Reports of Societies. 



139 



elpenor ; also a fine example of Acherontia Atropos and its chrysalis ; lie also sub- 

 mitted living specimens of Limnea palustris, and other fresh water shells, from 

 Strensall Common. The chairman exhibited a case of geometra3, containing, 

 amongst others, a fine series of the annexed, showing in many instances great 

 deviation of colour : — TTrapterijx sambucata, Ennomos erosaria,, E. angularia, 

 Epioue apiciaria, Eurymene dolabraria, and Selenia lunaria. Mr. C. D, Wolsten- 

 holme then gave an interesting paper on "The Snipe" (Seolopax gallinago)^ 

 describing its structure and habits, with special reference to the remarkable 

 humming sound produced by the male bird during breeding time, supposed to 

 be caused by the position of the wings in the falling flight of the bird. The 

 paper was illustrated with a series of eggs of the snipe, together with a specimen 

 of the bird. He also exhibited an egg of the griffon vulture {Vultur fulvus) 

 taken in Spain. A conversation on the various exhibits concluded the meeting. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Monthly meeting, 

 February 26th, the President (Mr. S. J. Capper) occupying the chair. The 

 President, in the course of a short address, referred to the death of an old member 

 of the society, the late Mr. Benjamin Cooke, of Southport, and he gave a short 

 resume of his life as an entomologist. The honorary secretary (Dr. Ellis) read 

 a paper, entitled "Passive means of defence in Insects," in which he briefly 

 noted a number of cases of protective resemblance in various orders of insects, 

 and afterwards alluded to cases of so-called " mimicry" in lepidoptera. During 

 the conversazione, Mr. Robert Brown exhibited a specimen of Nyssia zonaria 

 which had remained nearly 20 months in the pupa state, and Mr. J. Wall ex- 

 hibited scales of lepidoptera under the microscope. 



Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. — 21st Annual Meeting, Selby, 

 March 3rd, 1883. — This year the Union was received by the Selby 

 Naturalists' Society at a microscopic soiree and conversazione, in the 

 Public Rooms, and their enthusiasm and kindly hospitality to fellow- 

 members from other districts left nothing to be desired. The annual 

 meeting for transaction of business was held at 3 p.m., under the genial 

 chairmanship of the Rev. William Fowler, M.A., of Liversedge. There 

 was a moderately large attendance, numbering about 70 or 80, the 

 the following 23 societies (out of 35) being represented : — Barnsley, 

 Beverley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Elland-cum-Greetland, Goole, 

 Halifax, Heckmondwike, Huddersfield (2), Ukley, Leeds (3), Liversedge, 

 Malton, Scarborough, Selby, Wakefield, and York (2). On the sugges- 

 tion of the chairman the minutes of the previous annual meeting, being 

 somewhat long, were taken as read. The Shipley Field Naturalists' Club 

 was then admitted into the Union on the motion of Mr. H. S. Ward, 

 seconded by Mr. J. W.Davis, F.S.A., &c., of Halifax. Thanks were 

 then voted to the new subscribers (Mr. Hugh Richardson, Ackworth, 

 and Mr. W. Officer, Hull), and to the donors of gifts to the library 

 (including 24 volumes of British Association reports and a set of the 

 Ashmolean Society's publications.) The following annual report was 

 then read by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, one of the secretaries : — " The 

 Council, in presenting their Twenty-first Annual Report, congratulate 



