Paris Exhibition.—Nature says, "We learn, with pleasure, that at a meeting held at Barrow-in-Furness, on June 3, the Committee of the Naturalists' Field Club belonging to that town determined to organise a scheme for sending representatives (artisans, if possible) to the Paris Exhibition, with the view of collecting information in connection with the various branches of science which are there practically illustrated, one of the conditions being that the result of the observations should be imparted to the club in the form of lectures during the ensuing winter. Promises of substantial support have been received from several of the leading men in the district, and the scheme is expected to be shortly in Working order.
Tame-bred Mallards.—Mr. W. H. Roach says in the Field: "I reside between two and three miles from the Liverpool Exchange, so you may guess my place is not vary secluded. About ten years ago I brought from Ireland nine or ten wild ducklings that had been hatched by a hen, turned them out on the pond in our garden, never interfered with their wings, but fed them regularly. They remained on the pond, (70ft. by 40ft.) quite tame, and used to come to the hall door for food. However, in the course of time and occasional rambles. they all got shot or otherwise put an end to, with the exception of one mallard, and he for several years past has left me at Christmas, goes I don't know where, but returns as certainly the last week in May, and as tame as ever, taking bread almost from my hand, I have met no one acquainted with a similar case."
Crusade against Sparrows.—From the Toronto Leader we learn that the English Sparrow is no longer a favourite in some parts of America. The Nuttal Ornithological Club, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has made the bird the subject of grave deliberation, and having duly weighed the evidence pro and con, have decided that it ought to be exterminated, It is alleged that the native birds are driven away wherever the sparrow has gained an ascendancy.
Microscopy.—Mr. Dudgeon makes the following suggestion as to examination of small organisms in water:—"Inclose the objective in a brass or other metal tube, having its lower end closed by a piece of thin microscopic glass, coming close up to but not touching the object glass. With this protection we can plunge the end of the microscope into a small tank, filled with water, containing the small livings organisms, and examine them at leisure.”
Reports of Societies.
Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society.—Biological Section.—May 14th.—Dr. Rickards reed a valuable paper "On the Ear in Man and other Vertebrates," in which he pointed out that, as a descent was made in the scale of vertebrates, the extremal and middle ears differed in important particulars. In referring to the functions of different parts of the internal ear, be ascribed to the cochlea that of estimating the quality of sound, and declared himself a believer in the view warmly advocated by Professor Crum-Brown that the semi-circular canals were the organs of a special sense apart from that of hearing, viz., the sense of rotation. Dr. Rickards expressed the opinion that important light would some day be thrown on the functions of the different parts of the internal ear in man by a comparative study of the anatomy of the organ of hearing in vertebrates in connection with their varying hearing powers. The paper was illustrated by excellent diagrams and wax models, as well as by a fine collection of specimens, amongst which some lent by Mr. W. R. Hughes were
