312 
Northern News. 
studied areas were, in Jurassic times, occupied by shallow 
seas and subject to gentle posthumous folding movements, 
it is at least possible that contemporaneous erosion played 
a bigger part in the Jurassic period than in others. 
Secondly, it is often asked, whether these important general 
conclusions could not be reached without the breaking-up 
of the old genera and species of ammonites to the extent 
that is done in Type Ammonites ? It may be doubted whether 
Mr. Buckman divides up ammonites really to a greater 
extent than the French palaeontologists have divided up 
Tertiary gastropods, for instance. But the latter have made 
matters easier for the weaker brethren by the device of inter- 
calating sub-genera and sections between the old genera and 
species, while Mr. Buckman is rigidly Linnsean. The French 
method would, however, ^be unworkable or seriously mis- 
leading in the separation of homoeomorphs, and in any case 
since Mr. Buckman has undertaken the difficult task of 
sorting out and distinguishing what look so much alike to us, 
we must allow him to decide what is the most suitable nomen- 
clature. 
We can therefore congratulate him on the patient per- 
sistence with which he continues his labours in the face of 
many difficulties, and hope that he may long be able to 
continue at work. 
: o : 
The death is announced of Dr. David Sharp, F.R.S., the entomologist. 
The Times for September 18th offers for sale ‘ A Lifetime Collection 
of shells ( male and fem.ale) from all parts of the world.’ 
Mr. J. F. Musham’s extensive collection of Non -Marine Mollusca 
relating to Lincolnshire has been presented to the Museum at Lincoln ; 
his unrivalled collection of coin-weights has been sent to Hull. 
Mr. W. H. Edwards has written a ‘ Short Illustrated Guide to the 
Beale Memorial Collection of Nesting Groups of British Birds in the 
Birmingham Museum ’ (40 pp., 3d.). The illustrations are good, but 
we don’t like the advertisements. 
We regret to find that our contributor, Mr. J. F. Musham, is leaving 
Yorkshire, and for the present is taking up his residence near Winder- 
mere ; though we have reason to believe that he will constantly keep in 
touch with the workers of the county. 
At a sale of machinery at Stainland recently, the nest of a thrush, 
containing four young birds, was found in one of the looms. The auc- 
tioneer offered the loom for sale, including the nest and the young birds. 
Until quite recently the loom was in operation along with others in the 
same shed. 
As sea serpents and giant gooseberries are getting a little out of date, 
the press apparently has to fly to ‘ early man ’ (and woman) for its 
thrills. The following appeared quite recently : — ‘ Bones dredged from 
the bed of the River Cam, at Upward, Cambridgeshire, are stated to be 
those of a prehistoric woman. It is supposed she was a tree climber, 
whose home would be a rudely built platform in the trees, and whose 
mode of travel would be that of swinging herself from bough to bough. 
At one time the whole district was one vast oak forest.’ 
Naturalist 
