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The Naturalist. 



of earth-worms. The meeting concluded with a conversazione, during 

 which specimens were exhibited by Messrs. Johnson, Makin, and Eraser. 

 Mr. Wall exhibited living larvae of TipulcB under the microscope. 



Manchester Ohyptogamic Society. — Meeting March 20th, Dr. 

 Carrington, F.R S.E., in the chair. —The honorary secretary placed 

 before the members, a number of rare mosses, amongst them were fruiting 

 specimens of Trichostomum mutahile and T. Jlavo-virens, and a barren 

 specimen of Didymodon annosus, gathered in January last by Messrs. 

 Boswell and Westell, in Oxfordshire. It was reported, too, that this 

 species has recently been found in the Buxton district. Mr. Rogers also 

 exhibited a specimen (which he had just received from California), of 

 Selaginella lepidophylla, or >S. involvens. It is popularly known in 

 California as the "Resurrection plant," and sold as such in curiosity 

 shops, on account of its apparent revival when immersed in water, after 

 having been dried for years. It is similar in this respect to another 

 resurrection plant, known as the "Rose of Jericho." Mr. Stanley 

 exhibited a number of species of mosses mounted as microscopic slides, 

 Zygodon viridissimus, var. rnpestris, Eiirhynchium Teesdalii, and 

 Gymnostomum calcare^im, from the neighbourhood of Buxton and 

 Miller's Dale. Messrs. Cunliffe and Cash had been on a recent visit to 

 Nant-y-Fydd, near Wrexham, and had found Gymnostomum commutatum 

 and Orthodo7itium gracile, in fine condition. Specimens of these were 

 kindly distributed amongst the members. Mr. Foster brought a number 

 of variations in the form of the Scolopendrium vulgare, and two living 

 plants in excellent condition of very remarkable variations in Lomaria 

 spicant. The variety called the Maundersi, looked like a pot of curled 

 parsley or brocoli, the other was a very pretty variety, known as 

 trinervium, Mr. Rogers exhibited the following lichens : — Platysma 

 triste and Umhilicaria cylindracea, from Ben Cruachan, and Lecidea 

 sphmroides from Barmouth. These had been identified by Mr. West, of 

 Bradford, and it was remarked that the latter species had not hitherto 

 been recorded by Leighton, as occuring in the seventh Watsonian 

 province ; also, another interesting lichen from California, known as 

 the "lace moss," because of the beautiful Jace-like reticulations of the 

 thallus. It grows upon the oak trees in California, and is known to science 

 as Bamalina reticulata. The rest of the evening was taken up with the 

 examination of an excellent collection of mosses, which had been gathered 

 by Mr. Atkinson during his residence in the Lake District in 1867-8. — 

 Thos. Rogers, Hon. Sec. « 



Scarborough Scientific Society and Field Naturalists' Club. — 

 Monthly meeting, the president, Mr. J. W. Woodall, M.A., F.G.S., in 

 the chair. — A paper was read by Mr. J. H. Rowntree, vice-president of 

 the entomological section, on " Lepidoptera, their structure, habits, &c." 

 Specimens were exhibited, and also microscopical dissections of structure, 

 prepared by Mr. Middleton and Mr. Massee. — G. Massee, Hon. Sec. 



