284 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
Dec., 1890. 
BIRMINGHAM MICROSCOPISTS’ AND NATURALISTS’ 
UNION.—October 20th. Mr. J. Madison presented to the society the 
first instalment of a collection of British land and freshwater shells. 
A vote of thanks was accorded the donor. Mr. G. H. Corbett showed 
part of vertebra of Ichthyosaurus from Lower Lias clay, Stratford- 
on-Avon. A lecture was then given by Mr. T. H. Waller, B.A., B.Sc., 
on “ Sands and Clays.” The lecturer said a few years ago granite 
was believed to be the lowest rock in the earth’s crust, nothing being 
known below it ; and it was supposed that this had been broken up 
and formed the mica schists. This theory of the origin of crystalline 
rocks was not generally accepted now. Slates were formed by the 
breaking up of older rocks, but great changes had since gone on to 
alter them. The various agencies were reviewed bv which rocks were 
broken up, decomposed, and their different materials sorted. Clays 
were formed of hydrous silicate of alumina. China clay (kaolin) 
owed its origin to the decomposition of felspathic granite, and the 
small quantity of tin it contained was probably brought from the 
interior of the earth in a gaseous form by volcanic agency. Sand 
grains were sometimes well rounded and others angular; the former 
rather pointed to a desert surface than to water action, as the abrading 
power of water on such atoms was very limited. When clays were 
washed and the residue placed under the microscope, crystals of zircon, 
rutile, tourmaline, &c., were made out. These crystals being found 
in granite give evidence of their derivation from that rock. At the 
close of the lecture the process of washing was shown, and six typical 
slides of clay washings from different localities presented to the 
society’s cabinet.—October 27th. Mr. Linton exhibited a green flower 
of Dahlia, all the petals having degenerated into foliage leaves ; Mr. 
•I. Madison, a series of sketches of fresh-water operculate shells from 
Lake Tanganyika : the resemblance they bear to some marine types 
points to the possibility of the lake once having been salt. Mr. P. T. 
Deakin then read a paper on “Some Gloucestershire Shells.” The 
writer said the shells he should speak of were collected during a 
walk that extended over about twenty miles. It commenced at 
Cheltenham, and was continued through Leckhampton, Charlton 
King’s, Seven Springs, Cooper’s Hill, to Gloucester. The shells 
found in the different localities were enumerated. Some observa¬ 
tions were made on Helix pornatia , kept in confinement, and their 
method of constructing summer and winter epiphragms. The shells 
collected were shown. November 3rd.— Annual Meeting. In the 
unavoidable absence of the President through illness, Mr. Haynes, 
B.Sc., was unanimously voted to the chair. The reports of the 
General Secretary, Secretary of Committee, Curator, and Treasurer 
(the latter stating there was a balance of £3 16s. 3d. in favour 
of the society) were read and formally passed. Mr. J. W. Neville 
then proposed the re-election of Professor Hillhouse, M.A % , F.L.S., 
as president for the ensuing year, remarking that the many 
pleasant recollections of that gentleman’s year of office had made 
the society very desirous of securing such services for another year. 
Mr. G. H. Corbett seconded the resolution, which was passed unani¬ 
mously. Mr. P. T. Deakin proposed Messrs. Cracroft and Parker as 
vice-presidents. Mr. J. Madison seconded the same, which was 
passed. The other officers remained unchanged. After a vote of 
thanks to the retiring officers had been moved and passed, Mr. 
Rodgers moved a vote of thanks to the Birmingham Natural History 
and Microscopical Society for their kind invitations from time to time 
to lectures given at Mason College, which was passed unanimously. 
After the election of the committee, Mr. Haynes, B.Sc., read the 
retiring President’s address, the subject of which was “ Smatterings.” 
