found Chara syncarpa and Riccia natans, 

 a curious little liverwort closely resembling a duckweed in its appearance 

 and floating habit. Twenty-seven mosses were found, among them being 

 Tetraphis pellucida (in fruit), Cinclidotus fontinaloides (Naburn Lock), 

 Climacium dendroides, and Hypnum cordifolium. Among algse were 

 Oscillatoria nigra, Euglena viridis, Chsetophora tuberosa, Coleochsete 

 scutata, Batrachospermum moniliforme, Pandorina morum, Closterium 

 moniliforme, and Mougeotia genuflexa. But few hepaticse, lichens, or 

 fungi were seen. Mr. E. Jones, of Embsay, near Skipton, who was the 

 only geologist present, stated that the chief point of interest in that 

 section was a splendid series of photographs of the sections of the boulder 

 clays exposed in excavating for the York new goods station, exhibited on 

 behalf of Mr. J. E. Clark, B.A., B.Sc. There were no representatives of 

 the Vertebrate Section present, and the only bird reported was the house 

 martin, building near Chandler's Whin. Mr. J. D. Butterell of Hull 

 reported for the Conchological Section, in the absence of its officers. He 

 stated that 12 land and 13 freshwater shells had been collected, including 

 Planorbis lineatus and Valvata cristata. The circular having stated that 

 86 species have been recorded for the district, and given a list of shells 

 which had not, Helix sericea was announced as an addition to the list,' 

 having been collected so long ago as 1858. This shows the value of so 

 writing the circular as to show the deficiencies in the knowledge of the 

 fauna and flora of the district to be worked out. — W. D. R. 



