Northern News. 



395 



In 1909 the Association visits Winnipeg. Invitations from Sheffield for 

 1910, and from Portsmouth for 191 1 have been accepted. Through some 

 misunderstanding, the invitation from Hull was not dealt with, though the 

 President announced that such had been received. It is hoped that Hull 

 may see the Association in 191 2. 



Prof. H. A. Miers, the Chairman of the Conference of Delegates, de- 

 livered an address on ' The Educational Opportunities of Local Scientific 

 Societies.' In this he made special reference to Mr. G. W. Lamplugh's 

 presidential address to the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, entitled ' On the 

 Necessity for the Amateur Spirit in Scientific Work,' w-hich appeared in 

 this journal for March, 1906. 



A pleasing feature was the breakfast at the Zoological Gardens, by the 

 invitation of the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland. There was a very 

 large attendance, and the remainder of the morning was spent in examining 

 the very excellent series of live animals, which are there so successfully 

 reared. The various generations of lions, born in the gardens, were par- 

 ticularly fine. 



A Conversazione given by the Royal Dublin Society enabled the mem- 

 bers to see the excellent collections in Leinster House. The collections of 

 Irish antiquities — particularly the gold ornaments, were examined again 

 and again by many of the members. It is said that there are more pre- 

 historic ornaments of gold in the Dublin museum than in all the other 

 museums of Europe put together. 



In various Sections resolutions were unanimously passed opposing the 

 present method of zoologists in adhering strictly to priority in zoological 

 nomenclature, resulting in the frequent changing of well-established names. 

 This was the result of the absurd extremes which had been reached, as 

 pointed out in these columns recently. 



NORTHERN NEWS. 



A description of the new buildings of the University of Leeds appears 

 in ' Nature ' for July i6th. 



Late in September Holderness was infested with a plag-ue of ' Daddy 

 Long-leg-s,' the local papers recording- ' millions upon millions ' up and down 

 the district. 



The ' Annotationes Zoologica2 Japonenses ' (Vol. IV., part 4) recently 

 to hand, contains a number of important contributions to zoology. They 

 are by Japanese naturalists, are printed in English, and published by the 

 Tokyo Zoological Society. 



According to an article published in the ' Zoologischer Anzeiger ' by 

 Mr. K. Toldt, there is good evidence to shew that the fox is descended from 

 ancestors the bodies of which appear to have been clothed with horny 

 scales like those of the pangolins. 



A well-known fig-ure in the botanical world has passed away by the death 

 at Richmond of Mr. Geo. Nicholson, A.L.S., member of the Horticultural 

 Society, one of the original holders of the Victorian medal for horticulture, 

 and ex-curator of Kew Gardens. He was born at Ripon in 1847. His most 

 important work was 'The Dictionary of Gardening,' published in 1888. 



It is announced that Canon Green well, F.R.S., Durham, the well-known 

 antiquary, has sold his collection of ancient bronze implements, etc. — 

 perhaps the largest and most valuable private collection in the world — the 

 purchaser being a gentleman who will present the collection to the British 

 Museum. It will be a source of gratification that so excellent and valuable 

 a collection is likely to be retained in the country, and placed at the services 

 of the nation. 



190S October i. 



