102 
NATURE NOTES 
The winter series of lectures arranged by the Council was so badly attended 
by the members that it was reluctantly decided to discontinue them. The first 
took place on Tuesday, November 21, at Morley Hall. The subject chosen by 
the Rev. Professor Henslow was “Plants and their Surroundings.” The chair 
was taken by Sir Robert Hunter. The second lecture was given at the Royal 
Zoological Society’s rooms on Friday, December 15. The subject was “Wonders 
and Romance ot Insect Life,” by Mr. Fred. Knock, illustrated by his own 
lantern slides. The third and final lecture was given by the editor of the 
Society’s Magazine, Professor G. S. Boulger, at the room of the Linnean 
Society, on Tuesday, January 16, on “ Man’s F’irst Contact with Nature.” 
Had it not been for the kindness of the honorary treasurer in undertaking to 
guarantee the .Society against any loss on the opening Jecture, and of the Linnean 
Society in permitting the Society to make use of their room at Burlington House 
free of cost, the deficit on the lecture account must have been mote considerable 
than it has proved to be. 
The Council is glad to report, however, that a much greater measure of 
success rewarded its other winter venture, viz., the arrangements for Saturday 
afternoon visits to places of natural history or archaeological interest. 
This scheme, having been proposed by Mrs. Percy Myles at their meetings 
in October, was sanctioned by the Council, Mrs. Myles and Mrs. Dunant forming 
a sub-committee to carry it out. The first meeting was on November ii, at 
the Natural History Museum, wLen Professor Boulger gave an exposition of 
the botanical cases in the Museum. The second was at Westminster Abbey, on 
December 9, under the guidance of Mr. .Stanley Austen, when the chapels, 
refectory and cloisters were inspected, Westminster Hall and its crypt being 
afterwards visited. The third meeting was at the Natural History Museum, on 
January 13, when Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, P'.R..S., kindly showed the members 
over the working part of the Bird Department, giving a most delightful account 
of the various bird treasures there preserved. The fourth meeting was to have 
been at Lambeth Palace, but the intended guide having unfortunately fallen ill, 
Mr. L. Fletcher, F.R.S., keeper of the Mineralogical Department of the Natural 
History Museum, kindly undertook, at short notice, to give an address on 
meteorites in his department, on February 10. which proved most interesting and 
far more intelligible than many may, from the subject, have expected. The 
fifth and last meeting was at Kew Gardens, on March 10, under the guidance of 
Professor Boulger. The intention had been to devote the time entirely to the 
museums; but, the day proving spring-like, after an hour in Museum I., the 
party adjourned to the gardens, the Palm House and the Temperate House. 
Tea was taken in the grounds, and the meeting only broke up at closing time. 
Each meeting began at 2 p.m., and most of them ended at 4 o’clock. The 
attendance varied from 15 to 30, averaging about 24. The thanks of the 
Society are due to Mr. Stanley Austen, Professor Boulger, Mr. L. Fletcher and 
Dr. Bowdler Sharpe for the time and attention given by them, which secured 
the success of each of the meetings. 
The P'ield Club Report for 1899 presented to the Council has already been 
printed in the Magazine. The Council regrets that Mr. A. Nash, the honorary 
secretary, resigned his office at the close of the season. Mrs. Percy Myles has 
accepted the post of organising secretary to the Field Club, and Mr. A. B. 
Wilkinson that of assistant-secretary. The list of rambles for the present season 
has already been arranged, and the session promises to meet with even greater 
success than that of last year. The meetings of the Club afford the London 
members and the members of the suburban branches opportunities of meeting and 
social intercourse, and are the principal source of new accessions to the strength 
of the Society. 
One of the aims of the Council during the year has been the carrying out of 
that general object of the Selborne Society, the promotion of the study of 
natural history amongst the younger members of the community. The Council 
has therefore offered to supply the natural history societies or library committees 
of the principal public schools throughout the country with a free copy of the 
Magazine for six months, and has at the same time called attention to the 
existing rules for the formation of Junior Branches at schools by means of a 
circular, of which the following is the substance : — 
