240 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
PRACTICAL NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY.—On Saturday, September 15th, a 
meeting of the Scotch members of the Practical Naturalists’ Society was held in 
Edinburgh. The earlier part of the day was spent in rambling over the 
Pentland Hills for the purpose of investigating the entomology of the district. 
In spite of the foggy weather which prevailed during the day a fair list of 
captures was made up. In the evening the members assembled in their 
temporary meeting room, when several excellent papers were read, and a large 
number of specimens in all departments of Natural History was exhibited. 
NOTTINGHAM NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY.—Three excursions have been 
made under the aus^iices of this Society during the past summer, all well- 
attended and much enjoyed. The first was on June 28th, to Stamford, under the 
guidance of Prof. Blake, M.A., F.G.S., and Dr. Seaton (President). After visiting 
the ancient parish church, under the courteous guidance of the vicar. Rev. A. C. 
Abdy, the excursionists divided, one party accompanying Prof. Blake to a quarry 
in the Lincolnshire Oolite, and thence to a clay-pit in the Estuarine series, both 
just on the outskirts of the town, and later in the day the Colly weston slates; 
while the other devoted attention to the antiquities of the town. The Oolite 
proved fairly rich in fossils, while rootlets were common in the Estuarine clays. 
After luncheon at the George Hotel, the united parties visited Burghley House, 
the seat of the Marquis of Exeter, which was erected by William Cecil, the first 
Lord Burghley, and the famous Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth. Here 
some time was pleasantly spent in looking through the various rooms, with 
their painted ceilings and walls, their magnificent carvings by Gibbons, and the 
pictures, old tapestries, miniatures, and other art objects with which the 
mansion abounds. Tea at the “ George ” brought the day’s proceedings to a 
very agreeable close. The second excursion was a half-day visit to Lincoln, on 
July 28th. Again the excursionists resolved themselves into two parties, one 
visiting the spots of antiquarian interest, of course including the Cathedral and 
the Castle, the other devoting their attention to the geology, under the guidance 
of Mr. W. H. Dalton, F.G.S., and Mr. W. D. Carr, of Lincoln. The latter party 
first made for the cutting of the M.S. and L. Railway, on the west side of the 
city, passing over the Middle and Upper Lias, Northampton Sand, the Upper 
Estuarine Clay, Lincolnshire Oolite, and the Great Oolite, full of fossils, and 
returning along the top of the ridge known as the “ Cliff,” where the Northamp¬ 
ton Sand was seen well exposed in some ironstone quarries, capped with Oolite. 
After tea, this party paid a visit to the clay pit in the Upper Lias of Messrs. 
Swan Bros, and Bourne, on the West Cliff, where in a cutting, over sixty feet 
deep, the three zones, characterised respectively by Ammonites bifrons, 
A. communis, and A. serpentmus, could be traced, and where many fossils, 
including the rare Trigonia pulcliella, were found. The third and last excursion 
of the season was to Ham and Dovedale. Leaving the train at Norbury, near 
Ashbourne, and first visiting the old church, the party drove northward, 
through Wootton, to the Weaver Hills. Dismounting about half a mile south¬ 
east of Three Knowles, the excursionists walked on to Beacon Stoop, about 
1200 feet above the sea, from which a magnificent view of the Churnet and 
Dove Valleys was obtained. Returning to the carriages, the drive was 
continued to Blore, stopping to visit the church, under the kind auspices of the 
vicar. Rev. J. Young, and thence to Ham, a charmingly secluded and beautiful 
valley, where the River Hamps and the Manifold well up out of the limestone 
rocks, after a subterranean course of nearly four miles. The hall and other 
objects of interest, and the pretty little church, containing a fine piece of 
sculpture by the famous Chantry, having been visited, the drive was resumed to 
Dovedale, after which the party, or as many as could get it, took tea at the 
“Peveril,” the arrangements of the proprietor being far from satisfactory. The 
winter session of the Society was opened on September 4th, by a microscopical 
gathering, at which objects were exhibited by Dr. Seaton, Mr. Dodd (hou. sec.). 
Ml'. Jennison, Mr. Cave, Mr. Bush, Mr. Blaudy, Dr. Marriott, and others. 
