Reports of Societies. 



59 



the aid of well executed diagrams, the various modifications which are 

 found in the eyes of insects, and gave his reasons for believing that the 

 function of the facets in the compound eyes is that of accommodation, 

 their focal lengths varying. He believed the use of the simple eyes 

 (ocelli) was merely for the purpose of the perception of light. The 

 meeting terminated with the usual conversazione. 



Malton Field Naturalists' Excursion. — On Thursday, September 

 1 3th, the Malton Field Naturalists' Society had a delightful excursion to 

 Egton Bridge and Goathland Moors. Both ladies and gentlemen were in 

 the party, and left by early trains for Grosmont. From thence they 

 wandered up the Esk Valley to Egton Bridge, or through the lovely 

 Arnclifie Woods (with the kind permission of Mr. White), and to the 

 village of GJaisdale, where a halt was made. The site of the Brigantian 

 village was next explored, also the moor below the Roman road, and 

 forward to Brick Hole for the picturesque cascades, Thomasin Foss and 

 Mill Foss ; after which the party reassembled at the Goathland Hotel for 

 tea. The botanists had a successful day amongst the ferns and mosses, 

 and some fine examples of the oak and beech fern, and other rarer 

 species were secured. The district traversed is a most lovely one, and 

 the naturalists much enjoyed this their last excursion of the season. 



Manchester Oryptogamic Society. — Monthly meeting, August, 

 Captain Cunlifie in the chair. — The hon. secretary read a number of 

 letters from corresponding members of the society. Mr. G. A. Holt sent 

 a number of mosses as a contribution to the society's herbarium, amongst 

 them being some rare local mosses, including specimens of Mnium stellare 

 and Gymnostomum calcareum in fruit, from Derbyshire. The secretary 

 exhibited specimens of Campylopus hrevifolius, a very rare British moss, 

 hitherto only recorded in Scotland. The moss had been sent by Mr. 

 Boswell, he having discovered it last month on the banks of the Wye, 

 near Builth. Dr. J. B. Wood, of Broughton, sent washed-out specimens 

 of the same gathering to show that in the length of stems it difi'ered from 

 the description given in Bryol. Eur. The secretary presented specimens 

 of Campylopus paradoxus from Abergynolwyn ; Dicranum arcticum from 

 Ben Mac Dhui ; and several interesting New Zealand hepatics, Mr. 

 W. H. Pearson exhibited specimens of Marsupella alpina, collected on 

 the Glyders, North Wales, by Mr. E. M. Holmes ; and specimens of a 

 lichen, Dermatocarpon Garovaglii, by Mr. George Davis on the coast 

 near Brighton, Mr. Pearson's exhibits were distributed amongst the 

 members present. Captain Cunliffe exhibited and distributed a number 

 of good cryptogams which he had recently gathered at Barmouth, amongst 

 them were Philonotis rigida, Isopterygium demissum, and Hypnum purum, 

 in excellent fruiting condition ; amongst the ferns were Asplenum lanceo- 

 latum and Hymenophyllum tunhridgense . Mr. Wm. Foster exhibited four 

 most elegant and fairy-like forms of Athyrium filix-fcemina in a living 

 condition. They had been grown in a little back yard in the neighbour- 



