264 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
Nov., 1890. 
thanks to the lecturer was unanimously carried.— Geological Section, 
Oct 21st. Mr. C. Pumphrey in the chair, in the unavoidable absence 
of Mr. Waller. Mr. A. Browett exhibited a spray of the liquorice 
plant, from Pontefract, and a smooth-coated horse-chestnut. Mr. J. 
Udall, F.G.S., read a note on “ The Bone Bed of Ludlow,” illustrated 
by specimens from Ludford and Norton Hill, near Norton Camp.— 
Sociological Section, October 2nd. Mr. Herbert Stone exhibited a 
number of plants attacked by gall insects ; also several specimens of 
Lychnis dioica , in which through the atrophy of the pedicels several 
flowers were crowded together so as to form a beautiful compound 
head similar to a capitulum.—October 23rd. Mr. W. It. Hughes, 
F.L.S., in the chair. A letter of apology was read from Professor 
Hillhouse, who could not attend to deliver his lecture on account of 
indisposition. 
BIRMINGHAM MICROSCOPISTS’ AND NATURALISTS’ 
UNION.—September 22nd. Mr. Round showed a slab containing 
fossil leaves and a flower from the Bournemouth leaf beds ; Mr. H. 
Hawkes, a fungus, Diachcea elegans. The subject for the evening was 
“ Practical Microscopy.” Mr. J. W. Neville gave a short address on 
plant crystals and how to prepare them for the microscope. The 
speaker said there was no royal road to mounting, and it was 
impossible to mount a leaf to show its whole structure satisfactorily. 
In mounting crystals we generally lost other cell contents, and in 
trying to preserve the protoplasm of the cell we lost the crystals. The 
process recommended was to bleach the leaves in chlorinated soda, and 
when quite transparent mount in balsam through carbolic acid, and 
afterwards view with polarised light. A collection of slides mounted 
in this manner was shown under the microscope. Mr. H. Hawkes 
exhibited a series of slides of dissections of leaves and flowers ; Mr. J. 
Collins, slides of fresli-water algae, the cell contents of which had been 
fixed by picric acid.—September 29th. Mr. Frost exhibited a series of 
physiological and other micro-slides under a number of instruments.— 
October 6tli. Mr. G. H. Corbett exhibited a slab of coal measure shale 
from Bristol, covered with impressions of a fern (Pecopteris); Mr. 
Round, an album of flowering plants and ferns, mostly from the Lake 
District; Mr. H. Hawkes, specimens of fungi, Arcyria punicea and 
Stemonitis ovata ; Mr. J. Madison, an unusually large specimen of 
Anodonta cygnea from Maxstoke; Mr. Batley, an ice-polished and 
striated pebble from Northfield.—October 13th. Mr. Parker read a 
paper on “ The Deathwatck Beetles.” The writer said the power of 
superstition that held such sway over the minds of the community 
years ago had been gradually weakened by the light of scientific 
research. Of the many tokens observed in the household none were 
perhaps better known or more dreaded than the ticking of a harmless 
little insect known to the superstitious as the Deatliwatch, from the 
belief that it foreshadowed the death of an inmate of the house. The 
fact that the ticking was generally heard in the silence of a sick room 
would account for the superstition. The writer showed that the 
peculiar noise was caused by the insect beating its head against its 
hiding-place, and that it was not caused by one insect only but by 
several, four at least being credited with it— Anobium tessellation, 
A. striatum. A. pertinax, and Atropos pulsatorius. A description of the 
life-history of each was given. The peculiar noise they made had 
caused them to receive a large share of attention, which had showed 
that they were only fulfilling the ordinary duties of life. Drawings of 
each insect were shown. 
The Yesey Club Excursion to Norway. —The completion of this 
paper by Professor Hillhouse is postponed till next month. 
