175 



PROCEEDINGS OF PROVINCIAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



In recent vears there has unquestionably been a great improvement 

 in the character and contents of the pubhcations of the various volumes 

 issued by the different scientific societies in the provinces. There is a 

 general improvement in the editing, greater care is being taken with regard 

 to dating, etc., and what is of more importance, each society is more and 

 more realizing the advantage of confining the scope of its papers to its 

 own area. So long as this is borne in mind by the local societies, the 

 disadvantages of so many publications will disappear. It is also gratifying 

 to find that members of many of the societies are taking up hitherto neg- 

 lected branches of study, e.g., arachnida, fungi, etc., with good result. 



Journal of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 



Vol. XXXI., 1909. 243 pp.+xviii pp. 



Like its immediate predecessors, this volume reflects the greatest 

 credit upon its editor, Mr. C. E. B. Bowles. It is a substantial production, 

 devoid of padding, and whilst it contains many pages outside the scope of 

 our journal, it also includes several valuable papers worthy of the attention 

 of our readers. Mr. T. Gibbs continues his ' First List of Derbyshire 

 Agarics ' — a work much more valuable than the word ' list ' would infer. 

 Messrs. W. Storrs Fox and R. A. Smith give an excellent illustrated 

 account of the Excavations and the Finds in the Harborough Cave, near 

 Brassington ; the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain writes a ' Zoological Record for 

 Derbyshire, 1908,' and the editor writes on ' Coal Raising in the Seven- 

 teenth Century.' Amongst the authors of the numerous archaeological 

 papers are some of our leading antiquaries. 



Transactions of the Vale of Derwent Naturalists' Field Club. New 



Series. Vol. I., part i, 1908. Rowlands Gill. 71 pp., i/-. 



This little volume is an indication that our friends in the Vale of Der- 

 went are working on the right lines. In his presidential address, Mr. 

 H. F. Bulman refers to neglected branches of study ; there is a good record 

 of Field Rambles by different members ; Mr. R. S. B'agnall writes on 

 ' Strangers Zoological ' [chiefly Coleoptera] ; ' The Bristle-tails (Thysamira) 

 of the Derwent Valley ' [with list] ; j\Ir. A. R. Jackson gives ' A note on 

 some rare Spiders from the Derwent Valley ' ; Messrs. Carleton Rea and 

 M. C. Potter write on the Fungi of Gibside, with list ; Mr. R. Adamson 

 enumerates ' Our Local Orchids ' ; INIr. J. W. Fawcet gives a brief History 

 of Chopwell ; the Editor, Air. C. L. Bagnall, contributes ' A Brief History 

 of Winlation ' ; and Mr. H. F. Bulman gives some Meteorological Notes. 



The Recorders' Report for 1908 of the Bradford Natural History and 

 Microscopical Society (20 pp.) in an inexpensive manner provides a useful 

 record of a year's work in the Bradford district. In addition to the 

 ^^sual interesting notes on Birds, etc., we are glad to see lists of Hymen- 

 optera, Diptera, Isopods, Arachnida, etc. We notice the recorder for Verte- 

 brate Zoology urges ' ye local ornithologists ' to ' wake up,' though there 

 is not much evidence of their being dormant. The contributors to this 

 interesting report are Messrs. F. Jowett, M. Malone, J. Beanland, F. Rhodes, 

 J. W. Carter, R. Butterfield, J. H. Ashworth, W. P. Winter, H. B. Booth 

 and J. W. Tindle. 



The Proceedings of the Liverpool Naturalists' Field Club for 1908 are 



principally occupied with an account of the Club's Field Meetings during 

 1908 (chiefly botanical), but also contain the annual report, list of members, 

 prize-winners, etc. The club has 166 members. 



The Transactions of the Leeds Geological Association, Part XIV. 

 (1905-8, published 1909, 71 pp. Leeds, 2/6) clearly indicate that the Leeds 

 Geological Society at the present time is in a very flourishing condition. 

 The membership is 112, 'a net increase of 27 over the previous session,' 

 and both indoor and out-door meetings have been well attended. The 

 present part of Transactions contains a good account of the Association's 



1909 May I. 



