218 MIDLAND UNION OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES, OCT., 1890. 
The President expressed regret that so many societies had 
been unable to send delegates. Leicester was a central place, 
and he should have thought that they could have sent some 
one to represent them. He trusted, however, that those who 
were in attendance would thoroughly enjoy their visit. 
Annual Report, 
The annual report of the council stated that the Union 
now consists of the following societies :— 
Birmingham Microscopists’ and Naturalists’ Union. 
Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society. 
Birmingham Philosophical Society. 
Birmingham and Midland Institute Scientific Society. 
Birmingham School Natural History Society. 
Caradoc Field Club. 
Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. 
Dudley and Midland Geological and Scientific Society and Field 
Club. 
Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society. 
Malvern Field Club. 
Oswestry and Welshpool Naturalists’ Field Club. 
Oxfordshire Natural History Society and Field Club. 
Rugby School Natural History Society. 
Severn Valley Naturalists’ Field Club, and 
Tamworth Natural History, Geological, and Antiquarian Society. 
The report went on to state that the council regretted to 
say they did not feel justified in appointing adjudicators for 
the Darwin medal this year. The subject this year was 
Zoology, but the papers on the subject contributed to the 
Midland Naturalist were of so slight a nature, and so few in 
number, as to warrant the holding over of the medal, The 
subject for next year would be Archaeology. The publication 
of the Midland Naturalist had proceeded with regularity, and 
the contributions were well up to the average. The volume 
for the last twelve months included some important contri¬ 
butions, among which may be mentioned W. Mathews’s con¬ 
tinuation of the “ County Botany of Worcester,” the 
continuation of W. B. Grove’s and J. E. Bagnall’s “ Fungi of 
Warwickshire,” and serial articles on “ Theories of Heredity,” 
by E. B. Poulton, M.A., F.R.S., P. Chalmers Mitchell and 
Herbert Stone, F.L.S. “ On the Origin of Decorative Art,” 
by Henry Balfour, M.A., F.Z.S., and by the same author on 
“ The Fin Whale Fishery in North Lapland.” On “ Con¬ 
stance C. W. Naden,” by W. R. Hughes, F.L.S., W. A. 
Tilden, DSc., F.R.S., and R. Lewins, M.D., and a poem 
on the death of Miss Naden, by J. A. Langford, LL.D. 
Other articles are “ The Land and Fresh-water Mollusca of 
North Staffordshire,” by J. R. B. Masefield, M.A.; “Notes 
in North Devon,” by 0. Y. Aplin; “On the Quaternary 
Deposits of Shropshire,” by Ch. Callaway, D.Sc., M.A.; “On 
