Barnsley Naturalists' Society. — Meeting, January 31st, Dr. W. J. 

 Lancaster in the chair. — A paper was read by Mr. T. Lister on " The 

 Rarer Birds of South Yorkshire." An account of the great or ash- 

 coloured shrike, the largest of the butcher birds, was given — obtained at 

 Deepcar Jan. 6th ; one was obtained at Horsforth a few years back, one 

 at Beckett's Croft, and one at Old Mill — all that are known near Barns- 

 ley. — T. Lister. 



Bradford Naturalists' Society. — Meeting, January 24th, Mr. H. T. 

 Soppitt in the chair. — Accounts of rambles were given by several mem- 

 bers. A very interesting discussion took place on the variation of plants. 

 Mr. Bennett exhibited a very interesting series of astronomical shdes, 

 with an oxy-hydrogen lantern, which were described by Mr. B. Illing- 

 worth. 



Meeting Feb. 7th, the president in the chair. — Mr. W. West shewed, 

 under the microscope, the new diatom Bhizoselenia Shrubsolii, and a 

 number of Scandinavian fresh- water algse from Worsted's herbarium. Mr. 

 H. Hebblethwaite gave a lecture on the cockroach, describing the general 

 outward features of this insect, the nervous system, nerve organs, and 

 alimentary canal. The lecture was illustrated by a number of large 

 diagrams, microscopical slides, and a greatly enlarged model of the 

 cockroach. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Annual 

 meeting, 30th January, the president, Mr. S. J. Capper, in the chair. — 

 The following were re-elected for the ensuing year : — Messrs. S. J. 

 Capper, president, and Dr. J. W. Ellis, hon. secretarv. In responding 

 to a vote of thanks to the officers for the past year, the president gave an 

 admirable resume of the history and work of the society since its com- 

 mencement. He said that appeared a fitting time to trace the history of 

 the society, which originated in the meeting of a few ardent entomologists, 

 at the house of their vice-president, Mr. Nicholas Cooke, The secretary 

 presented the balance-sheet and annual report, which showed an addition 

 to the society during the year of 16 members, making a total of 59, whilst 

 notwithstanding that the society has purchased a considerable number of 

 books for its library, a balance of £4 5s. 9d. remains in the treasurer's 

 hands. — Mr. J. B. L. Dixon read a paper on " The Anatomy of the 

 Wasp," which was illustrated with beautiful drawings. Among the 

 numerous objects exhibited during the conversazione were varieties of 

 A . caja and A. grossulariata, British V. Antiopa, &c., by Mr. Brest, of 

 York ; rare German lepidoptera, by Mr. Th. Von Sobbe ; a British Chei- 

 matohia, by Mr. N. Cooke, &c. 



Manchester Cryptogaimic Society. — Mr. Thomas Brittain in the 

 chair, who at the commencement of the proceedings, kindly distributed a 

 number of lichens which he had recently collected, Parmelia aqnilla (in 



