222 MIDLAND UNION OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES. OCT., 1892. 
stormy weather which prevailed during the evening the 
gardens, with their magnificent shrubs and flowers, could only 
be enjoyed from the windows of the house. But as the 
company left at 10.30 the vivid sheet lightning lit up the 
grounds and made the great shrubs and trees even more 
striking than the daylight had done. 
A fine collection of rare and valuable curiosities, pictures, 
engravings, &c., &c., had been gathered together for the 
Ceiriog Yale Industrial Art and Loan Exhibition on the day 
previous to the Conversazione, and it was a great privilege for 
the members of the Union to be able to share in the interest of 
such a collection, the result of so much labour and thought. 
Colonel and Mrs. Barnes had kindly thrown open the 
whole of their beautiful house to their guests, who wandered 
from room to room, everywhere finding articles of intense 
interest. In one room was arranged a very valuable collection of 
pictures and engravings; in another beautiful specimens of old 
silver, antique china from various countries, beautiful old lace 
and embroideries; of the latter one exquisite piece attracted 
special attention, being worked entirely by men’s fingers. 
Amongst the old miniatures and autographs exhibited was 
was one of priceless value—the original letter of William of 
Orange, written on his landing in England to the nation he 
came “to save from ruin,” and “whose religion, laws, and 
liberty he intended to preserve.” One room was entirely 
devoted to old MSS. and maps, collected from various sources. 
Another room contained geological specimens and fossils, 
collected by Mr. T. James, of Oswestry; also a microscope 
exhibition, comprising interesting examples of Rotifera, &c. 
During the evening the President, Mr. A. T. Jebb, delivered 
a most interesting address on the “Birds of the Neighbour¬ 
hood of Oswestry.” His careful observations of bird life, and 
the pains he had taken to find out the derivation of many of 
the curious names given to birds, added greatly to the enjoy¬ 
ment of his audience. This enjoyment other members of the 
Union will be enabled to share by the publication of the 
address in these pages. 
The following interesting papers were read later in the 
evening, and will appear in the “ Midland Naturalist ” :— 
“ On the Shell-bearing Glacial Deposits of the Gloppa,” 
by Mr. A. C. Nicholson, of Oswestry. 
“ The Breaking of the Meres,” by Mr. W. Phillips, F.L.S., of 
Shrewsbury. 
“ On the Silurian Outlier West of Caer Caradoc,” by E. 
Stirling Cobbold, of Church Stretton. 
“ On Phenology,” by Mr. F. A. Bellamy, F.R.Met.Soc., of 
Oxford. 
