MIDLAND UNION OF NATUEAL HiSTOEY SOCIETIES. 
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Technical Education, Professor Gladstone, E.K.S., W. Lant Carpenter, 
Esq., F.L.S., and other eminent men. The fine Optical Lantern pre¬ 
sented by Messrs. E. and G. Tangye has been used with great success 
in showing scientific illustrations to large evening audiences, and Mr. 
Richard Tangye has continued to evince his great personal intere.st in 
the work. His desire for its extension is shown by his recent offer 
to the adjoining School Board of Smethwick to pay half the salary of 
a science demonstrator if they will introduce the system into their 
schools. 
Geology. —Last year’s report contained a reference to a paper 
written by your Honorary Secretary (and published in the Pro¬ 
ceedings of the Birmingham Philosophical Society) upon the 
Quartzite Pebbles of the Midlands, in which they were referred 
to local sources. A paper by Professor Bonney has recently 
appeared in the “Geological Magazine” (May No.), in which he 
strongly controverts this view, and refers these pebbles to Scotch 
rocks, mainly on the ground of the mineralogical resemblances 
between the two which are revealed by the aid of the microscope. 
On the other hand. Professor Hull, the original author of the theory 
which derived these Midland pebbles from the Old Red Conglomerates 
of Scotland, writes to the same Magazine, giving up this theory and 
adopting Mr. Harrison’s in its entirety. This is a subject on which 
local help would be most valuable. About 200 copies of Mr. Harrison’s 
paper have been distributed to Midland geologists, and he will be 
pleased to forward a copy to anyone desiring to study the subject. 
Another paper by the same author describing the work of that best 
of scientific societies, the Palaeontographical, has been reprinted from 
the “ Journal of Science,” and 2,500 copies have been presented to 
the Union for distribution among its members. The meeting at 
Tamworth is specially fortunate in that it permits of an examina¬ 
tion of the Cambrian rocks which were discovered last year by 
Professor Lapworth and Mr. Harrison : the famous quartzite ridge 
which runs from Hartshill to Nuneaton offers a geological problem 
of the highest interest and importance. No fossils have as yet been 
found in it; it is underlaid by volcanic rocks probably belonging 
to the Charnwood series ; it is overlaid by Cambrian shales which 
do contain fossils, though they are, as yet, few in number, and of 
wide range. What is the age and true geological position of the 
quartzite ? This will be a hard nut to crack, and will doubtless 
furnish material for the hammers of Midland geologists for many 
years to come. Let us be thankful for it! 
Bouhler.'i. —In boulder work the event of the year has been the notice 
by Dr. Crosskey of many remarkable striations on the basalt of the 
Rowley Hills near Dudley ; boulders of the same rock, similarly 
striated, have lately been found near Birmingham. 
The Organ of the Union. —“ The Midland Naturalist ” has continued 
to appear with regularity under the management of its editors, Mr. 
E. W. Badger and Mr. W. J. Harrison. Five volumes have now been 
completed, and during the last year the following papers have appeared 
in it:—“ The Flora of Warwickshire ” (continued), by J. E. Bagnall; 
“ Summer Migrants,” by O. V. Aplin ; “ Fungi of ,the Neighbourhood 
of Birmingham,” by W. B. Grove; “Meteorology of the Midlands” 
(continued), by C. L. Wragge ; “ Report on Pennatulida ” (continued), 
by W. P. and A. M. Marshall; “ Minerals of the Midlands ” (continued), 
by C. J. Woodward ; “ Botanical Rambles,” by J. E. Bagnall; “ On a 
Dragon Fly,” by Silvanus Wilkins; “ Floscularia regalis," by Dr. 
