oris oi Botxdm. 



Barnsley Naturalists' Society. — At the meetings of August 1st, T. 

 Lister in the chair, and August 15th, Dr. W. J, Lancaster, the president, 

 in the chair, reports were made by the various sections. The monthly- 

 excursions were productive of good results, which will appear in the next 

 quarter's ''Transactions." The quarterly Transactions to the close of 

 June 30th, were laid on the table to be presented to each member and 

 corresponding society. It is a painstaking report. The entomological 

 section reports an unsuccessful season on account of cold wet nights. 

 The only moths worth reporting are Cymatophora Jluctnosa, June 6th, at 

 Lunn Wood ; Procris statices found for the first time in this locality in a 

 field adjoining New Park Spring, June 15th, by the secretary, W. E. 

 Brady ; Cymatophora fluctuosa again taken June 16th ; Asthena sylvata, 

 Melanippe hastata, Numeria ptdveraria at New Park Spring ; Notodonta 

 dictceoides, Venusia camhricaria and two more C. fluctuosa at Wharn- 

 clifie. The botanical section (T. Pose, secretary), gives a long list of 

 plants found, drawn up by Messrs. F. Batley and W. Hemingway, for 

 which space cannot be afibrded in the Naturalist. The geological section 

 found in the beds of boulder clay of a dark tenacious character, re-exposed 

 in the cutting of the Barnsley Coal Railway, at the bridge carrying over 

 the -Barnsley and Wakefield Road the following rocks : — Sandstones and 

 shales with scratches, coals, do. — ganister, mountain limestone, Silu- 

 rian grits, limestones with remains of encrinital stems, greenstone, green 

 slate several varieties, both much rounded and weathered, also Hematite 

 iron ore. Specimens of all the above are in the museum. A bed of 

 yellow clay has been observed at various points between Smithies and 

 Roystone ; the mass of granite at the latter place has been twice visited, 

 being discovered by Professor Green. The following fossils were brought 

 from the workings on the Hull and Barnsley Railway, near Brierley, 

 Sphenophyllu7n erosura, Annularia sphenophylloides, and Sphenopteris 

 crenata, an almost perfect frond of Neuropteris gigantea 17 inches long. 

 An erratic block was observed at Lunn Wood, about two feet cube, one 

 face glaciated, the material appeared to be ganister. — H. Wade, secretary. 

 The vertebrate section, drawn up by W. Robinson, presents an elaborate 

 report, some of the birds have already appeared in the Naturalist. 

 Cuckoos have been plentiful, sixteen were observed. 



Bradfoed Naturalists' Society. — Meeting June 27th. — Mr. Soppitt 

 (vice-president), in the chair. — Mr. B. Spencer read a paper on '' Plant 

 Lore," and took for his starting point the following quotation from Dr. 

 Clark, " The weeds of one country are the flowers of another." He first 

 described what weeds are, and showed how under cultivation they can be 

 improved in many ways. As an instance of this he took the corn poppy, 

 which when cultivated becomes double. He described how plants will 

 deteriorate to their wild state if cultivation is not kept up. One of the 

 principal agents of the florist in cultivating plants is hybridizing, and 



