MIDLAND UNION OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES. 197 
the Journal for the publication of their entire proceedings, and provide 
a copy for each member monthly. Hence, the list of papers previously 
given really.serves as a report of the transactions of the Birmingham 
Natural History Society and but little more. The Council again urges 
upon the component Societies, especially those which do not publish 
separate transactions, at whose meetings nevertheless there must 
be a considerable amount of original matter produced, to make more 
use of the means which the “ Midland Naturalist ” provides for publi¬ 
cation in such a simple yet efficient manner. 
In the transactions of the Societies which publish separately we 
may mention, from the Transactions of the Leicester Literary and 
Philosophical Society—A Paper on the Roman Pavement in Jewry Wall 
Street, Leicester, by William Jackson; The Aylestone Sandpit in the 
Soar Valley, by C. A. Moore, M.D.; The Songs of some Leicestershire 
Birds, by F. T. Mott, F.R.G.S.; A Note on the Grained Structure 
of Matter, by Rev. E. Atkins, B.Sc.; The Cause and Limit of Organic 
Growth, by F. T. Mott, F.R.G.S.; A Catalogue of Leicestershire 
Land and Fresh Water Mollusca, by H. E. Quilter, M.C.S.; The 
Poetic Drama of the present Reign, by the President, A. H. Paget 
with a few more literary papers. 
The Birmingham Philosophical Society, in its published Pro¬ 
ceedings, states that the Endowment of Research Fund, which it had 
the honour of initiating, still continues to be useful for the purpose 
for which it was instituted. Grants have been made in aid of researches 
on the Hardness of Metals, the Erratic Blocks round Codsall, and 
the Study of the Bacteria, as well as general chemical research by 
Dr. Gore. Reports on these matters have been presented to the 
Society, and have proved the value of the assistance which the fund 
has rendered. 
Among the important papers contained in the last published 
volume of Proceedings may be mentionedProfessor Windle on 
the Myology of Hapale Jacchus; Thomas Turner, F.C.S., on the 
Hardness of Metals, and on Silicon in Iron and Steel; Professor 
J. H. Poynting on the Electric Current; Professor Poynting and 
E. F. J. Love on the Law of the Propagation of Light. Dr. Gore on 
the Electrolysis of Alcoholic and Ethereal Solutions of Metallic Salts, 
on the Effect of Heat on Fluoride of Cerium, and on Transfer Resist¬ 
ance. 
An important step has also been taken by this Society in the 
formation of special sections for the study of the various branches of 
Natural History. Not much more than a beginning has yet been 
made in this direction, but the rule which has been adopted by which 
persons not members of the Society can become members of the 
section, on payment of a quite small fee, is calculated to make the 
sections available as centres round which may gather the special 
workers in the various subjects in a manner scarcely possible for the 
more miscellaneous general Societies. 
The Journal of the Northamptonshire Natural History Society and 
Field Club contains many important papers on Natural History. 
Among them a part of the Flora of Northamptonshire, by G. C. Druce, 
F. L.S.; Note^> on the Birds of Northamptonshire, by Lord Lilford, 
F. L.S.; Notes on the Polyzoa, Ac., from the Gaytou Boring, by 
G. R. Vine; a Deep Boring at Bletchley, by H. J. Eunson, F.G.S.; 
Northamptonshire Mosses, by H. N. Dixon, F.L.S.; Notes on the 
Migrations of Birds, by Rev. H. H. Slater, F.Z.S.; Pre-liistoric Man 
in Northamptonshire, by T. J. George, F.G.S.; Meteorological Notes, 
by II. Terry. 
