Glutton, and a specimen of Pterygotus bilobus, from the Ludlow rock of Lanarkshire. The arrangement of the several collections is proceeding as rapidly as circumstances will allow. The British Land and Fresh Water Shells, a large proportion of the Foreign Shells, and the British Zoophytes have been mounted on glass tablets, the latter of which are under the special supervision of your President, whose intimate knowledge of this class of Invertebrates will ensure their correct nomenclature. The British Insects, with the exception of the Diurnal Lepidoptera, which have been replaced by the Messrs. Joy, have long been a reproach to the Museum, from their age and the injurious effects of light. They are now under re-arrangement, with the addition of numerous fresh specimens, especially in the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Homoptera. To render these Orders more complete, several very important Generic forms have been purchased; in addition to which the Society is deeply indebted to Mr. Ludolf, and Dr. Moore, of Lancaster, for valuable contributions of specimens. The Insects and British Land and Fresh Water Shells will henceforth be kept in drawers, to which access can only be had by application to the Curator, in consequence of the injury which such specimens sustain by roughness in opening the drawers. The great The great facility which a named and arranged collection of British Insects will afford to those who wish to study this delightful branch of Natural History will, we hope, be fully appreciated by Students in the town and district, who may also be stimulated to increase the collection by their own personal exertions. The Council trust that before the opening of another Session the professional assistance of some eminent metropolitan geologist will be obtained to aid the Curator in carefully naming the truly valuable and extensive collection of Fossil Organic remains in the possession of the Society, which is a task of no trifling extent, and could not be accomplished by the unaided labour of one officer. By the former method, which has been adopted by other provincial Societies, the interest and intrinsic value of the collection will be very considerably increased, at a moderate outlay. In British Archæology, the Council especially call attention to the remains of some rare examples of Sepulchral Vases, Jet Beads, Flint Implements, and Human Bones from a Tumulus on Esketh Moor, near Thirsk, presented by your Member, Mr. Fox, C.E. As other Tumuli were indicated in the same locality, your Assistant Curator proceeded to the spot for the purpose of carrying out fresh explorations. These, however, were not productive of any important results, as it was ascertained the Barrows had been previously despoiled. Mrs. Hamer, of Hawnby, however, presented a nearly perfect skull of probably a Romano-Briton, which had been disinterred from a Tumulus upon her estate. The Industrial Museum has received several additional illustrations of the industry of the neighbourhood, as also other specimens, including: A valuable Series of Specimens, exhibiting the Flax Manufacture, from the Flax Plant to the Finished Sewing Thread. Presented by Messrs. Marshall and Co. A similar Series, illustrating the Woollen Unscoured Wool to the Dyed Cloth. Manufacture, from the Contributed by Messrs. A Series to illustrate the Worsted Manufacture. From Messrs. Stansfeld, Brown, and Co. Of the Alpaca and Mohair. The Brush Manufacture. From Messrs. Titus Salt and Co. From Mr. John Jowitt. From Messrs. Butterworth, Rochdale. From Messrs. J. Broadhead and Sons. The Different Manufactures from the Agava Fibre. By the Patent Agava Fibre Company of Newlay. The Cocoa and Chocolate Manufacture. From Messrs. Henry Thorne and Co. The Mustard Manufacture. From Messrs. J. and J. Armistead. The Tinctorial Lichens and their Products. From Messrs. Wood and Bedford. The Manufacture of Paper, from the various kinds of Rags to the Finished Writing Paper. From Messrs. Joseph Town and Sons. That of Brown Paper, from Old Ropes and Sacking. From Messrs. Niell and Co. The Glass Manufacture, illustrated by a splendid Plate of Enamelled Glass, and the Rough and Cut Glass Processes, as exhibited in the domestic articles of life. By Messrs. T. and R. Lee. The Dyes obtained from Guano. From Mr. Rumney, Manchester. The Cork Carpeting: its various stages. By Mr. Roodhouse. An extensive series of specimens, illustrating the various Manufactures of Hemp, Jute, and Shoddy, obtained and presented by Mr. Ludolf, who has shown great zeal, from the commencement of the Industrial Museum, in furthering its objects. The Manufacture of Isinglass. From Mr. James Vickers, of London. Various Dye Woods. From Mr. S. Leathley Nussey. Manna from Mount Sinai, Preserved Apricots, Dates, Almonds, and Egyptian Lentils, and other food preparations from Egypt and Palestine. Presented by Mr. George Morley. A mass of Berry Pemmican. From Dr. Rae. To Mrs. Reynolds the Society is indebted for the preparation of Three Large Diagrams, illustrating the Consumption of Tea and Sugar, and figures of the Starch granules in different Vegetables. From Messrs. Harvey and Reynolds has been received a large and exquisite Photograph of a Panoramic View of Washington, by an American Artist. In conclusion, the Council feel called upon specially to acknowledge the following additional contributions towards the purchase of cases necessary for the display of the collections in this department of the Museum,— Mr. John Jowitt £20, Mr. Ludolf £20, Mr. Ward £20; and they take this opportunity of expressing their gratification at the great interest which is evinced by the visitors generally in examining the contents of the Industrial Museum, even in its present rudimentary condition. They also venture to express a hope that further illustrations of the Woollen Manufactures, and also those of Silk and Cotton, will speedily be added to the collection. LIBRARY. Although the Library has not had so large a number of contributions as during last year, it continues to receive the proceedings and publications of various Academies and Scientific Societies both in Great Britain and Foreign States, transmitted by them; amongst the latter the Society is greatly indebted to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, not only for the publications of that body but also those of the American Government and the other Scientific Institutions in the United States, and also for forwarding our own publications in return to the several Institutions in America. Amongst the principal donations may be recorded, Cameron's Roman Baths, folio, presented by Mr. Rhodes; the Costume of the Clans, folio, presented by a Lady; Thornton's Illustrations of the Sexual System of Plants, folio, by Miss Roberts; King John of England, a History and Vindication of, by William Chadwick, by the Author; the Greenwich Observations for 1862, by the Lords of the Admiralty. The Society has also added, by purchase, several Scientific Works, including 20 volumes of the Annals of Natural History; Owen's British Fossil Mammalia and Birds; Melville and Strickland on the Dodo; Forbes on the Naked-Eyed Medusa; Ellis on Zoophytes; the Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle; Kenrick's Archæological and Historical Papers; Phillips's Mineralogy, by Brooke and Miller. Since the last Annual Meeting the Council have endeavoured to make the Library more generally useful as a Reading-room, and a Committee was appointed to select a series of the principal Scientific Periodicals of the day to lay on the Library table for perusal. This regulation, involving as it does no small item of additional expense, will, it is hoped, be appreciated by the Members and Subscribers. The following periodical works are now constantly in the Library for reference : The Philosophical Transactions. The Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinbro'. The Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia. |