Reports of Societies. 



79 



Clayion. Mr. Soppitt gave an account of the recent meeting of the 

 Y.N.U. at Thirsk, and stated that he had collected about 90 species of 

 fungi. He exhibited specimens of Phragmidium violaceam and riibi, 

 collected at that meeting — two species hitherto in this country confounded 

 as P. bidbosnm, and pointed out the characteristics of each. He also 

 showed T etr aphis pellucida, in fruit, collected on the same occasion. Mr. 

 llling worth showed (7. Edusa, A . Gcdathea, S. ^geria, &c. 



Meeting Oct. 31st, the president in the chair. — The recorders of the 

 botanical section (Messrs. Soppitt and West) reported on the work done 

 by that section during the year 1882. They stated that the number of 

 plants added to the list during the year was 110, viz : — phanerogams 11, 

 fungi 55, mosses 16, hepatics 6, lichens 12, and algse 10, making a total 

 of 1,444 species actually observed by members of the society in the 

 districts under investigation. Mr. Soppitt exhibited and described a 

 number of micro-fungi. 



Meeting Nov. ]4th, the president in the chair. — Mr. Firth reported 

 on the work done by the vertebrate-zoological section during the year. 

 He stated that the additions to the list were few in number, and consisted 

 of the whiskered bat ( Vespertilio mystacimis) from Ben-Rhydding, little 

 bittern {Ardetta minuta) from Frizinghall, the great-crested newt {Triton 

 cristatus) from Baildon. and the common snake (Tropldonotus natrix) 

 from Wilsden, making a total of 164 species recorded for the district, viz. 

 mammalia 20 species, birds 13G, reptiles 4, and amphibians 4. For the 

 conchological section Mr. Soppitt gave an elaborate report and list of 

 species of land and fresh-water mollusca, in which he enumerated 101 

 species and varieties, amongst which were Sphceriwn rivicola, Shipley and 

 Seven Arches ; Anodonta cygnea, Bradford Moor and Saltaire : Neritina 

 fiuviatilis from Shipley, Bingley, &c. ; Pupa ringens from Shipley Glen. 

 Mr. West showed Nitella mucronata from a pond near Bedford — the 

 second British station. — J, W. C. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Monthly 

 meeting, Oct. 30th, the president (Mr. S. J. Capper) in the chair. — Mr. 

 C. H. H. Walker read a paper entitled " The Entomology -of the Antedi- 

 luvian World," which he illustrated by coloured diagrams of its fauna 

 and flora. He referred to the necessity of the study of paleontological 

 entomology for a proper idea of the classificatien of recent insects ; and 

 with reference to discussions which have taken place at recent meetings 

 ! of the society on the subject c f connecting links between different orders 

 of insects, he instanced the presence of insect remains (forming a group 

 known as the Palceodictyopter.i) in the carboniferous and permian series 

 I of strata, which are generally considered to be intermediate in structure 

 i between the Orthoptera and Keuroptera. To illustrate the paper, Mr. 

 ] J. T. Moore sent specimens of fossil insects from the Ravenhead (St. 

 ] Helen's) collection in the museum, and Mr. Walker exhibited a slab of 

 hi slate containing fossil dragon-flies. Mr. Frazer, of Crosby^ exhibited a 



