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REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
16th, at Kempston, “ Cowper, as a poet of nature,” by the Rev. James 
Copner; December 11th, at Kempston, “Pond Life,” by Dr. Crick; 
January 31st, at Great Barford, “ Salt and Sugar,” by Mr. A. Ransom ; 
March 3rd, at Potton, “ The Cross Fertilization of Flowers,” by Mr. J. 
Hamson ; “Wild Flowers” and “Pond Life,” by Dr. Crick, at St. 
Paul’s Wesleyan School; March, 1883, at Kempston, “ The Sun,” by 
Mr. T. G. Eiger; April 22nd, 1884, at Kempston, “Volcanoes and 
Earthquakes,” by Mr. T. G. Eiger. The Committee had reason to 
believe that the lectures were heard with intelligent appreciation, from 
the fact that on more than one occasion the interest of the audience 
was manifested by the discussion that followed. Mr. Arthur Ransom 
read a paper on “ The office of Trees in the Economy of Nature,” 
which awoke great interest, and was followed by an animated discussion. 
DUDLEY AND MIDLAND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND 
FIELD CLUB.—The annual meeting of the members of this society 
was held in the Museum, Dudley, on May 12tli. Mr. H. Johnson, F.G.S., 
president, in the chair. The yearly statement of accounts and the 
report of the committee were read and adopted. Mr. H. Johnson was 
re-elected president for the present year. After the transaction of the 
business, Mr. G. Jones read an interesting paper on the metallurgical 
operations of Dud Dudley in this neighbourhood during the early part 
of the 17th century; Dudley’s object was to smelt iron with coal 
instead of charcoal, as was then the custom, which had led to the 
destruction of vast tracts of forests in various parts of the country. 
Mr. Jones then conducted the party to Dibdale, where very much of 
this old scoria is still to be found, and he pointed out the site of some 
of the earliest blast furnaces in the district. He also called attention 
to the great quantities of calcined shale, frequently baked into 
porcellanite, lying about, and stated that in consequence of the coal 
measures cropping out, and being worked near the surface in olden 
time, together with imperfect modes of working, vast quantities of slack 
were left in the pits, which afterwards took fire, and then ignited the 
adjacent coal, so that it is estimated that hundreds of acres of coal 
were destroyed, the fires resembling, as Dud Dudley remarks, “Etna 
in Cicily, or Hecla in the Indies.” The party then walked to Mr. B. 
Gibbons, junr’s., fire-clay works, where Mr. Gibbons kindly explained 
the discovery of a patch of thick coal which had lately been found, 
and which had escaped the surrounding conflagrations. The members 
then drove to the Wren’s Nest, where Mr. Johnson pointed out a most 
instructive section, showing the manner in which the limestone beds 
had been contorted by the forces which had upheaved them into 
their present inclined and almost vertical position. 
TAMWORTH NATURAL HISTORY, GEOLOGICAL, AND 
ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.—On April 25tli Mr. F. W. Andrews 
gave a lecture on “ The Fertilization of Flowering Plants.” He 
showed the intimate connection between the colours and scents of 
flowers, and the visits of the insects attracted thereby for fertilizing 
plants. As a practical application of the theory, he said the 
Australians have lately imported numbers of Queen humble bees 
for the greater fertilization of their red clover.—On May 12th Mr. 
J. Spencer Balfour, M.P., gave some notes from his Italian trip, 
which were thoroughly appreciated by a well filled room. An 
account is given in the Tamworth Herald of May 24th. 
