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Northern News. 



The Rev. H, J. Riddelsdell, of St. Michael's College, Aberdare, Glam., 

 is collecting- material for a County Flora of Glamorg-an, and would be glad 

 to have any suitable herbarium records, or plant lists, or references to 

 sources of information of which he is not likely to know. 



Mr. P. G. Ralfe, of Castleton, Isle of Man, who is preparing a book 

 dealing with the birds of the island, would be glad of any information deal- 

 ing with the following : — Whinchat, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 

 Wood Warbler, Dipper, Twite, Merlin, Rock Dove, the species of Grey 

 Geese and sea-frequenting ducks. 



In 'Nature Notes' for April, Mr. W. P. Westell contributes some very 

 elementary ' Nature Notes from Mablethorpe.' The author admits his 

 'notes are quite unpretentious and to some may be considered prolix 

 observations.' AVe. are evidently amongst that 'some,' as we are unable to 

 call attention to a single observation likely to interest our readers. 



The Rev. Canon Greenwell, F.R.S., F.S.A. , who so long ago as 1877 

 published his well-known ' British Barrows,' has just celebrated his jubilee 

 as a Minor Canon of Durham. In addition to his occupying a foremost 

 position in the archseological world. Canon Greenwell is a field naturalist 

 and an expert angler. ' Greenwell's Glory,' a famous trout-fly, is his 

 invention. 



Dr. G. J. Hinde contributes a paper ' On the Structure and Affinities of 

 the Genus Porosphcera ' to the 'Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society,' 

 just issued. These curious rounded fossils were figured in 1829 by PhilHps 

 as Millepora globiilaris. Dr. Hinde relegates these organisms to a position 

 in the Lithonina group of Calcisponges. In the Flamborough chalk the 

 various species of Poi-osphcera are uniformly of small dimensions in all the 

 zones, in marked contrast to those from the higher zones on the south 

 coast. 



The following premiums offered and paid for destroy ing birds of prey, 

 etc., in the Island of Arran, by Douglas, Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, 

 so early as 1779, may be of interest to ornithologists: — An Eagle, 

 7s. 6d. ; for the nest of an Eagle, los. 6d. ; a Game Hawk, 2s. 6d. ; for the 

 nest of a Game Hawk, the young ones alive, los. 6d.; a White Kite, 2s.; 

 for the nest of a White Kite, 5s. ; a Common Kite, is. ; for the nest of 

 a Common Kite, 2s. 6d. ; a Raven, 2s.; for a Raven's nest, los. 6d. ; 

 a Hooded Crow, 6d. ; for a Hooded Crow's Nest, is. ; for a Cat shot on the 

 Muir, IS. 



A fourth edition of Murray's well-known ' Handbook for Yorkshire' has 

 just been issued by Edward Stanford. It has been edited by J. W'. Waller, 

 F.S.A., of Wakefield, who has been successful in bringing the work fairly 

 up to date. Although it contains over 600 pages, and numerous maps, 

 plans, etc., the book is small and will easily go into the pocket. The 

 pages devoted to geology, botany, etc., are exceedingly few, but are, 

 perhaps, sufficient for the purposes of the average tourist, for whom the 

 guide is evidently intended, and to whom it will be exceedingly useful, if 

 not indispensable. 



In order to meet the convenience of the local societies the date of the 

 Hebden Bridge Excursion of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union has been 

 altered to Saturday, nth June. It has also been found advantageous to 

 transpose the dates of the Buckden and Dent excursions. The amended 

 programme for 1904 therefore is as follows : — 



Harwood Dale, 21st to 23rd May (Whit week-end). 



Hebden Bridge, nth June. 



Spurn, 2nd to 4th July. 



Buckden, August Bank Holiday week-end. 

 Dent, 3rd September. 



Upper Teesdale (Fungus Foray), 24th to 29th September. 

 The annual meeting will be held at Leeds in January. 



Naturalist. 



