86 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
Imports of Satieties. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY.—On February 2nd the Annual Meeting was held at Mason 
College. The annual report showed that a small decrease had taken 
place in the number of members, which is now about 240; but that the 
work of the year had been carried on by the members in a very satis¬ 
factory manner. The treasurer’s report showed an adverse balance of 
about £37, or, including a few outstanding debts, about the same 
position as at the last report. Mr. R. W. Chase was re-elected president; 
Professor W. Hillhouse and Mr. W. B. Grove vice-presidents ; of the 
ex-presidents, Messrs. Hughes, Levick, Marshall, and Waller were also 
elected vice-presidents ; Mr. C. Pumphrey, treasurer; Mr. W. B. Grove, 
librarian ; Messrs. G. M. Iliff and H. Miller, curators; Messrs. J. 
Morley and W. H. Wilkinson, lion, secretaries; Messrs. Bagnall, 
Browett, France, Goode, Rabone, and Udall were elected as the com¬ 
mittee. The meeting was then adjourned to receive the retiring 
president’s address at a future date.— Biological Section. —February 
9th. Mr. W. P. Marshall in the chair. Mr. W. P. Marshall was 
elected president and Mr. J. E. Bagnall secretary of the section for 
the ensuing session. Mr. W. H. Wilkinson exhibited a moss, Neckera 
crisp a, from Italy. Mr. J. E. Bagnall, a series of brambles, from the 
United States and for Mr. J. B. Stone, J.P., a large collection of 
plants, from the Pacific Slopes and Vermont, U.S., giving also notes 
on the physical features of the country, and the geographical distri¬ 
bution of the various species. These represented the natural orders : 
Ranunculacese, Berberidaceae, Papaveracese, and Fumariacese.— 
General Meeting, February 16th. Prof. W. Hillhouse, M.A., in the 
chair.—The Chairman exhibited the following high power objectives : 
one-twelftli oil immersion lens, by Leitz, of Wetzlar ; one-sixteenth 
glycerine immersion lens, by Parkes and Son, Birmingham ; one- 
twentieth glycerine immersion lens, by Parkes and Son, Birmingham ; 
illustrating their powers by various test objects. Mr. W. R. Hughes, 
F.L.S., exhibited on behalf of Mr. F. W. Sliarpus, of London, slides 
of Platessa Jlesus, the common plaice ; Cyclopterus lumpus , the lump 
sucker ; Pycnogonum littorale , Palinurus quadricornis , Hyas araneus , 
and Odontophore of Littorina littorea. These specimens were all 
mounted in Canada balsam, the delicate staining of the two first 
showing the internal structure most exquisitely. Mr. Hughes pointed 
out that Platessa and Cyclopterus among the fishes, and Palinurus 
among the Crustacea, exhibit most interesting phases of embryological 
development. Mr. T. Bolton exhibited Floscularia calva, a new floscule 
discovered the year before last at Dundee, and now found by Mr. 
Bolton, near Kingswood. Mr. T. Bolton then read his paper on the 
“Enumeration of specimens of organic life, both animal and vegetable, 
found in a swampy ditch in Sutton Park.” The list included a 
number of species never found before in Great Britain. The paper 
will be printed in the “ Midland Naturalist.”— Sociological Section. 
Thursday evening, W. H. France read the XI. Chapter of Mr. Herbert 
Spencer’s “ Study of Sociology” on “ The Political Bias.” Mr. W. R. 
Hughes, F.L.S., President of the Section, Mr. F. I. Cullis, Mr. 
A. Browett, Hon. Sec., and others taking part in the discussion which 
ensued. 
