282 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
Among the excursions on the final day (Thursday) was 
one “ long excursion,” in which Professor Lapworth led 
numerous “ knights of the hammer” to the Longmynd and 
North Wales. This excursion was to extend over six days; 
we trust, however, that the “scenery” will not be seriously 
damaged. 
Not to lengthen our report, we may say in conclusion that 
the officials of the Association—and their great experience 
makes them the best judges—pronounced the meeting a “great 
success.” The fine group of public buildings in the very 
centre of the town—the Council House, Town Hall, Mason 
College, Midland Institute, &c.—enabled all the sections to be 
well housed, and in close proximity to one another. Our 
colonial guests—and they were many—appeared highly 
delighted, and every one joined in the wish that the British 
Association would come again to Birmingham, and that with 
the least possible interval. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY. — Biological Section, September 14th. Mr. W. R. 
Hughes, F.L.S., in the chair. The following were exhibited:—By 
Mr. C. Pumplirey, Polygonum acuminatum, in fine flower, and Acanthus 
mollis, a South European plant; Mr. Thomas Clarke, the seed vessel 
of a gourd, which is filled with Valparaiso cayenne pepper, as used on 
board a Chilian war vessel now lying in the Tyne ; E. Clarke, a nest 
of the weaver bird; Mr. A. Browett, the fruit of what was thought to 
be the rare Pyrus domestica, from the garden of Mr. Jasper Moore, M.P., 
near Shrewsbury; Mr. W. R. Hughes, Acorus calamus, the sweet flag, 
in fruit, from Hewell Grange; Mr. T. Bolton, the jumping bean of 
Mexico, being the fruit of one of the Eupliorbiacese, infested with the 
larva of Carpocapsa saltitans , from the Southern States of America ; 
Mr. W. II. Wilkinson, the ripe fruit of Pyrus Japonica; Mr. W. B. 
Grove, B.A., Ag. obscurus (new to the district), Ag. sublateritius , Ag. 
maculatus, Ag. testaceus, and Peziza cocldeata, from the Lickey Hills ; 
and for Mrs. Taunton, a flower of Stapelia. An interesting discussion 
arose out of each of these exhibits, in which the Chairman, Messrs. 
W. B. Grove, C. Pumplirey, A. Browett, J. E. Bagnall, and others 
joined.— General Meeting, September 21st. Mr. W. B. Grove, B.A., 
in the chair. Mr. W. R. Hughes, F.L.S., exhibited Atropa Belladonna, 
deadly nightshade, also Solanum Dulcamara, woody nightshade, both in 
fruit, showing the contrast of the two plants. Mr. W. B. Grove 
exhibited the following fungi :—Ag. hydrophilus, from Sutton ; Lentinus 
lepideus, from Staniforth Street, Birmingham ; Gylindrium Jlavo-virens, 
from Edgbaston Park; (for Mr. Wm. Matthews, M.A.), two magnificent 
specimens of the “Parasol Mushroom,” Ag. procerus, from West Malvern, 
one of them 12in. high ; (for Mr. J. Hamson), Hygrophorus calyptrce- 
formis, from Bedford (a rare species) ; and (for Mr. H. Hawkes) 
