Dec., 1889 
THE MIDLAND UNION. 
273 
Concerning these researches, Mr. Teale says, “Of Mr. Waller’s 
work I am able to speak in the highest terms. All of it is valuable 
and accurate, and much of it is original.” Professor Lapwortli speaks 
of Mr. Waller’s papers as “ a remarkable list, . . . each of which 
embodies the resuit of a large amount of original work.” Mr. Watts 
says, “ Of the value of Mr. Waller’s papers to petrologists it is impos¬ 
sible to say too much.” 
To the investigations of Mr. Beeby Thompson and Mr. W. S. 
G-resley the adjudicators are likewise almost unanimous in awarding 
high praise. 
“ Midland Natukalist.” 
The publication of the “Midland Naturalist” goes on regularly, 
and in the standard of the contributions there is no falling off. The 
principal papers are as follows:—The continuation of “ The Fungi of 
Warwickshire,” by W. B. Grove, B.A., and J. E. Bagnall, A.L.S. ; the 
continuation of “ The County Botany of Worcester,” by Wm. Mathews, 
M.A.; the completion of “ The Middle Lias of Northamptonshire,” by 
Beeby Thompson ; “ Passages from Popular Lectures,” by F. T. Mott. 
F.R.G.S.; “On the Successful Use of Oil to Calm Bough Seas,” by 
W. P. Marshall, M.I.C.E. ; “ On Kew Gardens and some of the 
Botanical Statistics of the British Possessions,” by J. G. Baker, 
F.B.S., F.L.S.; “The Physical Geography of the Past,” by Horace 
T. Brown, F.G.S., F.I.C., F.C.S.; “Insularity,” by Bev. H. H. Slater; 
“ The Life History of a Mvxomycete,” by T. P. Blunt, M.A.; “ Notes 
on a Tour in Norway and Collection of Plants,” by W. P. Marshall, 
M.I.C.E., and C. Pumphrey ; “ The Foundations of our Belief in the 
Indestructibility of Matter and the Conservation of Energy,” by 
J. H. Poynting, D.Sc., F.R.S.; “Notes on Stigma via,” by W. S. 
Gresley ; “ In Sherwood Forest,” by Oliver P. Aplin ; “ Micro¬ 
chemical Examination of Minerals and the Separation of Bock 
Constituents by Means of Heavy Solutions,” by T. H. Waller, B.A., 
B.Sc.; the Address of the President to the Birmingham Natural 
History and Microscopical Society; “ Foraminifera of Oban,” by 
E. W. Burgess; “On the Autumn Migration of Swallows and 
Martins,” by W. Warde Fowler, M.A.; “ The Work of Field Clubs,” 
by Ch. Callaway, D.Sc., F.G.S.; “ Wild Bees,” by B. C. L. Perkins; 
“ Professor Poynting on our Physical Beliefs,” by Herbert Stone, 
F. L.S.; Book Reviews, by W. B. Grove, B.A., W. R. Hughes, F.L.S., 
and others ; and a sympathetic Memoir, by W. R. Hughes, F.L.S., of 
his friend, the late Philip Henry Gosse, F.R.S. 
The Council are glad to observe that this list includes the names 
of several members of the more outlying societies of the Union. 
They cannot but think that “The Midland Naturalist,” as the 
official organ of the Union, might be much more widely made use of 
for the purpose of recording the transactions of the various societies 
in the Union than it has hitherto been. However laudable may be 
the desire on the part of larger societies in the Union to publish their 
own proceedings, they feel that this separate publication necessarily 
deprives the general scientific public of any cognisance of their work. 
From this point of view it would be far better that the Union should 
have one strong organ than that the various societies constituting it 
should each publish a separate journal of the work of its members. 
There have been a number of papers of importance read before the 
societies in the Union who publish their own separate proceedings. The 
