REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
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for Roman Road, Devil’s Causeway, and Plaisk ; June 13th. Ludlow for 
Bone Will and Richard’s Castle; July 29th to 31st. Tewkesbury; 
Sept. 26th. Bomere, Betton and Berrington Pools. According to the 
usage of the society, the last of these excursions will be devoted to 
the collection and study of cryptogamic plants. The Rev. W. Elliot 
and the Rev. Canon Butler were elected honorary members; the Rev. 
C. Warner and Mr. W. E. Beckwith, Vice-Presidents; and Mr. W. 
Phillips, F.L.S., was appointed sub-editor for the society, for the 
“ Midland Naturalist.” Mr. R. H. Law, having tendered his resignation 
as Secretary and Treasurer, in consequence of leaving the neighbour¬ 
hood, was thanked in complimentary terms for his valuable services 
by the President on behalf of the members, and the Rev. T. Auden, 
Vicar of St. Julians, Shrewsbury, was unanimously elected in his 
place. 
HANDSWORTH NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENTIFIC 
SOCIETY.—This Society was started in 1881 with the object of 
mutual help in obtaining scientific knowledge. Popular lectures on 
subjects from all sciences and Natural History are provided during 
the winter, and excursions in the summer. The members number at 
present sixty-six. Visitors are admitted at all meetings. The 
President is Mr. G. Sherriff Tye; the Secretary, Dr. William L. Hiepe, 
68, Villa Road, Handsworth. The meetings are held on alternate 
Tuesdays at Portland House, Soho Hill, at 8 p.m. The seventh 
general meeting was held on Tuesday, February 19th, at 8 p.m., at 
Portland House, Soho Hill. The chair was occupied by the President, 
Mr. G. Sherriff Tye, and there was a good meeting. Mr. William 
Madeley, Hon. Secretary of the Dudley Geological Society, delivered a 
lecture on “ The Life of the Coal Period.” The audience followed 
the lecturer with great interest and attention, and some time was 
occupied after the lecture by the inspection of the numerous and 
splendid specimens of fossil ferns, Sigillaria, Lepidodendron, scales of 
fish, etc. The eighth general meeting was held on Tuesday, March 
4th, the chair being occupied by Mr. F. A. Walton. The lecturer of 
the evening was Mr. E. Mundye, Head Master of the Birchfield High 
School. The subject was “ The Phenomena of Light and Colour.” 
The lecturer explained the vibration theory of light, in opposition to 
the older emanation theory, and then he showed the phenomena of 
reflection, refraction, dispersion, phosphorescence, etc., with the aid of 
a magnificent oxy-hydrogen lamp kindly lent by Mr. H. Lane. All 
the experiments were successful and striking, and although the lecture 
occupied above an hour and a half, the audience, which consisted of 
over eighty, followed it with great interest to the end. 
NOTTINGHAM NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY.—February 19tli. 
Mr. J. Shipman read an interesting paper entitled “ The Story of the 
Hemlock Stone,” in which he took an entirely new view of the origin 
of this most curious pillar of rock. At the conclusion of the paper, 
which was of considerable length, Professor Blake, M.A., F.G.S., Mr. E. 
Wilson, F.G.S., and others took part in the discussion, and warmly 
combated some of the theories put forward by the essayist; it was also 
decided that the subject should at some future date be again brought 
forward for further discussion. March 4th.—Mr. E. Francis, F.C.S., 
read a paper on “ The Chemistry of Chalk,” in which he first referred 
to the formation of the soluble acid carbonate of lime, which, being 
