Mar., 1892. 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
71 
leports of Societies. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY. Biological Section. Feb. 9. Mr. R. W. Chase in the 
chair, and forty-seven members and friends present. Professor 
Bridge and A. H. Martineau were elected President and Secretary 
of this section, respectively. Mr. T. Y. Hodgson exhibited a fine 
specimen of a beautiful South African bird (Gorythaix musophaga). 
Mr. T. Y. Hodgson then read a paper on “ Fins, Wings, and Hands,” 
which he illustrated with a fine series of diagrams, and photographs, 
by the aid of the lantern. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Hodgson 
terminated the meeting. Geological Section. Feb. 16. Mr. T. H. 
Waller, B.A., B.Sc., in the chair. Mr. F. N. W. Howell read his 
paper on “ Oroefa and its first ascent.” The paper was copiously 
illustrated by photographs, shown by Mr. C. Pumphrey’s lantern. 
The Biological Theatre was filled by a large and enthusiastic 
audience. On the motion of the chairman a hearty vote of thanks 
was accorded to Mr. Howell. 
BIRMINGHAM MICROSCOPISTS’ AND NATURALISTS’ 
UNION.—Jan. 25tli.—Mr. P. T. Deakin gave an account of a visit he 
made to a gravel pit near Gloucester, where some arrow heads and 
other flint implements had recently been found. Mr. H. Hawkes 
exhibited a number of Alpine plants, native and foreign, and gave an 
account of their distribution ; also specimens of Spiranthes autumnalis 
and Neottia cestivalis, the latter a very rare plant, having only one 
habitat in this country ; Mr. Linton, shells of Helix cicatricosa from 
China; under the microscope, Mr. J. Collins, Melobesia lejolisii, a 
minute alga.—Feb. 1st. Mr. G. H. Corbett showed specimens of 
Sgnocladia virgulacea and Acanthocladia anceps, fossil polyzoa from 
magnesian limestone, Durham ; Mr. J. Madison, specimens of Helix 
elegans from near Dover, a helix new to Britain, also foreign specimens 
of the same. The President, Professor Hillhouse, M.A., F.L.S., 
delivered the first of two lectures on “ The Geographical Distribution 
of Plants.” The lecturer said the subject was a very large one, and 
he could only point out a few of the causes that had brought about 
their distribution. He should speak of the subject under two headings: 
the facts of geographical distribution, and the attempts to explain the 
same. All who have travelled much or little must have seen that 
plants differ in every area ; no two places have a vegetation exactly 
alike. Vegetation was seen at its greatest luxuriance in the tropics, 
and was characterised by some special differences such as we find in 
the palms, bananas, tree ferns, and epiphytic orchids. The speaker 
then traced the features of the vegetation as we approached more 
northerly latitudes, where conifers largely increased in numbers. From 
these we came to Alpine plants and shrubs, and still further north to 
mosses and lichens that reached to the barrier of perpetual snow. One 
of the facts of geographical distribution is that plants have a tendency 
to aggregate into limited areas. Mosses and saxifrages were instances 
in point. The conditions of desert life in plants were spoken of as 
conditions of extreme heat and cold, the dryness of the area accounting 
for the latter. A number of well-known plants were referred to. The 
maiden-hair fern was spread over nearly three-quarters of the globe, 
Clematis Vitalba had a very compact area, Ragged Robin,the northern 
range of the Eastern hemisphere. The common maple was confined 
