46 



The Naturalist. 



shown. Mr. Walter Raine showed eggs of Montagu's harrier, taken at 

 Sutton-on-the-Forest, near York ; of turtle-doves from Acomb ; of merlin 

 from Darlington ; and three beautiful varieties of the thick-knee plover 

 from Norfolk.— W. D. R. 



Manchester Oryptogamic Society. — Monthly meeting, Mr. John 

 Whitehead, president, in the chair. — The secretary (Mr. Rogers) read a 

 letter from Mr. Bos well, of Oxford, enclosing specimens of several rare 

 mosses. The president laid before the meeting a moss of the genus 

 Philonotis, gathered upon Ben Muich-Dhui in 1876, which appeared to be 

 undescribed in any of the text-books. He had sent a specimen to the 

 Rev. J. Fergusson, who, in reply, stated that the form was not unknown 

 to him, but that he had seen fruit of it for the first time this season. He 

 had named it, provisionally, Philonotis firma. With regard to Bedwigia 

 striata, exhibited at the last meeting, from near Grasmere, the president 

 said that in looking through Mr. Ashton's collection he had found a 

 fruiting specimen gathered in Llanberis Pass. This was a fortunate dis- 

 covery, as the moss was extremely rare — three localities only being known 

 for it. It was first found by the late Mr. W. Wilson in 1829, at Llyn 

 Idwal, and named by him Ancectangium striatum. Another very rare 

 moss, Tortnla papillosa, was exhibited by the president, having been 

 found on trees brought to Ashton-under-Lyne from the neighbourhood of 

 Welshpool. Fontinalis gracilis, which has been a subject of much dis- 

 cussion amongst muscologists, was likewise exhibited. Mr. Holt handed 

 in a collection of mosses from Cressbrook Dale, Derbyshire, including 

 several interesting species, namely, Bryum Zierii (barren), Necke^-a com- 

 planata (fruit), Sissideyis pusillus, and Hypnum chrysophyllum. Other 

 members exhibited (Edipodium Griffithianum (a species peculiar to 

 Britain), gathered upon Snowdon last month ; and the finding of Andrecea 

 alpestris in the same neighbourhood, and of A. falcata, crassinerma, and 

 other species in Llanberis Pass was also mentioned ; but these are to 

 form the subject of discussion at a future meeting. Rhahdoweissa fugax 

 and R. denticulata were reported to have been found in great abundance 

 this autumn both at Llanberis Pass, at Llyn Ogwen, and in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Dolgelly. 



OvENDEN Naturalists' Society. — Monthly meeting, Aug. 31st, Mr. 

 T. Scott, V.P., in the chair. — A number of botanical specimens were laid 

 on the table, chiefly common species. The ferns included Polypodium 

 vulgare, P. Phegopteris, P. Dryopteris, Lastrea recurvum, Blechnum 

 horeale, &c. Mr. J. Spencer showed a few geological specimens, including 

 a new form of Ulodendron from the sandstone of Southowram , also a 

 Dadoxylon from a baum-pot from the marine beds of the Halifax coal 

 strata ; Mr. T. Hirst, the following birds and animals :— one rough-legged 

 buzzard, pair of smews, pair of hoopoes, one bustard, two white hares 

 from America, a white fox from Scotland, a loriot (sic) and a cormorant, 

 killed at Low Moor. — J, Ogden, Sec. 



