Notes and Comments. 



3 



FOOD OF FISHES. 

 In the above Proceedings are also some particulars of investi- 

 g;ations which have been made relative to the food of fishes. 

 In a flounder, which weighed 272 grammes, caught on Baicliff 

 sands, broken shells were found, which, when cleaned and 

 dried, weighed 11.82 grammes. They consisted mainly of 

 Tellina halthica^ with a few cockles, and two Hydrohia iilvce 

 (Plate II.). In a plaice weighing 221 grammes, caught in 

 the same locality, the food was found to consist of cockles 

 only (Plate III.). By the kindness of the Society we are able 

 to reproduce the illustrations accompanying the notes re- 

 ferred to. 



SOUTH-EASTERN NATURALISTS. 

 The South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies, which is 

 modelled after the style of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, 

 issues an annual publication called the ' South-Eastern Natura- 

 list.' The volume for 1907* has just been received, and in 

 addition to a report of the proceedings of the twelfth annual 

 congress held at Woolwich in June, has several notes and 

 papers of interest. The presidential address of Prof. Silvanus 

 P. Thompson is included, in which he does not agree with the 

 oft mis-quoted sentiment : — 



A little learning is a dangerous thing- ; 

 Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring. 



He states with the utmost emphasis that the sentiment is false 

 and misleading. There are numerous interesting papers, in- 

 cluding 'An Experiment in Co-operative Field Botany,' by 

 Prof. F. W. Oliver ; ' Ideals in local Geology,' by W. Whitaker, 

 F.R.S. ; 'The Antiquity of Eqiins cahalliis^' by W. H. Griffin ; 

 and 'How to make Local Societies more efficient,' by H. 

 Norman Gray. 



CONCRETIONS. 

 Dr. G. Abbott also returns to his favourite subject. Con- 

 cretions, which he has already dealt with in these pages.! He 

 classifies the various types of concretions as follows : — Rods, 

 Hollow cylinders, Parallel bands or plates, Spheres and their 

 modifications. Oviform masses. Cones, Mammillated or reniform, 

 Retiform or mesh-like, and Corrugated discs. These various 

 forms are described, and illustrated by an excellent series 

 of plates. One of these (Plate IV.) Dr. Abbott kindly enables 

 lis to reproduce. 



* Elliot Stock, 64 and 94 pages, 2s. 6d. 

 + 'Naturalist,' 1905, pp. 231-233. 



1908 January i. 



