REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
79 
|U|)oi1s of Societies. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY.— General Meeting, January 31st, 1888, Mr. J. Levick 
in the chair; Mr. Herbert Stone and Mr. W. Kineton Parkes were elected 
members. Mr. J. E. Bagnall, A.L.S., exhibited for Mrs. Hopkins, a 
series of mounted preparations of birds’ plumage to show peculiarities 
of wings, Ac. Mr. W. B. Grove, B.A., exhibited a large specimen of 
the perfect hvmenium of the “Dry-Rot,” showing abundance of the 
tawny spores; and two other fungi, Gymnosporium bambiisce, and 
Vohitella stipitata , all from Sutton; and a bottle of essence of beef, 
which had been liquefied by the growth therein of a bacterium.— 
Annual Meeting, February 7th. Professor Hillliouse, M.A., the retiring 
president, in the chair. There was a good attendance.—After some 
formal business, Mr. W. P. Marshall read the report of the council. 
Deep regret was expressed at the death of Mr. Thomas Bolton, 
F.R.M.S., the assistant curator and librarian of the society. The life 
membership, which was intended to be bestowed upon him, owing to 
his death intervening, had been conferred upon his son, Mr. Thomas E. 
Bolton.—Mr. C. Pumphrey, the retiring treasurer, made his financial 
statement, from which it appeared that the total amount of subscrip¬ 
tions received during the year was £190 9s. 6d., leaving a balance due 
to the treasurer of £1 17s. 6d.—Mr. W. R. Hughes moved a vote of 
thanks to Professor Hillliouse for his services as president during the 
past year, which was seconded by Mr. Levick, and carried.—Mr. W. B. 
Grove, B.A., was elected president for the ensuing year, on the motion 
of Professor Hillliouse, seconded by Mr. Rabone.—On the motion of 
Mr. Miller, Messrs. Charles Pumphrey, J. F. Goode, R. W. Chase, 
Lawson Tait, and A. W. Wills were elected vice-presidents for the year. 
Mr. Rabone was elected treasurer, and Mr. W. H. Wilkinson and Mr. 
W. P. Marshall joint secretaries. Mr. Pumphrey, having filled the 
office of treasurer for the long period of eighteen years, a special vote 
of thanks was accorded to him. The motion was ordered to be 
engrossed for presentation to Mr. Pumphrey. Mr. J. E. Bagnall, 
A.L.S., was elected librarian, and Messrs. Iliffe and Miller were re¬ 
elected curators and custodians of the property and instruments of 
the society. The six elective members of the council were Messrs. 
Alfred Browett, John Edmonds, James Heaton, H. J. Sayers, G. W. 
Tait. and Alfred Reading. —Biological Section, February 14th. Mr. 
R. W. Chase in the chair. Mr. R. W. Chase, F.L.S., was re-elected 
president of the section, and J. E. Bagnall, A.L.S., was elected secretary 
of the section. A vote of thanks was given to Mr. W. P. Marshall, 
M.I.C.E., for his services as secretary during the past year. Mr. J. 
E. Bagnall exhibited, with notes, the following plants : Geratophyllum 
demersum in fruit from Liverpool, Ali*ma Plantago var. lanceolata , 
Adoxa MoschateUiua , Juncus Gerardi,&c ., from Warwickshire localities ; 
for Mr. G. C. Druce, F.L.S., Saxifruga rivularis, Juncus trijidus, Goody era 
repens , Carex lagopina and other rare plants from East Inverness; for 
Rev. D. C. O. Adams, fungi Thelephora laciniata, and Polyporus 
abietinus from Bournemouth; from the Marquis A. Botini, of Pisa, 
Raphidoxtegium WclwiUcliii , from near Pisa. Mr. W. B. Grove, B.A., 
exhibited, described, and illustrated with microscopical preparations, 
an interesting parasitical fungus from New Zealand, (with sections 
of the peritheca), Cordyceps liobertsli, which causes the caterpillar on 
which it grows to assume the appearance of being carved out of wood. 
Mr. J. Levick called attention to a paper on the flight of birds, on 
