428 



NORTHERN NEWS. 



A British bronze sword, 23 inches in length, found at Leven some years 

 ago, has been purchased by the Hull Museum. 



Mr. N. H. Joy contributes a note on ' Anistoma flavicoynis Ch.,' an addi- 

 tion to the British list of Coleoptera, to the ' Entomologist's Monthly 

 Magazine ' for August. 



' Natural History as a Hobby ' is the title of a paper appearing in the 

 ' Hull and East Yorkshire Teacher ' for July and October, from the pen 

 of the Secretary of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. 



From Mr. H. Brantwood Muff we have received a useful ' Report 

 Relating to the Geology of the East Africa Protectorate ' (1908, 63 pp.). 

 This is the result^of Mr. Brantwood Muff's work there in 1906. 



• We notice that a ' useful ' natural history hint is given in a certain 

 paper. ' To remove stains from cloth : — " Heat a little petrol, and sponge 

 the stains with it." ' You will also probably ' remove ' the cloth. 



In the September ' Geological Magazine ' the editor, Dr. H. Woodward, 

 has an interesting paper ' On some Coal-Measure Crustaceans with Modern 

 Representatives.' Specimens from the Derbyshire Coal-beds are referred 

 to. 



At the celebration of the jubilee of the British Ornithologists' Union, 

 to be held in London in December, gold medals will be presented to the 

 four original members, Dr. F. Du Cane Godman, Mr. P. S. Godman, Mr. 

 W. H. Hudleston, and Dr. P. L. Sclater. 



Mr. F. Boyes, of Beverley, informs us that a quail in his possession has 

 laid fifty eggs in one season ; and that a painted quail in the possession of 

 Mr. W. H. St. Quintin has laid over seventy eggs. In each case the weight 

 of the eggs is considerably over that of the bird. 



' The West Riding County Council Vacation Courses ' is the title of a 

 pamphlet issued in August. It includes many items of interest to the 

 teachers who spent their holiday at Scarborough. Amongst others, Mr. 

 D. W. Bevan writes on ' Wild Life round Scarborough.' 



Second editions have recently been called for of Hull Museum Publica- 

 tions, Nos. 5 and 41, dealing with ' An Unpublished Manuscript Map of 

 the River Hull, dated 1668,' etc., and ' a Guide to Wilberforce House,' 

 respectively. They are on sale at the Museum at one penny each. 



Judging from its Annual Report just to hand, the Manchester Museum 

 has many friends. It recently had an opportunity of securing a fine series 

 of Egyptian antiquities for ;^500, and within a few weeks l^jo was raised. 

 A further sum of ^5000 has also been given to erect a building for the 

 Egyptian collection. 



It is reported that during boring operations for water at Messrs. Plews' 

 Brewery, in the Vale of Mowbray, Wensleydale, an important discovery 

 of ironstone has been made. ' The work is being carried out by Messrs. 

 Isler, of Southwark, and the strata passed through includes grey limestone, 

 flaky sandstone, gypsum, shale, conglomerate, light limestone, and grit. 

 A seam of ironstone 10 feet thick was found over 300 feet down.' 



In a note on ' The Cambridgeshire Fens ' in ' Fenland Notes and Queries ' 

 for October, it is stated that there are three theories to account for the 

 submergence of the forests in the Ely area, (i) — The interference of the 

 Romans ; (2) — A change in the coastal line through the action of the sea ; 

 and (3) — Earthquakes attended by subsidence.' We were hardly prepared 

 for the following : — ' The third theory is ... . that the present low level 

 of the Fens and their forests is the result of volcanic action, perhaps 

 attended by earthquakes, but certainly by subsidence, and this, the most 

 marvellous of the three, is probably the true one ! ' 



Naturalist, 



