118 



The Naturalist. 



insect is considered to be an arboreal one, affecting oak trees for the most 

 part, and is mentioned as of not uncommon occurrence in oak woods in 

 the South of England. In 1835 Mr. Stephens recorded it in his " Ilkis- 

 trations of British Entomology," vol, vi., p. 15, as "common in the 

 autumn in oaks and lime-trees throughout the metropolitan district, 

 especially about Hertford, and at Coombe Wood and Ripley," — all, of 

 course, in the south of England. I will only add that Dr. Bolivar will be 

 happy to determine any specimens of orthoptera which the readers of this 

 journal may wish to know the names of, and that I shall be equally happy 

 to forward them to him for that purpose. — Wm. Denison Roebuck, 

 Sunny Bank, Leeds, Dec. 30, 1881. 



Death of Mrs. Thomas Lister. — We much regret to have to record 

 the loss sustained by the veteran naturalist of Barnsley, our friend Mr. 

 Thos. Lister, of his wife in her 70th year, and beg to tender our hearty 

 sympathy with him in his bereavement after forty years of married 

 if e.— Eds. Nat. 



gl^poxis of Soriefes. 



Barnsley Naturalists' Society. — Meeting, Dec. 20th, Mr. T. Lister 

 in the chair. — A conversation, on Local Geology, was opened by G. C. 

 Milner. He described four walks in search of geological information. 

 1st. Cuttings in the coal from Old Mill to Staincross. 2nd. Cuttings on 

 Midland Railway, Pontefract Road. 4th. Tankersley, and the shell 

 remains in the ironestone beds. In connection with the 2nd walk, an 

 original plain of a peculiar arch of sandstone was shown, which we 

 remember as an object of attraction at the time, but like the remains of 

 a drift formation in the first cutting of the coal line, at Staincross, 

 described by Prof. Green, was smoothed down and covered from sight- 



Meeting, Jan. I7th, Mr. T. Lister in the chair. — A paper on the 

 " Origin of Coal " was given by Mr. C. Bellamy. The quarterly transactions 

 to Dec. 31st were laid on the table. The mildness of autumn allowed 

 observations, full of interest to the entomologist, checked by some cold 

 nights in October. It is unusual in November, to follow entomological 

 pursuits under a bright blue sky, and take such insects as Bimera pen- 

 naria, Mibernia aurantiaria, H. defoliaria, <&c. , whilst the autumn crocus, 

 primrose, wood anemone, ranunculus, &c. , relieved the monotony of faded 

 nature. The thrush family have all sung ; lapwings and starlings in 

 immense flocks ; golden-plovers in Christmas week ; the night-jar 

 Cawthorne, as late as Nov. 21st ; a sparrow-hawk seen to capture a thrush 

 Dec. 16th. Three specimens of that rare winter visitor, the snow-bunting, 

 obtained at Deepcar, Dec. 30th, At the annual meeting, Jan. 3rd, the 

 accounts were produced by the financial secretary, Mr, W. Barraclough ; a 

 fair balance was shewn. 



