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must first be drilled with little steel instruments called egg drills, which are made of various degrees of fineness, according to the size of the egg to be operated upon. Drills are to be procured from the various dealers, but can be made from steel wire softened in the fire and filed to a sharp three-cornered point—afterwards tempered to hardness—for the smaller eggs, or filed up for the larger eggs to the pattern of a "counter-sink," used for wood—indeed, the smallest-sized 'countersink' made, to be procured at any ironmonger's, will de very well for eggs the size of a hen's. To use these drills, rotate the point by 'twiddling' the drill between the finger and thumb, making only one hole, and that in the centre of the egg. When a nicely rounded hole is cut, the egg must be emptied by means of an 'egg-blower', or blow-pipe: the point being introduced into the hole, the contents are blown out or sucked up into the bulb, which, when full, is emptied out at the other end. It sometimes happens that the egg is 'hard set'. The embryo must, in that case, be got out with small curved scissors specially made. In all cases eggs should be thoroughly rinsed out with a solution of six grains of corrosive sublimate to an ounce of rectified spirits of wine. This may be sucked up into the bulb of the 'egg-blower', and thence ejected info the egg, which is to he rotated, and what solution is left may then be sucked back and thrown away: or returned to the bottle. Great care must be taken, however, that the mixture does not pass the bulb and be drawn up into the mouth, as it is, of course, deadly poison; the egg being placed (hole downwards) on blotting-paper, is to be left until dry."

The Proposed Increase of the Subscription to the Midland Union of Natural History Societies.—I do not intend to discuss at present the question of this increase, but I desire to place on record an explanation, personal to myself. As the Secretary of a Sub-committee appointed by the Birmingham Natural History Society, I conducted the negotiations which established the Union; and throughout these negotiations the principles laid down were those upon which the West Riding Union had been formed. The most important of these was one upon which I gave personal assurance to many of the Societies now in the Union that their pecuniary responsibility would be limited to one penny per member. Of the proposal made at the very first meeting of the Union to increase the levy to a shilling I knew nothing until, to my astonishment, it was made by the President of that Society on behalf of which I had acted. I therefore trust that any Societies of the Union who may see in this the appearance of a breach of faith on my part will understand that I am in no way responsible for it. I lave expressed my sense of the false position in which I have been placed by resigning my seats on the Council of the Union, and on the Committee of the Birmingham Natural History Society.—Lawson Tait.

[The proposition to raise the subscription was fully discussed and adopted as a recommendation to the General Meeting at the Meeting of the Council which preceded the General Meeting, (as appears in the report.) as it had been found by the experience of the short time during which the Union had existed that the subscription fixed at the first meeting of the Council, on the assurance of Mr. Tait that it had been found to be sufficient by the West Riding Union, was utterly inadequate to carry on even the formal business of the Union, without taking into consideration the necessary expenses connected with the more important objects for Which the Union was formed. Simultaneously with the above recommendation of the Council of the Midland Union, a circular was addressed by the West Riding Union to its members, (a copy of which was printed last month, at page 180) stating it to be "perfectly obvious that the contributions paid by the associated Societies of one penny per member per annum are quite inadequate" for the objects of the Union. The proposal which Mr. Tait mentions was referred by the General Meeting to the different societies to ascertain their opinions upon it, and surely the right of the Union to govern itself, and to make such alterations to its rules as may from time to timed be found necessary, cannot be doubted, The subject is now under the consideration of the Societies, and will, us a matter of course, be decided according to the opinions of the majority.