Reports of Societies. 



173 



Maule Cole, M.A., — by the author. A case of sea birds, specially repre- 

 senting those breeding in the cliffs at Flambro', by Mr R. Stnart, and a 

 fine specimen of coral from America, by Mr. R. Whitton. Mr. Swailes, 

 secretary of the Vertebrate section, reported the arrival of the under- 

 mentioned migrants : — Wheatear, April 1st, willow-wren, April 6th, 

 chifF-chaff and yellow wagtail, April 7th, swallow, April 12th, tree pipit, 

 April 18th, cuckoo, April 24th, lesser whitethroat, April 25th, whinchat, 

 April 27th, sedgewarbler, April 29th, sandmartin, April 30th, landrail 

 and whitethroat, May 2nd. The specimens exhibited included a robin's 

 nest, found near Skidby, and built in an old American meat tin, shown 

 by Mr, R. Ridgway, and a number of crabs brought by Mr. Butterell, 

 amongst which were Portumnus holsatns, Portumnus latipes, Eyas 

 coarctatiis, Corystes cassivelaumis, Cancer pagurus, Carcimis moenas, and 

 a species of jB6(X^^a. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Meeting March 

 19th, the president (Mr. S. J. Capper) in the chair. — The attendance 

 included several lady visitors. The Rev. S. Fletcher Williams read a 

 paper on " Louis Agassiz," in which he gave a biographical sketch of the 

 life, work, and character of that great naturalist. Ho alluded particularly 

 to his attitude of antagonism to Mr. Darwin, Agassiz throughout main- 

 taining a belief in specific creation. During the conversazione which 

 followed the lecture, there were exhibited, through the kindness of 

 Mr. T. J. Moore, the curator of the Derby Museum, one large and three 

 small photographs of Louis Agassiz. Mr. E. Dukinfield Jones exhibited 

 four species of Attacus and a drawer of Hesperidm, collected during his 

 residence at St. Paul's, Brazil ; and Mr. J. R. L. Dixon displayed a fine 

 specimen of the death's-head moth {Acherontia Atropos), captured at 

 Eastham. 



Meeting, April 30th, the president in the chair. — The hon. sec. (Dr. 

 J. W. Ellis) was appointed Recorder of Economic Entomology for the 

 counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. After the reading of a number of 

 communications, Mr. E. D. Fish read a paper entitled " Notes on the 

 Study of Entomology," in which he recommended the study of the 

 mature insect, its habits, its uses, and not only endeavouring to obtain a 

 knowledge of what injury it or its larva is capable of causing, but also of 

 what benefit it is. He considered utilitarian entomology, , in bhis sense, 

 the most valuable of all branches of the science. He specially deprecated 

 the passing over of minute insects as being of little consequence, believing 

 that the smallest objects in animated nature often possess greater power 

 for good or evil than larger ones. During the conversazione Mr. Wall 

 exhibited Hydrse, ova of water snails undergoing development, &c., 

 under the microscope. — J. W. Ellis, Hon. Sec. 



Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. — Doncaster, May 14th. — The York- 

 shire naturalists opened the season of 1883 on Whit Monday (Easter 

 falling very early) at Doncaster, the object being to investigate the 



