Reports of Societies. 



Ill 



be glad of any anecdotes or other suitable information from any of his 

 correspondents and friends. — G. T, P. 



B^porfs of Sociefos. 



Bahnsley Naturalists' Society.— Meeting Dec. ] 9tli, Dr. Lancaster 

 in the chair. — A very interesting paper was read by Mr. R. Creighton, 

 on the Trochilidge, or " Humming Birds," many choice specimens of 

 skins of these minute and briUiant birds being exhibited by him, and 

 their range from the sonthern to the northern parts of the American 

 continent described. 



AimcTAL Meeting, Jan. 19th. — Mr. T. Lister was elected president, and 

 Mr. W. E. Brady hon. sec. But little progress was reported in entomology 

 and botany. In ornithology some particulars were given of the effect 

 on birds before and after the snow-storm of Dec. 6th, and the intense 

 frost of the 12th. Birds were rendered tame by the cold and starvation, 

 and some were found dead. Starlings, bullfinches, blue tits, blackbirds, 

 and even jays, came about houses and garden-sheds in the town and 

 villages. The Rev. J. J ohnson writes of a flock of golden plovers near the 

 Vicarage, Denby. After the melting of the snow, daws, rooks, meadow 

 pipits, grey and pied wagtails, and redpolls stirred about in the fields in 

 quest of food. A few have cheered us with their song — as missel thrush 

 Dec. 3rd ; thrush Jan. 3rd ; blackbird, 4th. — T. L. 



Beverley Field Naturalists' and Scientific Society. — Meeting 

 11th January. A resolution was passed to make application to the 

 Gilchrist Trustees for their series of lectures to be held in Beverley 

 during the next winter session. Mr. H. M. Ellis presented a number of 

 eoal-measure fossils to the society, and Mr. Swailes, on behalf of Mr. C. 

 Dixon, exhibited a fine specimen of the waxwing, shot recently in Pig- 

 hill-lane. Mr. R.Cherry showed the following lepidoptera : — Tephrosia 

 crepuscularia, Agriopis aprilina, Amphidasis hetularia and its black 

 variety, Chcerocampa elpe^ior, and Gimn^nesia trilinea. Mr. F. Boyes 

 reported that a specimen of the hooper, or whistling swan {Cygnns fcrus) 

 had been shot near Beverley on the 22nd ult., and also that a bittern and 

 several goosanders {Mergus merganser) had been seen in the neighbour- 

 hood. After the specimens had been duly examined, a highly interesting 

 and instructive lecture on the "Transit (f Venus "was given by Mr. 

 J. A. Ridgway, F.Il.A. S., who illustrated his remarks with diagrams 

 and models showing the means employed to measure the distance of the 

 sun and planets from the earth. 



Bradford Naturalists' Society. — Meeting Jan. 9th, the president^ 

 Mr. J. W. Carter, in the chair. — Mr. Saville exhibited a specimen of 

 Trichomanes radicans ; Mr. West, a number of mosses from Malham and 

 Gordale. The president gave his inaugural address on " The Orders of 

 Insects," and briefly reviewed the difierent systems of classification that 

 have from time to time been propounded, and explained the diff'erent 



