Sep., 1891. 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
211 
Part. iii. 470. Hopsford; Combe, Adams. Sutton 
Park ; Trickley Coppice and New Park, Middleton; 
Colesliill Pool; Witton ; Ward End Hall; Edgbaston 
Park; Hams Hall. 
(To be continued.) 
Vu ports of Striefks. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY. —Biological Section. —August 11th. Mr. R. W. Chase in 
the chair. Mr. W. P. Marshall exhibited a specimen of dodder (Cuscuta 
Epithymum) parasitic on gorse, from Guernsey, and two beautiful 
specimens of tubulariae from Sark. Mr. Steele Elliott exhibited five 
eggs of the Arctic tern (Sterna arctica), showing variation of colour, 
and a clutch of eggs of missel thrush (Turdus viscivorus), abnormal 
both in size and colour. Mr. C. J. Watson exhibited under the micro¬ 
scope a transverse section of butchers’ broom ( Ruscus aculeatus ), 
stained with aniline. Mr. Bolton exhibited a fresh-water sponge, and 
under the microscope, nostoc ? ( Cristatella unicedo and Gonochilus 
volvox). 
BIRMINGHAM MICROSCOPISTS’ AND NATURALISTS’ 
UNION.—June 22nd. Mr. H. Hawkes showed specimens of the 
butterfly orchis, Habenaria bifolia , and other plants, from Kingswood ; 
Mr. Corbett, polished slabs of Anglesea marble (an altered mountain 
limestone) from the Town Hall. Under the microscopes, Mr. Hawkes, 
section of stem of Villarsia, with stellate cells ; Mr. J. Collins, Spirogyra 
crassa in conjugation ; Mr. Camm, Lamproderma nigrescens, an elegant 
fungus found on dead leaves. A paper was then read on “ A Trip to 
North Devon,” by Mr. Wiltshire. The writer spoke of the different 
routes of reaching that picturesque county, but gave preference to the 
one via Bristol and Portishead, down the Channel, by Weston-super- 
Mud, as it has been most unjustly called, on to Ilfracombe. The 
leading features of the town were described, and the following places 
visited: Morthoe, Barracomb, Wallacomb Sands, Hillsborough (one of 
the few places on the coast where the sun can be seen to rise and set 
in the water), Watermouth, Combe Martin, Clovelly, Lundy Island, 
and Lynmouth. The natural beauty and points of scientific interest 
of each locality were described at some length, and illustrated by a 
large series of photographs and some ferns and other plants.--June 
29th. Special.—Conchology. Mr. S. White showed a collection of 
shells of Helix aspersa and H. nemoralis, from various localities ; Mr. 
J. Madison, a case of our smaller bivalve shells ; Mr. G. H. Corbett, a 
specimen of Nummulites nummular ia, from the Great Pyramid, Egypt.— 
July 6th. Mr. Round showed various specimens of rock salt from the 
Cheshire mines, also of the stone on which it beds ; Mr. Lilly, marine 
shells and corals from Studland, Dorset ; Mr. J. Linton, marine shells 
and specimens of Helices from Ceylon ; Mr. H. Hawkes, flower head of 
