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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
The soirees, we are told, have been even more successful than the excur- 
sions, and the “ club ” is extending its influence into every circle of society. 
The Report says, with great truth, — 
“ It is not to be expected that the Field-Naturalists’ Society, or any 
similar society, can ever make a great display before the public of what they 
have accomplished in the shape of work. It is sufficient to find that scientific 
tastes and philosophical habits of thought are developed, and have had a 
practical turn given to them, and that member’s take up different brandies 
of natural history, and apply themselves to sedulous private study, known 
only to their private friends. This is largely the case in the Field-Naturalists’ 
Society. It is difficult now to go into intelligent company in Manchester, 
and not find some person who is either a member of the Society, or 
has attended one of their soire'es or excursions as a visitor, and who is glad 
to acknowledge the pleasure experienced there, and the encouragement he has 
received to personal inquiry and observation. The amount of latent scientific 
taste in Manchester is far greater than many would conceive possible, and 
the Field-Naturalists’ function and pleasure is to draw it out and give it 
direction.” 
The Liverpool Field Club also continues to extend its numbers and 
influence. At the close of the season of 1861 it had 630 members, of whom 
184 were ladies. At each meeting during the present season many new 
members have joined. The ladies are the life and soul of this society, and, 
in order to hold out additional inducements to them to join its excursions, 
the committee have added to the prizes already granted for the largest 
number of species collected, another, which is accorded to the lady who 
gathers and arranges the best bouquet of wild flowers. The “ bouquet prize” 
is an object of great competition amongst the fair ones of Liverpool. We 
may mention, for the guidance of the directors of other similar societies, that 
these prizes are well calculated to maintain the interest of the members in 
the excursions, not so much on account of the value of the books, as the 
honour which the prizes confer on the successful candidates. The greatest 
number of species of plants collected during the season was 124, by 
Mrs. Gibson, and the numbers on other occasions varied from 67 upwards. 
Miss Rowe, a young lady member of this club, is remarkably successful in 
these competitions, and possesses very extensive knowledge in systematic 
botany. 
The Holmesdale Natural History Club (Surrey) are publishing a 
“ Flora of the County of Surrey,” concerning which we are informed by 
circular that, — 
“ The Flora will be arranged on the natural system, and the nomenclature 
and classification will correspond, as far as practicable, with those of the 
fifth edition of the ‘ London Catalogue of British Plants,’ on which the 
manuscripts of Mr. Salmon are based.” * 
In our last number but one (April), we had occasion to refer to the 
* The publication originates in a collection of plants formed by the late 
J. D. Salmon, Esq. ; and if any of our readers should require copies of the 
work, they may have them by applying to Mr. J. A. Brewer, Holmesdale 
House, Reigate. The price to subscribers is 7s, 6 d. 
