NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



A BRADFORD NATURALIST AXD HIS WORK. 

 The Royal Society has just made a grant, for the fourth 

 year in succession, to Mr. W. West, F.L. S., to aid him in his 

 researches amongst the freshwater algas. iNIr. West is a pro- 

 minent member of the Yorkshire Xaturahsts' Union, and a few- 

 years ago occupied the presidential chair. In conjunction with 

 his son (Prof. G. S. West) he in 1901 completed the 'Alga Flora 

 of Yorkshire,' which enumerated over 1,000 species. The Royal 

 Irish Academy has awarded him a grant, for the third time, to 

 aid him in his investigations of the algae of the coast of Ireland. 

 In addition to working material for the British Museum and 

 numerous other institutions, Mr. West and his son are at the 

 present time engaged in preparing a monograph on the British 

 Desmidiacese for the Royal Society, towards which £1,^00 has 

 been put aside for the purpose of reproducing Mr. West's 

 drawings. Over 1,000 species and varieties will be described in 

 this work. We trust that Mr. West will long be spared to 

 carry on the most useful work he is engaged in, and in connection 

 with which he has alreadv done so much. 



ANOTHER LOCAL PUBLICATION. 



' Ring out the old, ring in the new ! ' W^e recently referred 

 in these columns (p. 129) to the death of a useful publication, 

 the ' Halifax Naturalist,' after eight years' career. Early in 

 July No. I of the ' Bradford Scientific Journal' made its appear- 

 ance. In a somewhat lengthy ' apology ' reasons are given for 

 the existence of this new journal. The venture ' is not a com- 

 mercial one, and the usual fanfaronade about cheapness and 

 circulation may therefore be dispensed with.' Science in all 

 its branches will be dealt with. On account of the former 

 'tremendous glacial activity' in the district, Bradford is favour- 

 ably situated from a geological standpoint. The editors will 

 encourage the study of Nature in all its ways save one, ' that 

 of mere collecting,' which we submit is no more studying 

 Nature than is collecting buttons or bricks. Still, the first 

 number augurs well. Mr. J. E. Wilson starts the ball a-roUing 

 with 'The Glacial Lakes of the Bradford District,' in which the 

 work of Carvell (sic) Lewis, Kendall, Muff, and Jowett is duly 

 acknowledged ; Mr. E. Naylor writes on ' The Bradford Botanical 

 Garden,' Mr. E. Harper gives 'A Study in Rooks,' with a map 



1904 Aug-ust I. p 



