300 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
ordinary way from a druggist’s shop—a pennyworth. Mr. Wilkinson, 
Campanula hederacea, Jasione montana, Origanum vulgare. Verbena 
officinalis, Rubiaperegrina, white variety of Bartsia odontites, Melampyrum 
sylvaticum, and other plants from N. Wales. 
BIRMINGHAM MICROSCOPISTS’ AND NATURALISTS’ 
UNION.—August 18th.—Mr. Tylar showed an internal parasite, 
Ascaris lumbricoides; Mr. Hawkes a collection of plants from Solihull, 
including Lycopus europceus and Plialaris canariensis; Mr. J. W. Neville, 
under the microscope, “Cherry-gall” flies, Cynips quercus folii, male 
and female. A paper was then read by Mr. Sanderson, “ Notes on 
the common Frog,” which described the egg and the mode of its 
fertilisation, together with the use of the gelatinous envelope. In the 
next stage the creature somewhat resembles a fish, and the heart has 
only one auricle until the development of the lungs. The gradual 
growth of the tadpole was followed through to the young frog, this 
stage being reached in about 120 days from the deposition of the egg; 
the frogs only reach their full growth in the fourth year. Their mode 
of hibernation and peculiar manner of breathing were described, and 
current stories of showers of young frogs and of mature ones being 
found imprisoned in solid rocks and trees accounted for. The paper 
concluded with a description of our three species and their distribution. 
August 25th.—Mr. Madison exhibited a specimen of Helix aspersa 
var. minor, from Tenby; also Planorbis corneus, var. albina, from 
near King’s Norton, new to the district; Mr. Deakin, a collection 
of freshwater shells; Mr. Hawkes, a number of plants from Sutton 
Park, including Parnassia palustris, Achillea ptarmica, and Veronica 
scutellata; also the following fungi: Cystopus Candidas, Trichobasis 
laMatarum, and Spumaria alba. Under the microscope, Mr. Tylar 
showed section of quartz pebble by polarised light, and Mr. Sanderson 
Pandorina Morum. Mr. H. Insley read the second paper of a series on 
“ The Scenery of the district Geologically considered.” The paper 
dealt with the scenery from Great Barr, through Newton Road, West 
Bromwich, Rowley, Halesowen, Clent, the Lickey Hills, Nortlifield, 
and Harborne, to Birmingham. The various formations, their nature, 
extent, and the causes that had carved out their present contour were 
described. The paper was illustrated by a series of landscape sketches 
taken in the field. September 1st.—Mr. Insley exhibited slabs of 
limestone from Clay Croft openworks, containing trilobite, etc.; on 
behalf of Mr. Baxter, specimens of hop plant, showing young and 
mature hops. Mr. Hawkes, specimens of Colchicum autumnale and 
Alchemilla vulgaris, the latter attacked by the fungus, XJromyces intrusa ; 
Mr. Madison, a case of specimens of Helix pisana var. alba, var. 
lineolata, and other unnamed varieties, from Tenby; Mr. Insley, 
lupuline glands of hop under the microscope. September 8th.— 
Mr. Deakin, a collection of freshwater shells, including Planorbis 
albus, and a very small though full-grown specimen of Limruea stagnalis; 
Mr. Tylar, specimens of travertine from the Dudley caverns. Under 
the microscope, Mr. Deakin showed young shells of Sphcerium lacustre, 
and Mr. Moore alimentary canal and gizzard of stone-fly. September 
15tli.—Mr. Rodgers exhibited eggs of stone mite, Tetranychus lapideus ; 
Mr. Madison, a striped variety of Limncea stagnalis ; Mr. Moore, a case 
of various sawflies; Mr. Hawkes, a specimen of soapwort, Saponaria 
officinalis, from Great Barr. Under the microscope, Mr. Moore exhi¬ 
bited the alimentary canal of green sawfly, Tenthredo viridis, showing 
parts of butterfly it had preyed upon ; Mr. J. W. Neville, palate of 
Chiton cinereus; Mr. Dunn, organisms in condensed tap water. 
