Northern News, 



241 



pointment he experienced, together with the changed conditions 

 of hving, eventually resulted in his being confined in an asylum, 

 where he seemed to get worse, and eventually died. 



Phihp Loten might well be called the ' Thomas Edward ' 

 of Spurn, and one with the ability of Samuel Smiles might 

 readily write a similarly interesting work to that author's 

 charming 'Life of a Scotch Naturalist,' dealing with Philip. 

 Both Edward and Loten were born naturalists ; both lived at 

 the junction of large rivers with the North Sea ; both loved 

 every form of animal and plant life, and knew each natural 

 object for miles around. Both secured and prepared their 

 own specimens, made their own cases, and painted in the back- 

 grounds themselves, and both received a grievous disappoint- 

 ment on transferring their collections to their neighbouring 

 large towns. To read the pathetic account of Edward's 

 experience at Aberdeen, in chapter ix. of Smile's ' Scotch Natura- 

 list,' is to read, almost precisely, the story of Philip's fate 

 at Hull. 



Philip Loten was not a voluminous writer, though he contri- 

 buted notes to this journal from time to time, dealing with the 

 rare occurrences of birds, etc. in the Spurn area. He was also 

 responsible for a large number of records in the recently-issued 

 ' Birds of Yorkshire.' He had been a member of the York- 

 shire Naturalists' Union since its foundation. He was never 

 married, and has no relatives who share his tastes. 



Naturalists visiting Spurn in future will find a vast difference 

 between the conditions which once existed, and those which 

 must be now that Philip has gone. 



T. S. 



Lord Eversley presided over a recent meeting of the Commons and 

 Footpaths Preservation Society. The action of the owner of the soil of 

 Osmotherley Common, Yorkshire, in issuing writs against certain inhabi- 

 tants who claimed rights of common over this extensive moor, was con- 

 sidered, and it was decided to afford any assistance in the Society's power 

 to the commoners. 



We have received a further batch of memoirs from our contributor, 

 Mr. T. Fetch, the Government Mycologist in Ceylon — evidence that he 

 has benefitted from his recent visit to England. Amongst the items are 

 ' Revisions of Ceylon Fungi ' ; a lengthy paper in the Annals of the Royal 

 Botanic " Gardens, Peradeniya ; ' A Preliminary Note on Sclerocystis 

 coremioides,' ' Hydnocystis Thwaitesii ' ; Sclerotium stipitatum ' ; 'A 

 note on Ustilago Treubii ' ; ' Diseases of Tobacco in Dunbara ' ; and ' A 

 Stem Disease of the Coconut Palm.' There is also apparently a reprint 

 of the last-named, in native characters, which resemble minature ammo- 

 nites, trilobites and spiders, 



1908 July I. 



