REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
59 
seconded, and supported by several eminent scientific men. Mr. 
Bagnall is one of the Vice-Presidents of the Birmingham Natural 
History and Microscopical Society, of which he has for something like 
a quarter of a century been one of the most useful and hard-working 
members. He has devoted his principal attention to the study of 
botany—structural and systematic. Years since he won for himself a 
name as a bryologist. He has communicated numberless papers to 
the Society, and scarcely a meeting has taken place for a very long 
period at which he has not exhibited some plant “ new to the district ” 
or of great rarity. He has always been a ready helper to young 
beginners, and many local botanists have benefited by his assistance. 
Many of his contributions have appeared in the scientific journals. 
His most important published work is the latest and by far the best 
“ Flora of Warwickshire,” which has appeared by instalments 
extending over several years in the pages of this magazine. This 
important work will, we are informed, shortly appear in a thoroughly 
revised form as an independent publication. We cannot entertain 
a doubt that it will be warmly welcomed by botanists in all parts of 
the kingdom, for it has already won the reputation of being one of the 
fullest and most carefully prepared county floras in the English 
language. If we are not misinformed, Mr. Bagnall has achieved his 
success as a scientific man in the leisure hours of a working life spent 
in one of our large manufactories, where he has been as “diligent in 
business” as he has been diligent in observation and study when the 
day’s work has been finished. 
T\ cport.s of Societies. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY. —Microscopical General Meeting, January 20tli, 1885.— 
The following resolution was passed:—“ That this meeting desires to 
express its sincere sorrow and regret at the loss which the Society has 
sustained by the death of their Assistant Curator, Mr. Cox, who fulfilled 
the duties of his office with satisfaction to the Society, and advantage 
to the members; and this meeting further desires to express its 
sympathy with Mr. Cox’s relatives on this occasion.” Mr. W. R. 
Hughes, F.L.S., exhibited Arbutus vnedo, in flower and fruit, from 
Colwyn Bay, North Wales. Mr. W. H. Wilkinson exhibited Glycerin 
fluitans from the warm water of a canal at a Wolverhampton Iron 
Works. Also some large acorns from a tree near the Wrekin, Shropshire, 
probably Quercus albus, an American species of Oak, brought into 
cultivation here about 1793. Mr. R. W. Chase exhibited rare varieties 
of the following birds :—Variety of Fringilla coelebs, from Small Heath ; 
Sylvia cinerea , from Tamworth; Erithacus rvbecula ,from Burton; Sturmis 
vulgaris, local; Tringa minuta, from Breydon Broad; also nests and 
eggs of Erithacus rubecula , Anthus obscurus, Fringilla ccelebs, Motacilla- 
rail; and clutches of eggs of Accipiter nisus , and Larus fuscus. All the 
above eggs were of unusual colouring. Mr. W. B. Grove, B.A., ex¬ 
hibited under the microscope, Koch’s Comma Bacillus, from a specimen 
cultivated in gelatine, put up by Dr. Strauss, of the German Cholera 
Commission. This is the alleged germ of cholera, and there is great 
probability that the allegation will be proved. The opinions which 
