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REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
Acocks Green Farm ; Mr. J. E. Bagnall, for Miss Giugell, Fungi, 
Helvetia crispa, Cortinarius largus , Craterium pedunculatmn, 1lydnum re- 
pandum , and other fungi, from Dursley, Gloucestershire ; also several 
mosses ; for Ilev. D. C. O. Adams, //ygrophorus pudorinus, Clavaria 
condensata, Cortinarius Berkeleyii , from Crowell, Oxon. The chair was 
then taken by Mr. R. W. Chase, during the reading of Mr. Waller’s 
paper on the Rock Specimens recently brought from Norway by Mr. 
C. Pumphrev. The Rock Specimens were principally gneisses, schists, 
and pebbles. Considerable interest was excited by the paper, which 
was illustrated by microscopical sections. Several members and visitors 
took part in the discussion upon the topics referred to in the paper. 
Mr. J. B. Stone, on behalf of the Vesey Club, expressed the great 
pleasure felt by that Club in receiving so warm an invitation from the 
Natural History Society, and hoped to have the still greater pleasure 
of receiving the members of the Natural History Society as the guests 
of the Yesey Club at no very distant date. Professor Lapworth, after 
personally thanking Mr. Waller for his valuable paper, gave the 
Section an invitation to the opening address of the Geological Section 
of the Philosophical Society, to be delivered at the Medical Institute on 
October 25th, on “ The Geology of the Future.” 
BIRMINGHAM MICROSCOPISTS’ AND NATURALISTS’ 
UNION.—September 24tli. Mr. W. H. Bath exhibited the larva of 
Libellula quadrimaculata; Mr. J. Madison, specimens of Anodonta 
anatina var. complanata, from King’s Heath; Mr. J. W. Neville, 
tropical varieties of Helices. Mr. C. P. Neville then read a paper— 
“ Notes on the Yale of Llyfuant.” The writer illustrated the scenery 
of the vale by a series of sketches, and described its geological, 
botanical, and entomological features. Insect life was very abundant, 
four kinds of fritillaries being taken in a few yards. The writer gave 
lists of the insects captured, and recommended these who love a 
ramble in Nature’s quiet haunts to visit central Wales.—October 1st. 
Mr. P. T. Deakin exhibited a strangely distorted specimen of 
Planorbis complanatus; Mr. H. Hawkes, under the microscope, Bulgaria 
inquinans, from Hamstead, and Peziza covonata, from Knowle ; Mr. J. 
Collins, section of sporocarp of Pilularia globulifera. —October 8th. 
Mr. P. T. Deakin exhibited a collection of marine shells from Malta; 
Mr. J. Moore, a series of photo-micrographs of parts of insects. Mr. 
W. H. Bath then read a paper on “Extinct British Butterflies.” The 
writer said the greater part of animals were only found within well- 
defined limits, no two countries or districts being absolutely identical, 
and the circumstances that had brought about changes in the past 
were still exerting their influence on living forms. The butterflies of 
England only numbered sixty-five species, whilst Continental species 
were four times as numerous. The writer referred to species that 
were extinct, Papilio podalirius having disappeared within the last 
century; Papilio machaon, once widely distributed, is now only found 
in the south-east; Erebia Cassiope was said to have been with us from 
the glacial period. An interesting paper was concluded by dealing 
with the causes that produced the changes, and which were found in 
physical geography, climate and vegetation.—October loth. Mr. 
W. H. Bath exhibited a collection of insects of the order Planipennia 
made in the Birmingham district; Mr. Barrowdale, a specimen of 
Atticus illyllita, a silkmoth from Bengal, also a number of preserved 
larvee and cocoons of British moths; Mr. J. Madison, a distorted 
specimen of Planorbis complanatus, in which the spiral assumed a 
corkscrew form. Under the microscope, Mr. H. Hawkes showed the 
following fungi:— Craterium leucocephalum and Physarum nutans; Mr. 
J. W. Neville, a curious plant bug (Tingis) from Turkey. 
