154 



The Naturalist. 



the following shells : Zonites aliarius Z. crystallmus, and the fresh-water 

 mussel. He also reported having seen the grey wagtail. Mr, Carter 

 exhibited a box of beetles from Reading, but as he had only just 

 received them, they had not been named. Mr. Bennett exhibited 

 with the oxy-hydrogen light a series of photographic views of Irish 

 scenery, and views taken in the vicinity of the Falls of Niagara, accom- 

 panied by explanatory readings by Mr. H, S. Ward. Mr. West exhibited 

 a number of specimens of plants found in different parts of Ireland, some 

 of which had not been found elsewhere. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Meeting 

 Feb. 25th, in the Free Library ; the president (Mr. S. J. Capper,) in 

 the chair. A paper entitled " Reminiscences of Burnt Wood, Stafford- 

 shire " — communicated by Mr. Joseph Chappell (Manchester) — was read, 

 in which the author (who was present) detailed his experiences of several 

 excursions into that district, special allusion being made to the captures 

 of the exceedingly rare Notodonta hicolora by himself and a friend, 

 specimens of this insect in various stages being exhibited by him. The 

 Rev. S. Fletcher Williams followed with a paper on "Henry Thoreau, 

 the American Poet-Naturalist," in which were vividly portrayed the life 

 and character of this extraordinary student of nature and persevering 

 observer of the habits of the animals of his native woods. During the 

 conversazione, the Rev, H. H. Higgins exhibited the collection of insects 

 intended for the circulating museum for educational purposes. 



Manchester CRYrTOGAMic Society. — Dr. B. Carrington, F.R.S.E., 

 in the chair. — The honorary secretary exhibited and presented to the 

 society specimens of Amhlystegium porphyrrhizum which had been 

 gathered at Southport, 1875. He subsequently made some remarks on 

 its discovery, detection, and its position as a British moss. Mr. W. H. 

 Pearson exhibited some specimens of hepatics which he had received for 

 determination from Prof. N. E. Kindberg, of Sweden, which had been 

 collected in Spitzbergen by R. Gyllencreutz. They were Marchantia 

 polijmoiyha, Sauteria alpi7ia, and Blepharozea ciliaris. Mr. Pearson also 

 exhibited Plagiochila tridentata from Llanberis. , collected in May, 1883, 

 this being a new locality for this rare hepatic. Mr. George Burgess 

 exhibited a number of freshly-gathered mosses fi om the neighbourhood 

 of Delamere ; amongst them was the interesting Tetraphis pellucida in 

 abundant fruit. Two pamphlets in French were placed upon the table, 

 presented by R. du Buysson, a corresponding member of the society — 

 the one being an analytical key to the mosses belonging to the family 

 Grimmacece, and the other was entitled "Mouses et Hepatiques de 

 L'Allier," par I'Abbe V. Berthoumien et R. du Buysson, 1883. Mr. J. 

 Cash read a first portion of the letters and correspondence of Edward 

 Hobson, which he had kindly arranged at the wish of the society. The 

 portion read proved extremely interesting to the members. — Thos. 

 Rogers, Hon. Sec, 27, Oldham-road, Manchester. 



