SELBORXE SOCIETY NOTICES 
19 
Saiitni h an evening star setting on the 1st at 10.31 p.m. and on the 31st 
at 8.50 p.m. 
The viinor planet Testa will be less than i degree N. of the moon on the 
morning of the 17th at 3 a.m. 
There will be an Eclipse of the Sun on the 3rd, but it will be invisible. 
Meteors will be numerous on the night following the 3rd. 
W. F. D. 
SELBORNE SOCIETY NOTICES. 
[Note.— All Announcement.s with regard to Future Meetings of 
THE Central .Society or Branches will be found together at the 
END OF THESE NOTICES.] 
New Members. — Central Society . — The following members stand for elec- 
tion : Miss Butler; J. H. de Jersey, Esq. ; Mrs. Almeric Fitzroy ; Miss M. 
Moon ; Mrs. F. Pierce. 
Ealing Branch. — Herbert J. Baker, Esq. ; Lt.-Col. A. (j. Bartley, M.A. ; 
D. O. C. Finigan, M.D. ; Cyril E. A. Goddard, Esq. ; Miss E. Graham Robert- 
son ; George E. Massee, Esq. ; Gen. T. W. Mercer ; Mrs. Mercer ; Col. A. 
Le Mesurier ; Samuel J. ^Iuir, Esq. ; Miss Florence Norton ; Joseph G. 
Nicholls, Esq.; Victor J. Prout, Esq.; Walter 11 . Read, Esq.; Col. R. K. 
Ridgway, V.C., C B. ; Miss .Saunders ; Miss Helen Saunders ; John D. Smelt, 
Esq. ; Otto Stapf, Esq., Ph.D., F.L.S. ; H. .Sugden, Esq. ; George A. Wade, 
Esq., B.A. ; Ridley M. W'ebster, Esq. ; Dudley Wright, Esq. 
Subscriptions. — The Council has pleasure in acknowledging subscriptions of 
greater value than 5s. from the following members. — Ernest Beck, Esq., is. ; 
■Samuel Gardner, Esq., los. 6d. 
Library. — The Honorary Librarian will attend at 20, Hanover Square, 
from 6 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on the evenings of January 20 and February 17 for 
the purpose of issuing books to members. 
NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES. 
Bir??iingham ami Alidland . — On P'riday evening, November 22, a lecture 
entitled “ A short Chapter of Plant Life ; The Liverworts,” was delivered by 
Mr. T. H. Russell, F. L.S., at “ Westbourne,” Edgbaston. The lecture dealt 
with this small class of plants, of which some 260 British species are known, 
coming next below the mosses in the botanical scale. The name of the class 
originated in the fact that, in the earlier days of medical science, some of its 
members were used in the treatment of affections of the liver, a course suggested 
by certain resemblances between the structure of that organ and of the particular 
plants in question. The lecturer pointed out the broad distinction between the 
leafy and the frondose hepatics, traced their development from the spore, and 
gave a number of details relating to the methods of fertilisation and liberation of 
the spores. The lecture was illustrated by some fifty lantern slides, all of which 
have been photographed from original black-and-white drawings made by the 
help of the microscope, from specimens in the lecturer’s collection. 
■Mr. John Humphreys, F.L.S., presided, and at the close proposed a cordial 
vote of thanks to Mr. Russell for Ids lecture. 
EXCURSIONS. 
Saturday, November z . — On this day the Annual P^ungus P'oray of the Essex 
Field Club was held, and once again the members of the Selborne Society 
received a courteous invitation to take part in the meeting. Several members 
joined the first party, which started from the headquarters at Theydon Bois in 
the morning, and quite a number were present in the afternoon. Mr. Massee, 
of Kew, acted as referee, and a large number of interesting species of fungi was 
collected. The yellow fly agaric was represented by a single specimen, but this 
was the second one which had been found in this country. Some very large and 
handsome specimens of the parasol mushroom were brought from a field adjoining 
the P'orest by Miss Kate Skinner. The clumps of yellow Clavaria that were 
