Repoets of Societies. 



12S 



before its ingestion, that all danger from parasites was avoided. Then 

 there were the bees, wasps, and ants. What studies had been opened 

 out by watching the habits of these insects ; none had been too closely 

 watched and studied, and the president pointed out what facts had been 

 gained respecting them, asking at last, if he endeavoured to enumerate 

 the interesting objects for study, where to stop ; how in this beautiful 

 world every portion of which teemed with animate or inanimate books, 

 so to speak, open for the perusal of those who care to learn or read ; 

 some, perchance, written in a language known to few ; some in, for the 

 present, an unknown tongue, but all giving pleasure by their taste, 

 beauty, or utility. The president proceeded to give a general description 

 of the circulation of the blood, of the organs which carry it on, from those 

 invertebrata, wherein the circulatory apparatus consists of a slight tube, 

 with a contractile portion, which gently moves the vital fluid to and fro, 

 apparently without any defined or continuous current, to the vertebrate 

 mammalia, where it attains its most complicated apparatus and course. 

 — J. SuMiviEKSGiLL, Hon. Sec. 



Heckmondwike Naturalists' Society. — Twenty-second annual meeting 

 Dec. 29th, 1883, the retiring president (Mr. J. M. Barber) in the chair. — ■ 

 Dr. Stewart was unanimously elected president, Mr. J. Norcliflf secretary, 

 and Mr. J. M. Barber representative to the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. 

 A paper was then read on The Mistletoe." The following plants, sent 

 by Mr. W. B. Boyd, of Faldonside, Melrose, were exhibited : — Carex 

 rupestris, C. rigida, C. pauciflorus, C. vaginata, C. atrata, Sanssnrea 

 alpina, Epilohium angustifolium, Vero7iica saxatilis, Tojieldia pahistris, 

 Lychnis viscaria, PyroJa secunda, Listera cordata, Gymnadenia conopsea, 

 Salix reticulata, Juncus castaneus, Alopecurus alpimis, Luzida arcuata,^ 

 Phlceum alpinmn. The alpine plants from Glen Callater and district, 

 and Roxburghshire. — J. M. Bakber. 



Huddersfield Naturalists' Society. — Meeting, Jan. 7th, Mr. A. 

 Clarke, president, in the chair. — Mr. Mosley exhibited nest of red- 

 backed shrike and eggs, nest of cirl bunting from Surrey, and eggs of 

 mute swan from Newcastle, gannet from Bass Rock, and red-throated 

 diver from Iceland ; also the first flower of the year, the Christmas rose 

 {Helleborus niger). The president said the publication of Transactions had 

 been undertaken, and the report, and new catalogue of the butterflies 

 and moths of the district, was in the printer's hands. Many valuable 

 books had been added to the library, and it now contained works which 

 could not be obtained in' any other library in the town. He believed that 

 the coming year would see much useful work done. The secretary (Mr. 

 S. L. Mosley) referred to the work to be done during the coming year, 

 the organisation of the rambles, the society's future publications, and to 

 the fact that a museum is probably being started for the town. The 

 matter is in the hands of the Technical School Committee, and the 

 Naturalists' Society should do all in its power to secure a good depart- 



