NOTES AND NEWS. 



119 



The Chester Society of Natural Science have published — under the title of 

 ' A Short Hand-book of Natural History, for use at the Annual Conversaziones and 

 other meetings of the Society' (Chester, G. R. Griffith, 1884, 28 pages, price 6d.) — a 

 most valuable introduction to the whole scheme of classification of the animal, vege- 

 table, and mineral kingdoms, calculated to be of much use, especially to micro- 

 scopists. We have ourselves long felt the need of such a handbook, as well of what 

 it will tend to secure, a more systematic and thoughtful arrangement and selection of 

 suitable slides or objects for exhibition. It is to Mr. C. F. Fish that the Society is 

 indebted for the authorship of this valuable little manual, although the pamphlet 

 itself gives no indication on this point. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



We have at present under consideration the question as to the most advisable 

 form in which to keep a monthly record of meteorological observations in next 

 year's Naturalist, and we should be glad to have suggestions from our readers. 

 Ours being a natural history journal, the object we have in view is to give such a 

 summary of meteorological phenomena as is best calculated to throw light on 

 synchronous occurrences in natural history, such as the migratory movements of 

 birds, the flowering and leafing of plants, or the development or appearance of 

 insects, &c. We therefore feel that it is hardly within our province to give 

 detailed observations on any single series of phenomena, such as we have hitherto done 

 for rainfall, for several reasons. One is that a sufficiently widespread record of the 

 kind would occupy more space than we can well spare, while a more important 

 reason is that it is the sum total of all meteorological phenomena that exerts 

 influence of the kind we refer to. We should like to have a digested summary 

 showing week by week the general character of the weather in the North of 

 England, the direction and force of the wind, the variations in barometric pressure, 

 the relative amount of cloud or sunlight, and the fluctuations of the thermometer. 

 If we could secure such a record as this we should arrange to publish simultaneously 

 a similarly digested report or summary of periodical natural phenomena. 



. XxX 



The Committee for the Exploration of the Raygill Fissure in Lothersdale, 

 Yorkshire, of which the members are Professors A. H. Green and L. C. Miall, and 

 Messrs. John Brigg and James W. Davis, has been reappointed by the British 

 Association, with a renewed grant of ^15. Their operations had during the past 

 year been entirely suspended, pending the quarrying out of an obstructive block 

 of limestone in the fissure. 



>oo< 



The Bird-migration Committee also has been reappointed by the British 

 Association, which has shown its appreciation of the value of the work by increasing 

 the grant from £20 to £10- It now consists of Mr. J. Cordeaux (who acts as 

 Secretary), Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown, Professor A. Newton, Mr. R. M. Barrington, 

 Mr. A. G. More, Mr. J. Hardy, and Mr. W. Eagle Clarke. 



>00< 



It will not be out of place here to mention that the Committee request co-opera- 

 tion, and that in particular Mr. Clarke, who undertakes as his charge the West 

 Coast of England and Wales, would particularly request ornithologists and others 

 to assist in making his report as complete as possible, by sending to him at 18, Clare- 

 mont Road, Headingley, Leeds, their observations on the migratory movements of 

 all species, and on the occurrence of rare and uncommon ones, within the West 

 Coast region (inclusive of inland localities) during the spring and autumn of the 

 present year. When possible such notes should be accompanied by indications as 

 to the direction of the wind and the state of the weather immediately preceding the 

 occurrence of uncommon birds or during the observations of migratory movements. 

 The notes sent will be incorporated with the reports from the light-houses and 

 light-vessels, and all assistance given will be adequately acknowledged. 



Dec. 1884. 



