***-%
-,
I
x^
mm
*►,.
&
WJf
K*r*.
*~*
^ ' «r-
i
&
--..**\
.-^w*
.*?►••
S?ff
**V
*T
'V, /*'
f***— •»♦"«•'
.^^
jpr
*^
>U_
-J*
.-.
>**.i
THE
SCOTTISH NATURALIST:
Jt ^ftagiutnc of (Scottish JJatural piston).
EDITED BY
F, BUCHANAN WHITE M.D., F.LS,
VOLUME III.
Seken in every halke and every heme
Particulere sciences for to lerne."
— Chaucer.
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh: MacLachlan and Stewart, South Bridge.
London: E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C.
1875-1876.
INDEX.
PAGE
Preface
General Index
Species Specially Noticed
Mammals
Birds ....
Insects
Other Invertebrates
Plants
Flowering -
Cryptogamic
vn.
vii.
viii.
viii.
viii.
viii.
Families contained in
Insecta Scotica -
Genera in Outlines of
British Coleoptera
New Species
New British Species
List of Contributors
Errata ....
PAGE
iii.
ix.
ix.
x.
xi.
xi.
xii.
GENERAL INDEX.
Additional localities for Scottish Coleoptera
Addition to the List of Shetland Coleoptera
Animal Psychosis
Anthriscus abortivus ....
Aromia moschata
Auriferous Quartzites of Scotland
. 316
• . • . o
89, 149, 204, 250, 281
20, 79
. 112
46
Beetles, Outline Descriptions of British 10, 65, 106, 161, 219, 254,
Botanical Locality Record Club . . ,
Botanico -geology ......
Bryological Notes ......
Captures of Helicidre at Pitlochry, Perthshire .
,, Lepidoptera in Scotland in 1875 .
,, Lepidoptera near Edinburgh in 1874
Carabus nitens ......
Carex aquatilis var. Watsoni ....
Chariclea umbra in Forth District .
Clays containing Ophiolepis gracilis, &c, near St. Andre
vs, On
300, 338
21
. 80
80, 203
160
264
64
104
354
265
41
VI.
Index.
Coleoptera of Scotland, The 33, 85, 133, 183, 231, 277, 316, 321, 368
Common Swallow . . . . . . . . .218
Correction — Pyrola minor (altitude) and Anthriscus abortivus . . 79
Cryptogamic Society of Scotland .... 78, 127, 196, 354
Dicranum montanum in Scotland ....
Distribution of the Common Jay in Scotland, On the
Earn Valley, The . . . x .
Edible Wild Fruits of Scotland
Entomology of Skye, Notes on
Ergot, Notes on
" Flora of Clackmannanshire "
Food Plant of Plusia interrogationis
Food Plants of Gonepteryx rhamni
Fungus Show, The ....
Further remarks on Animal Psychosis
Gold in Scotland .....
Gonepteryx rhamni in Fifeshire
Goshawk and other rare Birds
" Guide to Belfast and adjacent Counties "
Hadena glauca in Tweed
Helix caperata .....
. 125
• 233
"3, 355
22, 73
262
185
226
9
265
178
281
177
226
265
128
64
160
Illustrations of Animal Reason
Insecta Scotica — Addenda
Ivory Gulls at Aberdeen
Kobresia caricina in Argyleshire
Lepidoptera of Scotland, The
Lepidopterological Notes
Little Gull ....
Lycaena Artaxerxes
*> 57. 96, 137, 212, 241,
29, 81, 129, 180, 227, 274,
Manual of Bryology
Naias flexilis in Perthshire
Natural History Society in Inverness
New British Fungi
,, ,, Fungus
,, ,, Moth
,, Scottish Fungi
Plants
Note on Merulius lachrymans .
Note on the Woodcock . . .
Notes
>»
of a Botanical Excursion to Loch Cluny
f an Excursion to Breadalbane
certain Plants
Pcrthshh
289, 329
9
8
21
319, 3^>o
9
64
9
203
198
226
20, 21
178
160
199, 267
20
17S
354
349
18, 122
. 318
Index.
vn.
Notes on certain species of Eupithecia
,, on Cryptogamic Plants
,, on Ergot
,, on the Entomology of Skye
On Clays containing Ophiolepis gracilis, &c, near St. Andrews
On rare or probable Scottish Fungi .
On some varieties of the Primrose found in Fifeshire
On the distribution of the Common Jay in Scotland
On the Grey Seal on the East Coast of Scotland
Origin of Soils, The
266
317
185
262
41
199
123
233
154
109
Outline descriptions of British Coleopteraio, 65, 105, 161, 219, 254, 300, 338
Peziza Stevensoni .......
Potamogeton polygonifolius var. linearis
Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Field Club
,, Natural History Society of Glasgow
127
79
307
359
" Rambles of a Naturalist in Egypt and other countries "
Recently described Scottish Fungi ....... 77
Remarks upon "Notes of an Excursion to Breadalbane " . .122
Reviews, Various . . . . . . . . . -359
Rumex conspersus on Tweedside ....... 354
Scoparia basistrigalis and Cochylis Smeathmanniana in Scotland . 265
Sphinx convol vuli in Orkney ........ 265
Story of a Pigeon .......... 266
The Fungus Show . . .178
The Tunny ........... 348
Turtle Dove in Aberdeenshire . . . . . . .112
Ulleriore
79, 127
Variety of M elampyrum sylvaticum
Various Notes ....
Velvet Scoters in Scotland in Summer
20
128, 226
• 348
SPECIES SPECIALLY NOTICED.
(See also New, and New British, Species and Varieties.)
MAMMALS.
Delphinus melas
Fox
Halicha?rus Grypus
PAGE
308
308
154
BIRDS.
Accipiter palumbarius
Blackheaded Bunting
Blackheaded Gull
page
265
310
3*4
Vlll.
I?idex.
Brambling
310
.b'JLiANTS.
Bunting
309
Flowering.
Buteo lagopus
265
Anthriscus abortivus
20, 79
Chaffinch
310
Carex aquatilis var. Watsoni
354
Columba Turtur
112
Carex frigida
20
Dotterel .
313
Corylus avellana
75
Eagle owl
359
Empetrum nigrum
27
Fieldfare
309
Fagus sylvatica .
73
Greenfinch
310
Fragaria vesca .
25
Heron .
313
Juniperus communis
76
Hirundo rustica .
218
Kobresia caricina
21
Hoodie-crow . 2
h 314, 315
Naias flexilis . . i<
)3, 350
Jay
• 233, 311
Potamogeton polygonifolius
Larus eburneus .
8
var. linearis .
79
,, minutus
64
Potamogeton prselongus var.
35o
Quail
312
Primula vulgaris
123
Redpole .
310
Primus avium
23
Redshank . *
3l3
,, insititia .
23
Sandmartin
3"
,, pad us
23
Sandpiper
3H
,, spinosa .
23
Scolopax rusticola
jj7
Pyrus aria
26
Siskin
310
,, aucuparia .
25
Skylark .
3°9
,, nialus
25
Song-thrush
309
Quercus robur .
74
Sparrowhawk . .
315
Raphanus raphanistrum
Starling .
3"
(white flowered)
3i8
Velvet Scoter
348
Ribes alpinum . ,
26
Woodpigeon
312
,, grossularia
26
INSECTS.
,, nigrum
26
Ablabia argentana
160
,, rubrum .
26
Aromia moschata
112
Rosa canina
25
Carabus nitens .
104
,, rubiginosa .
25
Cecidomyia Persicarice I
315
,, spinosissima
25
Cecidomyia tilise Sch. ?
315
,, villosa
25
Chariclea umbra
265
Rubus caesius
25
Cochylis Smeathmanniai
1a 265
,, chamamiorus
24
Eupithecia oxydata
266
,, fruticosus
T 1
24
Eupithecia septentrionat
i 266
,, Idreus
24
1 *
Gonepteryx rhamni
226, 265
Rubus saxatilis .
18, 24
Leptogramma niveana .
9
Rumex conspersus
353
Lvcajna Artaxerexes
9
Sambucus nigra .
26
J
Panagra petraria
9
Taxus baccata .
75
Plusia interrogationis
9
Utricularia sp.
352
Scoparia basistrigalis
265
Vaccinium vitis-i(Uva
28
Sirex gigas
316
,, myrtillus
27
28
Sphinx convolvuli
265
,, oxycoccos
Vespa crabro . .
316
,, uliginosum .
28
OTHER INVERTEB
RATES.
Cryptogamic,
Helix caperata .
160
Anacalypta latifolia
80
Ophiolepis gracilis
4. 1
Anodus donianus
80
Index.
IX.
Brachythecium salebrosum
Corticium amorphum
Decampia Hookeii
Dicranum montanum
Dothidea sambuci
Ergot (Claviceps)
Hydnangium carneum
Leucobryum glaucum with
capsules
Macrospora scirpi
m 80
Merulius lachrymans
178
270
Mitrula alba
318
318
Octaviana Stephensii Tul.
317
125
Peziza palustris .
3i8
317
,, rubella .
3i8
185
Psilopeziza myrothecioides
126
1 ^ *7
Rhytisma empetri
273
with
Torula pinophila
3*7
318
Torula spleudens
3i7
3i3
Trichobasis cirsii
35o
INSECT A SCO TIC A.
FAMILIES INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME.
lepidoptera.
Zonosomatidoe .
361
Acidaliidse
361
Coleoptera.
Amphidasidce .
319
Coccinellidoe
280
Amphipyridse
84
Colydiidas
376
Brephidse
229
Corylophidre
280
Caberidae
364
Endomychidas .
280
Euclidiidse
228
Erotylida?
280
Eugoniidoe
230
Histerida?
368
Fidoniidas
365
Nitidulidae
370
Geometridae
360
Phalaci-idre
37o
Hadenida? (continued)
29
Pselaphidse
184
Heliothidas
181
Scaphididas
277
Herminiidse
228
Scydmsenidoe
232
Hypenidas
229
Silphidas
323
Plusiidae
132
Staphylinida? (continued)
33
Scoliopterygidre
129
Trichopterygidae
277
Xylinida?
130
Trogositida*
376
Zerenida?
365
INDEX TO THE GENERA OF BRITISH COLEOPTERA
Described in this Volume.
PAGE
PAGE
PAGE
Acilius
• 303
Agabus
261
Anisodactylus
162
Acupalpus
165
Amara
no
Badister .
io5
Aepus
167
Anacoena .
307
Bembidium
219
Aetophorus
89
Anchomenus
107
Berosus .
338
X.
Index.
Blechrus .
7i
Enochms .
. 307
Noterus .
• 259
Blethisa .
16
Gyrinus .
• 303
Notiophilus
16
Brachinus
68
Haliplus .
224
Ochthebius
242
Bradycellus
. 165
Harpalus .
162
Odocantha
. 69
Broscus .
106
Helochares
306
Olisthopus
108
Brychius .
• 225
Helophorus
• 339
Oodes
72
Calathus .
106
Hydaticus
■ 303
Orechtochilus
• 304
Callistus .
72
Hydrsena .
• 344
Oxynoptilus
225
Carabus .
17
Hydrobius
■ 3°6
Panagseus
72
Calosoma .
66
Hydrochus
342
Paracymus
307
Cercyon .
■ 345
Hydrophilus
• 305
Patrobus
, 166
Chselarthria
339
Hydroporus
225
Pelobius .
. 225
Chlsenius .
72
Hydrous .
306
Pelophila .
17
Cicindela .
15
Ilybius
260
Perileptus
168
Cillenum .
. 168
Hyphydrus
225
Philhydrus
. 306
Clivina
- 67
Laccobius
338
Platyderus
108
Cnemidotus
• 223
Laccophilus
259
Pogouus .
. 166
Colymbetes
259
Lebia
7i
Polystichus
69
Cryptopleurum
348
Leiopterus
261
Pristonychus
106
Cychrus
17
Leistus
67
Pterostichus
108
Cyclonotum
- 345
Licinus
105
Spercheus
339
Cymindis
7i
Limnebius
339
Sphseridium
- 345
Demetrias
70
Lionychus
7i
Sphodrus
106
Diachromus
161
Loricera .
72
Stenolophus
164
Dichirotrichus
161
Lymnreum
168
Stomis
108
Dromius .
70
Masoreus .
7i
Tacliypus .
223
Drypta
69
Megasternum .
347
Tachys
168
Dyschirius
68
Metabletus
7i
Taphria .
107
Dytiscus .
302
Miscodera
106
Trechus .
167
Elaphrus .
16
Nebria
67
Zabrus
161
NEW SPECIES AND VARIETIES
Described in this volume.
ANIMALS.
Bupalus piniaria H. var. (et
ab.) flavescens B. W. .
Eupithecia " septentrionata "
B. W.
PLANTS.
Badhamia fulvescens Cooke
Carduus arvensis L. var.
elegansB. \V. (=horridus
Koch.) . . . 1
Geoglossum microsporum C.
and P. var. tremellosum
367
Cooke
200
Helotium scoparium Cooke
201
266
Melampyrum sylvaticum P.
var. pallidiflora B. \V. .
20
200
Peziza Comitessse Cooke
201
Peziza coprinaria Cooke
200
Rhytisma empetri B. W. .
273
31s
Xylaria scotica Cooke •
202
Index.
XL
NE W BRITISH SPECIES
Brought forward in this volume.
INSECT.
Exidia truncata Fr.
19
Acrolepia assectella ?
PLANTS.
265
Hydnum lsevigatum Fr.
Labrella ptarmicae
Peziza monilifera Fchl.
178
178, 3i7
201
Ascobolus crenulatus Karst.
202
Sphseria curvula D. By.
203
,, pilosus Fr.
202
,, Notarisii Car.
203
Dothidea angelica? Fr.
20
Ustilago intermedia Schroter 200
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS.
Balfour, Professor J. H., M.D.,
F.R.S., F.L.S. .
Blackburn, Rev. T., B.A. 8, 10,
65, 105, 161, 219, 254, 300, 338
Boswell, J. T., LL.D., F.L.S.,
(late Boswell Syme) . 265
Boswell Syme, J. , LL. D. , F. L. S. 9
Brotherston, A., . 79, 354
Brown, J. A. Harvie . 348
Buchan Hepburn, A. .112
Coates, Ff. . .160
Cooke, M. C, M.A., LL.D. 190
199
Drummond-Hay, Colonel H. M.
C.M.Z.S. . . 18
Fergusson, Rev. J., M.A. 80, 125
203
Forbes, H. O. . . 9
Forbes, W. A. 64, 262, 264, 316
Gordon, Rev. G., LL.D., . 127
Howie, C. . . .120
Japp, W. . . . 266
Keith, Rev. J., M.A. . 20
Kelly, A. . . . 9, 64
Lilley, C. E. . .8
Lindsay, W. Lauder, M.D.,
F.R.S.E., F.L.S., 1, 46, 57, 96
137, l77, 212, 241, 289, 329
Lumsden, J., junr., F.Z.S. . 233
Moncreiffe, Sir T. , Bart. . 9
Murdoch, A. . .218
Paterson, R. H. . . 317
Robinson-Douglas, W. D., B. A.,
F.L.S., F.R.G.S. . 337
Sharp, D., M.B. 33, 85, 133, 183
231, 277, 321, 368
Sim, G. . 8, 64, 265, 348
Sim, George, (Fyvie) . 112
Smith, F., F.G.S.E. 113, 169, 355
Stevenson, Rev. J., . 178
Sturrock, A. . .198
Taylor, J. . . .104
Walker, R., F.G.S.E. 41, 154
Wardrop, Rev. J. 89, 149, 204
250, 281
White, F. Buchanan, M.D.,
F.L.S. 18, 20, 21, 22, 29, 73, 79
81, 129, 160, 178, 180, 227, 265
266, 274, 318, 319, 349, 360
Wilson, A. Stephen . 185
Wilson, Owen, F.L.S. 226, 265
WOODCUTS.
Fig. 1. Diagram of parts of a Beetle
Fig. 2. ,. of ,, an Elbowed Antenna .
11
11
Xll.
Index.
E RR A T A.
Page 19, line 15, fro
Page 70, line 8,
Page 118, line 5,
Page 199, line 10,
Page 265, line 10.
Page 315, line 2,
Page 317, last line,
Page 319, line 8,
Page 320, line 10,
Page 33 7> line 7,
Page 341, line 3,
Page 350, line 9,
Page 362, line 20, „ ,, „ 'with' ,, 'without.'
In Insecta Scotica when the Degrees of Latitude are given (both in this
and preceding volume) for ' " ' read ' ' '.
m bottom,
for — 'when' read 'where.'
top,
,, 'DromInus' ,, 'Dromius.'
t >
,, ' Midlothian ' ,, ' Middle Lomond Hill.
bottom,
,, 'inroduced' ,, 'introduced.'
>>
,, 'Firglen' ,, ' Forglen.'
j>
,, 'Till.*;' „ 'Tille.'
,, ' Piermica* ,, ' Ptarmiccc.1
j>
,, 'Sol way' ,, 'Tweed.'
»>
)> 95 JJ
>»
delete (' To be continued.')
5>
,, 'Mulsant' ,, 'Mulsanti.'
top,
,, ' Lytkiun* ,, ' Ly 'thrum.'
THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST,
VOLUME THE THIRD.
ZOOLOGY,
ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL REASON.
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.LS.
FOR the last five years, I have had occasion to study end-
less books, pamphlets, reports, serials, newspapers, and
even MSS., containing anecdotes of Animal Intelligence. My
object has been to accumulate trustworthy data — -facts — on
which to base general conclusions as to the nature and range
of Mind in the Lower Animals. While I have found such anec-
dotes literally innumerable, only a small proportion is of any
real value — for the following reasons : —
i. Many are anonymous.
2. The names of the authorities for others are those of persons
utterly " unknown to fame," of whose competency to
observe, and of whose accuracy in the description of,
facts, we know nothing.
3. Others are clad in such a garb that it is impossible to dis-
tinguish fact from fiction. Ostensibly to render them "in-
teresting"— to attract readers — they are made to assume
the form of, and are spoken of as, " Stories," — a term
which suggests at least the idea of fiction.
4. What is obviously the same incident is recorded over and
over again, in various guises or disguises, in a succession
2 The Scottish Naturalist.
of ad eaptandum Christmas or other books — none of
which are original — the authors having simply compiled
from sources of information themselves second-hand,
and probably embellished.
In consequence of the recent writings of Darwin and his
school — including Huxley, Hasckel, Lubbock, Tylor, Spencer,
Wallace, Houzeau, Miiller, Wood, Lyell, and others, on the
" Place of Man in Nature," the subject of the Mental Condition
of the Lower Animals has acquired a degree of popular, as well
as scientific, interest that it never before possessed. Correct
conclusions on such a subject can be based only on well ob-
served and well established facts ; and it has become desirable
to accumulate such facts in order that legitimate scientific
generalization may be founded thereupon. It is important,
therefore, that all incidents illustrative of Thought or Reason —
of the higher processes of mind — in the lower animals, [wherever
such incidents have been properly and at first hand observed,
described, and authenticated,] should be placed on record, in
works of reference accessible to British Naturalists. I am
sure the Editor of the Scottish Naturalist will permit me to say,
and will agree with me in saying, that to no better purpose can
its columns be devoted, and that he will gladly give space to
anecdotes of such a character.
In the course of my own enquiries, I have been brought into
correspondence with the authors of several works on Animal
Habits and Character, some of whom have done me the favour
to place at my disposal, for publication, original, hitherto un-
published anecdotes illustrative of the possession of Reason by
the lower animals. I propose, in these columns, offering a
series of these " true stories" —
i. Because of their inherent interest : and
2. In order to invite and encourage others to add their con-
tributions to such a collection.
For the following five " true anecdotes," as she herself dis-
tinctively calls them, I am indebted to Miss K. A. Buist, author
of an illustrated work recently published by the well-known
firm of Macmillan, of London and Cambridge, on " Birds :
their cages and their keep : being a practical manual of Bird-
keeping and Bird-rearing." The work in question has been
most favourably reviewed in the AthencBum and other journals,
and is especially to be commended to all of her countrywomen
who either now have, or are likely at some future time to
The Scottish Naturalist. 3
possess, Home Pets of the Cage-bird class. It may give addi-
tional interest to, and confidence in, Miss Buist's anecdotes, to
mention that she is a daughter of the late Dr. George Buist,
of Bombay, and formerly of Cupar-Fife, — long well known in
the literary and scientific world of India, England, and Scotland.
Miss Buist wrote me, in October 1874, — " If I can be of the
slightest service to you, I should esteem it a pleasure to be so.
I have written out several anecdotes of animal
sagacity, never hitherto published, and for the authenticity of
which I can personally vouch, thinking they might be of interest
to you, to do with as you deem best. If they would be of the
least use, I would be very pleased to have them turned to
account. ... I have written them in a very great hurry,
and consequently the account in your own words would be far
preferable to mine as they now stand." Nevertheless, for obvi-
ous reasons, I prefer giving Miss Buist's anecdotes in her ipsis-
sima verba — without any sort of " trimming" by a second
party.
I. — " A tiny dog, belonging to a relative, was a perfect epitome
in itself of the marvellous instinct, or "mind in the lower
animals" found broadcast in nature. It was a very small,
smooth, fawn-coloured terrier, so devotedly attached to his
master, and obedient to his slightest wish, that no temptation
could suffice to lure him at any time from his duty. Nettle
was its owner's inseparable shadow as faithful friend. On
one occasion, to test the dog's fidelity, a conspiracy was entered
into between the master and a great favourite of Nettle's, to try
and tempt Nettle, and prove whether he was or not to be shaken
in his trustworthiness. The former, accordingly, leaving his
coat and hat in the hall, charged his canine guard to keep it,
allowing none to carry off the property ; and Nettle, with many
intelligent comprehending wags of his tail, calmly settled to
that office. Next arrived on the scene Nettle's especial crony,
his dear master's dearest friend, and coaxingly caressed
the tiny watchman, whistled to him, and tried to inveigle him
away with every conceivable bait. But Nettle was true
to his post. He watched and wagged and yelped all
friendliness and gratitude, yet he would not be moved
a hairsbreadth off his charge, so strictly confided to his
sagacity. At last a hand was laid on the hat, and Nettle, in
agony, dared not bite his dear master's dearest friend as he
would a stranger, nor even illuse his property, although to save
4 The Scottish Naturalist.
it. So he seized upon the brilliant expedient of jumping into it
himself bodily, whiningly gazing over the brim with fixed
vigilance still upon the coat left behind, and beyond his small
power, though not will, to take with him there too as security !
He would have flown in a fury at any one else, and hurt them
considerably, sooner than they should touch his property in
charge. His own tempter, however, poor Nettle loved far too
well to attempt to injure; he could only maintain his politeness,
with his trust itself, by the means so quickly devised and so
readily acted upon."
II. — "Another pet of the same master, and of a different kind?
was a tame bullfinch. This bird also adored his keeper as
much as little Nettle did; but his mistress, alas! who shall tell
the tale ! He could not abide her ! The lady was not of an ami-
able nature, and the bird had discovered the fact instinctively,
though to it she was honey and butter and sugar and oil combined,
tender, caressing, and the kindest of the kind, all of which
Bully ungratefully repaid by fighting her each time she even
entered the room where he hung a petted, spoilt favourite. He
would extend his wings and hiss at her very approach, however
distant, anol fly in a rage to try and peck her ; but his master !
it was absurd to watch the little bird and big bearded man
together. Bully languishing in blissful delight — his head on one
side — his sweetest notes warbling from his appreciating throat,
and letting the master do what he will and how he would too,
and at any time, except in his wife's company only, when Bully
invariably showed pugnacity again ; the sound of her voice —
her footfall — was quite enough always to upset its small
temper, until at last, scarce unreasonably, the mistress grew to
be quite jealous of her feathered rival, and to hate the sight of
the bird."
III. — "A third anecdote is of a cat, who, I am sure, must
have been indulging in "higher education" somewhere, so
unlike was he in his ways to the rest of his furry brotherhood.
Puss took a wild fancy to the contents of my bird cage, chiefly,
I am convinced, because he knew better, and desired to
torment a servant girl to whom he was greatly attached. Puss
was very big and strong, and the most resolute, tenacious, and
pertinacious of fourfooted thieves ; the terror of the neighbour-
hood round on account of his bold plundering raids, having in
one season devoured a family of no fewer than eighteen pro-
mising young chickens, showing skill and audacity in the
The Scottish Naturalist. 5
protracted performance worthy of a better cause. On one oc-
casion this cat ascertained that the occupants of the house next
door had acquired a nice plump guinea pig on which they set
great store; and Puss at once fixed his affections on its im-
mediate transfer instead to the gratification of his own capacious
appetite. He seized his opportunity then, and in triumph
brought it over the wall — a prey — to be devoured at his own
leisure. It was seen and rescued, and restored with the caution
to place it in shelter elsewhere during the darkness of night,
when its owners were not about efficiently to guard its safety,
as Puss had his eyes on it. With many thanks, due precautions
were taken to that end, and Puss was baffled for a long time.
In vain. Puss was strong in behalf of his own imagined "rights,"
and not to be baulked by any in the end. He obtained
possession the second time at night, deliberately ate it all up out-
side, and then quietly and unmistakably to prove what had
been done, and by whom, brought in the head and claws of the
victim and a scrap of fur to identify the lost, and placed them
ostentatiously in a prominent place, where they could not fail
to he noted. This a positive fact to my sure knowledge, the
cat in question being in the house at this moment. As to
Puss's penchant to my bird : He was so well fed he could not
possibly want the luxury ; nevertheless, every time our drawing-
room door is opened, there is he to be beheld with resolve and
deliberation seated on the door-mat without, all intent attention
at the first opportunity of an unguarded moment, or momen-
tary forgetfulness, to snap up or to pounce in and destroy without
ruth. He will creep in between the attendant servant's floating
dress, and thus hid, as unsuspected, bide his time, rush for-
ward then, and hitherto, I am happy to state, be successfully
beaten off, to repeat the performance always "once more."
The servant and he are firm friends, and he follows her about
the house, as only dogs are supposed to do. On one occasion
when she was away visiting her friends awhile, Puss was incon-
solable, roaming all over the house yawling ceaselessly till her
return, and night by night stretching himself outside her door
waiting, and making night hideous with his outciy of dis-
appointed hopes. When she has done anything occasioning
him the faintest annoyance, however, he has hit upon the happy
expedient of mounting her snowy dresser when her back is
turned, and catching the swinging pendulum of her clock till
he stops it, out of pure retaliation, and to evince his sovereign
6 The Scottish Naturalist.
displeasure, having discovered — how, who can say — it vexes
her, and puts her out ! My birds he had resolved he would
have, because she was resolved he should not. He fretted and
pined and grew thin over the delay to the fulfilment of this
darling scheme, until one fine day, following her stealthily up, to
be only beaten ignominiously down again to his own regions, he
awaited her in the kitchen, and flew in a fury to scratch
and bite her ; he, who never had been known except as the
most docile, affectionate, and best tempered of cats !
Puss sulked for a considerable while after, refusing to be
be comforted or mollified, or friends at all on the subject, and
never once forgetting nor foregoing every conceivable opportunity
of making occasion to renew his attacks on the forbidden fruit,
relying on his guinea pig incident, and others doubtless, for
success in the end to crown his patience and perseverance."
IV. — " Some servants were given a picnic by their master and
mistress, and for the occasion provisions were permitted them
from the house, enough for the party. But the evening before the
picnic day, friends unexpectedly dropped into the kitchen, and stay-
ing supper, the beef prepared for the meal out of doors the next
morning fell short, being consumed, in fact, by the visitors.
The cook was at a loss how to repair the damage, without incur-
ring her lady's wrath, and it crossed her mind that if she dressed
some bacon, as additional fare in place of the demolished
viands previously provided, the breach would be spanned, and
nobody a bit the wiser, since its absence would never be even
noticed, and the surreptitious festivities of over-night in the ser-
vants' hall remain without remark. There was, however, a
witness of her proceedings, who must first be hoodwinked, or it
might turn traitor in the camp, and betray all of this ad-
mirable private management, — Poll, the Parrot, in short, —
a favoured guest, at dessert only allowed to put in its appearance
upstairs, and at other times maintained at free quarters down
below. The bird, accordingly, was snugly covered, the frying-pan
put over the fire; and soon resounded the sonorous and odorous
frizzling and crackle of the culinary operations in question.
The gap supplied, the hours revolved, dinner came round,
and with it, in due course, Polly's hejira in state to the higher
regions for its habitual caresses and attentions there. Behold
our charming conversationalist, then, installed in high honour,
and respectfully causing silence on the part of the assembled
company, on the look out for the favourite to distinguish itself
The Scottish Naturalist. 7
as usual after its own way. In consequence they heard her
feathered majesty begin, — " It hails, and it rains, and — 'tis so
dark" And over and over again, vouchsafing no modification,
and no other remark, throughout the whole of that occasion ;
master and mistress entirely at a loss in their puzzle to compre-
hend their pet's wisdom, as to every appearance there existed
no occasion for it whatever. Polly was informing its owners,
however, unknown to them, of the high life below stairs, of
which their own domestics had purposely kept them ignorant,
to escape consequences to themselves. Neither master nor
mistress ever understood the confidential communication, nor
could account for it in any way ! — of course not ; as might have
been expected. The parrot had behaved with exemplary pro-
priety in the kitchen, as all thought there, not observing anything
in the least degree ; but the change to its more aristocratic haunts,
the first sight of its mistress, and the spell was broken on that
score, — the words burst forth at once, glibly and reiterated, —
"It rains, and it hails, and — His so dark." Sententious,
solemn, slow, and pausing with measured, deliberate tread, till
it came to the last, then it hurled, in quick double knock, the
remainder — that convicting accusation: — "His so dark." The
tale is true, as I can vouch for, having received it, to my
belief, at first hand, from one of the participators in the plot
itself — an old domestic, who told it with every appearance of
speaking the truth, without the least exaggeration."
V. — " Another anecdote is of a pair of Spa?iiels, belonging to a
relative of my own, and therefore an authentic narrative, illus-
trative of animals' wondrous sagacity. One of these dogs was
ever in favour, whilst the other was always in disgrace. Beauty
was good as gold, and lavished with rewards in accordance ;
his fellow as systematic a subject, on the other hand, of blows and
punishments, which his misconduct called forth so deservingly.
Now, for some reason or other, a certain member of the house-
hold found cause to suspect Beauty's perfection at all points, —
perhaps in his own soul being no 'particular believer in Infalli-
bility— as the family were all Irish, the dogs inclusive, — and
determined to test Beauty. It was closely watched, and on a
particular occasion it was clearly convicted of theft, in this wise :
It. was the hour of lunch, and Beauty's erring companion lay
stretched at full length snoozing on the hearth-rug. The door
was shut, the windows, long and opening on to the lawn, thrown
wide to admit the breeze, and Beauty's secret, lurking spy in
8 The Scottish Naturalist.
ambush out of sight, to discover what should next occur; and it
was this : Beauty with stealthy creep approached the hall door,
raised himself on his hind legs, with his fore paws deliberately
drew down the bell-wire, till he set it loudly ringing, then a
swift scamper, a spring on to the dressed table, a seizure of the
meat thereon, and as rapid a retreat to demolish his ill-gotten
spoils, and the conclusion — the usual one — that Beauty's fel-
low received Beauty's thrashing in place of himself, for having
stolen what he never took at all. And these tricks actually
went on for months ; Beauty invariably managing the other
should be exclusively punished for his own peccadilloes ; and
of course as the latter, in his innocence, was always to the
fore, and the former, protected by his guilty " conscience,"
never, it was easy enough to misjudge as to the real culprit
each time." (To be continued.)
Addition to the List of Shetland Coleoptera. — On turning out some
bottles of unset specimens, from Shetland, collected there last July, we find
several examples of Pterostichits oblongo-pimctatus, which were bottled
among, and as, vitreus. This species must, therefore, be added to the list
we furnished to the October number of the Scottish Naturalist ; and, we
now believe, that it is much commoner than vitreus in Shetland. This is
somewhat remarkable, as there are no fir-trees on the Islands, and, indeed,
not a good-sized tree at all ; M'hereas the locality mentioned for oblongo-
punctatus, by Schaum, is "woods;" and, by Dr. Sharp, "fir- woods." —
Thomas Blackburn and C. E. Lilley, Greenhithe, Kent.
Ivory Gulls at Aberdeen. — On Monday, the 17th November, while
hunting among the pools left by the tide, I observed, near Aberdeen Pier,
two gulls of a much lighter colour than any of the others, which were flying
about. On getting to the top of the pier they were more distinctly seen,
coming close to where I stood, exhibiting a want of shyness differing much
from the herring and black-headed gulls among which they were. They
frequently alighted on the water at the foot of the pier, picking up garbage
as it came from the city sewer, which enters the tide at this point, and being
thus within about four yards of me there was no difficulty in deciding what
they were — viz., the Ivory Gull, Larits eburneus. When flying they kept
continually emitting a low sound, similar to the squeak of a rat, which
became louder if any of the other species came near them. Returning the
following morning to the same place, in company with my friend Mr. W.
Robb, curator, Marischal College, we were again fortunate in seeing both
birds, one of which fell to Mr. Robb's gun. Our time being limited we
had to leave without getting a chance of the second one ; this, however.
we hoped to do the following morning, and were there by daybreak, but
failed to see it. Next morning however, the 19th, fortune favoured Mr.
Robb, and the second was ours. The first killed bird (which now graces
Marischal College Museum) measured 18 inches in length ; extent of wings,
37 inches; wing from flexure, 12 inches; tarsus, \)i inches; the primaries,
The Scottish Naturalist. 9
secondaries, greater and lesser wing-coverts, and tail, tipped with black ;
hind neck and scapulars irregularly spotted with black ; around the base of
the bill and clown the throat of a purplish brown colour, interspersed with
white. The second bird measured %, an inch less than the first, and 2.yz
inches more in extent of wing, and weighed fifteen and a quarter ounces ;
it was similarly marked to the first, except that the scapulars have but
two or three spots of black, and three of the tail feathers want the black
tip, and are yz an inch larger than the others. The bill of both was of a
pale blue, tipped with orange yellow, but these colours soon disappear
after death. This species has been seldom seen on the East of Scotland,
although of frequent occurrence on the West. — George Sim, Aberdeen.
Lycsena Artaxerxes. — On the 24th of J uby last, while walking between
the villages of Minnihive and Carsphairn, in Kirkcudbrightshire, both
Johnstone Watson, Esq. (of the Temple, London), and I, were fortunate
enough to box by the roadside over a dozen specimens of this rare butterfly.
They were plentiful all along the way, but most so where the road must
have been many hundred feet above the sea level. — H. O. Forbes, Uni-
versity of Edinburgh.
Insecta Scotica— Addenda. — Tweed District — Cymatophora duplaris,
at Dunse. Anchocelis rufina, common. Noclua umbrosa, Eyemouth and
Lauder. N. conflua, common. Xylophasia hepatica, Eyemouth. — A.
Kelly, Lauder, November, 1874.
Orkney District — Xylophasia rurea, Apamea unanimis. — J. Boswell
'Syme, Balmuto, December, 1874.
Food-plant of Plusia interrogationis.— Plusia interrogationis is plenti-
ful on Dogden Moss, and there is not a nettle for miles. There must be
something wrong about the stated food-plant, evidently. — A. Kelly,
Lauder, November, 1874. [Though nettle is stated to be the food-plant
of this Plusia in many of the text-books, yet it is quite erroneous, as heather
(Erica and Calluna) is the real food-plant. The larva hibernates in a small
condition and feeds up in May and June, when it may be found on the
heather. It is green, with paler stripes. Nettle is a favourite food-plant
of many other of the Plusia. — Editor Scottish Naturalist.]
Lepidopterological Notes. — Panagra petraria H. — A few years ago I
found this insect here — it had not hitherto been recorded for Perthshire —
very abundant, but confined to a limited space. Each year since then I
have found it not only in the original locality but in other spots, in which,
to the best of my belief, it did not" occur when I first discovered it. Some
of these places are nearly a mile from the original one. I am thus inclined
to think that P. petraria must be a comparatively recent colonist in Perth-
shire, but how it originally arrived it is difficult to guess.
Leptogramma niveana F. {Scotaua Stph.). — I find this insect among
birch trees in one of my woods. The birches are scattered here and there
among larches and other trees, but niveana I have only found on the side of
the wood facing the north. Though I have carefully searched for it in
other likely places, both in this neighbourhood and other parts of Perth-
shire, I have only seen it in the above-mentioned wood and in the
neighbourhood of Loch Rannoch, so that it would seem that it is not
generally distributed in all birch woods in the county, but that it is
Tery local. — Thomas Moncreiffe, Moncreiffe, November, 1S74.
io The Scottish Naturalist.
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BEITISH COLEOPTEEA.
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
I.
THIS paper is the first of a series in which I hope from time
to time to furnish in the briefest possible form (for
obvious reasons no other form would be suitable to a quarterly
magazine), tables of the leading characters of the British
Coleoptera. By using abbreviations for various constantly recur-
ring words, and attempting no greater fulness of description
than will just suffice for easy identification, I expect to bring
the work within reasonable limits. The divisions of groups,
families, &c, adopted in the tables will often be artificial {e.g.,
in the first table, relating to " groups," the Buprestida
Eucnemidce, and Elaterida are characterised separately, instead
of unitedly as Sternoxi; and in the table of Feroniidce, Pier.
incequalis is eliminated from the rest of its genus). The
object I have in view, however, is the provision of a ready
means of identifying species, not classification. For classifi-
cation I will, in passing, refer to Dr. Sharp's " Catalogue
of British Coleoptera" (E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, Lon-
don, W.C., price one shilling) as the best catalogue procurable.
I may also refer to Mr E. C. Rye's " British Beetles " (Lovell,
Reeve, & Co., 5 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London,
W.C., price ten shillings and sixpence) for the general instruc-
tions that want of space prevents my supplying as an introduc-
tion to my work. As this series of papers will be designed
especially for beginners, I pass by, in describing, characters that
cannot be detected without dissection, or the aid of the micro-
scope, and select such as can be perceived with an ordinary, or
at anyrate with a Coddington, lens ; also, I rely as much as
possible on characters connected with the upper side of the
insects. In the case of a few genera {Homalota for instance)
the species are too minute and closely allied to be distinguish-
ably characterised in a short space ; I shall in such cases merely
offer a few general remarks, and refer readers who desire more
to monographs of them that have been already published on a
larger scale than would be practicable for the pages of a
magazine. Finally I must express my obligations to Mr. G. C.
Champion for information he has courteously supplied to me on
the geographical range of many species.
The Scottish Naturalist.
ii
Below is the fig. of
a beetle, showing the
relative position of
the various parts of
the body. This is fol-
lowed by a Glossary,
and a table of the
abbreviations to be
used. The work pro-
per then commences,
and is arranged as
follows : — (a) Table
of the " groups," for
ascertaining to which
main division of the
wp mp
1
2
Coleoptera a speci-
men belongs. (b)
Table of the "fami-
lies " contained in
the first group, (c)
Table of "genera"
in i st family of ist
group. (a7) Table
of species in ist
genus of ist family
of ist group. (e)
Table of species in
2nd genus of ist
family of ist group,
and so on.
Explanation of Figure. — 1. A Beetle — nip, maxillary palpi ; m, mandi-
bles (or jaws) ; Ip, labial palpi; a, antennae; e, eyes; h, head; th, thorax;
s, scutellum ; el, elytra ; hb, hind body ; f, femora ; t, tibiae ; ts, tarsi ;
c, claws. N.B. — The wings are folded under the elytra.
2. An Elbowed Antenna — s, scape ; f, funiculus ; c, club.
GLOSSARY.
Anterior. — Front.
Apex. — The extremity farthest from the middle of the insect.
Aquatic. — Living in the water.
Bilobed. — Cleft into two parts.
Close (when spoken of punctuation). — Having the spaces between the punc-
tures not larger than the space occupied by the separate punctures.
Clypeus.— The front portion of the upper surface of the head.
Cordate (spoken of the thorax). — Abruptly contracted backwards immedi-
ately behind the broadest part, but of about equal width in the part
just in front of base.
Dentate. — Toothed.
Disc. — The surface, exclusive of the margins.
Dorsal. — Running along the centre longitudinally.
Elongate. — Longer thanjbroad.
Fascia. — A stripe.
Foliated (spoken of antennas). — Having the terminal joints flat (like leaves),
and with a common base.
Fovea. — A short channel.
Glabrous. — Smooth (i.e., without stria; or punctures).
Granulated. — Appearing to be covered with minute tubercles.
Humeral. — Placed at the external corner of the base of the elytra.
Interstice. — A space between punctures or striae.
12
The Scottish Naturalist.
Obsolete. — Only faintly to be discerned.
Pectinated. — Comb-like.
Peduncle. — A contracted process joining two parts of the body (as between
the thorax and hind body of a wasp).
Penultimate. — Immediately preceding the last.
Posterior. — Behind.
Punctate-striate. — Having stria? in which are punctures.
Pygidium. — Upper surface of the last segment of the hind body.
Reflexed margin. — The under surface of the extreme margin.
Rostrum. — A snout.
Segment.— A division, or joint (spoken of the hind body).
Serrated. — Saw-like.
Sparing (when spoken of punctuation). — Having the spaces between the
punctures larger than the spaces occupied by the separate punctures.
Stria. — An impressed line, or long narrow channel.
Subulate. — Like an awl {i.e., with the apex abruptly contracted).
Testaceous. — Of a transparent yellowish colour.
Transverse. — Broader than long.
LOCALITIES.
S. — Scotland.
I. — Ireland.
B. — Great Britain generally (so far
E. — England & Wales, [as known).
My information concerning Irish and Welsh localities is very limited. I
should be glad of local lists.
N. s. E. w. c. F. m. (printed above the line, e.g., E.s.c.) signify severally,
North, South, East, West, Coasts, Fens or marshes, Mountains.
! — A common insect. ! !— An abundant insect. The names of the
rarest species, some possibly not indigenous, are printed in italics.
N.B. — The figures preceding the locality indicate the length of the insect
measured from the base of the antennae to the apex of the hind body. "1."
signifies "line": (a "line" is one -twelfth of an inch). The average length
is given, but most species vary more or less in this respect.
ABBREVIATIONS.
Abb rev. — Abbreviated.
Abr. — Abrupt, or abruptly.
Ac. — Acute, or acutely.
Alt. — Alternate, or alternately.
An. — Antennae.
Ang. — Angle.
Ant. — Anterior, or anteriorly.
Ap. — Apex, or apical.
B. — Black; when prefixed, "black-
ish," as "b.-r."
Ba. — Base, or basal.
Backw. — Backwards.
Bil.— Bilobed.
Bl.— Blue, or bluish. (See "B.")
Br.— Bright.
Chan. — Channel, or channeled.
CI.— Club, or clubbed.
Clyp. — Clypeus.
Cone. — Concave.
Cons. — Considerably.
The Scottish Naturalist.
13
Consp. — Conspicuous, or conspicu-
ously.
Contr. — Contracted.
Conv. — Convex.
Cop. — Coppery.
Cyl.— Cylindric.
Def. — Defined.
Dent. — Dentate.
Dil.— Diluted.
Dist. — Distinct, or distinctly.
Dor. — Dorsal.
E.— Elytra.
El. — Elongate.
Elev. — Elevated. .
Ex. — External, or externally.
Exc. — Except.
F. — Femora.
Fasc. — Fascia, or fascia:.
Forw. — Forwards.
Fov. — Fovea, or fovea?.
Fr. — Front.
Fun. — Funiculus.
Gen. — 'Generally.
Glab. — Glabrous.
Gr. — Green.
Gran. — Granulated.
H.— Head.
H.-b. — Hind body.
Hi. — Hinder.
Hum. — Humeral.
Impr. — Impression, or impressed.
Impunc. — Impunctate.
In. — Inner.
Ind. — Indistinct, or indistinctly.
Ins. — Insertion.
Int. — Interstice.
Interm. — Intermediate.
Irreg. — Irregular, or irregularly.
J. — Joint, or jointed.
Longi. — Longitudinal.
Mar. — Margin, or margined.
Met. — Metallic.
Mid.— Middle.
Obi.— Oblique.
Obs. — Obsolete, or obsoletely.
Obsc. — Obscure, or obscurely.
Obt. — Obtuse, or obtusely.
Oliv. — Olivaceous.
Out. — Outer.
Pal. — Palpi (maxillary).
Pec. — Pectinated.
Pen. — Penultimate.
Pit. — Pitchy (/. e., of the colour, of
pitch).
Post. — Posterior, or posteriorly.
Prec. — Preceding.
Prod. — Produced.
P. -s. — Punctate-striate.
Pub. — Pubescent.
Punc. — Puncture, or punctate.
Pyg. — Pygidium.
R.— Red, or reddish. (See"B.")
Rectang. — Rectangular .
R. -m. — Reflexed margin.
Ros. — Rostrum.
Sc. — Scutellum.
Seg. — Segment. *
Serr. — Serrated.
Should. — Shoulder.
Spar. — Sparing, or sparingly.
Str. — Stria, or striate.
Sub . — Subulate.
Sut. — Suture.
Tar. — Tarsi.
Test. — Testaceous.
Th. — Thorax.
Tib. — Tibiae.
Tr. — Transverse, or transversely.
Unic. — Unicolorous.
Unif. — Uniform, or uniformly.
U. -s. — Under side.
Var. — Variety.
Vio.— Violet.
Wh.— White, or whitish. (See "B.")
Yel. — Yellow, or yellowish. , ,
$ — Male.
? — Female.
TABLE OF GROUPS.
I. E. reaching cons, beyond ins. of 3rd legs . .
E. not reaching beyond ins. of 3rd legs, — or if a little
beyond, an. not with an abr. cl.
Brachelytra
•
14 The Scottish Naturalist.
2. An. never cl. at ap. Not aquatic. Tar. all 5 j. (easy
to count) ...... 3
- -. - - 4 j. (easy to count). An. straight,
never cl. Pen. j. of tar. very deeply bil. and much
shorter than the prcc. together .... 4
-----. Aquatic ..... Hydra dephaga
- various ....... 5
3. Ant. tib. dis. notched on in. mar., or sharply spined at ap. Geodephaga
- - plain. Th. more than twice length of h. , and acute-
ly prod, at hi. angs. .... Elateridae
4. H. not deeply sunk in th., with 2nd j. of an. much less
than % length of 3rd, or with eyes notched, or with
both . . . . . . ' Longicornes
An. much thickened towards ap., and 1st j. of 3rd tar.
much longer than the 2 following together . Bruchidae
Not possessing the characters of either of the 2 prec. . Eupoda
5. Tar. all 5 j. (easy to count). Pal. longer than an. . . 6
........ . not longer than an. .... 7
- - 4 j. (easy to count). An. elbowed, or ros. prod, as
a snout, or both ..... Rhyncophora
- various, but with less than 4 js., often not easy to count . 8
3rd tar. 4 j. ; rest 5 j. (easy to count) . . . Heteromera
6. 1st j. of 3rd tar. evidently longest . . . Sphaeridiadae
not evidently longest .... Hydrophilidae
7. 1st and 2nd pairs of legs meeting at ins., 3rd remote
from them ...... Buprestidae
------ not close together. Hi. angs. of th. acutely
prod, backw. An. much thickened (or serr.) to-
wards ap. . . . . . . Eucnemidae
---- not acutely prod, backw.
An. elbowed, with a foliated cl. . . Lamellicornes
( Malacodermi
• • * not asm prec. j Necrophaga
8. Tar. with 3 broad js. (easy to count). Ins. of an. near
other, between the eyes .... Endomychidae
- - - far apart, in fr. of the eyes . Coccinellidae
,, S Sphaeriadae
- I or 2 j. Species very minute . . j Trichopterygidae
- 3 j. Species small, but rarely less than % line . Lathridiidae
TABLE OF FAMILIES OF GEODEPHAGA.
I. Ant. tib. not dist. notched on in. mar. .... 2
- - dist. notched on in. mar. H.-b. consists of not more
than 6 segs. ...... 4
- - - more than 6 segs. . . . B*achiiud»
The Scottish Naturalist.
J5
2. Eye longer than first 2 js. of an. together. H. often cone.
- shorter than first 2 js. of an. together. H. not cone.
3. E, dull, with met. spaces, or vice versa .
E. not met., — variegated with colours, .
4. E. covering h. -b. Ex. mar. of ant. tib. not dent.
- - -. - - - - -dentate. (Th. joined to h. -b. by
peduncle) .....
- leave ap. of of h. -b. exposed .
5. Ap. j. of pal. not sub. 4 dil. js. in ant. tar. of $ . In
term. tar. of $ gen. dil.
Less than 4 dil. js. in ant. tar. of $
- - - - sub. Ant. tar. of $ with 2 dil. js.
6. Each dil. j. in ant. tar. of $ contr. at its base. Dil. js
only 2 .... .
not contr. at its base. Dil. js. 3
Carabidac
Elaphridse
Cicindelidae
Scaritidse
Lebiadse
Harpalidse
6
Bembidiadae
Trechidse
Feroniidse
Chlaaniidse
First Family— CICINDELID^E. (1 genus.) Cicindela.
1. E. gr.
E. not gr.
2. Th. broadest in fr. Br. gr. Legs cop. Mouth wh
E. with wh. spots (with a b. punc. in $ ). 7 1. B.
Th. cyl. shining dull gr. with cop. gloss. Hum. angs.
a spot near mid of mar. , and a crescent at ap. , of e
obsc. wh. 5 1. E.s.
Ap. of e. pale .....
not pale. Cop. -b. E. wrinkled and pitted. Hum
angs. and 3 streaks from mar. (the middle one long
and w shaped) yel. 8 1. E.s.
Cop. or oliv. E. with a hum. and ap. crescent, and a
broad waved band (whose ant. mar. at one end is in a
line with/^j-/. at other) not reaching sut. , yel. 7^ 1.
E.n.c. ......
? var. of prec. Ant. mar. of tr. band at one end behind
post, at other. E.s.c . . . .
2
3
campestris
germanica
4
sylvatica
hybrida
maritima
Second Family— ELAPHRID^E. (3 genera.)
I. E. with a consp. polished longi. space on each side of sut. Notiophilus
E. not as in prec. ...... 2
2. H. and th. unif. and thickly punc.
H. (which is not cone.) and th. not unif. punc.
Elaphrus
Blethisa
i6
The Scottish Naturalist.
Notiophilus.
I. E. with the ap. dist. paler than the disc
E. unic. H. consp. punc. near ba. Brassy. Tib. red-
dish. E. deeply p.-s., the str. failing near the ap.
1 B '
The whole legs (especially the ant.
E.
A
s.,
2%
ones) r. E. deeply p.-s.- throughout. 2)4 !•
- -. - almost impunc. Brassy or b. Tib. gen. b.
more el. species than the prec, less strongly p
the str. failing near the ap. 2^4 LB.!.
2. 2nd int. beyond the polished space broader than 1st
not broader than 1st. Firsts ints. both much
broader than the rest. H. narrow. Punc. of str.
fine. Brassy. Tib. r. 2]/^ LB.
3. Only 2nd int. a little broader than the rest. H. broad.
Punc. of str. coarse. Brassy. Tib. r. E. with /
large consp. punc. 2^1. B. !! .
Very like prec. (? var.) E. with 2 large consp.
puncs. E. .
palustris
rufipes
aquaticus
3
substriatus
biguttatus
quadripunctatus
Elaphrus.
1. Tib. more or less test. .....
- not test. ......
2. Oliv. Tar. br. gr. Unif. and closely punc, exc. a few
elev. spaces on the in. ints. E. with 4 rows of
faintly impr. pits. 3^ LB.!.
Bronzy. Tar. not gr. Spar, and irreg. punc. E. with
4 rows of deeply impr. pits. Th. with a deep chan.
forked in fr. ^H LB.!.
3. E. much less closely punc. than th. Glossy b. , gr. , r. ,
or golden. E. with 4 rows of faintly impr. pits.
4/^ 1. S.M-
E. punc. much as th. Met. gr. or b. E. with 4 rows
of dist. impr. pits. Th. with 2 obi. pits on either
side of an irreg. dors. chan. 4X LB.. .
Blethisa.
Dark bronze. Mar. of th. and of the p.-s. e., gen. gr.
Third int. with 4 or 5 large pits, fifth with 2.
5 1. 1». • • • • • •
npanus
cupreus
lapponkus
uliginosus
multipunctata
Third Family— CARABID.E. (6 genera).
1 . Th. not consp. prod, backw. at hi, angs.
Th. consp. prod, backw. at hi. angs. .
2. E. str. Th. not closely punc. over entire surface
- -. - closely punc. over entire surface .
- not str. ...•••
2
Carabus
3
Calosoma
Cychrus
The Scottish Naturalist.
17
3. 5th j. of an. about double length of 4th
- - - - cons, longer than 4th, but much less than double
- - - - scarcely longer than 4th (E. with consp. pits) .
Cychrus.
B. The long narrow h. , and strongly mar. th. and e.
all coarsely gran. E. with traces of 3 elev. lines.
oy^, 1. a. ......
Carabus.
1. E. with 3 continuous strongly elev. longi. lines .
E. without these lines .....
2. Space between the lines simply gran, or wrinkled
- - - - (the first of which is obs. in the hi. third) occupied
by chain-like rows of elev. lines. Brassy. 10 1.
B '
- - - - occupied by large pits connected into rows by
short elev. lines. Brassy. 12 1. B.
3. H. and th. cop. E. gr. with a cop. mar. Legs black-
ish. 8 1. B. . . . . .
Rich gr. Mouth, pal., ba. 4 js. of an., and legs, r.
11 1. E.8.C .....
4. Th. more or less tr. .
- as long as broad. Blackish bl. Ap. j. of pal. consp.
hatchet-shaped. E. with chain-like rows of elev.
lines, 3 of them very consp. '12^ 1. E.s-w.
5. E. with rows of shallow but dist. imprs.
- without dist. str. , imprs. , or elev. lines
- dist. str., with elev. lines, but not dist. imprs.
6. Int. of str. continuous and dist. elev. , exc. 4th, 8th, and
1 2th, which consist of short elev. lines. Colour
variable. 12 1. E.
- - - - but scarcely elev., exc. 4th, 8th, and 12th, which
consist of short strongly elev. lines. Colour vari-
able. 9 1. B.
- - - much interrupted ; 4th, 8th, and 12th more elev.
than the rest. Bl. -b. Mar. of th. and e. often vio.
iij^ 1. B. !
7. H. and th. bronzy. E. greenish, gran., with 3 chain-
like rows of scarcely elev. lines, on each of which is
a very dist. row of imprs. 1 1 1. B. !
B. , with mar. of th. and e. , bl. E. only twice as long
as th., covered with close elev. lines, on which
are 3 faint rows of imprs. 8 1. E.
S. Sut. gently elev., especially behind. B. gen. tinged
with vio. or gr. E. gran. — the granulation tending
to run into lines. 12 1. B. !
Sut. flat. Glossy b. , tinged with steel bl. Very conv.
E. very finely and evenly gran. 12 1. B.M« .
(To be continued.)
Leistus
Nebria
Pelophila
rostratus
2
4
3
granulatus
clathratus
nitens
auratus
5
intricatus
7
8
6
. monilis
arvensis
catenulatus
nemoralis
cotivexus
violaceus
glabratus
PHYTOLOGY.
NOTES OF A BOTANICAL EXCURSION TO THE
BKEADALBANE MOUNTAINS, PEKTHSHIKE.
By COLONEL DRUMMOND-HAY, C.M.Z.S.,
and Dr. BUCHANAN WHITE, F.L.S.
IN August last we made a short excursion to Breadalbane,
and were successful in finding new localities for some of
the rarer alpines. These will, of course, be published in the
"Flora of Perthshire," now being prepared by the Perthshire
Society of Natural Science ; but, in the meantime, we think it
may not be amiss to give some notes on our excursion, and to
record some of the more interesting species that we found.
Arabis petr&a Lamk. This pretty plant has not, we believe,
been recorded as a Perthshire species since Lightfoot reported
it from Craig Chailleach, where we have never found it. It
is abundant on Ben Laoigh. Here we chiefly found the
white-flowered form, though a few plants of the purple-flowered
occurred. The latter appears to be commoner in the west
than in the east of Scotland.
Sagina nivalis Fr. Ben Lawers, in two places. Altitude,
3100-3350 feet.
Arenaria rubella Hook. Cam Creag and Ben Lawers.
Cerastimu triviale Link., var. alpinum Koch. If this occurs at
all in Breadalbane, it is very rare. It seems to be more a
plant of the Eastern Grampians, occurring sparingly in
Athole, and more commonly in Aberdeen and Forfar shires.
It appears to be the mountain equivalent of the lowland
var. holostcoides Fr.
Rubus saxatilis L. A curious form of this on Ben Laoigh
deserves mention. At first we thought we had found R.
arcticus, but we fear the plant is only R. saxatilis, though it
had no prostrate barren stems, and otherwise differed from
the usual form of the latter. It was not in flower or fruit.
The Scottish Naturalist. 19
Carduus arvensis L. A curious form of this grows at the base
of Ben Lawers. It may be termed var. or form elegans, and
differs from the usual fofm by its very spinous leaves, the
segments of which are strongly involute ; by the arrange-
ment of the flower stalks, which are less umbellate than
usual, and rather assume a spike-like appearance — i.e., in-
stead of the lateral flowering stalks attaining nearly the
level of the primary one, they are shortened. The colour
is of a paler, more yellow-green than in the common plant.
It is difficult, however, to describe the difference, though
when growing the plant has a striking appearance.
Pyrola minor L. At an altitude of 2,300 feet, on Ben Lawers.
Gentiana nivalis L. Cam Creag, near Craig Chailleach. We
do not know if this locality has been recorded before. It
was found on Maol nan Tarmachan by Mr. J. B. Balfour ;
but this appears to be a different station.
Bartsia alpina I,. Abundant on Ben Laoigh.
Taxus baccata L. The " Fortingal Yew," whose age, if we err
not, has been computed at something like 2,500 years, is
still in vigorous health, though but little of the main stem,
which once measured 56 ft. in circumference, now remains.
/uncus castaneus Sm. Ben Laoigh, Cam Creag, and Ben
Lawers ; as usual, sparingly.
J. biglumis L. Cam Creag and Ben Lawers ; very local.
Kobresia caricina Willd. Ben Laoigh and Ben Oss ; not un-
common. This plant appears to like the spongy ground on
wet hillsides, when it grows with Carex pulicaris and other
small sedges.
Woodsia hyperborea R. Br. Ben Laoigh, etc.
Cystopteris montana Link. Ben Laoigh ; sparingly.
We took the altitudes of a great number of plants, and found
them at higher elevations than have been recorded for them in
this country. These, however, will be published hereafter.
It may be of some interest to give a list of the flowering
plants which grow at the top, or within 10 or 12 feet of the
top, of Ben Lawers, the highest mountain in Breadalbane, and
which attains 3,984 feet. We found there : — Thalictrum alpi-
num, Draba rupestris, Cer ostium alpinum, Silcne acaulis, Sagina
procu7iibens (?), Cherleria sedoides, AlcJiemilla vulgaris, A. alpina,
Saxifraga nivalis, S. oppositifolia, S. stellar is, S. hyp no ides,
Gnaphalium supinum, Achillea millefolium, Euphrasia officinalis,
20 The Scottish Naturalist.
Rumex acetosa, Polygonum vivifiarum, Carex rigida, lestuca
ovifia. Of course, many other species grow 50 or 100 feet
lower.
Perth, Dec, 1874.
New Scottish Plants. — During the excursion in August last of the
"Scottish Alpine Club" to Braemar, Mr. John Sadler was fortunate
enough to discover two flowering plants not previously found in Britain.
One of them is a sallow, which has been described by Dr. Boswell Syme
under the name of Salix Sadleri. It is probably, we understand, a hybrid
between S. reticulata and -5". lapponum or lanata. The other plant is Carex
frigida All. It may be briefly described (after Godron) thus:— Male
spikelet solitary, blackish, oblong; female spikelets (about 4) dense,
cylindrical, at first erect, then drooping, streaked with brown and green,
the upper ones approximate and almost sessile, the lower somewhat remote
and long stalked. Bracts herbaceous, long-sheathed, nearly reaching the
male spikelet. Fertile glumes shorter than the fruit, linear, acute,
mucronate, of a black brown with the keel green or reddish. Stigmas
three. Fruit glabrous fusiform-trigonous, brown with a green border,
insensibly attenuated into a plano-convex beak, which is bifid and ciliate on
the margins. Nut brown, long-stalked, elliptic-trigonous and dotted.
Leaves bright green, plane, keeled linear acuminate, the edges rough.
Stem erect, triquetrous, for the most part smooth. Root stoloniferous.
C. frigida is a not uncommon alpine species. The finding of these plants
in such a compatively well searched locality as Glen Callater, proves that
the list of native plants is not yet exhausted. (We may mention that Carex
ornithopoda Willd. has been found in Derbyshire. It is common on calcar-
eous soils in many parts of Europe,)
Variety of Melampyrum sylvaticum L. — In Blairathole Woods I
found a variety of the local Melampyrum sylvaticum, which I do not find
mentioned. It may be thus described: — Melampyrum sylvaticum L., var.
pallidijlora. Flowers smaller, corolla-mouth less open ; corolla pale yellow
or whitish, touched with violet (somewhat resembling in colour the corolla
of M. pratense) ; bracts shorter and broader. With the common form but
much less common. — F. Buchanan White.
Anthriscus abortivus Jord- — I have found in a wood, near Perth,
one or two plants of what appears to be Anthriscus abortivus Jord. This,
I believe, is considered a sub-species by Dr. Boswell Syme, who thinks it
likely to occur in upland districts. It differs from Anthriscus sylvestris by
its less divided and paler leaves, and by the absence of the circlet of minute
hairs at the base of the fruit. There seems no reason to suppose that it is
an escape in the place I found it, except it be its scarceness there. — F.
Buchanan White.
New British Fungus. — Specimens of Exidia truncata Fr., found on
lime, have been sent me from Haddingtonshire by Mr Alexander D. Innes,
The Gardens, Yester. I am not aware that this species has been previously
observed in Britain. — James Keith, Forres, 7th December, 1874.
The Scottish Naturalist. 21
Id. — In September last I found, near Forres, in company with the Rev.
Messrs. Keith & Fergusson, Dothidea angelica; Fr. on Angelica sylvestris. I
do not remember having seen any record of this fungus (for whose name I
am indebted to Mr. C. B. Plowright) having been previously found in
Britain. — F. Buchanan White.
Kobresia caricina Willd., in Argyleshire. — Last summer I found this
local sedge on a hill in this county, for which I think it has not been pre-
viously recorded. — F. Buchanan White.
The Botanical Locality Record Club— Report of the Recorder for
1873.— This Club — of which the first report is now before us — was formed
"to collect, record, and publish the localities of rare local and other
British plants, with the view of ascertaining more correctly the special
circumstances as to soil, altitudinal range, &c, attending their geographical
distribution, and limiting or favouring their existence." "Moreover, one
of the main purposes of the Record Club is to assist in helping on to
symmetry and completion that edifice of Topographical Botany, towards
which far more than the foundation and the scaffolding has been contributed
by one hand alone."
At the formation of the Club we were not quite satisfied as to either its
probable utility or indeed of the expediency of publishing the localities of
rare and local plants. . Now, however, we begin to think that a certain
amount (and we hope a good deal) of good work will be done by the Club,
and our fears regarding the possible extinction of local species are to a great
extent allayed by the regulations as to publication adopted by the Club.
"At the end of every year the locality-list shall be arranged and printed,
together with notes upon them, and a summary of the season's work. A
copy of this Report shall be the right of every member, and some few
others, who are eminent botanists, who would not be likely to abuse know-
ledge of locality ; and the chief Botanical Societies and Journals shall have
a copy sent them ; but none shall be offered for sale to the public, and no
member shall be allowed to subscribe for more than one copy."
Further, it appears that in the case of very rare species the locality is
only given in general terms, though (we suppose) any member who is
desirous may get a more definite indication. Another great object of the
Club is to form a general herbarium of British plants (of the species recorded
— each member recording being bound to verify his record by a specimen
of the plant), which, when "worthy of acceptance," shall be presented to
the nation. In the meantime the herbarium belongs to the members, and
can be inspected by them at any time.
Space will not permit us to enter at greater length into the objects of the
Club since we must devote a few words to the Report.
In the summary, the Recorder after alluding to the objects of the Club,
points out that lists of the common plants of nine counties (as mentioned in
Mr. H. C. Watson's Topographical Botany) are still wanting, while the plants
of four others are but very imperfectly recorded. Amongst these we notice
Wigtown, Peebles, Selkirk, Stirling, Mull, and Western Ross. He sug-
gests to members who may visit any of these counties the propriety of pre-
paring a list by ticking off on a "London Catalogue" all the species
observed — the commonest as well as the rarest — and promises to such lists
22 The Scottish Naturalist.
a prominent place in future Reports. We have much pleasure in making
this request known in hope that it may come under the notice of botanists
not yet members of the Club.
The Recorder then alludes to various additions to the County Records,
to the General Locality-list, to the list of Re-appearances and Extinctions,
and to the list of Aliens, Casuals, and Escapes — all these lists being given
in the remaining 22 pages of the Report. We are glad to observe the
record of the re-appearance of that very rare British orchid Cypripedium
Calceohis, which was found in plenty in 1873-74 in two denes in Durham
(the names of which "though not withheld are for obvious reasons sup-
pressed") neither of which is the old recorded station for this plant —
Castle Eden Dene. " Like Epipactis," says one of the discoverers, "the
Cypripedium seems to lie dormant in shade, and only springs up when the
sun gets to the ground" by the cutting down of trees and underwood.
THE EDIBLE WILD PKUITS OF SCOTLAND.
By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
DEEP in the hearts of all men, however high may be the
culture to which they have attained, or however wrapt
they may be in those pursuits— be they politics, or commerce,
or literature — which seem farthest removed from all communion
with nature — deep in all hearts (often indeed so deep, that
seldom or never does it consciously reveal itself) there lurks,
I believe, a love of the beauty of things in a wild and free
state, unaffected by any human influence. Thus it is that the
wild grandeur of the mountains, and the almost monotonous
immensity of the sea, are so attractive ; and it is doubtless this
same feeling which makes it so difficult to effect the civilization
— within a few generations at least — of savage tribes.
But, in civilized nations, it is the naturalist — not the mere
classifier of species, nor he who gathers together a collection of
objects of natural history as he would a collection of postage
stamps, coins, or old china, but the true lover of nature — who
is the chief inheritor of this love of the wild freshness of the
earth's morning, still lingering on the mountain's side, in the
depths of the primeval forest, or amidst the waves of ocean.
And thus it seems to me that to the naturalist, wild flowers and
fruits will always be more beautiful and attractive than all the
richest treasures of the garden.
But a comparison should scarcely be made, perhaps, between
wild fruits and those which have become subject to man. The
whole character of the latter has become changed ; the bitter
The Scottish Naturalist. 23
has been made sweet, and the small large — all freedom has
been lost. To a certain extent they are produced in the form
and at the time that man decrees ; and thus, however much
their utility may have been increased, the natural has, to a
greater or less extent, been lost. That this is not so to many
eyes I am aware, but to the eye of the naturalist and of the
artist (and are not these in many respects convertible terms ?)
it has gone for ever.
The Sloe {Primus spinosa L.) would scarcely (save, perhaps,
"to boyish appetites") be considered to merit a place among
edible wild fruits, and yet, when gathered at the proper time —
after the frosts of autumn have lit up the woods — a by no
means despicable jelly may be made from the fruit. The
blossoms, covering with "radiant sheen" the rough bank or
rocky brow where this plant delights to grow, well merit the
name of " spring's banner," which has been applied to them.
The juice of the fruit is said to make a good marking ink for
linen or woollen cloths, the part to be marked being placed on
the fruit, and the letters pricked out with a pin. The young
leaves dried are a substitute for tea, oftener perhaps used than
is generally suspected ! In Gaelic the Sloe is called an-droi-
ghionn and preas-uan-airneag.
The Bullace {P. insititia L.) This, with its larger, less
austere berry, is a rarer plant than the Sloe, to which, in many
respects, it is similar. In Scotland, it is said not to extend
north of Dumfries. It is, however, apparently wild in Perth-
shire.
The Gean {P. avium L.) is the origin of the garden cherry,
and its fruit is too well known to need description. Though
Gean (evidently, I think, derived from the French) is given in
the manuals as the name of this, it is more especially a Scottish
name, and applied to the black-fruited variety. Withering says,
" Green Tree in Scotland," apparently having taken up the
name wrongly.
The Bird-cherry, or Hag-berry {P. padus L.), can scarcely
be considered to produce an edible fruit, though, according to
Lightfoot, it was used in Scotland for flavouring wine or brandy.
The Swedes are said to use the blossoms for a similar purpose.
Of all our wild trees, none is more worthy of admiration than
this when in full flower, and its long snowy racemes, melodious
with the hum of the wild bees, hanging over some murmuring
24 The Scottish Naturalist.
brook, while under its slender branches the wild hyacinth and
pale primrose grow side by side.
The Cloud -berry, or Averon {Rubus chamcemorus L.)
High up on the mountain side, where the bog-mosses grow in
cushions of green, red, and yellow, flourishes the little mountain
bramble. The flowers are large and white, and are followed in
about six weeks by the large berries, at first red and opaque,
then yellow and semi-transparent. The taste of the fruit is very
peculiar, and (to my idea, at least) not very pleasant when un-
cooked; but when preserved, either as jam or jelly, it is very
agreeable and much sought after. Should a frost come at the
time of flowering — end of May and June — (not unfrequent
at the high altitudes which this plant affects), the blossoms are
unproductive : this is doubtless the reason why one often sees
acres of the plant without a single berry. In the north of
Europe also, the fruit is much used, and so is the Arctic
Bramble (Rubus arcticus), which is, however, more nearly re-
lated to the following species. The Arctic Bramble, which has
pink blossoms, has been reported as growing on Ben-y-Ghloe,
but has not been recently, if ever, found there.
The Stone Bramble (R. saxatilis), or Roebuck Berry. This
is another plant of the same genus, descending, however, to a
lower elevation, and preferring the banks of subalpine streams
and subalpine woods. The barren branches are long and trailing,
but the fertile ones are shorter, and bear a few whitish blossoms,
followed in due time by the berries, consisting of two or three
scarlet drupes. In no place does the Stone Bramble show to
greater advantage than when growing among the rounded
pebbles on the banks of a Highland stream, the leafy shoots
trailing among the stones, and the bright scarlet clusters of
berries shining forth against the green and grey background.
The fruit is of a peculiar acid flavour, and has been made into
a by no means despicable jam — so my friend, Mr. J. M'Farlane,
reports from experience. In Russia it is fermented with honey.
The Raspberry (R. Idceus), another plant of the same
family, needs no description, and appears to be truly wild in
many woods and on some mountain sides.
The Bramble (R. fruticosus) is equally well known, but its
fruit is not nearly so appreciated. It is a much more handsome
plant than the last-mentioned, and when trailing over some rock
or rugged bank, its tinted leaves and snowy blossoms — some-
times rose-tinted — and green, red, and purple-black berries,
The Scottish Naturalist. 25
make a picture that has often tempted the artist to linger
awhile. The berries are often eaten, and afford a good jelly.
Withering says that " they do not eat amiss with wine, and are
rendered more palatable by being mixed with the juice of sloes."
In many parts, the country people say that after the end of
September Brambles are not eatable, as they then become the
property of the devil — probably, I suppose, for the reason that
they are often touched by the frost in October.
The Dew-berry (R. cozsins) is somewhat similar to the
Bramble, but is a rarer plant in Scotland.
The Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.). This is
another of the wild fruits which requires no further mention
than the name. The berries are sometimes white, and have
then a (perhaps imaginary) finer flavour.
The Scotch Rose (Rosa spinosissima L.), the Downy-
leaved Rose (R.villosa), the Sweet Briar or Eglantine (R.
rubiginosa), and the Dog-rose (R. canina), have all a more or
less edible fruit. The hip or fruit has a different flavour in each
species, and in preparing them for use the rough prickly inside
must of course be removed. In the north of Europe they are
mixed with wine, but may also be made into a jelly with sugar.
In some parts of Russia a spirit is extracted from the flowers,
and they are also preserved with honey and sugar. The hips
of the Scotch Rose are purple-black, and have a pleasant sub-
acid flavour. With their juice silk and muslin may be dyed of
a peach colour, and with the addition of alum, a deep violet.
Of the other species, the fruit of R. villosa is the most palatable,
and that of the Sweet Briar the least so. The latter plant is
said to be a doubtful native of Scotland ; but, in Perthshire
at least, it seems to have some claim to be considered indigen-
ous. Thus speaks old Gerarde of the Dog-rose : — " It were to
small purpose to use many words in the description thereof ;
for even children with great delight eat the berries thereof when
they be ripe, make chains and other pretty gewgawes of the
fruit ; cookes and gentlewomen make tarts and such like dishes,
for pleasure thereof; and therefore this shall suffice for the
description."
The Crab-apple (Pyrus mains L.) has scarcely an edible
fruit in a wild condition, the juice being so very acid. It is the
origin of the cultivated apple.
The Rowan, or Mountain Ash (P. aucuparia L.). There is
perhaps no indigenous tree that adds greater beauty to a moun-
26 The Scottish Naturalist.
tain wood in September or October than the Rowan, with its
glowing vermillion berries, seen against a bright blue sky. In
former times, and even not so very long ago, the tree was
reputed sacred, and a sovereign charm against witchcraft. The
berries may be used in various ways, but chiefly for making a
jelly which is eaten with venison or mutton ; the flavour of this
jelly is very peculiar. Lightfoot says that in Jura the juice is
used as an acid for punch, and that in some places the high-
landers distil a very good spirit from the berries. According to
Evelyn, ale and beer used to be brewed from them, and was a
common and "incomparable drink" in Wales ; while Withering
reports that the berries, dried and ground, make wholesome
bread. In Strathspey, on May Day (the ancient Beltane), the
sheep used to, and perhaps may yet, be made to pass through
a hoop of Rowan wood.
The White Beam (Pyrus aria L.) is rather rare in a wild
state, and scarcely merits notice as an edible fruit-bearer save
that the berries have, in the neighbourhood of Perth and else-
where, unaccountably acquired the name of mulberries (a fruit
entirely unlike the pomes of the White Beam), and are so called
by persons who should know better.
All the above-named plants belong to the Rosacea; the next
order producing esculent wild fruits is the Grossulariacece, but
few of them have more than a doubtful claim to be considered
indigenous in Scotland.
The Red Currant (Ribes rubrum L.), Mountain Currant
(R. alpimun L.), Black Currant (R. ?iigrum L.), and the
Gooseberry (R. grossularia L.), are the plants belonging to this
order that are included in the British list, but they are more
often found in a naturalized than in a really wild condition.
Whatever may be said for the others, R. alpinum is not usually
considered wild in Scotland ; and as the fruit is scarcely, from
its insipidity, worth eating, we need not consider it further at
present. The other species are too well known to need descrip-
tion. We may, however, note that the young leaves of the
Black Currant "tinge spirits so as to resemble brandy," and
that the "seeds of Gooseberries — washed, dried, roasted, and
ground — are a good substitute for coffee."
The Elder, or Bour-tree (Sambucus nigra L.), is a well-
known plant, but so far north as this it appears to be doubtfully
indigenous, though common enough in many woods and hedges.
Several parts of the plant have been, and one of them still is,
The Scottish Naturalist. 27
used. From the purplish-black berries a wine is made, by no
means despicable when mulled ; and from the same part a pre-
paration for colds, etc., is also prepared. The flowers are made
into wine also, and the cluster of flower buds is said to make a
delicious pickle to eat with mutton. Tea, even (which cannot,
however, be recommended), has been made from the dried
flowers. It is said not to be prudent to sleep under the shade
of the tree, from its narcotic properties.
The Crow-berry (Empeirum nigrum L.) is one of those
plants which clothe our mountain sides in great abundance, and
whose very name brings to the memory of the naturalist many
pleasant days on the hills, when the watery berries have been
eagerly sought for, to allay the thirst that a too eager pursuit of
his treasures — be they animal or tegetable — under the broiling
sun, has induced. In this country the berries are always
purple-black, but in North America they are often purple, and
in South America red. I was at one time rather puzzled to
account for the name of the Crow-berry, for, though both the
berry and the crow are of the same colour, yet that did not
seem a sufficient reason why the Empetrum should be called
Crow-berry. My friend, Mr. J. W. H. Traill, however, told me
that he once saw a lot of hoodie-crows feeding on the berries,
and that fact, I think, explains the name. I was not aware till
recently that a jam could be made from Crow-berries, but it
seems that they are not very unfrequently so used. To my
idea, the taste of this jam is not agreeable. In large quantities
the berries are said to occasion headache. In Iceland and
Norway, a kind of wine is made from them. With alum, the
berries dye a dark purple.
We now come to the genus Vaccinium, of which all the
British species produce an edible fruit. As the fruit in each
species has different qualities, it will be well to consider them
in detail.
The Blaeberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.). I imagine that
few people would declare the fruit of this plant to be neither
agreeable nor wholesome, and yet that is the judgment that the
great botanist, Sir J. E. Smith, " dignissimus LitMesi hceres"
pronounced upon them. Dr. Johnston delivers a different
opinion — "good plucked from the bush, better when eaten with
cream in the manner of strawberries." They also make good
jam or jelly, which last the highlanders are said to flavour with
whisky. The Blaeberry is one of the few wild fruits that are
28 The Scottish Naturalist.
brought into the market, and in some places a considerable
amount of money is made by those who gather them for sale.
A variety with white berries is sometimes found, and has been
observed in woods between Dunkeld and Blair-Athol by one of
the Dukes of Athol.
The Great Bilberry (V. uliginosum L.). This is a much
rarer plant than the last, and is almost confined to the higher
mountains. The black berries have not much flavour, and in
large quantities are said to cause giddiness.
The Red Whortle-berry, or Idaean Vine (V. vitis-idcea L.).
Of late years especially, these berries, which in North Scotland
are called Cran-berries (the true Cran-berry, V. oxycoccos, being
scarcely known), have come into such extensive use for making
a capital jelly or jam, that large quantities have been imported
from Norway, and meet with a ready sale. The chief supply of
Scotch-grown berries comes from the woods north of the Gram-
pians, where the dark shining evergreen leaves and clusters of
bright red berries make a beautiful carpet to the birch and pine
woods in autumn, as do the white rose-tinted flowers in early
summer.
The Cran-berry ( V. oxycoccos L.), with its delicate wiry
stems creeping over the many coloured bog-mosses, its bright
rose-coloured petals so curiously rolled back, and the purplish-
red and spotted berries, can scarcely be esteemed a common
plant in Scotland, though in a few favoured spots it grows in
great abundance. Yet there is scarcely a mountain side,
I believe, where it does not grow, and where a close search
will not be rewarded. The berries have a peculiar flavour,
much esteemed by many people, and disliked by others. They
are especially used for making tarts, but it is chiefly with
American Cran-berries — which, though larger and finer looking
fruit, are yet inferior in flavour — that these are made. In some
parts of the south of Scotland and north of England, Cran-
berries grow in sufficient abundance as to allow of their being
brought to market. The cultivation of this plant has been
recommended, and it is said that a bed five feet square ought
to yield one quart of fruit — a profitable and easy method of
cultivating land otherwise of little use.
(To be continued.)
INSECTA SCOTICA.
THE LEPIDOPTERA OF SCOTLAND.
(Continued from Vol. If., p. 376.)
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
PISI L. Common. Pascual, ericetal, nemoral. Ascends to
1400 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther-
land Orkney §
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross g
Lat. 54°4o"-59°io". Range in Europe. Central and north-
ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August-October.
Food-plant. Broom and low plants.
OLERACEA L. Abundant. Agrestal, nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § o o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o"-57°5o". Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August, September.
Food plant. Low plants.
dissimilis Knoch. (1781); suasa Bkh. (1792). Not com-
mon. Pascual.
Distribution — East. §0000000
West. Solway [Clyde] 000
Lat. 54°4o7-[560]. Range in Eurofe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
English.
30 The Scottish Naturalist.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August, September.
Food-plant. Low plants.
H. irifolii Rott. (1776) = ckenopodii F. (1787) has been reported from
Forth, Dee, and Clyde, but is a very doubtful Scottish species.
dentin A Esp. Common. Nemoral. Ascends to 1300 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §
Orkney o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle g §
Lat. 54°4o"-59°io". Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September-
May. Food-plant. Low plants (roots).
GLAUCA Hb. Not common. Nemoral, ericetal. Ascends to
1200 (?2ooo) feet.
Distribution — East. 3 ForthTay Dee Moray [Sutherland] o o
West. § Clyde Argyle g o
Lat. 55°-5o°58". Range in Europe. Northern and central.
Type. Septentriono-central. Type in Britain. Scottish.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. July, August. Food-
plant. Sallow, etc.
protea Bkh. Common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central and South-
western j S. Sweden, &c. Type. Central. Type in
Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. September. Larva. June. Food-
plant. Oak.
adusta Esp. Abundant in highlands; not uncommon in
lowlands. Nemoral. Ascends to 1300 feet.
The Scottish Naturalist. 31
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray-
Sutherland Orkney §
West. Solway Clyde Argyle § o
Lat. 54°4o"-59°io". Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in
Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-April.
Food-plant. Low plants.
APLBCTA Gn.
advena F. Not common. Pascual.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°4o'/-56°3o'/. Range in Europe. Northern and
central. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-
September (?May). Food-plant. Low plants.
tincta Brahm. Common in highlands ; rarer in lowlands.
Nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East, g § Tay Dee Moray [Sutherland] o o
West. g Clyde Argyle g g
Lat. 5504o"-57°5o'r. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in
Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September-
May. Food-plant. Birch and low plants.
NEBUL.OSA Hum. Not very common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay g Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o
Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central. Type.
Central. Type in Britain. British.
32 The Scottish Naturalist.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September-
May. Food-plant. Low plants.
occulta L. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East, g Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray
[Sutherland] o o
West, g Clyde Argyle g g
Lat. 55°5o"-59°. Range in Europe. East - central ; S.
Sweden, &c. Type. Centro-oriental. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. September-
May. Food -plant. Low plants.
Highland specimens are usually much blacker than lowland ones.
PRASINA F. (1787); herbida Hb. (1798). Not common.
Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee g o o o
West. Solway Clyde goo
Lat. 54°4o"-57°io". Range in Europe. Central ; South
Scandinavia, &c. Type. Central. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May.
Food -plant. Low plants.
POLIA Tr.
[flavicincta F. Rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay 0 Moray 000
West. 00000
Lat. 56°3o"-57°3o". Range in Europe. Central (Sweden?).
Type. Central. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. August, September. Larva. May-
July. Food-plant. Low plants.
A doubtful Scottish species.
( To be continued. )
The Scottish Naturalist. 33
THE OOLEOPTEKA OF SCOTLAND.
(Continued from Vol. II, />. 384. )
Editkd by D. SHARP, M.B.
LATHROBIUM Kr.
BRUNNIPES Fal). Lowland. In marshes. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth g g Moray 000
West. Solway §000
boreale Hoch. Lowland.
Distribution — East. 000000 00
West. Solway 0000
elongatum Lin. Lowland. In marshes. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay g Moray 000
West. Solway 000
fulvipenne Grav. Lowland, highland. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth g g Moray o o Shetland
West. Solway g o o o
MULTIPUNCTUM Grav. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000 000
West. Solway g Argyle o o
quadratum Payk. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
terminatum Grav. Amongst sphagnum. Common.
Distribution — East. g Forth Tay g g o o o
West. Solway g o o o
ATRIPALPE Scriba. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
PUNCTATUM Zett. Very rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000
West. 00000
" Shingle near Preston bridge. " R. Hislop.
FILIFORME Grav. Rare.
Distribution — East. o Forth o 0000 o
West. 00000
"Dalkeith, Duddingstone, Cramond." Murray. I do not feel quite
sure that Murray's reference would be correct. — D. S.
34 The Scottish Naturalist.
longulum Grav. Lowland. Scarce.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o
West. Solway § Argyle o o
angusticolle Lac. Riparial. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o
West. Solway § o o o
CRYPTOBIUM Kr.
fracticorne Payk. Amongst sphagnum. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o
West. Solway §000
STILIGUS Kr.
RUFIPES Germ. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. 000 00000
West. Solway o o o 0
affinis Er. Lowland. Not common.
Distribution—East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
ORBICULATUS Payk. Lowland. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o ' o o
West. Solway o 000
SCOP^US Kr.
erichsoni Kol. Riparial. Rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
LITHOCHARIS Kr.
DILUTA Er. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 000000 00
West. Solway 0000
The only specimen of this insect that has, as yet, been recorded as found
in Britain, was taken by me on the banks of the Cairn. — P. S«
cchracea Grav. Lowland. In vegetable refuse. Not
common.
The Scottish Naturalist. 35
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee Moray 000
West. §§000
OBSOLETA Nord. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
melanocephala Fab. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
SUNIUS Kr.
ANGUSTATUS Payk. Lowland. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway §000
Obs. — The Sunius brunneus, recorded by Murray as occurring in
Kinross-shire, would probably be a pale variety of this species. — D. S.
P^EDERUS Kr.
FUSCIPES Curt Very local.
Distribution — East. o 000 0000
West. Solway 0000
Taken in abundance by W. Lennox at Caerlaverock. Pcedetus littoralis
has been stated to occur near Edinburgh, but probably this is a mistake.
EV-^ESTHETUS Kr.
SCABER Grav. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. § Forth 0000 o o
West. Solway 0000
l^jviusculus Man. Lowland. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Tay 000000
West. Solway 0000
ruficapillus Lac. Lowland. Very local.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
36 The Scottish Naturalist.
DIANOUS Kr.
aajRULESCENS Gyll. In moss by streams and waterfalls.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee 0000
West. Solway Clyde 000
STENUS Kr.
BIGUTTATUS L.
' ' South of Scotland. " Murray.
gtjttula Mull. Riparial. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee g o o o
West. Solway §00 o
BIMACULATUS Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o [Dee] 0000
West. Solway 0000
JUNO Fab. Lowland. Abundant.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g g Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
POVEIVENTRIS Fair. Lowland. Abundant.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g g o o o
West. Solway g o o o
CINERASCENS Er. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
incanus Er. Riparial. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
MELANOPUS Marsh. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. o Forth 000000
West. 00000
canaliculatus Gyll. Lowland. Scarce.
■East. Forth o o
West. Solway Clyde 000
Distribution — East, g Forth 000000
The Scottish Naturalist. 37
PUSILLUS Steph. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee 0000
West. Sohvay 0000
exigutjs Er. Rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000
West. Solway 000 o
speculator Lac. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay § g o o o
West. Solway Clyde 00 00
ROGERi Kr. Lowland, highland.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay g Moray 000
West. § g o o o
GUYNEMERI Duval. In moss by streams and waterfalls.
Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway Clyde 000
LUSTRATOR Er. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o 000000
West. Solway 00000
CARBONARius GylL In marshes. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o 000000
West. Solway 0000
FUSCIPES Grav. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
DECLARATUS Er. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
CRASSlVENTRis Th. Lowland. Local.
Distribution — East. g Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway g o o o
UNICOLOR Er. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee goo Shetland
West. Solway g o o o
38 The Scottish Naturalist.
[nigritulus Gyll. Doubtful as Scottish.
" South of Scotland. Rev. W. Little."— Murray Cat.
binotatus Ljun. Scarce.
Distribution — East. Tweed forth o o o o o o
West, g o o o o
pubescens Steph. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
PALLiTARSis Steph. Local.
Distribution — East. g Forth Tay Dee o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
A variety S. niveus, Fauv., much smaller than the usual form, is not un-
common in the Solway district. — D. S.
bifoveolatus Gyll. Common.
Distribution— East. Tweed Forth g g g o o o
West. Solway Clyde o o o
brevicornis Th. Lowland, highland.
Distribution — East, o o o Dee Moray o o Shetland
West. Solway Clyde o o o
PICIPENNIS Er. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o o o
West, o o o o o
RUSTICUS Er. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee o o o o
West. Solway g o o o
TEMPESTIVUS Er. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o
Shetland
West. Solway g g o o
impressipennis Duv. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay g Moray o o Shetland
West. Solway g o o o
geniculatus Grav. Lowland, highland. Scarce.
Distribution — East. o o o Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway Clyde. o o o
The Scottish Naturalist. 39
flavipes Steph. Local.
Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000
West § o 000
CICINDELOIDES Grav. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
SlMlLis Herbst. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay § Moray 000
West, g Clyde 000
TARSALis Ljun. Lowland. Abundant.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g Moray 000
West. Solway 0000
paganus Er. Lowland. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway Clyde
latifrons Er. Lowland. Local.
Distribution — East. g Forth Tay
West. Solway g o
GLACIALIS Heer. Alpine. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee
West. 00000
BLEDIUS Kr.
SPECTABiLis Kr. Maritime. Very local.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
SUBTERRANEUS Er. Riparial. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g g Moray o o Shetland
West. Solway Clyde 000
PALLIPES Grav. Riparial. Local.
Distribution — East. o o o o o 00
West. Solway o
FUSCIPES Rye. Maritime. Very local.
Distribution — East, o Forth o
West. 0000
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
o
0 0
0
0 0
0
0 0
t
0
40 The Scottish Naturalist.
arenaritjs Payk. Maritime. Very local.
Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o o o
West, o o o o o
FRACTICORNIS Payk. Very rare.
Distribution — East. oooooooo
West. Sohvay o o o o
Found by Mr. W. Lennon, near Dumfries. — D. S.
OPACUS Block. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
ATRICAPILLUS Germ. Rare. (? Maritime.)
Distribution — East. oooooooo
West. Solway o o o o
Found near Dumfries by Mr. W. Lennon. — D. S.
PLATYSTETHUS Kr.
ARENARIUS Fourc. In dung. Abundant.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay Dee Moray § § Shetland
West. Solway §888
OXYTBLUS Kr.
rugosus Fab. Abundant.
Distribution — East. Forth Tay § Moray § § Shetland
West. Solway 8 8 8 8
LAQUEATUS Marsh. Common.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay § Moray o o o
West. Solway § o o o
SCULPTUS Grav. In dung. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee § o o o
West. Solway § o o o
SCULPTURATUS Grav. Abundant.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay § Moray o o Shetland
West. Solway Clyde o o o
MARITIMUS Th. Maritime. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o
West, o o o o o
( To be continued. )
GEOLOGY,
ON CLAYS CONTAINING OPHIOLEPIS GEACILIS AND
. OTHEK ORGANIC EEMAINS, WITH NOTES ON EECENT
GEOLOGICAL EOEMATIONS NEAE ST. ANDEEWS.
BY ROBERT WALKER, F.G.S.E.
ON the East Coast of Scotland the Glacial deposits are
fairly represented in the Boulder and Brick Clay series.
The latter is distributed here and there along the lowlands,
in the main at no great distance from the sea, but it is some-
times met with at a considerable height above it.
Although these clay beds have been worked for years at several
places, as yet comparatively few organic remains appear to have
been found in them. Taken in all, the record they have furnished
of the animal and plant life of the land and sea at the period
of their deposition, is on the whole arathermeagre one; as far as it
goes, however, it is of considerable scientific importance. No
doubt this is made more prominent than it would otherwise be
from the comparison we are apt to institute between the
scant remains yielded by these deposits, and the rich fossili-
ferous contents of the clays on the west coast of Scotland.
Thus, if we take the shells as one of the leading features of
these formations, we find that the west coast beds have afforded
about 234 species, while those on the east coast have produced
about sixty species. This is exclusive of the Caithness shells,
which are stated to be from boulder clay. The same thing is
observable in the case of the other invertebrate animals : they are
all more numerous in the west coast deposits, than in those of
the east.
There may be various reasons brought forward to ac-
count for this discrepancy. The main cause appears to me
to be that the brick clay, of the east of Fife at any rate, is an
older member of the Glacial series, than the shell-bearing
clay of the west coast, and I consider that it occupies the same
42 The Scottish Naturalist.
position in that series as the brick clay at Kilchattan, in the
Clyde basin, described by Professor Geikie,* who says that this
red brick clay sometimes dwindles down to only a few inches
in thickness, but is almost always found between the shell-clay
and the hard-till. Round the whole of the coast of Bute and
on the Cowal shores, the invariable layer of fine, stoneless,
and unfossiliferous clay is intercalated between the shell-bearing
bed and the coarse, stiff boulder clay. The absence of shells
is not less singular : after not a little inquiry, I have been
unable to ascertain the discovery in it of a single organism.
Of the shells found in those clays on both sides of Scot-
land, a number are boreal or arctic species, but some of
them are also southern forms. The former have now either
moved out to the deeper water of the ocean, or migrated further
north, according as each finds an environment most suited to its
nature. All the other species are still living in the surrounding
seas : a few of these may have altered somewhat in size, or in
the thickness or thinness of shell ; otherwise they are unchanged
since the close of the Glacial period.
On the east coast, shells have been met with, although rarely,
in brick clay at Tyrie, near Kinghorn ; with this exception,
shells may be said to be unknown in any of the brick clays
along the coast, from the Tay to the Tweed — the Elie clay
containing shells is a different formation. Beyond the Tay they
have been found in clay at Errol, at Montrose sparingly, in
Aberdeenshire, and in several places farther north.
In 1863 Professor Allmanf obtained a star-fish from a
brick clay near Dunbar ; he named this new species Ophio-
lepis gracilis, and described it at a meeting of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh. Shortly after this, specimens of the same
species were found in brick clay at Seafield, near St. Andrews. I
directed attention to these in the " Annals and Magazine of
Natural History," January 1864. Dr. Howden has also procured
this star-fish from clay near Montrose. Since 1864 although
star-fish have turned up now and again in the Seafield clay, it
was not until recently that they could be said to be at all nume-
rous. Last autumn the workmen in digging the clay at a
depth of about eleven feet from the surface and some thirty
feet above the sea, struck upon a part of it where there was a
thin parting of sand that contained these star-fishes in consider-
* Glacial Drift of Scotland. + Proceedings Royal Society, Edin., Vol. 5.
The Scottish Naturalist. 43
able abundance. They were not generally distributed over the
exposed surface of the clay, but lay in shallow depressions in it,
very closely huddled together, in most cases the one overlying
the other. Although plentiful enough, yet, from the crowding
and the facility with which they split and broke in pieces when
the clay was lifted, one part adhering to the upper layer and
another to the lower, it was impossible, except in rare instances,
to get anything but a confused heap of fragments. Through
the attention of Mr. G. Blair, the intelligent foreman of the work,
a few of the specimens were secured in a better condition than
they would otherwise have been.
The examples procured differed somewhat in size : in
the largest the disk is about three-eighths of an inch in dia-
meter, each ray is about two inches in length, and when
they could be traced, it was found that they were perfect
to the minute points. From this it may be inferred that the
animals were hurriedly killed ; whether this was caused by a
sudden irruption of fresh water, as has been suggested, or by
some physical change of the sea itself, is not easy to determine;
at any rate they had evidently been quickly covered up by the
clay after death, without being long exposed or tossed about in
the water.
Through the kindness of Mr. Wilson, I have received
specimens of this star-fish, that were found in the brick clay
at Brighton, near Cupar Fife. The clay at this place is
from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and thirty-five
feet above the sea. The Seafield clay, as well as all the other
brick clays in the neighbourhood, appears to be lying im-
mediately above the boulder clay. They all trend down
the low ground toward the estuary of the Eden. Before reach-
ing this the Seafield clay runs under another clay of a bluish
colour, containing a considerable number of littoral and other
shells, which, as far as I have seen, are all living on the coast at
the present time. The bivalves have both shells adherent, and
in exactly the same position they had in the mud, when the
animals were alive. At the beach the top of this clay is about
eighteen inches above high water mark ; it is overlaid by
a deposit of loamy-looking material about thirty inches in
thickness ; on the top of this is a stratified layer of sand
and gravel about fifteen inches thick, above which is a de-
posit of fine sand about three feet in thickness. From the
blue clay have also been obtained bones of a large ox, horns
44 The Scottish Naturalist.
and bones of a large deer, and from the lower part of it trunks
of oak trees have been dug. The contents of the deposit, as well
as its position, indicate pretty clearly that it is of a similar age
to the lower Carse clays, that have numerous long-buried peat
beds and trunks of prostrate trees — the remains of the ancient
forests that flourished in the Carses, when the land stood many
feet above its present level. The blue or shell clay extends
away seaward, as far at least as low water mark. At this point
it is in near contact with a bed of peat that some years ago was
occasionally exposed to view at extreme low water, and also during
storms, when pretty large pieces of it were thrown ashore on the
sands. These I used to examine closely for remains of insects.
From the action of the sea, combined with a change of the
current of the Eden, all the peat within reach of the water
is now either washed away or covered up with sand and
mud.
This is not a solitary instance of peat being found within tide
mark. It is well known that beds of peat, containing trunks
and branches of large trees, occur at numerous places along
the coasts of Scotland, England and other countries, not only be-
tween tide mark, but often stretching away, far out under the sea.
From the frequency with which submerged peat and forest beds
have been discovered by the dredge, soundings, and otherwise,
along the bottom of the German Ocean and English Channel,
and the number of bones of land animals that are now and again
brought up from these areas, many eminent geologists are of opinion
that almost the whole bed of the North Sea and English Channel,,
was slowly upraised into dry land after the deposition of the Gla-
cial clays, and that about this period the connection between the
British island and the continent was once more completed. A
continental condition of Britain in recent times, geologically
speaking, was one of the able speculations of the late Professor
Forbes,* mainly arrived at from the study of the distribution of
the present flora and fauna of Europe. He pointed out, that
as nearly all our indigenous animals, and the greater part of our
plants were derived from the Germanic regions of the continent,
a union of the two countries was absolutely necessary to allow of
the migration of these plants and animals over the elevated bed
of the sea.
When the bed of the German Ocean thus stood above
* Memoirs of the Geological Survey Vol. I.
The Scottish Naturalist. 45
the level of the sea, Mr. Austen * considered that the
Rhine would then flow down what has again become the
bed of that sea, being joined in its course by the Thames, the
Tweed, the Tay, and other lesser, streams, the whole forming a
magnificent river that poured its waters into the Northern
Ocean beyond the British isles, and that along the banks of this
great river lived and died the extinct animals whose bones, as we
have already seen, are still brought up from this submerged land.
No great elevation would be necessary to lay bare the
bed of the German Ocean, which is nowhere so deep
as Loch Lomond, and still less would suffice to lay
dry the English Channel. Mr. J. Geikie f considers that
an uprise of little more than three hundred feet would
accomplish this purpose, and that about one hundred feet more
would unite every little island round our coast with the main-
land, and the mainland with the continent. There would still,
however, be a pretty broad space of water between this upraised
land and Norway towards the mouth of the Baltic. Of this
upheaved land by and bye animals and plants began to take pos-
session, and large forests and other forms ofvegetation grew and de-
cayed for ages, their remains forming the submarine beds of peat,
and wasted trunks of trees still lying on the bottom of the sea.
At the period when Britain was last united to the con-
tinent, snow and glaciers continued to hold possession of all
the uplands, and the climate was still severe. The summers
were perhaps somewhat warmer than at present, and a much
greater extent of the country would be exempt from the sea air,
and its depressing influence on the growth of timber. This will
account for the growth of forests in former times on some of
what are now the most exposed parts of our coast, as well as on
the outlying islands, that are now quite destitute of trees. But
the evidence furnished by the trunks of large trees found in the
peat of these islands, shows clearly enough that formerly trees
had grown their luxuriantly. The growth of the 'trees, the
formation of thick peat beds, the gradual elevation of the bottom
of the German Ocean into dry land, and its subsequent sub-
mergence, makes a long draft on time.
It will be observed, if in this brief sketch we have succeeded
in intelligibly and correctly explaining the phenomena pre-
sented by the submerged forests, peat mosses, and mammalian
* Quarterly Journal, Geological Society, Vol. 7. t Great Ice Age.
46 The Scottish Naturalist.
bones, that all the great physical changes of land and sea
necessary to account for their present position, took place
subsequent to the deposition of the glacial or brick clay, and
before the Carse or shell clay, containing mammalian bones,
above referred to, was laid down.
To carry the matter still further down toward our own time, it
may be stated that this blue shell clay extends across the estuary of
the Eden, where it is seen on the opposite side stretching away
under Tentsmuir; whether it crosses the whole muir or not, is
scarcely determinable, but the same clay, apparently, is seen on
the other side not far from Tayport. Of course Tentsmuir, em-
bracing the whole accumulation of that great sand plain, has
been heaped together since the Carse or shell clay and its super-
imposed beds of loam and gravel were formed. This of itself
might take a long time. At any rate, after vegetation commenced
to grow on its surface, beds of thin peat have formed here and
there on it. At one place facing the estuary of the Eden a bed
of peat occurs, which Jias been long quite diy, from nine to ten
inches in thickness. This peat does not seem to me to have
resulted so much from the growth of the common bog moss, as
from the decay of other marsh plants, that had long carried on
a struggling and stunted existence on the surface. At what
rate peat would form on this sterile and sandy waste, it might be
hazardous to venture more than a conjecture. Bearing in mind,
however, the nature of the ground, and the class of plants it is
capable of supporting, we would perhaps not be over-estimat-
ing the rate at which it would accumulate, if we suppose one
eighth of an inch in'thickness to have formed in a century; should
this be a fair approximation to the time required for the purpose;
then Tentsmuir must have remained much in its present con-
dition for a long time.
St. Andrews, I March, 1875.
THE AURIFEROUS QUARTZITES OF SCOTLAND.
BY W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R. S.E., F. L. S.
SINCE the year 1861, I have, over and over again, both
abroad and at home, and in various forms, given public
expression to my opinion, that certain districts in Scotland not
only contain auriferous drift* but auriferous quartzites. The
* I use the term Drift rather than Alluvium, because (1) it is shorter;
and (2) it is more comprehensive ; while (3) there is, even in modern geo-
logical works of the first class, great confusion between these terms and the
The Scottish Naturalist. 47
year in question was a notable one in the history of the British
colony of New Zealand, and especially of the Scotch Province
of Otago, in so far as it saw the first of a series of gold discoveries,
the result of which has been that, up to March, 1874, Otago
alone has exported no less than ^"12,762,892 worth of native
gold, nearly one-half the total gold export from New Zealand
(^o25>273?379 worth) up to that date.f It so happens that I had
a share in the development of the gold fields, both of the South
and North Islands of New Zealand, having made a reconnaisance
survey of the Tuapeka gold field in the Province of Otago,
and the Coromandel, or Thames, gold field in the Province
of Auckland, long prior to their examination by the staff
of the Geological Surveys of Otago or New Zealand. It was while
surveying the Tuapeka gold-field, between October and Decem-
ber, 1861, that I formed a strong opinion regarding the auriferous
character of the whole Lower Silurian area of Scotland.
In 186 1, while in Otago, having been invited by the Colonists
to address them in public, on the subject of the natural resources
of their Province, I gave a lecture in Dunedin in December of
that year, on " The Place and Power of Natural History in
Colonization; with special reference to Otago." Under the head
of " The Geology of Otago," and of its auriferous rocks, I called
attention to my belief that " They are identical with the rocks
. . . of the Grampians and other parts of Scotland." . . .%
" Years or cycles of years will probably elapse before your
alluvial deposits are exhausted ; after which the perhaps even
richer, original quartzites will fall to be searched for and operated
on." (2d edition, p. 12).
materials they represent, in relation to their containing nuggety or granular
gold. According to Geologists, Drift is the older formation, and involves
the idea of extensive denudation, in great measure at least, by ice action ;
while Alluvium is newer, more recently formed, mainly or exclusively
by water action, the result of the assortment of the older drift.
T These figures are taken from pp. 95 and 37 of " The Official Handbook
of New Zealand," by the Honourable Julius Vogel, Premier of the colony
(London, 1875.) But the larger sum represents "alluvial" gold exclusively ;
while it is stated at p. 60 that the total gold exports from New Zealand, up
to the end of 1872, had been of the value of ^26,084,260.
+ The said Lecture was published as a pamphlet by, and for behoof of,
"The Young Men's Christian Association" of Dunedin in January, 1862.
The quotation is taken from p. 12 of the pamphlet in question. Inasmuch,
however, as — having been printed after I had left Otago, and without cor-
rection of the proofs by myself, it contained many typographical errors — a
second edition was published in Edinburgh, in July, 1863.
48 The Scottish Naturalist.
In 1862, having returned to this country, I stated to the
"British Association" at Cambridge, that "The auriferous
resources of Otago are only beginning to be developed, and will
only be fully developed in the course of many years, by the
addition of Quartz-mining and others of the skilled branches of
Gold-mining, to the shallow or alluvial digging to which the
miners' operations are at present mainly confined. This im-
plies a greater concentration of attention than at present on the
auriferous quartzites, from which the drift or alluvial gold has
originally been derived; the working whereof, should these
quartzites exist to any extent, is much more likely to yield a
steadily remunerative employment, and a permanent and
valuable source of revenue than the said alluvial digging (p. 2)."
Of the Coromandel gold field (Auckland) I reported — "The
auriferous quartzites are frequently developed to an extent as
yet unknown in Otago (p. 1)." . . . "The Coromandel
slates are characterised by their prominent and numerous Quartz-
reefs, consisting of auriferous quartzites " (p. 2). . . . I
adverted also to " The scarcity of the auriferous drifts and the
abundance of the parent quartzites" (p. 2); and summed up,
"that while there is at Coromandel a veiy limited and insig-
nificant field for alluvial digging, there is ample scope for
Quartz mining " (p. 3). . . . " that slates similar to those
of Coromandel, with associated auriferous quartzites, will be
found to occur over a comparatively large area of the Province
of Auckland ; . . . and that new gold-fields remain to be
discovered in that Province" * (p. 3).
In 1863, in a " Special Programme" of a Conversazione of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh (in February), descriptive of a
series of Geological exhibits which I had collected in New
Zealand in 1861, 1 drew attention to the "Gold-fields of Otago,
characterized by their Alluvial deposits or Drifts," and the "Gold
field of Coromandel ( Auckland),characterized by its Quartz-reek'"
pointing out the " general resemblance of the auriferous slates
of Otago to the metamorphic slates (of Lower Silurian age) of
the Scottish Grampians;" and deducing therefrom the "probable
* These quotations are from two Papers on (1) The Geology of the
Gold-fields of Otago, N. Z. ; and (2) The Geology of the Gold-fields of
Auckland, N. Z. ; published in "The Proceedings of the Geological Section
of the British Association at Cambridge," in October, 1862: Reprints of
4 pp. (Otago) and 3 pp. (Auckland).
The Scottish Naturalist. 49
diffusion of Gold in Silurian slates, and their derived Drifts or
alluvium in Scotland."
In reference to these opinions, the late Mr. George Anderson
of Inverness, Solicitor, one of the authors of the well known
and excellent " Guide to the Highlands" — the best of all our
Highland guide books — who was geological critic or correspon-
dent of the "Inverness Courier" — wrote me (of date January
17, 1863): "I quite agree with you that if our Highland rocks
are not rich in gold, they are at any rate of much the same
geological era that the deposits abounding in that metal are
elsewhere, and hence they are worthy of the greatest study. I
expect to have an article for the " Courier" of next week on
the subject, calling on our local explorers to be on the out-
look."
In 1865, still referring to the gold-fields of New Zealand,
I stated to the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, that "I have
not (since 1861) seen reason to alter any of my opinions,
or modify the results or records of my personal observations. On
the contrary, the mining experience of the last two years has
only served to confirm the predictions or assertions I ventured
to make while on the spot." .... "The parallelism
between the auriferous slates of Otago and Scotland is remark-
able. I was struck with it while in Otago, and I have since traced
and proved it by a personal examination of the Highlands of
Dumfries, Lanark, Peebles and Perth shires. The Leadhills
district, may for instance be said to be a second edition of
Tuapeka .... Gold is procurable under precisely similar
circumstances, though in smaller amount." . . . "I have
a high opinion of the auriferous richness of these Coromandel
Quartzites, and of the yield they will give when science is properly
applied to the extraction of their wealth ; and I may make the
same remark in regard to the auriferous Qiiartzites of Otago
and Nelson." The newspaper report (of date January 1 1, 1865)
of the same memoir quotes me as of opinion in regard to Otago,
that "Gold occurs in Quartz, which is associated with meta-
morphic slates similar to those of Scotland. . . . Quartz
reefing has not yet been undertaken ; but from the richness
of the washings, it is probable that the regular Quartz-mining
will be highly productive."
In 1867, I reported to the "British Association" at Dundee,
that "there are indications (if they do not always amount to proofs)
of the existence in Scotland of auriferous Qiiartzites — of Gold in
50 The Scottish Naturalist.
situ — aswell as of auriferous drifts and alluvial Gold."* I repeated
this opinion to the Edinburgh Geological Society;! adding of the
Leadhills district, " there is no present local evidence of the
existence of auriferous Quartzites" (p. 1 08). . . . "Hitherto
there have been few well authenticated discoveries of Gold-
quartzites of any extent in situ in Scotland. But this is simply,
I believe, because they have not been systematically looked for.
That they occur is rendered at least probable by the fact of
the frequent discovery of Nuggets with the Matrix adherent :
while in all old historical references to the working of Gold in
Scotland, " Gold mines" are spoken of — a phrase which, though
an ambiguous and comprehensive one, leaves open the question
whether Quartz-reefs and Reef-crushing were not known about
Bulmer's time" (p. 113).
In 1868, I repeated many or most of these statements to the
Royal Geological Society of Ireland. {
In I869, I made a number of statements that had special
reference to what might be expected at the Sutherland diggings.
A newspaper report of a paper on " The Sutherland gold-
diggings of 1869," presented to the Edinburgh Geological
Society in November 1869, stated that "operations were confined
simply to surface washing, Quartz mining not having been per-
mitted .... although he was certain that there was
gold in situ." || In the earlier parts of the year, and prior to
my visit to Kildonan (in August 1869), I had expressed "no
doubt as to the existence of gold-quartz in Sutherland, as well
as in many other parts of Scotland ; for all my experience of
gold fields goes to show that gold-drift is usually superjacent to,
or in the proximity of, gold -rocks in situ."*& ....
" There are the indications usual in gold-fields of the presence
*In a paper on "The Gold fields of Scotland," published in its "Report"
for 1868: Transactions of the sections, p. 65. This paragraph also appears
in a reprint of the same paper in the "Mining Journal" of March 13,
1869, with the addendum: "Gold in its Matrix has been apparently found
at least in Leadhills, Tweeddale, and Breadalbane."
+ In a paper on "The Gold and Gold-fields of Scotland," read in Nov-
ember 1867, and published in its Transactions in 1868 (Vol. 1, p. 107).
%\\\ a paper on "the Goldfields of Scotland," written in 1867, pre-
sented in 1868, and published in the "Journal" of the Society in 1869,
(vol. 2, new series: pp. 178, 180, 186).
II " Scotsman " of November 19, 1869.
IT Article on " More Gold-fields in Scotland," in the "Northern Ensign"
of June 17, 1869.
The Scottish Naturalist. 51
of auriferous quartzites. These indications are such as to
justify a careful search for gold in the matrix."* ....
" Quartz mining has not been permitted, though the occasional
discovery, unlooked for, of fragments of auriferous quartz, as
as well the granular or angular character of the gold, point to
the probable existence of gold in situ Such is the
confidence of the diggers themselves in the auriferous character
of the drifts and quartzites, that they are ready to embark capital
in proper mining operations. "t
In 1870, at the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, I
made reference to " gold in situ in its matrix in the Quartzites,
which penetrate the schists of the Breadalbane and other High-
land districts" (p. 39). I mentioned several isolated finds of gold-
quartz, as well as of nuggets, as "of importance in reference to
the existence not only of auriferous drifts, but of auriferous
quartzites in the Highlands of Perthshire " (p. 44). %
And, lastly, so lately as the beginning of 1874, I re-asserted
that " there is good ground for encouragement in the search for
auriferous Quartzites throughout the Silurian area of Scotland §
(p. 13), and that " auriferous Quartzites, containing a much
larger per centage of gold [than those of Bute, according to
Mr. Cameron, which contained J oz. per ton] will probably
be found in Scotland, as they have been found in other auri-
ferous countries, when properly looked for (p. 7). . . • The
general result of my own observation and inquiry on this subject
is that auriferous Quartzites, are to be looked for throughout
the whole Silurian area of Scotland" (p. 12).
Now it has so happened that, while the correctness of my
opinions has been far more than verified as regards both the
auriferous quartzites and drift of New Zealand) as may be seen
by reference to the " Official Handbook of New Zealand," pub-
lished at the beginning of the present year) ; and while the now
well-known Sutherland gold diggings of 1869 bore me out in all
my anticipations regarding drift gold in Scotland, it is only lately
* Article on "The Gold-field and Gold-diggings of Kildonan," in the
"Northern Ensign" of September 16, 1869.
+ Paper on "The Sutherland Gold-diggings, as a scientific and social
experiment," presented to the British Association at Exeter in 1869, and
reported at length in the "Northern Ensign" for January 13, 1870.
X Presented in January, 1870, and published in the Society's Proceedings
for that year.
§ In an article on "Recent Gold Discoveries in Scotland," in the
"Perthshire Constitutional" of February 18, 1874 : Reprint of 15 pp.
52 The Scottish Naturalist.
that anything like a good illustration has offered itself of the
correctness of my views as to the Auriferous Quartzites of Scot-
land. In 1872, however, a lump of gold-bearing quartz was
found near the lead-mining village of Wanlockhead, Lanark-
shire, by a lead-miner, still resident there — Andrew Gemmell.
His discovery was not made public till the autumn of 1873,
when a fragment of the specimen in question was exhibited at
the " Society of Inquiry" in Thornhill, Dumfries-shire, by my
old and worthy friend, Dr. Grierson, well known as the
benevolent founder of " the Grierson Museum" there ; and the
find was reported in " Nature," as well as in the Edinburgh
and other newspapers. In September, 1873, I had a written
communication from Dr. Grierson regarding it ; and this was
the beginning of a correspondence not yet closed, which has
only within the last few weeks given me at all full and satis-
factory information concerning the circumstances of GemmelPs
discovery.
The mass of gold-quartz alluded to was found on the side of
the public road, and was, unfortunately, broken up into at least
seven fragments, which subsequently found their way into the
hands of five different owners. I have not myself had an oppor-
tunity of examining any of the pieces, seeing that Dr. Grierson's
specimen, which he expressed himself willing to send me for
examination, was, with other specimens, borrowed by the pro-
prietor of two of the fragments, and has not been returned. It
is probable, however, that all interested may have a speedy
opportunity of inspecting "the Gemmell Quartzite" for them-
selves, inasmuch as I understand there is a prospect of the
re-pieced mass being placed in the Museum of Science and Art,
Edinburgh.
Gemmell's own account of the matter, as contained in a
letter to me of date February 10, 1875, is the following: —
"About the lump of gold-quartz that I found in 1872. . . .
I have no bits of quartz of the same lump now. I never
knew of any being found here as large. It would be about 10
lbs. weight, and mixed with gold all through, less or more.
When I found it, I broke it all up into smaller pieces. A
-number of gentlemen got a piece of it ; and one gentleman
has got a number of the pieces from the other gentlemen, and
is going to take a model of it." Mr. Stewart, of Wanlockhead,
states — also in a letter to me of same date : — " Regarding a
piece of auriferous quartz found by Andrew Gemmell in this
The Scottish Naturalist. 53.
district a few years ago, I may state that just now I have not in
my possession any of the pieces, and Gemmell informs me he
has none left. Mr. Dudgeon of Cargen, near Dumfries, was
gathering all the pieces he could borrow to have the stone made
up as near the original as possible, to have a cast taken of it."
So many finds of gold in Scotland have been reported in the
newspapers, which have turned out to be false reports — to have
been discoveries only of glittering, yellow, gold-like minerals,
such as Iron Pyrites or Mica ; so many of these reports have I
myself investigated and found to be untrustworthy, that it is
important to establish, once for all, the genuineness or authen-
ticity of the Gemmell Quartzite, and its discovery.
1. There can be no doubt that it is auriferous quartz ; for, in
the first place, it was found by a Wanlockhead lead-miner,
who is as familiar with gold as he is with lead. The official
" Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Scotland," tell us that
" for more than three centuries gold has been collected in small
quantities from the Alluvia of the streams in the Leadhills and
Wanlockhead district."* All the lead-miners of the district are
thus hereditarily, as well as by individual experience, gold-
diggers ; and I have had occasion repeatedly to point out else-
where that the unpretentious, but practical gold-digger is a
much better judge of gold, in at least its topographical relations,
than the professional geologist or mineralogist. I am not
aware of a single gold-field that has been discovered and de-
veloped by a professed scientific man : in other words, I know
no exception to the rule that, throughout the world, gold-fields,
gold-diggings, and gold-mines, have been found out and worked
successfully by uneducated, plain, unassuming men, with strong
opinions of their own, the physical strength necessary for pro-
specting, washing and mining, and the determination requisite
for following up or out an object. So far as Scotland is con-
cerned, while it was an Australian gold-miner — albeit a native of
Helmsdale — Robert Nelson Gilchrist, that discovered and de-
veloped the auriferous riches of Sutherland in 1869, and who paved
the way therefore for the finding of what deserves to be called in
his honour, " The Gilchrist Nugget" it was a Scottish lead-miner,
Andrew Gemmell, who in 1872, as a culmination to a whole
series of previous gold finds in the same important lead-mining
district of Crauford Moor, met with the largest mass of aurifer-
* Explanation of Sheet 15 : Edinburgh, 1871, p. 43.
54 The Scottish Naturalist.
ous quartz that has ever been reported as met with in Scotland,
and which is equally appropriately to be designated " The
Gemmell Quartzite." These two specimens indeed, the Gil-
christ Nugget, at present in the possession of the Duke of
Sutherland, and the Gemmell Quartzite, presently belonging
nominally and apparently to the Duke of Buccleuch, are ex-
cellent types of the two different or main forms in which native
gold occurs in Scotland, viz., in waterworn fragments and in the
matrix.
I believe, therefore, Gemmell to be a perfectly good judge of
gold and of gold-quartz. But his assertion as to his lump of
quartz being infiltrated with gold is borne out or confirmed by
the testimony of (a) Mr. T. B. Stewart, Manager of the Lead
Works at Wanlockhead ; (b) Dr. Wilson of Wanlockhead ; (c)
Dr. Grierson of Thornhill ; and (d) last, though not least, by a
thoroughly competent and experienced Geologist and Minera-
logist, Professor Harkness of Cork, who tells me he saw* one of
Gemmell's fragments — a companion fragment to Dr. Grierson's
— in the cabinet of Mr. Dudgeon of Cargen (Dumfries-shire).
2. Nor can there be any doubt as to Gemmell's having
found his Quartzite where it is stated to have been found — his
own evidence being supported by that of Mr. Stewart, Dr. Wil-
son, and Dr. Grierson. Dr. Wilson says there can be " little
doubt as to Andrew Gemmell's finding a large piece of gold-
quartz, weighing . . . nearly 10 lbs. :" and that "Gemmell
is always most successful in finding gold, and is one of the most
respectable and trustworthy men in the place." f He is, there-
fore, no myth, and his word can be depended upon.
3. But there is a flaw in the evidence, as to the said Quartzite
belonging to the rocks of Wanlockhead, in so far as the mass was
found loose, by itself, on the side of a public road; and it has been
impossible to trace it to any of the quartz-veins in situ in the
subjacent or surrounding Silurian slates. Dr. Wilson reports
that " as to its being native to Wanlockhead, there are conflict-
ing opinions amongst the miners." % That it does belong to
the rocks of the district admits of little doubt : but it is most de-
sirable to supply this missing link in the chain of evidence by
perseverance in the local search for gold in the rocks in situ.
4. One of the strongest arguments in favour of the Gemmell
Quartzite being a genuine product of the district, is the fact
*In letter of date February 10, 1875. t Letter dated nth January, 1875.
X Letter dated January II, 1875.
The Scottish Naturalist. 55
that it is not the first, but only the largest, piece of auriferous
quartz that has been found about Wanlockhead or Leadhills,
even by Gemmell himself. The latter writes me — " There is
gold to be found here in all the glens, less or more, in small
particles, and sometimes (the gold-grains are) attached to small
pieces of quartz. I believe all the grains to be found come from
gold-reefs. I never knew of any (gold-quartz) being found here
as large."* Dr. Wilson remarks of Gemmell, "according to his
own account, he has often found gold in quartz at Wanlock-
head. At Leadhills it is found frequently ; " though it is not
quite clear whether the latter sentence refers to quartz-gold or
nuggety-gold. " He, with other residents, assures me that both
gold in quartz and in nuggets is found here (Wanlockhead)."
Mr. Stewart tells me that "some small pieces of quartz and gold
connected have been found from time to time in this district,
but nothing equal in the least degree to Gemmell's specimen,
which was as large as a man's two hands." f And lastly, Mr.
Noble of the Hopetoun Arms Hotel, Leadhills, who was the
means of procuring me samples of stream gold from that
locality in i863, informs me, " I do not know of any gold
specimen in the meantime in the rock. I believe it has been
got in that way about Leadhills." It is proper here to mention
also that, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, an English adven-
turer, George Bowes, "is said to have sunk a shaft, and
discovered a small vein of gold at Wanlockhead ; " } while, in
the time of King James V., pieces of gold of 30 ounce weight
were found in the same neighbourhood " mixed zaith the spar,
some with keel, and some with brimstone." §
But this discovery of Gemmell's, though by far the most
important, is not the only recent instance of the finding of
gold-quartz, or of quartz associated with gold nuggets, in Scot-
land. Gold was found in quartz — that is gold in its matrix —
as well as nuggets with adherent or intermixed quartz, in Kil-
donan in 1869; of which I saw several specimens myself in the
hands of the diggers. || I then reported that I had seen "'not a
* Letter dated February 10, 1875. t Letter dated February 10, 1875.
+ "The search for Scottish Gold in olden times," Part III., by Mr. R.
S. Fittis of Perth, in the " Perthshire Constitutional" of March 30, 1874.
§ Ibid, Part II., March 23, 1874.
|| Article on "The Goldfield and Gold-diggings of Kildonan," in the
" Northern Ensign" of September 16, 1869.
56 The Scottish Naturalist.
few instructive samples of gold in the matrix," collected mostly
in the Suisgill stream.* Dr. T. R. Rutherford, formerly of
Helmsdale (and now of Kilmote, Loth, near Golspie, Suther-
landshire), writes me, of date Feb. 27, 1875 : "It is quite true
that I have a small piece of quartz with gold in it, found either
at Suisgill or Kildonan, but I really cannot say which. I under-
stand Mr. M'Hardy, superintendent of police, Dornoch, has also a
small bit found at Suisgill." Dr Bryce, of Glasgow, is reported to
have stated at the Liverpool meeting of the British Association
in 1870,1 that on crushing the granite of the Suisgill burn, and
washing the debris, " grains of gold were found in every speci-
men. A similar result came about on crushing and washing
specimens of the Mica Slate, but the gold was less abundant."
Again, in the granite of the upper parts of the valleys of the
Errick and Nairn rivers (Inverness-shire), " gold was found in
considerable quantity" still, according to Dr. Bryce. I am in-
debted to Sir Alexander Anderson of Blelack, formerly Lord
Provost of Aberdeen — as factor for Lord Saltoun — for the follow-
ing letter, dated Feb. 22, 1875: "Sir Alexander Anderson
begs to send Dr. Lindsay an Assay of a quantity of quartz-rock
from Kinnaird Head, obtained for Lord Saltoun some years
ago. The rock dips toward the sea. My Lord was advised,
that if the search were to be prosecuted, gold was most likely to
be found where the quartz joined other strata."
Assay Office and Ore Floors, Hatton Garden,
London, E.C., May 21st (1869).
CERTIFICATE OF ASSAY FOR LORD SALTOUX.
" We have crushed, mixed, and carefully assayed the parcel
of quartz-rock from Aberdeenshire, and find the following to be
the result : —
" 1 qr. 12 lbs. nett contain a distinct but very minute trace
of gold — under 12 grains per ton of 20 cwt. of quartz."
(Signed) Johnson, Matthey, & Co.
And, lastly, in an article on " Recent Gold Discoveries in
Scotland," in the " Perthshire Constitutional" of February 18,
1874, I quoted a full circumstantial account, by the finder him-
self, of the discovery of auriferous quartz in Bute.
* Article on "Gold Prospecting in Helmsdale," in the "Northern
Ensign" of September 23, 1869.
+ According to the " Northern Ensign" of September 29, 1S70.
ZOOLOGY,
ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL EEASON.
( Continued from p. 8. )
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S.
IN December 1873, I was favoured with the following com-
munication from William Chambers, LL.D., proprietor of,
and a frequent contributor to, " Chambers's Journal."
" I am requested by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts* to draw your
attention to a very interesting and true anecdote illustrative of
the affection of a white barn-door Cock, which, on the death
and burial of a favourite hen (the hen having died naturally),
laid itself down on the little grave, and was there found dead
one morning. The incident is rather remarkable, as the Cock is
not usually deemed a very sentimental animal. The anecdote
is verified by Mrs. Brown, the companion of Lady Burdett-Couttsr
and has been given in the Animal World."
In reply to a query as to the authenticity of certain anecdotes
of animal sagacity, recorded in Chambers's Journal, Dr. Cham-
bers gave me, at the same time, the following assurance : —
" All the statements regarding the intelligence and affection-
ate qualities of "Donald," in the story of a. Donkey, are quite
true In the article on animals, I introduced an anec-
dote about Cats, which I heard told by Dr. Carpenter f as
occurring in connection with his own house. I likewise in-
troduced the anecdotes about Rats in Hertfordshire, as related
* Whose efforts on behalf of, and interest in, the lower animals, have
long been well known in connection with the proceedings of the Ladies'
branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
of which she is President.
+ Presumably W. B. Carpenter, M.D., F.R.S., Registrar of the
University of London ; and formerly President of the British Association
for the Advancement of Science.
58 The Scottish Naturalist.
to me by my sister, Mrs. Wills, at Shenards, near Welvryn, in
that county, last summer."
In July 187 1, the late Sir Henry Holland* thus addressed me :
" I cannot feel satisfied without writing a few lines to thank you for
the very valuable Treatise on ' The Physiology and Pathology of
Mind in the Lower Animals.' ... I am one of those who do not
object to the word ' Mind ' thus applied, as you will see, I think,
in an article I wrote for the Edinburgh Review of January last,
on the 3 vols, of M. Laugas, having relation to this and other
kindred subjects. You will observe in this article (written on a
voyage to and from Jamaica last autumn), that I especially
allude to the Sense of Fun in the higher animals, as a striking
demonstration of the relation of their faculties to those of man.
I do not perceive that you include this in your Enumeration,
but it undoubtedly ought to have place there."
It is quite the case that I have not yet published all the ma-
terial I have collected in proof of the possession by other
animals, as well as man, of a Sense of Fun or Humour. Such
proofs, if not very abundant, are at least convincing. They
are to be found for instance, in those very "practical jokes"
which certain animals play, not only upon each other, but upon
man himself.
In August 1 87 1, I had the following letter from Dr. Humph-
reys Storer of Boston, Massachusetts, formerly Professor of
Obstetrics and Medical Jurisprudence in Harvard University,
Cambridge, Mass.
" I have been much gratified by reading your paper in the
' British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review,' on ' Insanity
in the Lower Animals,' and feel prompted to send you an
anecdote relating to a favourite Newfoundland Dog of my own,
which, on account of his size, I was compelled to destroy, a
few years since, at the age of 13 J years. I relate this to show you
that dogs do not always want the faculty of speech, to make
themselves fully understood. My dog ' Tiger ' — a splendid fellow
weighing over 90 lbs. — was a great favourite with my whole
family, and consequently was allowed, for several years, to do
pretty much as he pleased. Upon removing my residence to
another portion of the city, the new house was fitted up with
some more costly furniture, requiring more care in its preserva-
tion than we had been accustomed to bestow upon the old.
* TheVell-known author of "Chapters on Mental Physiology," "Medical
Notes and]Reflections," and other works.
The Scottish Naturalist. 59
It was thought advisable, therefore, that 'Tiger' should no
longer be allowed to sleep upon the parlour sofas, but should
rest himself upon the tarpets instead. He understood our wishes
perfectly, and for more than a year he was never known to have
mounted the forbidden spots. Entering the parlour one morn-
ing, I found him crouched upon a sofa. Surprised upon seeing
him there, I sharply cried out, 'Tiger! what do you mean?'
He at once slowly opened his eyes, and, very carefully moving
from the sofa, stood upon three legs, holding up the other for me
to examine. Looking at the foot, I found a small nail or brad
deeply embedded in its fleshy portion. Not being able to
remove it with my hand, I muzzled him, and assisted by my
son, was able, with considerable force, to withdraw it with a pair
of forceps. He immediately put his foot to the carpet, and
after trying it a few moments, and satisfying himself that he was
relieved, his gratitude was unbounded. He leaped upon my
shoulders, licked my face, and seemed delirious with joy.
Could any human being have acted more intelligently to attract
attention ? Did not his actions — much more than any words
could — convey his sense of 'obligation ?"
Interesting as this incident is, it is far from being so excep-
tional as it may appear. It is, in fact, only one of many
incidents of a similar kind, of which I have notes, illustrative
of the fact that certain animals, in their distress, seek surgical
or medical aid from man ; and deriving benefit from his assist-
ance, they display their gratitude in the only way in which they
can show their sense of benefit.
In July 1 87 1, Dr. Brown of Rochester, Kent, wrote me: —
"J have just read your article in the ' British and Foreign
Medico -Chirurgical Review' for July (on 'Insanity in the
Lower animals.') I am much pleased with it. I have long
advocated the possession of Mind by the Lower animals. I
will give you a case of Suicide by a Dog, occuring at Upnor,
near Rochester. The dog had been given away. It returned
and was sent off again. Next morning it came to the house
and was again driven off. This broke the dog's heart ; for the
animal immediately went to the river side, and entering the
water held his head under until drowned If you
try to kill a cock-roach on a stair-case, the judgment displayed
by the insect is thoroughly human Those that
deny Reason to Insects because of the want of a Cerebrum proper,
forget that nervous matter, before it is much differentiated into
60 The Scottish Naturalist.
special organs, may contain every nervous faculty. ... In
the ' British Medical Journal' for 1866 (May 19, p. 519) is pub-
lished a paper by me, ' Do true ///sentient animals exist?
(Unzer's question)."
The most interesting of Dr. Brown's observations is that which
refers to Suicide. The case he gives is a typical one, exhibitive
of intention to destroy life, from a sense of weariness of life. Such
instances are not uncommon ; but it is desirable their recorded
number should be multiplied, because the possibility or fact
of Suicide by other animals than man is still denied or disputed
by very eminent authorities. For instance Miss Frances Power
Cobbe of London — whose knowledge of the lower animals, and
especially the Dog, is exhibited in her admirable articles on the
" Consciousness of Dogs," in the Quarterly Review for October
1872, and on "Dogs whom I have met," in the Cornhill Maga-
zine for December, 1872 — remarked to me, in a letter dated
December 1873 : —
"With respect to the Suicides of Dogs, to which she sees Dr.
Lindsay refers as an accepted fact, Miss Cobbe has carried on
a little friendly controversy with Mr. Charles Darwin and some
other friends, and remains still ////satisfied that we possess de-
monstrative evidence of the fact, though many stories seem to
indicate something of the kind."
In July, 1 87 1, the late Professor Day of St. Andrews asked
me by letter : " Have you seen the article on the Tasmanian
Devil* (noticed in yesterday's ' Spectator ' f), which seems to
exist in a state of Chronic Insanity?" The Professor's ingenious
suggestion of Insanity as accounting for the ferocity, or untam-
ability, of the Tasmanian Devil, is worthy of the attention of
Zoologists in connection with a similar condition in many
other animals. My own impression, however, is that, though
Insanity of the same type as that of man is common among
other animals, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to establish
it in such cases as that of the Tasmanian Dasyure.
Some years ago, Dr. Murray Lindsay of Derby, gave me the
following particulars, illustrative of the Individuality and Idio-
syncrasies of a favourite Skye Terrier, now dead, bearing the
curious name of "Mum"; many of whose performances or
peculiarities I have myself witnessed : —
* Dasyurus Ursinus — a marsupial — otherwise known as the Ursine
Dasyure or Ursine Opossum. fOf date July 9, 1871.
The Scottish Naturalist. 61
" I. The girl, Johanna, who helped in our house, was
so fond of the dog and had so high an opinion of his intelligence
or sagacity, that she used to declared he was 'no dog,' but some-
thing higher. His affection for Johanna was very strong. She
used to feed him, and pet him, and admired him, and the ad-
miration was mutual. When he could see (for he subsequently
became blind) he used to go to the ward door in the morning
and wait for her to accompany her over to the house. And,
poor dog ! when he became blind, if Johanna went outside
the grounds for a walk with the children, he knew it quite
well, and sat howling on the door step till she returned.
When he could see, he used to accompany them in their
walks. His affection, too, for Mr. M'Curley was very strong,
much stronger than it ever was for me, even stronger than it
was for Annie, who loved the dog. In presence of Mr.
M'C. the dog was unusually bold and defiant, and showed his
cunning, discrimination, and judgment. When Mr. M'C. came
to see us, the dog would venture into the drawing-room,
where, as a rule, it was not allowed, and it would refuse to
leave the room, lying under Mr. M'C.'s chair, and showing
his teeth if an attempt was made to dislodge him. Or he would
place himself on the mat at the drawing-room door, acting as
Cerberus, and refusing to let any one into, or out of, the room
where Mr. M'C. was."
" II. He exhibited a love of, and powers of discrimination
in, music. He appeared to like lively, cheerful-sounding music,
and showed his appreciation and delight by wagging his tail, and
in other expressive ways. He had a great aversion to sad, dole-
ful, slow, and sacred music; but his objection was not, I think,
so much to its being slow, as to dull, depressing music of a
plaintive character. When I whistled or sang the ' Old Hun-
dred,' he would invariably raise his head, stretch his neck, and
howl. He also disliked the chapel bell ringing, and howled at
that. He was never taught to like or dislike music ; it was his
natural character. As far as my memory serves me, he did not
like discordant sounds, and appeared to like lively, cheerful
music, whether vocal or instrumental."
" III. He also exhibited jealousy occasionally. If the babies
or children were petted, he now and then insisted on being
recognised as a pet too, and would come and rub . up against
you, or jump up in your lap, when the child was being petted."
" IV. In connection with Mr. M'Curley, I ought to have
62 The Scottish Naturalist.
mentioned that his strongest affection was shown to Mr. M'C.,
for this reason no doubt, that Mr. M'C. one day, when out
walking near Hanwell, had to carry " Mum " home a good
distance, as the dog had a severe Epileptic fit, and Mr.
M'C. thought it would have died. The dog's gratitude to Mr.
M'C. when he got home was something wonderful, and from
that time his affection for Mr. M'C. was extreme, more so than
for any one else."
"V. I may mention that when I had "Mum" at Wells
(Somersetshire), he had his first Epileptic fit, which I witnessed,
in the garden there. He suddenly fell down, was convulsed,
then rallied a little, got up, reeled and staggered, and ran round,
describing a circle. I waited, he got better, and I did not re-
quire to carry him home. There was an interval of seven or
eight years between the first and second Epileptic fit. When
first seized with the fit, I thought he had been poisoned, and
that he had taken some poisonous article in the garden."
" VI. " Mum " was far more intelligent than a Microcephalic
Idiot-girl of seventeen I had (as a patient) at Hanwell, whose
brain was remarkably small, and weighed only 13 ozs."
The following short disquisition was sent me some years ago
by a busy Surgeon, harassed with the cares and worries of a
large practice, who yet, like the late Sir Benjamin Brodie, finds
time for, and takes obvious pleasure in, " Psychological En-
quiries * " of the most abstruse kind.
PSYCHOLOGICAL NOTES.
" Where are we to draw the boundary line between man and
the brute? Nowhere that we can see, short of the point at
which the creature becomes endowed with the high gift of
knowing God, of feeling his accountability to Him, of desiring
communion with Him. This gift may be latent in low, degraded
races, and the endowment may appear in action in many and
varied forms ; but with improvable reason it is ever potentially
present. By improvable reason we mean the faculty of com-
prehending abstract ideas. Writers have held that Will dis-
tinguishes man from the brute, when this is shown in selection
with approval or cofiscience. Does that quality distinguish man
from the lower animals ? We train a dog by chastisement and
* This is the title of a couple of well-known volumes by the late Sir
Benjamin C. Brodie, the first London surgeon of his day ; which volumes
had reached a third edition in 1862.
9
The Scottish Naturalist. 63
kindness, and he learns to distinguish right and wrong within
the range of his capabilities. Abstract right and wrong he cannot
reason upon ; but right and wrong, so far as his master has
taught him and he has learned, are known and acted on. He
makes selection. He makes selection with approval, for when
he does right he is satisfied, when wrong afraid. This know-
ledge becomes hereditary, selection with approval becoming
more and more easy, wrong selection causing deeper dis-
satisfaction or increased terror, as the fact of wrong becomes
more and more clear to the creature's mind. Conscience has
become more sensitive. The dog (many other animals come
under the same category) is then capable of being trained to a
sense of responsibility to his master, whom he knows, fears and
loves. Man is capable of being trained to know, fear and love
an unseen Being as his Master."
" A recent writer says : — " We identify conscience with the re-
mains of the Pneunm in fallen man. The Pneuma and Psychey
spirit and mind, are thus distinguished and separated ; the
former the Divine breath ; the latter, reason. The one is
peculiar to man, the other is not denied to the lower animals,
or at least only by those who fear to acknowledge any relation-
ship between the 'Lord of Creation' and the inferior creatures."
If we are right, this view is wrong, for we hold that conscience
does exist in the lower animals. They have conscience towards
the higher creature man, and also conscience towards each
other. Observation shows that many creatures of the same
species, and not a few of different species, perform kind actions
towards other creatures ; actions which are not performed by all
individuals of the species to which they belong. These actions
indicate clearly choice of one kind of action rather than another,
this choice made with a consciousness of using means to accom-
plish an end, that end being the safety and happiness of a
fellow. In what do such actions differ from those of like kind
performed by man towards man? There is conscience or
choice with approval in both cases. So far as we can see, there
is self-consciousness in the brute as well as in man : the difference
is one of degree, not of kind. We hold then that conscience is
a quality inherent in all living beings possessing a brain suffi-
ciently developed to enable them to remember and reason on
facts ; which quality enables the creature possessing it to choose
a course of action with approval."
In giving expression to the foregoing opinions regarding the
64 The Scottish Naturalist.
Psychical Differentiation of man from other animals, the Sur-
geon in question has attempted an "operation" of the most diffi-
cult kind, one that has perplexed, and will continue to puzzle,
the most powerful Human intellects. It is obvious that
the use of such a criterion of distinction as the knowledge of
the God of the Christian — that is of the English Bible —
must relegate to the category of Brutes, many thousands of
Human Beings ! On the other hand, he will find it difficult
in the extreme so to define such terms as Conscience, Conscious-
ness, Self-consciousness, Pneuma and Psyche, Reason, Abstract
ideas, and Potentiality, as to include all men in one category,
and place all other animals in a second !
(To be continued. )
Captures of Lepidoptera near Edinburgh, in 1874 — The following
are amongst the better species that I captured during the past year in
this neighbourhood. The weather was frequently unfavourable, and I
myself was so busy with other things, that I could only really "get out"
for a couple of days, else much more might have been done. Lyccena
Artaxerxes — Common at the end of June, on the low undercliff near the
shore between Pettycur and Burntisland, Fife. Seems to frequent
Geranium sanguineum. Some of my series have the red marks, on the
border of the wings on the upper side, as well marked as in specimens of
the true Agestis taken on the chalk downs of Kent and Hants. Ma-
laria liturata — In fir woods at W. Linton ; middle of June. Emmelesia
alchemillata — Two specimens on Blackford Hill, near Edinburgh, on
June 26. Emmelesia albulata— Common in marshy ground near W.
Linton, where Rhinanthus cristagalli (its food plant) grows. Middle of
June. Eupithecia helveticctta — One specimen by beating, near Blackford
Hill, June 12. Eupithecia centaureata — Pettycur, Fife, June 27. Mel-
anippe tristata — W. Linton, June. Afamestra furva — Larva? not un-
common under stones on Arthur's Seat. Imago bred, July 15. Plusia
bractea — One specimen in the Botanic Gardens, July 10. Botys fuscalis —
Occurs with Emmelesia albulata. Oncoccra ahenella — Common on hills
at Pettycur, end of June. These Scotch specimens are larger, brighter,
and more distinctly marked than those from the S. of England. Tortrix
kterana — One specimen at Pettycur, June 27. Mixodia ScJinlziana —
Common on heath amongst fir woods. W. Linton ; middle of June.
Halonota scutulana — Marshy ground near W. Linton, June 15. Calosetia
nigromaculana — Near Pettycur, end of June. Lozopera stratnineana —
Common at Pettycur, June 27. — W. A. Forbes, S. Castle St., Edinburgh.
Lepidoptera of Scotland— Addendum. - Hadena glauca occurs in the
Tweed district. — A. Kelly, Lauder.
Little Gull — An immature specimen of the Little Gull, Lams minulus,
was shot by Mr. Arthur Robb, near Aberdeen, on Saturday, 12th Dec.
lie observed three others at the same time. — G. Sim, Aberdeen, Dec. 1874.
The Scottish Naturalist. 65
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BRITISH COLEOPTERA.
(Continued from p. 17.)
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
[As it is possible that some readers of the " Scottish
Naturalist" who would like to make use of the "tables"
in the " Outline descriptions of British Beetles," may not be
sufficiently familiar with the dichotomous system, it may be of
advantage to describe the process that should be gone through
in order to arrive at the name of a species. For this purpose
we will take an example, and suppose that a collector is endea-
vouring to identify by the descriptions — say a specimen of
Cychrus rostratus. He will act as follows : —
1st. He will turn to the " Table of Groups" (p. 13), in order to
discover to which main division of the Coleoptera his specimen
belongs. In this table, under the figure 1 (on the left hand
side of the page), beetles are divided into two classes ; one con-
taining species whose elytra reach considerably beyond the
insertion of the 3rd (or hind) legs ; the other, species in which
the elytra are much shortened. Finding his specimen to belong
to the first of these classes, he will be referred (by the figure 2
on the right hand side of the page) to the place where there is
a separation into classes of the species whose elytra reach con-
siderably beyond the insertion of the 3rd legs. (This will be
where the figure 2 occurs on the left hand side of the page).
There they are split into the following divisions, viz. — (a) those,
none of which have the antennae clubbed, which are not aquatic,
and which have tarsi easily seen to consist of five joints ; (p)
those having the antennae not clubbed, not being aquatic, and
having tarsi easily seen to consist of four joints ; (<;) aquatic
species ; (d) a residuum not possessing all the characters of any
one of the other divisions under the figure 2. By comparison of
the specimen under enquiry with the characters of these several
groups, it is seen to belong to the first of them, against which,
on the right hand side of the page, is set the figure 3. Turning
to the line where the figure 3 occurs, on the left of the page, it
will be seen that the species attributed to that number are
divided into two groups — one having the anterior tibiae simple,
the other having them either notched on the inner side or with
a spine at the apex. As the specimen will be found to have a
66 The Scottish Naturalist.
strong spine at the apex of the anterior tibiae, it will be referred
to the Geodephaga.
The student will now turn to the " Table of families of Geode-
phaga" (p. 14), to ascertain to which of those families his specimen
belongs. Against the figure " 1 " on the left of the page, there
are three divisions characterised. The absence of a distinct
notch on the anterior tibiae will refer his specimen to the first
of these, against which " 2 * is set on the right. Referring to
" 2 " on the left, he will find the species composing that class
divided into two groups, distinguished by the length of the eye,
as compared with the length of the basal two joints of the
antennae together. The eye of the specimen in question being
shorter than the basal two joints of the antennae, it will be
referred to the Carabidce.
Next, the table headed " Carabidce" (p. 16) must be referred to,
to determine what genus the specimen belongs to. Under the
figure "1" on the left of the page it will be referred (by the
form of the base of the thorax) to the figure " 2 " on the right.
Consequently the student will look where " 2 " occurs on the
left, and, observing that the elytra of his specimen are not
striated, he will decide that it belongs to the genus Cychrus.
Finally, he will turn to the table headed " Cychrus" (p. 17), and,
finding that his specimen answers to the description of the single
species, he will decide that it is Cychrus rostratus. If the genus
contained more than one species, he would go through the
same process (to determine which species it belonged to) that
he had previously gone through to discover its group, its family,
and its genus.
It is necessary, in concluding these remarks, to draw atten-
tion to the necessity of observing accurately the slightest point
mentioned, as any failure in doing so might lead the observer
far wrong indeed; and it may just be added that, after a little
practice, the collector will carry the characters in his mind
sufficiently to render it unnecessary for him, in most cases,
to do more than turn at once to the table of species in a
genus.]
Calosoma.
Blackish, E. shining, gr. , p. -85 , with smooth elev. ints. A row
of puncs. on the 4th, 8th, and 12th ints. 12^ 1. E8- sycophanta
The Scottish Naturalist.
67
Shining gr. E. p.-s., with flattish hits., which are tr.
wrinkled, the 4th, 8th, and 12th with a row of consp.
puncs. Legs and an. bl. 7^ 1. E. I. .
Nebria.
1. E. not unic. .....
- unic. ......
2. B. Disc of th., mar. of e., an., pal., and legs, pale. 7 1
E.c- (Yorkshire) ....
Test. E. with 2 irreg. tr. fasc., joined by longi. lines, b
9 1. E.wc- ....
3. B. An., pal., tib., and tar., r. E. consp. p.-s. Th. very
tr., almost as wide at ba. as in fr. 5 1. B ! !
B. or reddish. An. and legs more slender and long than
in prec, an. darker Str. of e. almost impunc. Th.
strongly contr. behind. 4^ 1. B.M
Leistus.
1. Th. bl. b. or blackish. Mouth, an. legs, and pal. , test.
Fem. pitchy or b. Rest of limbs (which are
very long and slender) dusky r. Th. very tr. E.
strongly p.-s. 4X 1. E. !
™ !• • • • • • • •
2. H. and e. bluish b. or r. Th. twice as broad as long.
E. short, very strongly p. s., the in. ints. dist. elev.
Th. without a consp. r. mar. 3^ 1. B.
H. and e. consp. bl. Th. longer than in prec. E. longer
and more parallel, less strongly p. -s. , ints. less elev.
Th. with a consp. r. mar. 3^ 1. B.M« .
3. Unic, varying from pale to deep r. E. deeply and
unif. p. -s. Hi. angs. of th. sharp. 3 1. E. !
H. b. E. r., with ap. (and sometimes ba.) b. E. p.-s.,
the p.-s. failing at sides and ap. Hi. angs. of th.
obt. 3 1. B.
Fourth Family— SCARITID/E. (2 genera).
Fr. of clyp. simple. Sides of th. not strongly rounded.
1\CU» ••••••
- - - with 2 or 3 teeth. Sides of th. strongly rounded.
Brassy. ......
Clivina.
Unic. but varying from r. to r-b. H., pal., an., and legs,
often paler. Back of h. almost impunc. E. strongly
p.-s. 2^ 1. B. !
Very like prec. (? var. ). H. and th. consp. darker than e.
H. clearly punc. behind. E. often with a dark
blotch. 2% 1. B.
inquisitor
2
3
livida
complanata
brevicollis
Gyllenhalli
spinibarbis
3
fulvibarbi
montanus
ferrugineus
rufescens
Clivina
Dyschirius
fosso
collaris
68
The Scottish Naturalist.
Dyschirius.
1. Clyp. prod, into 3 teeth in fr. ....
- - - 2 teeth only in fr.
2. E. dist. p.-s. Th. strongly] rounded. Legs reddish.
R. -m. of e. carried round ba. Ant. tib. with 2 well
def. ext. teeth. E. el. -oval. 2 1. B.c- .
Very like prec. E. more deeply str. Str. impunc. E.
oval. 1% 1. E.N-EC- ....
3. Striation of e. reaches ap. Ant. tib. only obs. toothed
on ext. mar. .....
- - acutely toothed on ext. mar.
- - - fails near ap. Brassy b. Legs and an. r. Th.
round. E. oval, p. -s. in fr. Ant. tib. with a strong
ext. tooth, i^l. B. .
4. R. -m. of e. not carried round ba.
- - - carried round ba. Th. el, E. cyl., strongly p.-s.
Mouth, an., and legs reddish. \% 1. E.sc-
5. Str. of e. not dist. punc. throughout. In. ap. spine of
ant. tib. clearly shorter than outer. E. oblong oval.
Mouth, legs, and an., reddish.
- - - dist. punc. throughout. Ap. spines of ant. tib.
about equal. Th. el. E. narrow with sub-parallel
sides. 2 1. B.c- .
6. Str. of e. unif. deep, and impunc. in hi. half. Int. elev.
2 */ 1 "Re.
Str. of e. not deep, and fainter near mar. , punc. exc. in
2
3
thoracicus
obscurus
4
7
globosus
extensus
hi. third. 2J4 1. B.NC-
Legs and an.
7. R. -m. of e. not dist. carried round ba.
dusky ......
- - - dist. round ba. Crown strongly wrinkled, E.
not broader than th., cyl., deeply p.-s. Clyp.,
mouth, an. and legs r. 1^3 1. E.c-
8. E. cyl., deeply p.-s. in fr. fainter behind. Str. unif.
punc. to behind mid. Out. teeth on ant. tib. both
well def. 2 1. B.c-
E. oblong oval, deeply p.-s. nearly to ap. Str. more
faintly punc. from mid. Only loiver ext. tooth on
ant. tib. well def. 1 lA 1. E.
politus
impunctipennis
nitidus
8
angnsiahis
salinus
seneus
Fifth Family— BRACHINID.E (1 genus) Brachinus.
I. U.-s. ofh.-b. dusky. H., th., pal., and legs, r. An.
r., often marked with b. ....
U.-s., h., th., pal. and an., clear r. E. bl., with ba. of
sut. r., scarcely str. 2-3 1. E.8- .
sclopeta
The Scottish Naturalist.
2. E. bl., spar, puna, dist. str., withelev. ints. 2^-4.1. E.
E. bl., rarely marked with r., punc., scarcely str., ints.
flat. 2-3 1. E.N- * . . . .
69
crepitans
explodeiis
Sixth Family— LEBIAD^. (12 genera)
1. Ba. j. of an. not longer than h. Th. very tr. and bu
little contr. behind
- el., much narrower than h., nar
rowest in fr.
- not as in either of prec.
- - - - longer than h. .
2. Th. br. r.
- not br. r.
3. Pen. j. of an. tar. bil. and larger than 3rd. Claws simple
- Claws toothed
not as in prec. H. and th. closely and unif.
punc. .....
--- not closely and unif. punc.
4. Ap. j. of pal. thickest behind the mid.
in fr. .
5. An. entirely pale ....
- not entirely pale. Claws toothed
- - - -. - untoothed ....
6. Mentum toothed ....
- untoothed *
Odacantha
3
Drypta
Lebia
Masoreus
Aetophorus
Demetrias
4
5
Cymindis
Polystichus
Dromius
6
Lionychus
Metabletus
Blechrus
Drypta.
Pub. , punc. H. , th. , and e. br. bl. Mouth, pal. , legs, and
an.,yel. Ba. of an. partly b. E. str. 3^1. E.s-
Polystichus.
Pub. punc. R. Legs, and a large dorsal mark on each of
the e., paler. E. p. -s. 4I. E.c- •
Odacantha.
H. and th. br. gr. An. dusky, pale at ba. Legs test. ;
knees and tar. dusky. E. reddish test, with
blackish ap. , very faintly p. -s. 3 1. E. ' .
Aetophorus.
H. b. Th. r. An., pal., legs, and e., test. E. faintly
p. -s. , with a b. cloud forked in fr. on the sut. , and
marked with b. on the mar. Breast b. 2l/z 1. E. F-
dentata
vittatus
melanura
imperialis
70
The Scottish Naturalist.
Demetrias.
R.-test., with the h.-b., and the sut., more or less clouded
with fuscous. U. -s. test. E. faintly p. -s. Claws
with i tooth. 2 1. E.FC-
Very like the prec. . The e. vary in the fuscous clouding
(it is sometimes absent). Breast, b. Claws with
3 teeth. 2,% L E. !
monostigma
atricapillus
Drominus.
Th. tr.
(E. gently
1. Hi. half, at least, of u. -s. of h. -b. b
oil* !•'•••••« 2
--------.- not tr. (Mouth, pal., legs, and an.,
pale. }«.•»■••■ a
II. -b. reddish beneath ; often rather darker near ap. . . 6
2. E. with well def. markings. (Mouth, pal. , legs, and
an., pale.) ....... 3
- unic, blackish r. H. dark. Th. reddish with paler
mar. Sides of E. very parallel. 3 1. E . . meridionalis
3. Hi. angs. of th. very obt. H. b. Th. r. E. b., each
with 2 large pale spots, the ant. spot not reach-
ing mar. of E. 2)4 1. B. ! . . quadrimaculatus
Very like prec. Smaller. Hi. angs. of th. hardly obt.
Ant, pale spot on e. touches the mar. i}( 1. E. .
4. E. not unif. blackish r. (H. b. Th. reddish. E.
gently str. ) .
- unif. pit. Very like meridionalis. An. longer and
stouter. E. longer, with less parallel sides. 3I. B. !
5. E. b. , each with 2 well def. pale spots, of which the hi.
is smallest. The ant. spot sometimes fills ba.
\% 1. B. !
- pale in fr., dark behind ; often an obsc. pale spot
near ap. ; or unif. brown ; or sut. entirely dark.
\% 1. B.c- .....
b. Legs, pal., and an. pale. E. with dist. markings.
(H.-b. Th. r.)
- with no dist. markings. (H. and th.
reddish.) ......
Pal. dark brown. H. b. Th. r., about as broad as
long. Legs and an. test. E. pale, often darker
near sut. \}/£ L B. ! . . . melanocephalus
j. A pale cloud at ba. of each of the obs. str. e. The in.
mars, of these pale marks meet on sc. and run
very obi. apart backw. Rest of e. dark, exc. round
ap. of sut. \%\. E.6C- .... vectensis
Very like prec. An. longer. Th. more el. E. longer
and more parallel. In edges of pale clouds on fr.
of e. more parallel. Ap, of e. entirely pale 1^1. E.»-
sigma
quadrisignatus
5
agilis
quadrinotatus
nigriventris
7
8
The Scottish Naturalist.
7i
8. E. pale, dusky on sut. and behind. H. and th. about
equally long and broad. E. parallel, dist. p.-s
1^ 1. B. ! . . . . . linearis
Very like prec. H. consp. longer and narrower than
th. E. broadest behind, obs. str. 2 1. E.F- . longiceps
2
3
M. foveola
Blechrus, Metabletus, and Lionychus.
1. E. with pale spots .....
- b., very ind. p.-s., without a dist. impr. on the disc
- brassy brown, faintly but dist. p.-s., a consp. impr.
on the disc of each. An. , pal. and legs, blackish.
i3^ 1. B. !
2. E. brown brass, obs. str., with a pale hum. spot; r.-m.
pale. H. and th. b. An. dark, with ba. j. gen. r.
Legs r., fern. dark. 2 1. E. . M. obscuro-guttatus
Shining b. Ba. j. of an. r. E. dist. str. on disc, each
with a pale hum. and ap. spot, that at ap. often obs.
t 3/ 1 ~F s.c.
I y/^, I. i-i. .....
3. B. Tib., and often ba. j. of an., reddish. Th. very tr.,
shorter than h. i^f 1. E.
-. Th. not strongly tr. , about length of h. 1 1. E. !
Lebia.
L. quadrillum
M. truncatellus
B. maurus
1. E. unic. gr. orbl., p.-s., ints. punc. H. gr. orbl., puna
Th. r. An., tar., and pal., dusky'
E. b., with a pale spot. Mouth, an., th., and legs, r.
E. r. -yel. , with b. marks forming a + . H. b. , punc.
Th. r. Sc. b. Legs r. Knees and tar. dusky.
Breast b. An. dusky, ba. js. r. 3 1. B.
2. Breast and sc. b. Fem. and tib. partly b. Ba. j. of
an. r. 2>% h E.
- fem., tib., sc, and ba. js. of an. r. Ints. less dist.
punc. than in the prec. 3X h B.
3. The spot on e. ap. H. r. Breast b. E. faintly p.-s.
Ints. obs. punc. 2% 1. E.s- . ' .
- - - - hum. H. b. Breast r. E. strongly str. Ints.
almost glab.
2h 1. E.
2
3
crux-minor
cyanocephala
chlorocephala
hamorrhoidalis
turcica
Cymindis.
H. b. An. pal. and legs r. H spar. punc. Th. r. , spar.
punc. on. disc, thickly on sides. E. b. , deeply str. ;
with mar. , & hum spot, r. ; ints. spar. punc. \% 1. E.
H. and th. pit. deeply and unif. punc. E. pit., ba. r.,
finely p. -s. , ints. thickly and deeply punc. An.
pal. and legs r. 4X 1. B.M-
Masoreus.
Reddish, much clouded with fuscous. Mouth, pal, an.
and legsr. E. finely p.-s., ints, glab. 2^ L E.s-C-
axillaris
vaporanorum
Wetterhali
72
The Scottish Naturalist.
Seventh Family— CHLiENIIDiE. (7 genera).
1. An. set. with long stout bristles. Th. and e. not pub. Loricera
Not with the 2 characters of the prec. Th. and e. pub. 2
Not pub. Th. broadest at ba. . Oodes
- - -. - -. - not broadest at ba. ... 4
2. Ap. j. of pal. consp. hatchet-shaped. (Eyes prominent). Panagseus
- - - - not consp. hatchet-shaped .... 3
3. Th. very much contr. behind, dull pale r. . . Callistus
- not as in prec. ..... Chkenius
4. H. and th. unif. punc. Ap. j. of pal. hatchet shaped . Licinus
- - - not dist. punc. Ap. j. of pal. not hatchet shaped Badister
Loricera.
Brassy gr., rarely reddish. Pal. tib. and tar. r. E. p.-s.,
with 3 consp. imprs. on the 3rd int. 3^ 1. B. !
pilicornis
Panag^eus.
B. Th. strongly tr. E. each with 2 very broad, tr., r.
fasc. (not reaching the sut.) often joined on the
mar. 3X 1. E.F- . . . . crux-major
Very like the prec. ; smaller, & with th. not tr. 2.% 1. E.s- quadripustulatus
Callistus.
H. bl. or gr. Th. and pal. r. E. r.-yel ; shoulds., and 2
bands (1st. not reaching sut.) joined on mar. of e.,
b. Legs test., marked with b. An. r. at ba.
3X I- E.s- .....
Chl^enius.
1. E. unic. gr. (H. and th. cop. orgr.) .
Th., e., legs, and an., unic, dullb. H. brighter. Th.
much punc. E. str., ints punc. 5 1. E. I.F-
- gr. E. gr. , with yel.' mar. and ap. Mouth, pal. , an.
and legs, yel. E. finely str. , ints. punc. 5 1. E.
2. Th. broadest at mid., hi. angs. very obt. No more
than 1st j. of an. r. Legs r., often more or less pit.
5 1. B. ! .
- - in fir, of mid. , its hi. angs. hardly obt. Pal. and
ba. 3 js. of an. r. Legs r., often more or less
brown. 5 1. E.s-C- ....
Oodes.
B. H. and th. smooth. Th. very massive. E. finely
p.-s., str. not reaching ba. 4X L E.r-
lunatus*
holoset iccus
vestitus
nigncornis
Schranki
helopioides
(To be continued.)
PHYTOLOGY.
THE EDIBLE WILD PKUITS OF SCOTLAND.
By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
( Continued from p. 28. )
THE remaining plants which have any claim to be included
among those that produce in this country edible wild
fruits aspire more or less to the dignity of forest trees. Most
notable of these are the graceful Beech and the sturdy Oak —
often indeed termed the king of the forest — but we would
rather bestow that title on the Scots Fir. Let the Oak — noble
tree that it is — hold sway over the forests of the south; but of
all the trees in Scotland's woods the native Pine is the un-
doubted chief. See him standing amidst the crags of a rocky
hill on a glowing summer day, his thick and blue-green crown
shining out clear against the glorious azure sky, and his sturdy
and rugged stem planted firmly amongst the cold grey rocks,
and lighting them up with its warm redness; or see him dead,
but still a king, stretching aloft his gaunt and whitened limbs
through the weird-like mists which roll down the corries, and
trail, like the funeral procession of some hero of old, along the
mountain side.
But to proceed with the proper subject of this paper.
The Beech (Fagus sylvatica ~L.). Though not a native, the
Beech is yet so extensively planted in our woods, and is withal
.so beautiful a tree, that I think it should not be passed by
without notice. Though we " of the north countrie " do not
know the Beech in its full glory, yet we have sufficiently large
specimens to be able to appreciate the combination of strength
and gracefulness that is exhibited by this tree. Its smooth and
polished stem, its spreading branches,' here spiring up towards
heaven, there feathering in sweeping curves towards the ground,
and its delicate foliage, which, especially in spring, is unsur-
passed for colour and texture, all unite to make the Beech a
74 The Scottish Naturalist.
most picturesque and lovable tree. Nor has it been left unsung
by the poets. Thus Wordsworth —
" Huge trunks ! and each particular trunk a growth
Of intertwisted fibres, serpentine
Upcoiling, and invet'rately involved."
But especially have the poets referred to the smooth and silvery
bark, which almost seems made on purpose to tempt the love-
sick swain to inscribe thereon his mistress's name. And this is
no recent practice, for the old, poets, even Virgil and Ovid,
allude to the practice in their days,
" Crescent ilhe; crescetis amores."
"As the letters of our names increase, so may our love;"
referring to the increase of size in the letters as the bark of the
tree grows. The same idea is expressed by Ovid, and in later
times by Thomson and others.
The fruit or beech-mast, when eaten raw, is said to produce
giddiness and headache, but dried and ground makes a whole-
some bread. Sometimes the nuts have been used as a substitute
for coffee, and the oil therein contained has been eaten instead
of butter, and also burnt in lamps. Many animals are very
fond of the mast.
The wood is used for various purposes ; though not very
lasting when exposed to the air, it is exceedingly durable under
water, and is therefore employed for making piles for bridges.
The Oak (Quercus robur L.); An Darroch in Gaelic. Cele-
brated a tree as the Oak is, it is only by courtesy that we can
admit it among those bearing edible wild fruit. In cases of
famine it is possible that the acorns (as the fruit of this tree
are called) may be serviceable, and it has even been recom-
mended to use them as coffee, or fresh like chestnuts, or ground
and made into bread. The acorns produced by some other
species of Oak, are far more palatable, and are actually used
as food in Italy, North America, and elsewhere.
To enter into an account of all the other uses of the Oak
would occupy too much time. No tree has been perhaps more
celebrated both in verse and prose, but we in Scotland are
scarcely qualified, from our local experience, to appreciate
fully the tree, regarding which even Cowper the poet wrote —
It seems idolatry with some excuse,
When our forefather Druids in their Oaks
Imagined sanctity.
The Scottish Naturalist. 75
Some Oak trees have trunks from 60 to 100 feet in length
.and 70 feet in girth near the base, and contain 1,000 cubic
feet of timber. There are, I think, no great number now of
really wild Oaks in Scotland (at least in the north), though
formerly they were abundant.
The Hazel (Cory/its avellana L.); Gaelic, An Caltain. Both
the tree (of which there are several cultivated varieties) and
its nuts are too well known to need description. The tree has,
however, a reputation of another sort, for from its twigs were
wont to be made divining rods, by the occult virtue of which it
was supposed that not only subterranean treasure, minerals,
and water might be detected, but those guilty of murders and
other crimes pointed out. In the Highlands, it is said, this
tree is considered one of ill omen, but two nuts naturally united
together — a kind of vegetable Siamese twins — are considered
to be an amulet of great power.
The kernels of the nuts are, as is well known, very palatable,
and are sometimes converted into flower and made into biscuits.
The wood is useful for making charcoal and other purposes.
The Yew (Taxas baccata); Gaelic, Anfiuchar. This tree, so
interesting in many respects, ought perhaps scarcely to be included
among those producing edible fruits, for though the beautiful red
berries, contrasting so well with the sombre green foliage, are
edible, they are neither very palatable nor of any use as an article
of food. Yews are now rarely met with in this country in a wild
state, though that they were at one time more numerous in that
condition the Gaelic names of several places testify. Perthshire
has the credit of having the remains of what was once one of the
largest, and at the same time one of the oldest Yew trees in Britain.
I mean of course the Fortingal Yew. In Pennant's time the trunk
of this tree, which is still alive and vigorous, but in a disjointed con-
dition, measured 56 feet in circumference. Its age has been com-
puted at 2500 years. Just for a moment think of the events which
have happened in this and other countries since this venerable
tree put up its first seed-leaves. Possibly if it could speak it
might enlighten us regarding the origin and object of the
mysterious cups and rings that the ancient inhabitants of this
country carved upon so many stones ; it might tell us when and
how that ancient people were driven away or absorbed by the
race which now occupies the Highlands ; it might make clear
all the ancient mythology of the land, and tell us about the
worship of those gods, Bel and Annat and Neth — whose names
76 The Scottish Naturalist.
vox et prceterca nihil — names and nothing else — still remain in
the land; it might tell us of the old Romans, who doubtless
often rested under its spreading branches and gazed in admir-
ation on its immense stem ; it might tell us when the dark shades
of Paganism were dispersed by the light of the new and true faith,
and when reversing the usual order of things, the churchyard
was made round the Yew, and not the Yew planted in the
church-yard ; it might tell us — but enough ! Twenty-five
centuries have passed over the head of this venerable tree ; the
suns of twenty-five hundred summers have warmed its old
branches, and the snows of twenty-five hundred winters have
there found a resting place.
The Juniper (Jwiiperus co?nmunis \i.) ; Gaelic, An faiteal.
In some parts of our Highlands, the Juniper is a common plant.
The berries are not much used now in this country, I believe ;
but formerly they were sometimes collected and exported for
flavouring Gin or Juniper water. (It may not be out of place
to allude to the origin of the word " Gin," which is said to be
acontraction of "Geneva," and that again a corruption «.;f Genevre,
the French forji Juniper-berry.) This liquid is properly a malt
liquor, distilled a second time with the addition of Juniper-
berries. Formerly these were added to the malt in grinding, but
now they are said to be omitted entirely, and oil of turpentine
used instead. In past ages (and more recently in Norway and
Sweden) sprays of juniper were used for strewing over floors in-
stead of rushes, on account of their fragrancy, and also from being
supposed to promote sleep, as well as from being efficacious in
driving away domestic insects. In Germany the berries are
bruised in sauce and eaten with the pork of the wild-boar,
while in Lapland the inhabitants drink infusions of the berries,
after the manner of tea — a custom not altogether unknown in
Scotland within the last hundred years, and even recommended
as a more wholesome beverage than that obtained from the
Chinese plant ! Moreover it is said that a pleasant diuretic liquor
may be obtained from the bruised berries. One or two ripe
berries will not be found unpalatable.
These, then, are all of what can in any degree be considered,
edible wild fruits in Scotland.
The Scottish Naturalist. 77
NOTE ON SOME KECENTLY DESOKIBED SCOTTISH FUNGI.
FOR the last fifty years or longer Scotland seems to have always had at
least one good student of mycology. Pre-eminent among these
were Johnstone, Carmichael, Jerdon, and, the greatest of all, Greville.
Each of these has made known to us the Fungi of a more or less wide dis-
trict, and left behind them indelible records of their industry and research.
Still there remains a great deal to be yet discovered among the Fungi of
Scotland, and that searchers are not wanting is very apparent from an
analysis of a paper on British Fungi, published by Messrs. Berkeley &
Broome, in the January number of the Annals and Magazine of Natural
History. In this paper somewhere about 100 new British Fungi are
noticed, and of these more than half the number were found in Scotland,
besides a few others found almost simultaneously in England and Scotland.
In addition to these some other new Scottish Fungi have been recorded in the
columns of our own {vide the interesting "List of the Fungi of Morayshire"
and other notes, by the Rev. J. Keith and others) and other Magazines.
Altogether, this may be considered as a very encouraging state of matters, and
none the less so when we find that it is chiefly to the energy of four botanists
that these discoveries are due, and that the district in which they have been
made is comparatively a small one, and included in five counties — Forfar,
Kincardine, Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray. The chief discoverers are the Rev.
J. Stevenson (Glamis), Rev. M. Anderson (Menmuir), Rev. J. Fergusson
(Fern, late of New Pitsligo), and the Rev. J. Keith (Forres). Though in
the paper referred to the localities of the new species are given (by a not
unnatural mistake) as the districts where the respective discoverers reside,
yet we understand that while in some cases these are the correct localities,
in others the plants were found in quite another part (even 50 or 60 miles
distant) of the district we have indicated. This, however, is a matter of
little importance at present, and will, no doubt, be rectified when the
Floras of the various parts of the district are published. One thing is
evident and that is, that we in other parts of Scotland must begin to show
a little more activity, unless we wish our friends in the north-east to carry
off all the honours of mycological research.
The following are the species mentioned (and their finders) : those with
* were new to science. By the Rev. T. Stevenson : — Agaricus (Omphalia)
philonotis Lasch. ; A. ( Entoloma) resutus Fr. ; A. ( Hytholoma) silaceus
P. ; * A. (Collybia) Stevensoni B. and Br. ; * Cantharellus Stevensoni B.
and Br. ; * Lentinus scoticus B. and Br. ; Polyporus floccopus Rostk. ; P.
trabeus Fr. ; P. callosus Fr. ; * P. coll abef actus B. and Br. ; * P. blepharis-
tovia B. and Br. ; * Hydnum Stevensoni B. and Br. ; * Radulum
epileucum B. and Br. ; Grandima crustosa P. ; * Kneiffia subgelatinosa B.
and Br. ; * Leptothyruim pictum B. and Br. ; * Peronospora interstitialis B.
and Br. ; * P. rufibasis B. and Br. ; * Cylindrosporium rhabdospora B. and
~Bv. ; Septoria hyper ici Desm. ; S. stachydis Desm. ; * Helotium sublateritium
B. and Br. ; Eustegia arundinacea Fr. (Mr. Stevenson has also found
the following, which however had previously occurred elsewhere in
Britain : — Polyporus Rennyi B. and Br. ; Protomyces menyanthes De By. ;
and Peziza ciborium Fr. ) By the Rev. M. Anderson : — Raduhim tomento-
. sum Fr. ; * Penicillium megalosporom B. and Br. ; * Puccinia AudersoniB.
78 The Scottish Naturalist.
and Br. ; P. senecionis Lib. ; * Uromyces concomitans B. and Br. ; Proto-
myces macrosporus Ung. ; Helotium tuba Fr., v. ochracea. By the Rev. J.
Fergusson : — Agaricus ( Lepiota) cinnabarinus Fr. ; Hyphelia rosea Fr. ;
* Cylindrosporium niveum B. and Br. ; * Puccinia Fergussoni B. and Br.
(on Viola palustris) ; * P. tripolii B. and Br. (on Aster tripolium) ; Proto-
myces microsporias Ung. (on Ranunculus Ficaria) ; * P. chrysosplenii B. and
Br. (on Chrysosplenium oppositifolium ) ; * P. Fergussoni B. and Br. (on
Myosotis) ; Peziza rubella P. ; * Helotium melleum B. and Br. ; * Psilopezia
myrothecioides B. and Br. ; * Patellaria Fergussoni B. and Br. By the Rev.
J. Keith (Forres) : — Boletus sulfureus Fr. ; * Polyporus Keitliii B. and Br..;
* Radulum deglubens B. and Br. ; Cortinarius traganus Fr., var. finitimus
Weinm. ; Hysteiium arundinaceum Schr. , var. gramineum. Other Scot-
tish species mentioned, with or without special indication of the finders,
are : — Agaricus ( ' Hebeloma) Bongardii Weinm. (Culbin sandhills — G. Nor-
man) ; * Radulum corallinum B. and Br.; * ' Lepto stroma glec/iomalis B. and
Br. ; Peziza fusispora B., var. scotica Raben. (Berwick — Dr. Johnstone;
more recently by the Rev. Messrs. Anderson and Ferguson) ; and P.
strobilina Fr. Vibrissea Margarita Buchanan White, described in this
magazine (Scottish Naturalist ii. 218), is also mentioned in the list. — F.
Buchanan White.
A SCOTTISH CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY AND FUNGUS SHOW.
AT the Fungus Show, held last September in Aberdeen, there was a
committee appointed (as we intimated at the time) to organize a
Scottish Cryptogamic Society. This committee consisted of Professors
Dickie, Nicol, and Ogilvie, the Rev. Messrs. Anderson, Fergnsson, and
Stevenson, and Dr. Buchanan White (convener). It is now proposed to
have a meeting on April 1 6th, at 2 p.m., in the Rooms of the Perth-
shire Society of Natural Science, St. Ann's Lane, Perth, to formally
inaugurate the Society, adopt a Constitution, and elect office-bearers, as well
as make some of the necessary arrangements for the Show to be held in
Perth in September next. We trust that as many of those interested in
Cryptogamic Botany as possible will attend this meeting, and that those
who cannot attend will intimate their desire to become original members to
any member of the above committee before the day of meeting, as it is de-
sirable that the Society should have a good start. Many persons may,
however, reasonably object to become members without knowing what the
objects of the Society are, and to what the proposed laws bind the members.
Space does not permit us to give here the proposed Constitution in full
(and besides everyone desiring to become a member will receive a printed
copy of the laws when adopted) ; but we may mention that the objects of
the Society is the promotion of Cryptogamic Botany by (1st) mutual assist-
ance, and (2d) an Annual Conference and Show (especially of Fungi) ; and
that while it is hoped that the annual Show (which will be held each year
in a different town) will defray most of the expenses of the Society, the
annual subscription (if it be necessary to levy one at all) will not exceed
The Scottish Naturalist. 79
2s. 6d. from each member per annum. From original members no entry
money will be required. Ladies can be members.
We shall be glad to hear as soon as possible from any one desirous of
joining the Society.
Potamogeton polygonifolius, var. linearis Syme M.S., in Roxburgh-
shire— This peculiar long-leaved variety (some of the linear submerged
leaves are upwards of two feet in length), recently determined by Dr.
Syme, grows plentifully in an old pond near Kelso. * As far as I am
aware, Gahvay and Killarney in Ireland are the only other British localities
where it has been found hitherto. Dr. Syme says, " It differs from both
P. sparganifolius and P. variif alius (the two species which it most
resembles) in having the stem unbranched, i.e., there are no side shoots
without flowers, and having nothing but submerged leaves, and the
peduncles and flowers quite similar to those of ordinary polygonifolius"
I may here mention that P. nitens Web. is plentiful in the Tweed in this
neighbourhood. It differs somewhat in appearance from the Tay plant,,
to judge from a dried specimen belonging to Mr W. B. Boyd, which had
been gathered by Mr. J. Sim in the Tay at Perth Bridge, by having the
leaves more wavy and broader, and often quite glossy, as if they were
varnished. There is a much "drawn" (caused, I believe, by the rapidity
of the current) form of P. perfoliatus, growing plentifully in the dam above
Selkirk, near Philipshaugh Saw-Mill, which has a general resemblance to-
the Tweed form of P. nitens. The following remark about P. nitens is.
from the "Students' Flora" — "Foreign specimens (authentically named)
approach P. perfoliatm" — Andrew Brotherston, Kelso.
Ulleriore, a Water- Weed — "Moreover, Moray contains a lake of fresh
water denominated Spynie, greatly frequented by swans, in which is a
certain uncommon herb with which the swans are greatly allured ; we call
it ' the ulleriore ' ; it is moreover of this kind, that when it hath fully
established its roots, it spreads itself so widely that, in my memory, it hath
extended its basis so far as to have rendered five miles of the lake itself of
Spynie, where salmon formerly abounded, altogether shallow." The
above is a translation given in the ' ' Agricultural Survey of the Province of
Moray, " from the History of Scotland of John Leslie, Bishop of Ross,
1578. I do not find any reference to the quotation in Mr. Gordon's
" Collectanea for a Flora of Moray " of 1839 (where however Spynie is
frequently mentioned), nor is there anything in the list that I can fix upon
or suggest as the plant meant. — F. M. Webb, in Journal of Botany.
[Can any of our readers throw a light on the subject ? — Ed. Sc. Nati\
Correction: — Breadalbane Plants— Sc. Nat. iii. p. 19. — The altitude
attained by Pyrola minor on Ben Lawers is 3,300, and not 2,300 as inad-
vertently stated. Anthriscus abortiv.us. — I.e., p. 20. — I was wrong in an-
nouncing that I had found this, as I have since shown a specimen to Dr.
Boswell Syme, who tells me that the variety recorded is not referable to
Anthriscus abortivus Jord., which is much more markedly different from
A. sylvestris. — F. Buchanan White.
* P. obtusifolius M, and K. grows in the same pond.
80 The Scottish Naturalist.
Bryological Notes. — The investigation of the Bryology of the north-
east of Scotland has been prosecuted with much vigour and success during
the past year. New men are rising up and doing excellent work in places
hitherto almost or totally unexplored. For example, Mr. James Grant of
Lossiemouth, who is so well known in connection with the fossils of the
Elgin Sandstone, and who has lately found an apparently new and remark-
able fossil reptile in his neighbourhood, spent some time last summer among
the mosses about Tomintoul, in Banffshire, where mountain limestone
forms so large a proportion of the geological formation. Mr. Grant
directed special attention to such mosses as might be expected to occur in a
region of this character, and his short stay there has been prolific of good
results. In several places he found Seligetia pus ilia, a moss always difficult
to find because of its minuteness, and always interesting because of its
comparative rarity, there being few counties in Scotland in which it has
hitherto been observed. In the same quarter Mr. Grant detected a yet
rarer species, viz., Anodus Donianus, which is even more diminutive, and
more easily overlooked owing to its more scattered, almost gregarious,
habit of growth. As in the "Scottish Naturalist" (II., 173), I had
indicated the probability of Anacalypta latifolia growing in the Tomintoul
district, I was delighted to receive from Mr. Grant very fine specimens of
this species which he had gathered there. In Scotland the localities for
this plant are being rapidly increased. In addition to Mr. Grant's, Dr.
Buchanan White and Mr. Roy of Aberdeen found another in Glentilt last
summer. Among Mr. Grant's Tomintoul gatherings we were glad to see
specimens of Thiiidium abietinum and of genuine Brachythecium salebrosum.
This latter has hitherto been so much confounded with B. Mildeanum and
B. glareosum that the old stations given for it are almost always unreliable.
It may be mentioned that, while about Tomintoul, Mr. Grant made
Trichostomum glaucescens a special object of search, but did not succeed in
finding it; but as there are already three stations for it in the north-east of
Scotland, I cannot think it can be confined, to these. — J. Fergusson,
Fern, by Brechin.
Botanico-Geology — In the part recently issued of the Edinburgh
Botanical Society's Transactions (Vol. XII., Part I.), is an account of an
excursion to Clova by Professors Balfour and Geikie, in which some remarks
are made by the latter on the mineralogy of the rocks on which certain of
the rarer alpines occur. It was thought that there might prove to be some
.special conditions in the mineralogical constituents of the rocks, whereby
it might appear why these plants ( Oxytropis campcst)is, Lychnis alpina,
&c. ) are so very local in their British distribution. It was found, however,
that there was nothing by which this could be accounted for in that respect;
and it is suggested that the cause is more probably a meteorological one —
the situation, altitude, and breadth of the Grampian range affording in that
district the conditions necessary for the survival of these plants, which find
their proper home in the Alps and in the Arctic regions. A good sugges-
tion is thrown out, viz., that botanists in this country should do as some of
the Scandinavian botanists are doing, namely, examine the contents of our
older peat-mosses for the remains of northern plants no longer living in this
country. We daresay insect-remains may also be found. — F. Buchanan
White.
INSECTA SCOTICA,
THE LEPIDOPTERA OP SCOTLAND-
( Continued from p. 32. )
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
CHI L. Common. Agrestal, nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g g o
West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross g
Lat. 54°4o"-57°5o". Range in Europe. Central and north-
ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago, August- September. Larva. April-
June. Food-plant. Shrubs and low plants.
The ab. olivacea Stph, (front-wings more or less infuscated with greyish-
olive) is reported from Forth and Tay, but its headquarters are the north of
England,
HECATBRA Gn.
SERENA F. Not common. Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay o
West. 2 2 o o o
o o o
Lat. 55°3o"-56°3o". Range in Europe. Central and south-
ern. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. May- August.
Food-plant. Low plants.
DIANTHCECIA Boisd.
NANA Roth. (1776); conspersa Esp. (1788?).
common. Agrestal, pascual.
Not un-
Distribution — East. g Forth Tay Dee Moray g
o
West. Solway Clyde
o
o
o o
2)2 The Scottish Naturalist.
Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. July-Sep-
tember. Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis. )
cucuBALii Fuessl. Not uncommon. Agrestal, pascual,
palustral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay § Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. July- September.
Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis).
capsincola Hb. Common. Agrestal and pascual.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §
[Orkney] o
West. Solway Clyde § 8 °
Lat. 5404o"-[59°io'/.] Range in Europe. Nearly through-
out. Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. July-September.
Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis).
carpophaga Bkh. ' Not common. Agrestal and pascual.
Distribution — East. 3 Forth Tay §0000
West. Solway Clyde goo
Lat. 54°4o"-56°3o". Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. June, July. Larva. August, Sep
tember. Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis). Some of the
Scottish specimens are much darker than the English form.
EPUNDA Dupon.
LUTULENTA Bkh. Rare or local. Pascual and agrestal.
Distribution — East. § [Tay] Dee Moray 000
West. § g o o o
Lat. 57°57"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Britain, Germany,
France, Switzerland, &c. Type. Central. Type in
Britain. British (?)
The Scottish Naturalist. 83
Time of Appearance — Imago. September, October. Larva. Octo-
ber-May. Food-plant. Low plants.
*
nigra Hw. Local. Pascual, agrestal, nemoral.
Distribution — East. § § Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway [Clyde] § g o
Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Britain ; central and
southern Germany ; France, Switzerland, and South Europe.
Type. Occidento-meridional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. September, October. Larva. October-
June. Food-plant. Low plants.
VIMINALIS F. Local. Nemoral. Ascends to about 1000
feet.
Distribution — East. g Forth Tay 00000
West, g Clyde goo
Lat. 55°4o'/-56°4o'/. Range in Europe. Central and nor-
thern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. May, June.
Food-plant. Willow.
The var. obscura Stdg. (very much darker) is reported from north Eng-
land, and occurs in Perthshire as an aberration.
MISBLIA Stph.
OXYACANTH^J Hb. Common. Agrestal and nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray goo
West. Solway Clyde goo
Lat. 5404o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central (South
Sweden, &c.) Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. September-October. Larva. May,
June. Food- plant. Sloe and hawthorn.
A dark, almost unicolorous variety (Capucina Mill. ) occurs in England,
but I have not seen Scottish specimens of it.
DICHONIA Hb.
aprilina L. Common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
84 The Scottish Naturalist.
Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o'/. Range in Europe. East-central (to South
Sweden). Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. September, October. Larva. June.
Food-plant. Oak.
PHLOGOPHORA Ochsen.
METICULOSA L. Not uncommon. Agrestal and pascual.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §
Orkney §
West. Solway Clyde Argyle § §
Lat. 5404o"-590io". Range in Europe. Southern and central
(to S. Sweden). Type. Meridiono-central. Type in Bri-
tain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. September-June (two broods?). Larva.
July- April. Food-plant. Low plants.
EUPLEXIA Stph.
LUCIPARA L. Locally common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §
Orkney §
West. Solway Clyde Argyle § 8
Lat. 54°4o"-59°io'/. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro- septentrional. Type in
Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September,
October. Food-plant. Low plants, bracken, &c.
AMPHIPYRHXEL
AMPHIPYRA Ochsen.
TRAGOPOGINIS L. Common. Hortensal and agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray goo
West. Solway Clyde § 8 °
Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central and north-
ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. August, September. Larva. April-
June. Food-plant. Low plants.
A. pyramided L. ought, from its European distribution, to occur.
( To be continued. )
The Scottish Naturalist. 85
THE COLEOPTEKA OP SCOTLAND.
(Continued from p. 40.)
Edited by D. SHARP, M.B.
NITIDULUS Grav. Abundant.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee §000
West. Solway Clyde §00
COMPLANATUS Er. Not common.
Distribution — East. § Forth 000000
West. Solway Clyde 000
TETRACARINATUS Block. Lowland, highland. Abundant.
Distribution — East. 800 Dee Moray 880
West. Solway Clyde 800
FAIRMAIREI Pand. Very rare (?).
Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000
West. 00000
HAPLODERUS Kr.
C^JLATUS Grav. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. o Forth Tay o o o o o
West. 00000
ANCYROPHORUS Kr.
OMALINUS Er. Riparial. Common.
Distribution — East. 8 Forth 0 0 ° ° °
West. Solway 8 ° ° °
longipennis Fair. Riparial. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway 8 000
TROGOPHLCEUS Kr. .
ARCUATUS Steph. Riparial. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000
West. Solway 0000
bilineatus Steph. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o- o o
West. Solway 8 ° ° ' " °
86
The Scottish Naturalist.
o
o
o o
o o
o
o
ELONGATULUS Er. Lowland.
Distribution — East. o Forth o
West. Solway
FULIGINOSUS Grav. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed
West. Solway
CORTICINUS Grav. Lowland.
Distribution — East. o o
West. Solway o
PUSILLUS Grav. Lowland. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee
West. Solway goo
TENELLUS Er. Riparial. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o o o o
West. Solway o o o
o o o o
o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
THINOBIUS Kr.
MAJOR Kr. Riparial. Very rare.
Distribution — East.
West.
o o Tay o
o o o o o
o
o o
LONGIPENNIS Heer. Riparial. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 3 Moray o o o
Solway 3 ° ° °
Riparial. Very rare.
o o Tay o o o o o
West
BRTJNNEIPENNIS Kr.
Distribution — East.
West, o o o o
o
linearis Kr. Riparial. Scarce
Distribution — East.
West. Solway 3 ° °
g Forth Tay o
o
o
o o
^INEUM Mull.
SYNTOMIUM Kr.
Lowland. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 3 Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway 3 ° ° °
The Scottish Naturalist. 87
COPRGPHILUS Kr.
STRIATULUS Fab. Lowland. Scarce.
Distribution— East. Tweed Forth § Dee § o o o
West. Solway §000
DELBASTER Kr.
dichrous Grav. Riparial. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 0000 o o
West. Solway 0000
The Scottish specimens of this species differ considerably from those
found near London. — D.S.
ANTHOPHAGUS Redt.
alpinus Payk. Highland, alpine. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed o Tay Dee 0000
West, o § o o o
testaceus Grav. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
GEODROMICUS Redt.
nigrita Mull. Near streams and waterfalls. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed g g Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
GLOBTJLICOLLIS Mann. Highland, alpine. Rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee Moray 000
West, o Clyde 000
LESTEVA Kr.
long^litrata Gseze. Lowland, highland. Abundant.
Distribution— East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray g g Shetland
West. Solway Clyde g g g
SHARPi Rye. Highland. Local.
Distribution — East. o Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
PUCESCENS Mann. In moss about streams and waterfalls.
Scarce.
88 The Scottish Naturalist.
Distribution — East. Tweed § Tay Dee Moray o o Shetland
West. Solway Clyde o o o
PUNCTATA Er. Lowland. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway g o o o
MUSCORUM Duv. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o
West. Solway Clyde o o o
■•
ACIDOTA Kr.
crenata Fab. Lowland, highland, alpine. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway o o o o
Cruentata Mann. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
OLOPHRUM Kr.
piceum Gyll. Lowland, highland. Common in wet moss.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o
Shetland
West. Solway §000
fuscum Grav. Lowland. Local.
Distribution — East. o Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
consimile Gyll. Highland. Very local.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000
West. 0000 o
LATHRIM^3UM Kr.
atrocephaltjm Gyll. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee g o o o
West, g g o o o
unicolor Stph. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g 000
(To be continued.)
ZOOLOGY.
ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS.
By the Rev. J. Wardrop.
LOOKING on the psychological manifestations of animals-
and of man, we are at once struck by the intense simi-
larity of the two series. We have to go far and wide over the
field of man's mental nature before we find in him anything
that we wholly miss in his dog. Between the Asiatic and his
elephant, where is the difference ? What do we discern in the
two-legged member of the pair that is quite exclusively a pre-
rogative of humanity — except, perhaps, the matter of dominion
or a certain mere superiority in adroitness and craft, which
dominion and superiority are themselves sometimes made
sufficiently questionable ?
This similarity extends to the material organism by which
the mental series in both cases is ministered to or from which
it arises, as the case may be. The question then presents itself,
is there really any specific uninterchangeable difference between
the two classes of phenomena? Or, allowing there may be
some difference in degree, are the kinds of powers, competent
to the two orders of life, identical ? The question, always in-
teresting on the ground of mystery, has of late become urgent
on the ground of scientific needs. In its settlement, the
interests of the most thorough-going of biological theories —
the evolution-theory of life — are held to be in a very serious
manner implicated. And, to those, who, from the facts of con-
sciousness, experience, and revelation, maintain the existence of
a dual substantial nature in man — a material and mental, and an
immaterial and immortal, the question places additional points
of truth at stake, and, in proportion, presents more elements
of interest; for if the psychological manifestations of the lower
animals are of the same nature with those of man, then it would
90 The Scottish Naturalist.
seem to be necessary to allow to them also the possession of
an immaterial and immortal soul as the subject or source of
these manifestations ; inasmuch as we could hardly, while hold-
ing the actions to be of the same kind, deny the agents in their
production to be of the same kind too. We could not maintain
the substances to be different, while we were obliged to allow
the qualities to be the same. Agassiz accordingly argues for
the existence in animals of such a soul. And it is long since
theologians have speculated on the possibility of meeting their
four-footed friends in heaven.
Such is something of the question before us — a question not
more extensive in range of application and interest than it is
difficult of definite solution. The great savan and sceptic of Rot-
terdam, M. Bayle,who in his Historical Dictionary is led to touch
on this subject almost passim, says in one place, " Of all physical
subjects there is none more abstruse or perplexing than the soul
of brutes" (vol. viii. 273, English edition). In another place, he
says, " The actions of beasts are perhaps one of the most pro-
found abysses which our reason can exercise itself upon ; and
I am surprised that so few people perceive it" (vol. ii. 647).
Sir B. Brodie says, "There are few more interesting subjects of
inquiry than that of the moral and intellectual qualities of
animals; yet there are few of which we know so little."
Plato and Aristotle have both recorded the dictum, that
astonishment is the commencement of philosophy (Theaet. and
Met. 1, 2, 9). And so it has been found here. The mystery
of the animal soul has called into exercise the wits of philosophy
for two and a half thousand years. Failing in one hand, it has
always been taken up afresh by another. Those philosophers
who have looked into the abyss, however, are more numerous
than those who have discovered that it was very deep, and far
more numerous still than those who have made any well-
managed attempt to reach the bottom.
There are only three general views that can possibly be taken
of the question. And it will be found historically that they
have all, with various subordinate modifications, been espoused
and advocated. Each system of philosophy, in fact, has been
characterised, amongst its other distinctive marks, by one or
other of these views in reference to the animal soul. Com-
parative psychology is at least as old as comparative anatomy.
The possible views are these. It may be held, first, that
animals have a rational soul like man — the difference being
The Scottish Naturalist. 91
only in the degree of its powers. It may be held, second, that
animals have a soul specifically different from the human — say
a soul sensitive only, and not rational. Or, third, it may be held
that animals have no soul at all, that their actions are the result
of their organisation — that, in short, they are machines. These
three exhaust the possible views that are throughout distinct.
The first — the rational soul view, was the first in history.
And we shall find that a modification of it through an admix-
ture of the third, or machine view, is also the last, being the
prevailing one at present. The Pythagoreans held this view.
It was involved in their system of transmigration of souls.
Many pre-Socratic philosophers, not of their school, also held
it. The Platonists as a body did the same.
The second view was represented by the Aristotelians. They
held the animal soul to be sensitive, not rational, and, therefore,
specifically different from the human. The Cynics and Stoics in-
clined to this side. And the schoolmen felt the Aristotelian influ-
ence here as in other things.
The third — the automaton view — seems to have originated
with a Spanish physician, Gomez Pereira, about the middle of the
sixteenth century, half a century before Descartes was born.
But it was the French philosopher who reasoned it out, and left
it as a dogmatic legacy to the new school of philosophy of which
he was the master. This view easily held its own against the
Aristotelian. The Aristotelians, in defending their position
against the Platonists, urged that rationality was only an appear-
ance on the part of animals. In reality, tliey had a sensitive soul
only. Yes, said the Cartesians, that is true as against the Plato-
nists ; but we have the same right to urge against you — the Aris-
totelians— that sensitiveness in animals is only an appearance.
In reality, they have no more sensation than reason. Both are
an appearance alike, and on like grounds. Animals are mere
machines. All their apparent manifestations of mind are of a
kind with those actions we perform without the help of our
minds at all, through the "disposition of the organs," and "the
flow of the animal spirits." Thus the rival sects waged the
war. The battle was hottest in the seventeenth century when
Cartesianism was fresh and prevalent ; and it. raged from one
end of Europe to the other.
Meanwhile, the vagaries of individual opinion were many and
sufficiently wild. In hot anti-Cartesian zeal a papal nuncio,
called Rovavius, wrote a book to prove that animals not only
92
The Scottish Naturalist.
have reason, but use it better than man. Some might be in-
clined to think that this book was no mean evidence of the
position which it advocated, though in a somewhat different
way than its author intended. The old essayist, Montaigne,
expresses his fancies on the subject characteristically thus : —
" Presumption is our natural and original infirmity. The most
wretched and frail of all creatures is man, and yet withal the
proudest. He sees and feels himself lodged here in the dirt
and nastiness of the world; yet, in his imagination he soars
above the moon, and casts the sky under his feet. By the
vanity of this same imagination he makes himself equal with
God, withdraws and separates himself from the crowd of other
creatures, carves for the animals his brethren and com-
panions, and distributes such a portion of faculty and force to
them as he sees fit. How does he know, by the strength of
his understanding, the internal and secret motives of the
animals ? From what comparison betwixt them and us does he
infer them to be so stupid as he thinks them ? When I play
with my cat, who knows whether puss is not more diverted with
me than I am with puss ? The defect which hinders the com-
munion between us and them, why is it not as bad for us as for
them ? It is yet to determine where the fault is that we do not
understand them any more than they do us. For this very reason
they may reckon us beasts as we do them" (Essays, 2 p., 157-
8). But the most curious of all opinions respecting the under-
standing of beasts is that advanced by Pere Bongeant, a Jesuit,
in a work entitled " Philosophical Amusements on the Language
of Beasts." In this book he contends " that each animal is in-
habited by a separate and distinct devil ; that not only this was
the case with respect to cats, which have long been known to
be very favourite residences of familiar spirits, but that a peculiar
devil swam with every turbot, grazed with every ox, soared with
every lark, dived with every duck, and was roasted with every
chicken" (S. Smith, 239-40). Borri, an Italian " Chymist,
Empiric, and Heretic," as Bayle calls him, held also that the
souls of animals were an emanation of the evil angels. It must
have been out of sheer despair over an impracticable subject,
that it was thus handed over to the devil. If this disposal of
their case could be considered injurious or insulting, the animals
have had their revenge, and that at the hands of no meaner
advocates than the great Grotius, the greater Sir I. Newton,
and Lord Brougham. These three, with lesser satellites, have
The Scottish Naturalist. 93
all maintained that God Himself is the moving principle of the
animal. (Newton, Query 31st; Bayle, 8. 770; Sir H. Holland,
p. 217). This opinion, which probably was as much the issue
of despair as the one it seems to avenge, rouses the indignation
of Sydney Smith, who says, " To talk of God being the soul of
brutes is the worst and most profane degradations of Divine
power." He thinks that men are jealous of any shreds of mind
belonging to their animal rivals, when they thus ascribe their
actions to some eternal principle. " In the name of common
sense," he says, " what have men to fear from allowing to beasts
their miserable and contemptible pittance of faculties ? " This
jealousy if it ever existed has disappeared, and men are again
magnanimous. The view that has taken possession of the field
during this generation, being espoused by most great names in
' science if not in philosophy, and bidding fair to subdue all
things to itself, is, whatever else it may be, positively or nega-
tively, not one that is niggardly in its concessions to the brutes.
Sydney Smith, when lecturing before the Royal Institution
on the faculties of animals, began with these words. " I. con-
fess I treat on this subject with some degree of apprehension
and reluctance ; because I should be very sorry to do injustice
to the poor brutes who have no professors, to revenge their
cause by lecturing on our faculties ; and at the same time I
know there is a very strong anthropical party, who view all
eulogiums on the brute creation with a very considerable degree
of suspicion, and look upon every compliment which is paid to
the ape as high treason to the dignity of man." The times are
changed. The poor brutes " have many professors now to
lecture on our faculties in their interest." Instead ofa" strong
anthropical party " who scruple to grant the poor brutes any-
thing, there is a strong anthropological party who will not
scruple to grant them everything.
The opinion which scientists now generally espouse is, so
far, the Platonist, the first opinion with which philosophy began
the course of its evolution, viz., that the mental manifestations
of men and animals are of the same kind, and that there is no
essential mental distinction, phenomenal or substantial, between
the two orders of being. But this opinion also combines in its
explanations the principle of the third or Cartesian view. By
recent researches, both physiological and psychological, at the
hands specially of three investigators, who represent so many
successive stages in the advancing development of the subject —
94 The Scottish Naturalist.
Marshall Hall, Dr. Carpenter, and Dr. Laycock, the first estab-
lishing on a scientific basis the fact of reflex action, the second,
extending the automatic principle to the region of sensation, and
the third, extending its operations still farther to that region of
action, the organ of which is the brain — by these researches,
it has been, once for all, made out that automatism is a character
pervading large spheres of both animal and human action ; it
has been established that there is automatic action not only of
the nervous organism, but of the psychological powers them-
selves, which are found, for their outward results, not to require
always a conscious, intelligent regulation, but in much that they
do to act perfectly machinewise. Such investigations, so far
from requiring us to set aside the principle of the Cartesian
view as an explanation of the animal soul, plainly set it on a
sure basis of physiological and psychological science ; and
require us to hold by it. The case accordingly has now come
to this, that no sooner is the principle of automatism, established
and corrected by facts and extended by analogy, applied to its
task of fathoming the abyss of the animal soul than it shows
itself to be a fathoming line, the like of which we have never
seen before. No clue ever adhibited to the mystery has had
such effect. Animals, indeed, are not unconscious, unintelli-
gent automata, as Descartes would call them; but they are auto-
mata notwithstanding — automata conscious, and sensitive, and
rational too.
It was well that these researches and results on automatism
were at hand at the juncture. Of late, as already noticed, the
evolutionist had been attracted to the animal soul by more
than astonishment at its mystery. His phlosophy here com-
menced from another side. He needed those researches to
help him over the great gulf that he found yawning, both in
popular and scientific opinion, between the animal and human
souls. Hitherto, if any doctrinal system found a certain opinion
on the animal soul at all essential to its wants, it was theological
orthodoxy. The Cartesian view, e.g. seemed to get rid of
certain theological difficulties that other views raised or failed
to evade. Now, it is the doctrine of continuity that gives
interest to that question. To a continuous evolution of living
beings it is held to be essential that no such wide gulf exist
between animals and man, as a thorough going non-identity of
their psychological characters would be. Hence, the wide
attention given to the psychological character of animals — an
The Scottish Naturalist. 95
attention which has been rewarded by there being found, it is
thought, ample reason for maintaining that there is no essential
difference between the two orders of souls. The popular
opinion that there is such a difference is now little more than a
superstition, Mr. D. Spalding tells us, though perhaps too
sanguinely. Continuity is thus preserved.
Whatever may be thought of the right of this view to perma-
nence as a true or exhaustive interpretation of the facts, there is
this hopeful feature in the matter, that it is the real character
of the facts of the case, the psychical actions, so called, of
animals that is being made the subject of investigation. There
has been often theorising on the essential nature of the psychi-
cal principle in them, which was mere working in the dark so
long as the facts — i.e., the actions — were not made the foundation
of inference. If ever we are to determine the true nature of
the moving principle in the brute, it can only be after we have
detected the real nature of the movements which it is capable
of causing. The true nature of the effects may be expected to
indicate the true nature of the cause.
The wide general view, that the animal and human souls are
identical, phenomenally and substantially, is consistent with
various, and indeed conflicting subordinate opinions. It is
the general ground of two such opposing views as the fol-
lowing. First, in the words of Mr. Huxley — "The actions
of animals are the result of their physical organisation.
. . . . They are machines, one part of which (the ner-
vous system) not only sets the rest in motion and co-ordi-
nates its movements in relation with changes in surrounding
bodies, but is provided with special apparatus, the function
of which is calling into existence these states of conscious-
ness which are termed sensations, emotions, and ideas ; "
as to which states of consciousness he adds, "there is no
evidence that it is they that cause these molecular changes
which give rise to muscular motion." (F. Rev., No. 132 p.
574-5.) So that this view, which Mr. Huxley also extends to man,
is exactly as Mr. D. Spalding (in Nat. 10, 520) has described it.
" Not only the reflex action of animals, but also all the con-
scious, so-called voluntary actions of men — those, viz., that we
perform for the first time, and, as we say, with a conscious end
in view, are purely automatic ; that is, that consciousness, while
it accompanies the workings of the animal machine never stands
in a causal relation to any movements whatever ; that no move-
96 The Scottish Naturalist.
ment ever was the result of a state of consciousness ; that every
movement is the result of physical antecedents, which, being
present, the movement must of necessity follow ; and that in
this physical chain there is no break whatever." In this view
the identity of the two souls is retained at the expense, it will
be seen, of putting man's soul in the same predicament as the
animal's, of being merely the idle spectator of the automatic
action of the organism. Second, the view once thus expressed
by Dr. Carpenter, " Notwithstanding the evidences of rationality
which many of the lower animals present, and the manifesta-
tions which they display of emotions that are similar to our
own, there is no ground to believe that they have any of that
controlling power over their psychical operations that we pos-
sess ; on the contrary, all observation seems to lead to the
conclusion, that they are under the complete domination of
the ideas and emotions by which they are for the time possessed,
and have no power either of repressing those by a forcible act
of will, or of turning the attention by a like effort into another
channel. In this respect then, their condition resembles that
of the dreamer, the somnambule, or the insane patient, in all of
whom this voluntary control is suspended, and who (when their
minds are susceptible of external impressions) may be so
played-upon by the suggestion of ideas, that any respondent
action consistent with the habitual mental state of the indi-
vidual may be evoked by an appropriate stimulus " (H. Phys.
672-3, 4th ed.). Both of these opinions, it will be seen, build
on automatism; but their difference lies in this, that Mr. Huxley
offers as his theory, automatic, action of the organism alone
without the efficient interference either voluntarily or automati-
cally of an intelligent principle. Dr. Carpenter offers as his, auto-
matic action of the organism, and automatic action of an intel-
ligent principle likewise.
( To be continued. )
ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL EEASON,
( Continued from p. 64. )
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S.
THE " Illustrations of Animal Reason" given in the last
number of the Scottish Naturalist have called forth sun-
dry friendly comments or criticisms, of a kind that is acceptable
The Scottish Naturalist. 97
and valuable as exposing the weak points of the common run of
anecdotes of animal sagacity and its perversions. The Editor
of a certain Quarterly — devoted to Mental Science — himself
an eminent Psychologist — takes exception to tire case of Suicide
described by Dr. Brown of Rochester (p. 59), regarding it as a
mere " story," without proof positive — from the eye-witnesses
of the dog's death — that the said death was deliberate and volun-
tary. He suggested that the person, or persons, who had
actually seen the dog drown itself, should forthwith be " inter-
viewed," and all the facts of the case recorded, in order to
enable others to draw their own conclusions. I communicated
these difficulties in the acceptance of his apparent facts and
his personal conclusions, to Dr. Brown, with this result,— that
his case at once collapsed as one of proven or provable Suicide.
It is still possible that the dog did commit suicide, but there is
nothing like proof that it did so. Dr. Brown's own account (of
date April 7, 1875) of his further inquiry — for it appeared that
he had not himself been an eye-witness — is as follows : and it
is instructive as illustrating the danger of accepting any evidence,
on such subjects, that is not direct and personal, as well as the
the tendency to the substitution of inferences for facts : —
"The owner of the dog ' Bruce,' of Upnor, has just been to
my house, and has supplied me with the following facts. The
case breaks down ; for it seems to be one of effort to obtain
relief by cool water, exhaustion accidentally causing drowning.
" Case of the dog ' Bruce'' that drowned itself at Upnor, in
March or April, about eight years ago. — Mother of the dog,
spotted white and brown, and used for hunting rabbits. Father,
a water-dog (retriever or something of that sort). ' Bruce' had
red eyes, and was rather ferocious, not allowing any one to
touch him except his mistress ; body white, with long silvery
hair • head and ears brown. Owner, Mr. Hone, of the ' King's
Arms Inn,' Upnor. ' Bruce' was a puppy at this house. Mr.
Hone removed to Frindsbury. 'Bruce' did not like this, and
showed attachment to the Upnor house, nevertheless resided
with his master. Mr. Hone's brother took the ' King's Arms'
after Mr. Hone left Upnor. The dog usually disliked water,
because it was thrown into the water when young.
" Mode of Bruce 's death. — A supper was given, and a sucking
pig eaten. ' Bruce ' ate some of the pig, and was supposed to
have got a bone in his throat, or to have eaten poison. There "
was no certain knowledge on this subject. For eight days the
98 The Scottish Naturalist.
dog suffered, vomiting, and eating nothing, but fed on gruel
with a spoon by his mistress — who was extremely fond of him.
Frequently ' Bruce' would dip his head in a pail of water, and
let the water run into his throat and out again so as to cool it,
not being able to drink properly. He became nearly blind. The
last night, his mistress sat up all night to attend to him, and to
prevent him from tearing about and injuring the paint-work.
At five a.m. she let him out of doors, when he went over to the
' King's Arms' at Upnor, and howled or cried. The master's
brother heard him but did not open the door, fearing the dog
because of his illness ; for the people said that he was mad and
ought to be drowned. The dog went to the river's side at six
a.m., walked out into the river, and lay down on the shore
with his head inclined in the water. The mistress thinks that
he was too weak to get up, and so got drowned. She disbe-
lieves in suicide.
" The witnesses were Hobbs (now alive) and Roemer (dead),
of Upnor, watermen or lightermen, who were in a lighter at the
time, close by. The dog was submerged for three weeks.
The witness thinks that the dog wished to cool its throat as it
had done in the pail of water. The witness, aged forty years
at the present time, related these facts to me."
Here is another instance of a much more public kind, in which
the proof of alleged Suicide breaks down at once on strict
inquiry. There are probably few readers of current popular
British literature who are unacquainted with a racy volume,
descriptive of a yacht voyage in northern seas, by the present
Governor-general of Canada, the first edition of which
appeared some years ago.* At page 32 of the said work he
gives the following account of the Suicide of a cock : — "A very
melancholy occurrence took place. I had observed for some
days past, as we proceeded north, and the nights became
shorter, that a cock we had shipped at Stornoway had become
quite bewildered on the subject of that meteorological pheno-
menon called the dawn of day. In fact I doubt whether he
ever slept for more than five minutes at a stretch without
waking up in a state of nervous agitation, lest it should be
cock-crow. At last, when night ceased altogether, his consti-
*" Letters from High Latitudes; an account of a yacht voyage to
Iceland, Jan Mayen, and Spitsbergen;" by the Earl of Dufferin (then
Lord Dufferin). Fifth editition, illustrated, post 8vo. London, 1875.
The Scottish Naturalist. 99
tution could no longer bear the shock. He crowed once or
twice sarcastically, then went melancholy mad. Finally, taking
a calenture, he cackled lowly (probably of green fields), and
leaping overboard, drowned himself ~."
Regarding the story as an illustration of doubtful authenticity,
involving on the one hand a doubt as to the facts, and on the
other as to their interpretation, and desirous of ascertaining the
kind and amount of credence to be attached to the incident
as narrated, I ventured to appeal to the distinguished author
himself, explaining my object. The result was the following
characteristic reply, which reads like the record of the
incident itself, and the celebrated dog-latin speech the noble
yachtsman delivered in Reykjavik — all three probably to be
regarded as mainly or merely playful jeux d' esprit. Writing in
November 1873, from Government House, Ottawa, Lower
Canada, the Earl's private secretary remarks : — " The Earl of
Dufferin desires me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter"
. . and in reply to inform you that the incident related
in ' High Latitudes,' of the cock committing suicide, is so far
strictly true that the poor animal was drowned overboard with-
out the intervention of human agency. But he perhaps is
hardly prepared to support the literal statement by scientific
reasons. May be, if the cock had been saved, he would have
declared that it was a gust of wind, or a higher wave than usual,
that carried him from his nautical perch. But as the body of
the decea^sed was never recovered, and he left no papers to
disclose his intention, Lord Dufferin is afraid it must be
admitted, that perhaps a coroner's inquest properly conducted
would have brought in a more open verdict !"
Though the fact of deliberate suicide was " not proven " irr
the foregoing case, it is still quite as possible, as in the Upnor
dog, that suicide was committed. At all events, the mental
perturbation produced by continuous daylight is quite probable,
inasmuch as I can myself vouch, from personal experience,
for its disquieting effects in Iceland in the month of June.
In Reykjavik, the capital, I found, for instance, etiquette visits
as commonly paid at midnight — literally by daylight (however
much such an expression may appear to be an Irish " Bull")
— as at mid-day : and the want of any means of creating
artificial darkness during the night in my bedroom utterly pre-
vented sleep on my part. In connection with the defects of
the records of the incidents relating to the Upnor dog and
ioo The Scottish Naturalist.
Stornoway cock, I would direct the attention of readers to the
desirability of collecting and publishing all properly certified
instances of deliberation or intention in self-destruction by
animals.
The Editor of another Quarterly, devoted to Natural History,
himself a well-known Naturalist, remarked that the only thing
singular in the case of the dog "Mum" (p. 61) is its name.
He asserted that he himself had seen Epilepsy in a Dog; and
that the mental qualities described in " Mum's" case are common
to dogs in general, as well as to other animals. Now there are
other kinds of " fits " in dogs than those of an Epileptic charac-
ter, and only the experienced scientific Veterinarian, or the
Physician who has had a special experience of this class of
motor nervous diseases, can be trusted to distinguish between
real and spurious Epilepsy. In " Mum" the Epilepsy was vouched
for by a Physician whose experience of that disease in man
possibly far transcends that of any one of our best Veterinarians
in other animals. Again, it is among the main objects of these
" Illustrations " to shew, on the one hand, how difficult it is to
obtain well-authenticated instances of the exercise of pure
Reason in the lower animals, and on the other, to point out
the value of cases that are properly established. My object is
to exemplify the influence of common reason in the common
incidents or affairs of animal life. It is not enough for an
objector to say — this or that mental quality is " common." It
does not follow that the alleged possession of any given mental
aptitude has been established as a fact — generally accepted as
such. It is desirable to prove its commonness, as well as the
significance of its commonness, and to explain its common
operation ; in reference to which a single well-observed and
properly recorded case, with its analysis, is worth endless mere
unsupported assertions — affirmative or negative. The Editor in
question is probably quite unprepared to explain, in the case of
" Mum," for example, how it, being blind, knew when or whether
a particular person was in its vicinity ; a circumstance I have
myself observed in the case of an old blind cat, though I do not
profess myself able to explain it. It may be that hearing, or smell,
or some additional sense, of which we know nothing (albeit
our Editor friend appeared to regard such phenomena as too
u common " to deserve record), leads to or is the basis of this
species of discrimination in animals. But the subject is as
interesting and as much an unsolved problem as is Way-finding
The Scottish Naturalist. 101
over unknown ground by the dog, horse, ass, and other animals.
The discussion of this circumstance alone in " Mum's " case —
the power of distinguishing personal identity without the aid of
vision — would require a long article to itself; but the following
additional points of interest arise — all under the very first section
of " Mum's " biography : —
(i) Its boldness when it felt itself supported by a friend : a
kind of adaptation to circumstances — or behaviour according to
external conditions, that is quite common in various animals,
though the modus operandi of their judgment or feeling in such
change of conduct has not been analysed nor explained.
(2) Its knowledge of right and wrong — at least of what was
forbidden and permitted — or, in other words, the basis of a
moral sense, which, though quite common in well-trained dogs,
is one of the mental or moral qualities that are denied to the
lower animals by theological and other bigots.
(3) Errors of judgment and temper, which strike at the very
root of the absurd, popular, and theological conceptions of so-
called "unerring" instinct.
(4) The eccentricities of affection in animals, as illustrating
choice and caprice, — peculiarities which, though common, too
frequently defy all attempts at rational explanation, any more
than do human vagaries of a similar kind.
In short, to analyse properly the mental phenomena illus-
trated in so simple and " common " a zoo-biography as that of
"Mum" would require a large amount of space, insofar as
such an analysis might be made the basis of whole chapters on
such subjects, as (1) the moral sense and moral responsibility;
(2) temper and temperament ; (3) jealousy and other passions ;
(4) gratitude and other virtues; (5) the diseases common to
man with other animals ; (6) the comparative intelligence of
man and other animals ; (7) expression or language ; (8) per-
ception of musical harmony or discord ; (9) individuality ; and
so forth.
It so happens that the following fuller particulars have been
sent me relating to the dog " Mum : " details that are even
more interesting than those first recorded — the narrator, in the
present case, being the dog's mistress, Mrs. Murray Lindsay of
Mickleover, by Derby.
"When my father was in the habit of coming home at a
102 The Scottish Naturalist.
certain hour daily, some time before, in expectation of his com-
ing, ' Mum ' would lie near the sitting-room door, nose resting
on fore paws, ears erect intently listening, and would run occa-
sionally to the window upon hearing a passing footstep, looking
anxiously up and down the street. When the expected knock
came, he would bark and run to and fro in the utmost impa-
tience. The door being opened he would welcome his friend
with most extravagant signs of delight, run to the place where
my father's slippers were kept, and if he found it locked, would
bark and scratch at the door till it was unfastened for him, seize
a slipper, carry it in his mouth and place it at my father's feet,
then return and fetch its fellow, being unable to carry both at
once, as I have often seen him try to do.
" He also proved himself a most conscientious dog ; for if any
of us placed on the corner of the table a piece of sugar or
biscuit, for which he would eagerly beg, telling him it was ' on
trust,' he would not take it until told by the giver that it was
1 paid for,' although he might be encouraged and even coaxed
to do so by another person ; and if we knocked the piece of
sugar or biscuit, by pretended accident, on to the carpet he
would not touch it without leave of the giver. He had a
strong objection to taking meals in the kitchen, and would eat
the same food in the dining-room he had refused below. He
knew the sound of his tub when being prepared for his washing,
and at the sight of turned up sleeves, or the mention of the
words 'Tub, Mum !' would hide himself for an hour or two.
" In our walks in any place in which he had once found a
cat, he would always know the spot again, and would hunt for
pussy the next time we passed that way. Although he dis-
played so strong an affection for his two beloved friends, and
was affectionate to all but beggars and shabby people, still he
always recognised the authority of his mistress, and would not
appear at ease to do their bidding without at first, in his dumb
way, obtaining her permission. For instance, if invited by
them to go for a run, he would sit down before her, looking
wistfully up into her face, giving at the same time a kind of im-
patient stamp with his fore feet, and a low plaintive whine, and
when told by her he might ' go,' would trot off quite happy in
his mind.
" Poor ' Mum ' died at length of some painful disease, and
upon his mistress going to see him in his last moments, recog-
nised her voice at once, stood up for a caress, wagged his tail
The Scottish Naturalist. 103
as the only sign of affection he had strength to bestow, and in
.a few minutes after breathed his last.
"He was never taught any of his odd tricks and Ways (for he
had many more than I can relate), but acquired them merely
through his powers of observation, having noticed that they
gave rise to amusement ; and when laughed at, or given a pat
of encouragement, he would repeat them."
Dr. Murray Lindsay characterises the foregoing as a " faithful
account," bringing out, " very well and clearly," certain features
of the dog's character, such as those relating to obedience,
discipline, discrimination, knowledge of right and wrong, and
dread of 'water. The latter was the result of his "having once
jumped on green weeds, floating on the top of a pond, which he
mistook for grass, when he found, to his disgust and surprise,
that he got a ducking." In short, it had received one of those
practical lessons of experience of which the lower animals, no
less than man, profit, and which are serviceable in the regulation
of future conduct.
Dr. Brown, of Rochester, lays it down (in a letter of April,
1875) as a proposition, which I would commend to the
attention of zoologists, and comparative physiologists or
psychologists, that "wherever Eyes are found, we know that
there is conscious mind." He is also of opinion that "the
higher animals possess moral nature like man. This is seen in
qualities like gratitude The difference between
man and the dog lies in the presence of the instinct of super-
nature, and the existence of abstract notions (or ideas), in man."
As to moral nature, he is right ; as to feeling, or perception of
the supernatural, and the formation of abstract ideas, I believe
him to be, in common with hosts of other people — including all
classes of philosophers so-called — wrong. The same gentleman
also sent me what he calls, "A tale of Insanity in a Cat;" one
that is, however, singularly inconclusive : —
" My brother, John Don Brown, of Rochester, obtained a
cat, not quite full-grown, last year (1874) in the autumn. The
cat did not take to the family, and hid itself in a cellar. It lived
in the basement for about a month or six weeks, concealing itself
in a disused chimney, coming out at night to partake of food
placed in a saucer for it in the cellar. A large dose of prussic
acid was mixed in the saucer at last, and the cat died on the
spot, unable to reach the chimney. The rushing about of the
104 The Scottish Naturalist.
cat in the first instance, with the persistent concealment after-
wards, shows mental perversion, whether of instinct or of reason ;
in either case Insanity."
There is, however, no proof here of anything more than the
alarm, perhaps suspiciousness, so commonly exhibited by cats
when removed to strange quarters, their old associations of
locality having been suddenly and ruthlessly severed or broken
up.
On the subject of Insanity in the lower animals, Dr. Edwards
Crisp, of London, who has for a long series of years distinguished
himself by his attention to, and knowledge of, the diseases of
domestic and menagerie animals, wrote me as follows in June,
1 87 1 : — "As regards the question respecting the mental aberra-
tion of the lower animals, if such a term be allowable, I can
give you but little information, although the subject is one that
I have often thought about; but up to the present time I have
been unable to meet with a tangible example. Our domestic
animals, as you know, exhibit peculiarities of temper, and some
are unusually savage and unruly; and so with some foreign
animals in confinement ; but whether this is due to an abnormal
condition of brain it is difficult to say.
" ' Chunie,' the great Elephant at Exeter Change, was said to
be mad; but then he had a decayed tooth that caused the excite-
ment — so it was inferred ; and I have known other examples
of a similar kind. I am sorry that my information is so
meagre."
Professor Cobbold, also of London, our leading — and it may
indeed be said, our only — British authority on Entozoa in man
and other animals as a cause of disease, informed me (in a
letter of December 11, 1872) that, "It is not likely that Veteri-
narians have recorded as such any case of genuine Lunacy in
animals from Entozoa : nevertheless it is well known that these
parasites frequently give rise to severe cerebral disturbance. It
is probable that some of their recorded cases might be with
justice described as maniacal."
(To be continued.)
Carabus nitens — I have to notice, on 10th March, the capture of the
rare beetle Carabus nitens. At the same place this, beetle was first
discovered in Kincardineshire by myself about the year 1847 — that is
twenty-eight years ago.— J AMES Taylor, Clashfarquhar, Aberdeen, 17th
April, 1875.
The Scottish Naturalist.
i°5
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OF BRITISH COLEOPTERA.
(Continued from p. 72.)
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
LlCINUS.
B. Th. very tr. E. finely p. -s. , hits, with large puncs. ;
the alt. ints. elev. Winged. 6^ 1. E.s-
-. - hardly tr. E. finely p. -s. ; ints. punc.,flat. Th. shin-
ing, much more deeply punc. than e. Wingless,
c 1 F s.
Badister.
1. Th. , legs, and ba. and ap. of an. , clear r. II. b. E.
r. , with ap. and a broad tr. fasc. (not reaching sut. ,
varying in size, but at least leaving a r. spot near
ap. of sut. ) b.
H., th. and e. , dusky .....
2. Breast with the sides r. Th. shorter, and hardly broader,
than h. 3^ 1. E.
- b. Th. not shorter, and cons, broader, than h. 3 1.
B. !
3. Mar. of th. , and mar. and sut. of e. , pale. E. with a
pale hum. spot. Legs, and ba. and ap. of an. , pale.
Th. hardly tr. E. str. 2 1. E. .
Fuscous b. Mar. of th. , extreme ba. and ap. of an. , r-m.
ofe., and legs, sometimes pale. Th. tr. E. str.
23/ 1 F s- I s-
silphoides
depressus
Eighth Family— FERONIIDtE. (13 genera).
1. Claws dent. Ap. j. of labial pal. forms a thick cl.
- -. does not form a dist. cl.
- not dent. An. with 3d j. more than twice length of 4th
.... .... not more than twice as long as 4th
2. Th. consp. narrower at ba. than in fr. .
- not consp. narrower at ba. than in fr.
3. Ant. tib. much dil. from ba. of notch to ap. of tib.
- - not much dil. from ba. of notch to ap. of tib.
4. - - with I spine at ap. on in. side. Th. tr. and widest
ClL [Jd« • • • • • «
- - not as in prec. , but very tr. An.
and pal. r. .....
- not tr. An. and pal. r. E. not
dist. str. ......
---. ---•. - dist. str., but not
dist punc. . .....
- - - -. - - - -. - • p.-s. Th. nar-
rowest at ba. .....
2
3
unipustulatus
bipustulatus
sodalis
peltatus
Taphria
2
Sphodrus
3
Pristonychus
Calathus
4
Amara (part)
Amara (part)
Miscodera
Platyderus
Stomis
io6
The Scottish Naturalist.
• - -. - - - -. - - - -. - -infr
An. and pal. dusky. Th. contr,
at ba. . . .
- - - 2 well def. spines at ap. on in. side.
5. E. dist. str., gen. with a shortened str. near ba. of sut
- only obs. str., without the shortened str.
6. Th. dist. narrower than e. . -
- scarcely narrower than e. .
Broscus.
B. Pal. and an. reddish towards ap. H. punc. Th. joined
to e. by a peduncle. E. el., parallel, obs. p.-s.
8 1 Be.!
MlSCODERA.
Shining brassy. Pal., an. and legs, r. Th. globose, joined
to e. by a peduncle. E. obs. p.-s., sides rounded.
23/ 1 "R n.m.
Sphodrus.
Dull b. An. paler towards ap. Th. contr. at ba. E.
finely p.-s. 10 1. B. .
Pristonychus.
Obsc. bl. b. rather shining. An. and pal. gen. brown.
Th. hardly tr. E. str. ; str. finely punc. Interm.
tib. bent. 7 1. B.
Calathus.
1. A row of consp. imprs. on 3d and 5th str. of e. Th.
rectang. at ba. H., th. and e., b. 1st j. of an. r.
Legs r. or blackish. E. str., the str. gen. punc.
4% 1. B. !
No dist. rows of imprs. on e. Th. sharply rectang. at ba.
Ba. angs. of th. rounded off or obt.
2. Th. dist. contr. at ba. ; with, at most, a very narrow
yel. mar. B. An. pal. and legs yel. E. deeply
str. 4 1. B.c- .....
- hardly contr. at ba., with a dist. yel. mar. A broad,
brown b. insect. An., pal. and legs, yel. E.
finely str. 4 1. B.
3. E. and disc, of th. unic, or nearly so. An. wholly pale.
H. b. An. th. and legs, vary from pale r. to b. E.
pit., often with a r. mar., finely str., ints. flat.
(When disc, of th. is b. the an. are dusky. This
var. is nubigena. Halid). 3 1. B. ! !
4. Ba. of th. dist. broader than fr. An., pal. and legs,
test. ......
- - - not dist. broader than fr. Pit. An. , pal. and legs,
dusky r. E. finely str. 3^ 1, B.
5. Th. broadest in fr. of mid., b., with a'yel. mar. H. b.
E. b., very finely str. 3 1. E.N- S.
Pt. inaequalis
5
Zabrus
Pterostichus
Broscus
Anchomenus
Olisthopus
cephalotes
arctica
leucophthalmus
subcyaneus
cisteloides
2
3
flavipes
fuscus
4
melanocephalus
5
piceus
micropterus
The Scottish Naturalist.
107
- - at, or behind, mid. H., th. and e. reddish.
Rarely pit., with mar. of th. and of e. paler. E.
finely str. 3 1. B.CI
Taphria.
Blackish, shining. Mouth, pal., an., and legs, test. Th.
tr., as broad at ba. as in fr. E. strongly str. 2H
Anchomenus.
1. H. and th. br. gr. Ba. of an. and legs test. E. test.
a greenish cloud behind. Th. el. ; hi. angs. obt
E. str. 3X 1. B. !
Not as prec. Hi. angs. of th. sharply def., not obt.
.... .... extremely obt. .
2. Brown b. An. , pal. , and legs test. Th. gently tr.
mar. narrow. E. str. ; ints. flat ; mar. often pale
3#1- B. !!
... .... brown. Th. el. :
ints. elev. 2% 1. E. I,
B. Th. very tr. ; mar. broad
elev. 5X 1. B. !
3. E. with a row of 4 to 7 large consp. pits, on 3d int
E. not with a row of consp. pits, on 3d int.
4. Entirely cop. b. Th. twice as wide as long. E. rather
mollis
nivalis
mar. narrow. E. p.-s
• • •
E. deeply str. ; ints
prasinus
2
3
albipes
oblongus
junceus
4
5
uneven, parallel, finely str.
iV2 1. E.N-
quadripunctatus
Met.
H. and th. gr.
E. cop.; mar. gr. An., pal.,
and legs, dusky. Th. very tr. E. finely p.-s
ap. pointed ( Colour varies). 4 1. E.
Very like prec. Gen. unic. cop. Th. only slightly tr
E. not pointed at ap. Often with a gr. mar,
3X 1. B.n. ....
5. H., th., and e., br. gr. Mar. of e. yel. An. and pal
dusky. Legs dusky; tib. test. Th. tr. E. finely
str. ; ints. elev. 4^ 1. B.
Not as the prec. An. with 3d j. pub. .
. . . .. . . _ . smooth, as 2d
h. Fifth str. of e. forms a consp. fov. near ap. B. Ba. of
an., r.-m. of e., and legs, gen. reddish. Th
hardly tr. E. str. t>)4 LB..
- - - - simple. The str. deeper, and ints. more elev.,
near ap. .....
- - and ints. unif. throughout
7. Obsc. gr. (or b., mccstus Duf. ). Th. tr. E. rather
deeply p.-s.; ints. somewhat conv. in fr. 3^ 1.
B '
Very like prec. Th. more tr. E. very finely p.-s. ;
ints. quite flat in fr. 3^ 1. E. . . ,
sexpunctatus
ericeti
marginatus
9
6
atratus
7
8
viduus
versutus
io8
The Scottish Naturalist.
8. H. and th. gr. E. cop. Tib. and ba. j. of an. pale.
3 or 4 dist. puncs. on 3d int. of e. 3^ 1. B. ! parumpunctatus
Very like prec. Unic. cop. Ba. j. of an. hardly pale
5 dist. puncs. on 3d int. of e. 3^ 1. E. . gracilipes
Reddish or pit. An., pal., and legs, pale r. H. much
contr. behind. 3 dist. puncs. on 3d int. of e. 5 1
y s.
9. Th. not el., its sides dist. rounded. Legs quite b.
- more or less reddish or test.
- el., its sides little rounded. E. very finely str.
10. B. Th. slightly tr. E. widest behind, very finely and
unif. str. ; ints. flat throughout. 2% 1. E.
Very like prec. E. narrower and more parallel. The
str. deepen a little, and the ints. are not quite so
fiat close to ap. 2^ 1. B.
11. Dusky, with a gr. gloss. Ba. of an., legs, and r.-m.
of e. , brown. Th. dist. tr. E. rather broad, with
gently rounded sides, finely str. 3 1. B.
Very like micans. Th. more tr. and less contr. at ba.
E. brown (not gr.), and much more el., with more
parallel sides. 2}( LB.
A stoutly built species. Th. hardly tr. H. and th. b.
E. reddish or b. (not gr.). Legs and ba. of an.
reddish b. E. broad and not parallel, rather
strongly str. 3 1. B. ! !
12. H. and th. pit. b. E. pit. brown. Ba. j. of an. and
legs dark brown. 3 1. B.
Very like prec. Mar. (at least) of th. test. E. brown,
darker near sut. Ba. of an. and legs test. 3 1.
Olisthopus.
Brassy brown. An., pal., and legs, test. Th. tr. E. dist.
str. ; . the str. obs. punc. ; ints. flat. 3 1. B.
Stomis.
Pit. An., pal., and legs, r. Th. el., much contr. in fr. of
ba. E. el., narrow, strongly p.-s. ; ints. flat.
-) I . I >. • • • • • •
Platyderus.
Rusty r. Th. almost square, gently contr. towards ba.
E. moderately str. ; ints. flat. 3 1. E. .
Pterostichus.
I. An elev. keel on 1st j. of an. (Species vary in colour —
met. gr. cop., bl. orb. An. dusky. Legs pit. or r.)
1st j. of an. simple. Ba. angs. of th. rounded off, ill def.
--- - well def., not rounded off .
livens
10
II
12
scitulus
gracilis
micans
piceus
fuliginosus
puellus
Thoreyi
rotundatus
pumicatus
ruficollis
2
3
4
The Scottish Naturalist.
109
2.
.3-
4. E
Ba., and gen. 2nd, j. of an. test. H. punc. Th. tr.,
narrower than e. E. broad, widest behind mid.,
str., ints. gently elev. About 10 hairs on in. mar.
of post. tib. $y2 1. B. !
Very like prec. Brighter. H. impunc. E. narrow,
widest at mid. About 6 hairs on in. mar. of post,
tib. 5 1. B.
Only u. -s. of ba. js. of an. test. H. and th. cop. ; e. br.
gr. (H., th. and e. rarely unic.) Th. tr., hardly
narrower than e. E. broad, deeply str. ; Ints.
slightly elev. $}{ 1. E. .
An. b. Th. slightly tr. E. el., parallel, deeply str.;
ints. flat in fr., but less so behind. 5^ 1. B.
No large pits on e. Sc. small. B. Legs often r. Th.
tr. E. el., widest at mid., str., ints. ind. elev., I
punc. on 3rd. 1% 1. B. J !
Very like prec. Shorter. E. less parallel, widest behind
mid.; ints. dist. elev., 3 dist. puncs. on 3d.- 6 1.
BM.
3 large pits on 3rd int. of e. Sc. dist. Deep b. Th.
tr. E. el., parallel, finely p.-s., str. fainter on
sides. bJ/2 1. E.F-
wider than ba. of th. An. pale r. Pal. and legs r.
H., th. and e. pit. No abbrev. str. near sc. E.
consp. p.-s. 23^ 1. E.c- . . . .
- dusky. An abbrev. str. near sc. Less
than 2>H L .....
- -. More than t,H L
- not dist. wider than ba. of th. An abbrev. str. near
sc. B. An. and pal. r. at ap. Th. tr. , widest
near mid., with 2 equal ba. fov. on each side. E,
str., str. not dist. punc. Ints. flat (exc. 7th at ba.) ;
no puncs. on 3rd. 9 1. B.
- hardly wider than ba. of th. No abbrev. str. B.
Legs, and ba. of an. , reddish. Th. tr. E. deeply
str. ; ints. elev. 3 1. B.
5. Th. hardly tr., punc. on u. -s., contr. only in fr. of ba..,
punc. across ba. B. Legs r. E. p.-s., faintly at
sides. 2.% LB.!
- - -, impunc. on u. -s. , contr. from mid. nearly to ba. ,
ba, angs. obs. punc. B. Tib. reddish. E. p.-s.
1% L B. !
- gently tr., punc. on u.-s., contr. from mid. to ba., ba.
angs. punc. B. Legs reddish. E. p. s. 3 1. B.
6. No consp. pits on E. Legs dusky. More than 6 1. .
- -. Less than 6 1. E. with hardly elev. ints.
Pit. Legs r. An. & pal. dull r. Th. hardly
tr., contr. at ba. E. long & flat, str., ints. hardly
elev. 5^ 1. E.
cupreus
versicolor
dimidiatus
. lepidus
madidus
jethiops
aterritnus
inaequalis
5
6
. striola
. vernalis
strenuus
. diligens
minor
7
9
picimanus
no
The Scottish Naturalist.
Consp. pits on 3rd int. of c Brassy b. Legs pit. Th.
very tr., its elev. mar. dist. widest at ba. E. el.,
parallel, str. ; str. obs. punc. in <$ , dist. in ?.
Ints. gently elev. in 6 , flat in?. 5 1. B.M-
........ Gr. -b. Pal., tib. and tar., reddish. Th.
gently tr., its elev. mar. hardly wider at ba. E.
short, dist. broadest behind mid. , simply str. ; ints.
vitreus
gently elev. 5 1. B.M-
oblongopunctatus
7. B. Th. contr. from mid. to ba., punc. at ba. E. str. ;
ints. elev. .....
-. - - suddenly infr. of ba.., the ba. impunc. E. str. ;
ints. elev. An elev. keel under ap. seg. of h.-b.
8
in 6. 7I. E.N-
8. Winged. Th. not tr. An elev. keel under ap. seg. of
h. -b. in 6 . 9 1. B. !
Wingless. Th. dist. tr. Ap. seg. of h. -b. in <$ simple.
81 B "
9. Th. tr., ba. angs. prod, laterally in a small tooth. Str.
of e. not punc. A short keel under ap. seg. of
h.-b. in <J . 44 1. B. ! ! .
Very like prec. Th. hardly tr. ; ba. angs. sharp, but
not prod. Sut. prod, at ap. A fov. under ap.
seg. of h. -b. in (J . 5 1. E.
Very like nigrita. Legs brown. Str. of e. punc. U.-s.
of last seg. of h.-b. brown, even in both sexes.
4/4 1. E. .
Amara.
1. Th. dist. contr. behind mid. (1 or 2 fov. at ba. on each
side) ......
- not (or hardly) contr. behind mid. (fov. as above)
2. Hi. tib. of <$ pub. on in. side. 2 dist. imprs. on fr.
ofh.
- - - - with only a few long hairs. Interm. tib. of £
with tubercles. Two deep pits on fr. ofh. (Black-
ish r. ; legs and an. often r. E. dist. p.-s. )
3. Pale brown. Very broad. Th. twice as wide as long,
punc. at ba. , with 2 shallow fov. E. consp. str.,
the str. moderately punc. 4^ LB..
Pit. r. Pal., legs, and an. r. Narrow. Th. not so tr.
as in prec, punc. at ba. , with two deep fov. E.
consp. p.-s. in fr., obs. behind. 3^2 h B. !
4. Width of th. more than 1)4 length. Th. cons, wider
in fr. than at ba. , widest at mid. E. short, not
parallel. 5^ 1. B. !
Very like prec. Th. less closely punc. at ba., widest in
fr. of mid. E. long and parallel 5^ 1. B.c-
parumpunctatus
niger
vulgaris
nignta
anthracinus
. gracilis
2
5
fulva
apricaria
spinipes
convexiuscula
The Scottish Naturalist.
in
Width of th. less than i^ length. Fr. of th. hardly
wider than ba. E. Jong, parallel. Vars. often r.
4#L .■ S»
5. H., th., e., and legs of a reddish tone. Only a few
long hairs on hi. tib. of £ (exc. consularis). An.
(exc. quenseli) unic. reddish.
- - and e. greenish. Legs gen. dusky. Hi. tib. of 6
densely pub. on in. side. An. not unic. reddish. .
6. Str. of e. not (or moderately) punc.
- - - very strongly punc. Hi. tib. of $ densely pub.
on in. side. H. very wide. Width of th. dist.
less than twice length. 3^ 1. B.
7. Mar. of th. (exc. at ant. angs. ) unif. narrow. Js. of an.
moderately stout. ,
Mar. of th. growing wider backw. Ap. of an. gen.
dusky, the js. el., thin. Th. nearly twice as wide
as long, dist. punc. at ba. , with deep fov. , its ant.
angs. strongly prod. E. very finely p.-s. 3^ 1.
S m.
8. More than 3^ Is.
Less than 3^ Is.
9. Width of th. dist. less than twice length.
Th. quite twice as wide as long. Th. mod. punc. at
ba., ba. fov. deep. E. clearly p.-s. 4^ 1. E. .
10. Ba. of th. finely punc. Eyes very prominent. E.
finely str. , the str. faintly punc. 3^1. E.
Ba. of th. coarsely punc. E. strongly str., the str. dist.
punc. 4^ 1. B. .
11. Less than 2 X lines. .
More than 2% lines. Th. strongly punc. across ba.,
not much contr. in fr., its ant. angs. ill def. E.
wider than th., str., the str. consp. punc. in fr.
•2§ 1 "R
- - - -. - not punc. all across ba., much contr. in fr.,
its ant. angs. well def. E. not wider than th. , str. ,
str. not much punc. A broad insect. 3 1. B. .
12. H., th. , and e. nearly b. Th. almost twice as wide as
long, punc. at ba. , not much contr. in fr. , its ant.
angs. ill def. Js. of an. almost tr. E. dist. p.-s.
2l. E.*c-
13. Ap. spine of ant. tib. 3 pronged. Tib., and ba. of
an. , r. . . . . . .
----- simple. Legs dusky. Ba. 3 js. of an. test.
• - -. Only ba. 2 js. of an. test. .
------- - -. Not more than ba. j. of an. test.
Gr. b. Th. hardly punc. at ba. E. finely str.,
deeper at ap. Str. obs. punc. in fr. 3% 1. B .
alpina
13
7
consularis
8
quenselii
9
11
IOS
tngenua
fusca
patricia
12
bifrons
rufocincta
infima
14
15
17
lunicollis
112
The Scottish Naturalist.
-, ba. 3 js. of an., and ba. of 4th, yel.
B., or gr. b. Eyes rather conv. Ant. angs. of th.
sharp and well def. E. str. Str. gen. ind. puna
2| 1. B. ! ! . . . . . familiaris
Very like prec. Greener. Eyes extremely conv.
Ant. angs. of th. rounded off and ind. 2 \ 1. B. lucida
14. Brassy. Ba. of th. impunc. E. very dist. p.-s. 4 1.
E.sc- ...... strenua
- - - more or less puna E. str., str. obs. puna
3 1. B. ! . . . . . . plebeia
15. Size from 2| to 4^ 1. Interm. tib. of 6 pub. on in.
side. 2 consp. puncs. under each side of ap. seg: of
h.-b. in 6 and ?. E. as broad in mid. as at ba. . . 16
---- with only a few long hairs. Puncs.
on ap. seg. of h. -b. , 1 in 6 , 2 in ?. E. wider at
ba. than mid. , str. , str. obs. puna Sut. very much
elev. Th. impunc. at ba. Brassy gr., tib. pale.
34 1. B. ! . . . . . trivialis
- 1 in (J
and ?. E as wide at mid. as ba., str., str. ind
puna Th. more or less puna at ba. Obsc. gr.
Tib. pale. A row of large puncs. on mar. of e.
consp. interrupted near fr. Ant. angs. of th.
strongly prod. 3% 1- B. . . . communis
Very like prec. Row of puncs. on mar. of e. entire.
Ant. angs. of th. less def. A broader species. 3% !•
E ! S. (?) . . . . . . continua
More than 4! Is. Interm. tib. of 6 with only a few long
hairs. Puncs. on ap. seg. of h.-b., 1 in 6 , 2 in?.
E. as wide in mid. as at ba. ; dist. p.-s. Th.
impunc. at ba. Brassy gr. Legs b. A wide
insect. 4! 1. B. . . . . acuminata
Less than 2% Is. Tib. and ap. of h.-b. as in prec. Th.
gen. impunc, with 2 deep fov. E. finely but dist.
p.-s. Legs blackish or dusky r. 2^1. B. . . tibialis
Turtle Dove in Aberdeenshire. — A pair of Turtle Doves ( Columba
Turtur) were seen frequenting a field of newly sown turnips at Bridgend,
Fyvie, and one was shot on May 27th. — George Sim, Gourdas, Fyvie,
June 9, 1875.
Aromia moschata. — I do not know whether the fact that I have taken
several larvae of Aromia moschata from a dead willow tree in this neigh-
bourhood (Haddingtonshire) is of any interest, but, as the insect is not
mentioned as an inhabitant of Scotland in the only list I have by me —
*' Murray's " one rather out of date — I venture to send you this notice, in
case you should consider it worthy of publication in the Scottish Naturalist.
— A. Buchan Hepburn, Smeaton Hepburn, Prestonkirk, June, 1875.
L^J^*£T^jf^
"* ' ■ " " " " " » » ' » ' » ' ■ ■ ■ ' " '" *
GEOLOGY,
THE EAEN VALLEY.
(third paper.)
THE DRON BEDS AND DUNNING BORINGS.
By F. SMITH.
IF according to Sir W. Thomson, one hundred millions of
years approximately represents the time during which the
world has existed under conditions similar to those that now
obtain, then the Earn Valley has been conforming to its
present configuration for at least half of this period, or for fifty
millions of years.
In a former paper we endeavoured to show by what means
certain modifications had been effected in the Earn Valley
within comparatively modern times. Our fifty millions of
years possibly take us back to the elevation of the Ochils, or
to the age of the Old Red Sandstone, when the valley first began
to be ; and the other moiety may or may not take us back some-
where near to that unapproachable and awful Beginning. What-
ever the world's age may be — and he is but an apology for a
geologist who is illiberal in his admissions of time — no human
being will ever, I trust, attempt to limit its number of years,
either by means of profoundly abstruse theory, or by more
profoundly abstruse guessing, for Time is labouring, and has
ever been labouring, to destroy even the monuments of his
own past being, and twenty times our hundred millions is as
likely as it to be true.
Who soars towards infinite things
From mundane habitations, must
Uplift himself on finite wings
That will not fail to rest in dust.
There is a probability that the site of the Ochils was a line
of volcanic disturbance for a long period. One can learn more
of the possibility of this state of things in a scramble up or
down any of the Ochil burns, than by any amount of book-shelf
ii4 The Scottish Naturalist.
lore or dictation. The wonderful way in which dense masses
of stratified rocks are broken up and turned aside by erupted
material can in no way be realized excepting by that of ob-
servation.
To assert without due deliberation that any patch of rocks is
of such or such an age, or was deposited or erupted under
these or those conditions, is to be at least irreverent. To de-
clare upon them at all, even after careful scrutiny, is serious
enough. One's own opinions, nursed up within one's self, may
be very self-satisfying, but it is perhaps a duty to submit
such opinions — at least upon subjects in the Natural world —
to the scrutiny of one's fellow-men, though often the result
is mortifying to our vanity ; and yet how seldom do we hesitate
to put our opinions to the test.
I have thought seriously about certain beds in the Earn
Valley, and have certain beliefs in connection with them, but
that they will be accepted as at all admissible I am not at all
sure. My endeavour has been to place these beds in their
exact chronological position, and in this endeavour I have been
inadvertently led to associate them with Dunning of intemperate
coal-boring notoriety. Hugh Miller says — " Old Red Sand-
stone," p. 198, — "The Sandstones of Strathearn and the Carse
of Gowrie yield their plates and scales of Holoptychius, the
most abundant fossil of the Upper Old Red." Taking this cue,
I have searched among the sandstones of the Earn for something
indicative of their age, but have been quite unsuccessful. I ob-
tained a fine scale and some appendages of Holoptychius from
Clashbennie, in the Carse of Gowrie. Nevertheless my first ac-
quaintance with these rocks increased my belief in their asserted
age, for their lithological character bore a generally universal
contrast to the New Red Sandstone area around Liverpool,
which I had previously carefully examined; and I have now full
faith that these rocks are indeed Old Red. From Auchterar-
. der to Abernethy on the south, and all along the north side of
the valley for the same distance, I have seen nothing to belie
this belief except at Dron. These said beds took me altogether
by surprise. Their very aspect spoke of something new ; that
on the first day's exploration appeared in the shape of a small
ganoid scale and one or two conchiferous shells.
The beds are situated at East Dron, and are best exposed
about 50 yards south of the mill, where they form a cliff at the
side of the burn, 16 or 20 feet in height, capped by Boulder Clay.
The Scottish Naturalist. 115
From this point they may be traced westward for a quarter of a
mile, and up the burn of Balmanno Hill for about one-fifth of
a mile, when an outcrop of trap puts an end to them. Bal-
manno Hill rises to 721 feet; the point of contact of the beds
with the trap is perhaps 100 feet above Dron mill, and this
mill is about 60 feet above sea-level. Eastward they may be
traced beyond the kirk for a short distance, where they form
the bed of the burn and then disappear. They are well seen at
the back of the mill, and I doubt not the knoll, upon which the
kirk and the whole of East Dron is situated, is composed of
these rocks. I could not define their exact boundary, either
eastward, westward, or to the south ; but that they are local
may be inferred from the fact that to the west a bright red
Old Red Sandstone is quarried at about a mile distant ; and
to the east, to within as short a distance, the Old Red Sand-
stone of the Carse of Gowrie approaches ; and the traps of
Moncreiffe Hill are a sure indication of its limit on the north.
There is no possibility that they are rocks likely to dip under
the Old Red. The beds have only a slight dip into the valley,
but form a synclinal curve, dipping from east and west at an
angle of about 250.
Lithologically the beds are argillo-calcareous unstratified
sandstones, calcareous shales, several thin seams of bituminous
shale, and bands of a pale grey close-grained cuboidal limestone.
I would here beg to thank Sir Thomas Moncreiffe for kindly
calling my attention to the beds.
On the first visit, February 1874, I hesitated to pronounce
upon them, but expressed to Dr. Buchanan White an opinion
that they were Carboniferous. This opinion has been strength-
ened by subsequent visits, and I am now as persuaded as I
generally dare to be about anything, of their authenticity.
I have since learned that Dron is somewhat classic
ground, that it has been before visited by several eminent
geologists, and perhaps even described by one of whom it
would be quite irreverent not to speak with the greatest
respect, the late Rev. Dr. Anderson of Newburgh, author
of "Course of Creation," "Geology of Scotland," "Dura
Den," &c I have in several ways seen that Dr. Ander-
son did visit Dron. The first evidence was two fragments of
stone that I saw in the collection at Rossie Priory, which I
felt sure were from Dron. No locality was assigned to them,
but one was marked "cypris," the fragment being full of those
n6 The Scottish Naturalist.
minute crustaceans. The other was not labelled, but contained
several of the commonest shells of the Dron beds. Curiously,
a few days since, when Dr. Anderson, of Kinnoull, kindly
showed me some fossils of the late Doctor's collecting, I was
struck with the identity of the writing attached to those, and
the word " cypris," on the Rossie specimen. I had particularly
noticed the latter writing. Other evidence of Dr. Anderson's
acquaintance with Dron, I think, may be seen on the late
Doctor's geological map in the beautiful monograph of Dura
Den, where the colour representing the Old Red Sandstone
is carried to within a short distance of Dron, when the paper
is left white. This is curiously suggestive. The Rev. John
Anderson, D.D., of Kinnoull, informs me that he distinctly
remembers the visits of his father, the late Rev. Dr. Anderson,
of Newburgh, to Dron — on one occasion accompanied by the
celebrated microscopist, Dr. Quekett — and of the Dr.'s asser-
tion that some of the beds appeared in part to be composed of
the remains of the minute crustacean cypris, and that he was
sure the late Dr. had brought the beds into notice some-
where.
In a letter, dated ioth April, 1875, to Dr. Buchanan White,
Dr. Lauder Lindsay writes as follows : "It is several years
since I visited the glen and collected a suite of its fossils. At
the time I was puzzled by their character occurring in the Old
Red Sandstone area of Strathearn, and I thought of drawing
up an account of the locality and its produce for one of the
geological societies or journals. But .... Mr. Sadler
sent me a cutting from an old Fifeshire newspaper containing
Dr. Anderson's views. My present conclusion is that Dron is
a patch of carboniferous strata, cut off from the Fife coal-fields
by the Ochils."
The fossils of Dron are not, so far as I have been able to dis-
cover, very numerous in species nor in very good preservation,
but Cyprididae abound in many of the layers. " Fossil forms,
under the generic names of Cypris, Cypridea, Cypridina, Cy-
prella, and Cypridclla, occur in all rocks from the Lower Coal-
measures upwards" (Page's "Handbook of Geological Terms").
If this be correct, it gives a strong Carboniferous feature to these
beds, seeing that they must in that case be more modern than
the Old Red. Cypridina occurs in supposed Upper Devonian
of Saxony and Nassau, but Professor Page believes this to be
the base of the Carboniferous.
The Scottish Naturalist. 117
There are in Fife 2000 feet of Lower Carboniferous rocks, con-
sisting: in their lower series of "a vast thickness of whitish fine-
grained sandstones, bituminous shales, a few thin seams of coal,
mussel-bands or shell-limestone, ironstones, and fresh-water lime-
stones abounding in cyprides" (Page). The Geological Survey's
Memoirs give the following as the Lower Carboniferous series
of south of England — near Bristol on Avon : " Lower series
enclosing many alternations of limestones and shales, the former
often black, brown, yellowish, sometimes impure, and in one
part charged with fish remains and cyprides in abundance — 500
feet." I believe several of the bands at Dron would yield fish
remains in tolerable abundance could they be properly worked,
for minute teeth and scales are scattered through the material ;
and on one occasion I exhumed, in very mouldering condition,
what would, I doubt not, otherwise have been an almost perfect
specimen. The isolated scales represent the ganoid and, I be-
lieve, placoid orders ; one of them greatly resembles Holypty-
chius. There was, however, a fragment of jaw, showing six
teeth of what was thought to be theyfr/^-dentition of the sauroid
fish Rhizodus. The more common shells bear an estuary
aspect, but imperfect specimens of Spirifer were obtained. A
shale-slab bore a vegetable impression, and another showed
small, but well defined, ripple-marks.
This, thus far, is the list of fossils from Dron, important or
unimportant as they may be judged to be. I concluded, from
the lithological character of the beds, that they were not Old
Red, and I now, from this small group of fossils and their geo-
logical and geographical position, believe them to be Lower
Carboniferous. Cyprides are found in most rocks above Old
Red Sandstone, but Rhizodus is a carboniferous genus. The
immediate neighbourhood of the Old Red Sandstone suggests
an almost impossibility of this being Upper Carboniferous,
seeing that 2000 feet of Lower Carboniferous and 200 feet of
Mountain Limestone exist in Fife, and should, in that case,
exist underneath, whilst Upper Carboniferous itself is 2500 feet
in thickness. There is, moreover, an absence of the fossils that
one might expect in the Upper series. That these rocks are
Lower Carboniferous a good deal affirms, while little or nothing
negatives this view. On seeing the very imperfect fossils, Mr.
Somervail, of the Edinburgh Geological Society, suggested that
they possibly bear some anomalous characters, and that the
beds may be found to be passage-beds between Old Red and
n8 The Scottish Naturalist.
Carboniferous. More will be reported of the fossils, I trust, in
the next issue of the Scottish Naturalist.
The isolation of the Dron beds is at least curious, and perhaps
even a little perplexing, when one finds it necessary to cross the
Ochils and to reach Mid-Lothian before a similar rock appears,
unless, as I have for some time suspected, the beds through
which the bore has lately passed at Dunning are identical with
them. Even though such should be the case, it is still curious
that the depth of the valley should contain Carboniferous rocks,
whilst the high lands on either side exhibit undoubted Old
Red Sandstone. One can just imagine a great anticlinal curve
bringing the Fife rocks right over the hills into the valley,
whence they may have extended one can never tell whither ;
but that one item, denudation, has performed a wondrous work
during our " fifty millions " of years. Or, we may perhaps
imagine a series of local changes, so that now a lake or an
estuary deposited the cypris and fish-beds, and now a sub-marine
accumulation entombed the spiriferce. This latter theory is,
I think, less likely than that of greater continuity and subse-
quent denudation. In this denudation, wherever a synclinal
curve carried the upper beds low down, there they might per-
chance be left. Whether the Dron beds are of local deposition
or local protection, they are worthy of the greatest consideration.
They are a volume of no common interest in the wonderful
history of the past. They are an evidence, at the very feet of
volcanic hills, of quiet lakes, or widely spreading estuaries,
reposing for unnumbered thousands of years, and of briny waters
that usurped the places of lakes and rivers, to be for still
another giant stride of time the recorder of a chapter in the
mundane history. The Carboniferous era must have witnessed
conditions that have no parallel in the present world — condi-
tions that have had no equals in any subsequent period in the
peculiar distribution of land and water, of widely-spreading
estuaries and shallow seas, of swamp and verdant woodland,
moorland and lake, not once and for aye, but coming and going,
now with one state of things and now another, shifting through
decades of centuries like the scenes in a panorama. The joy,
sweetest and deepest, to be derived from any geological expedi-
tion is that of the association of long-lost times, and scenes, and
conditions, and existences, with our poor human efforts. Why
men should scorn to indulge in anything imaginative, and
declare that such weaknesses are a sure sign of the absence of
The Scottish Naturalist. 119
""science," I could never understand. I believe that science
should fill us brimful of poetry, for poetry reads, in a loftier
manner, everything superhuman, and those who dare not indulge
in such "useless" reveries are the veriest slaves to the science,
and all their " knappings of chuckie stanes " but the ticking of a
clock or the clicking of type in the compositor's stick — mechan-
ical indices of something else. The spirit of the Geological
Record is as superior to its words and sentences as the soul is
to the body ; and the feeling of reverence cannot be too deep,
as one turns the pages so sublimely written by an omnipotent
Creator. The geologist who feels at the cliff as the stone-breaker
feels at his trade is no fortunate brother. The response in the
following beautiful lines should ring for ever round the earnest
hammer : —
" What sea, receding from what former world,
Consigned these tribes to stony sepulchres ?
Bewilder'd sage ! proclaim thy wisdom folly,
And where thy Reason fails let Faith begin :
The rocks have sacred secrets of their own,
That teach the wise humility and praise."*
As I have before hinted, I have for some time believed that
the rocks of Dunning may be equivalent to those of Dron. It
can be no great marvel to find Carboniferous rocks at Dunning
if such exist at Dron ; but it would be somewhat startling to find
that Dunning possessed " Upper " Carboniferous, since Dron
possesses " Lower," the more so when one has found undoubted
Old Red on every hand, within easy distance of Dunning.
If the Dunning explorers had been assured that they were
cutting through genuine Carboniferous rocks they would doubt-
less have gone on all the merrier, notwithstanding Geology's
assertion that there is a difference between "upper" and "lower"
coal-measures, and that the latter contains, over the hills, only
a " few thin seams of coal," a great many such layers as those
of Dron, and is, altogether, 2,000 feet in thickness. "It is
reported," says Hugh Miller, in his "Old Red Sandstone," "by
Dr. Anderson of Newburgh, that a fruitless and expensive search
after coal has lately been instituted in the Old Red Sandstone
beds which traverse Strathearn and the Carse of Gowrie, in the
belief that they belong, not to the Old, but to the New Red
Sandstone." The following is from a recent •" Perthshire
Constitutional": "The first experiments we know of were
* Dr. John Anderson.
120 The Scottish Naturalist.
made about forty-five years ago, near the Newton of Pitcairns,
about two miles from Dunning station. This effort was made
by means of a public subscription, raised through the instru-
mentality of the inhabitants of the district ; but although there
was a bore of between 200 and 250 feet, there were no indica-
tions of the existence of the coveted mineral. Undaunted by
this failure, another effort was made in the same locality a few
years later, with the same unhappy result. Our readers are
pretty familiar with the recent attempts at Auchterarder, where,
disregarding the opinions of those best able to judge, the pro-
moters persisted in boring to a considerable depth without
meeting with the slightest encouragement."
Better for Strathearn to satiate its mania for ruinous boring
upon this lower Coal-measure theory, for there is then the
excuse that possibly a "thin seam" somewhere within the 2000
feet might be struck. The New Red Sandstone idea is a forlorn
hope, if the Dron beds are carboniferous, as they assuredly are.
The mania has sent pulverised specimens of Old Red Sandstone
to learned professors, who have returned the same with the
assurance that they are " almost identical with New Red Sand-
stone," under similar circumstances. Other " proofs " have
been adduced by " practical " men, from the fact that iron exists
in boulder clays and trap, &c, that finds its way into the valley
drains. Others have " tasted water " and have found therein a
sure index to abundance of tantalizing coal. Operations by the
" divining rod " surely have been kept close. There never
was a more wilful boring than that of Auchterarder, within a
stone's-throw of such a quarry. Dunning is a little dignified
even after the third venture, if its rocks are Lower Coal-
measures ; but if it plants its bore on another spot, within a
good mile or so of the other three situations, all dignity is gone
for ever.
Whether the Dunning beds bear a Carboniferous aspect some
may judge better than I. The following represents the register
down to 132 feet, and is from the " Perthshire Constitutional":
" Surface earth, 1 foot ; brown, soft, 3 feet; clay, 1 foot, 6 inches;
brown stone, 5 feet; freestone, 14 feet, 5 inches; white free-
stone, 8 feet, 3 inches ; white freestone, hard, 1 foot, 5 inches ;
soft white freestone, 11 feet, 10 inches; do., with brown part-
ings, 8 feet, 4 inches; soft white freestone, 1 foot, 10 inches;
do., 3 feet, 4 inches; bands, brown, soft, 1 foot, 11 inches;
light freestone, 5 feet, 7 inches ; brown freestone, 1 foot, 5
The Scottish Naturalist. 121
inches ; do., 3 feet, 2 inches ; do., hard, 6 feet, 8 inches ; brown
blaes, 1 foot, 6 inches ; white freestone, with partings, 2 feet, 5
inches; strong freestone, 4 feet, 10 inches; white freestone,
hard, 1 foot, 10 inches ; strong white freestone, 4 feet, 2 inches ;
do., very light and hard, 2 feet, 3 inches ; do., soft, 2 feet, 2
inches ; do., soft, 2 feet, 6 inches. The other depths were all
freestone — white." The terms, I presume, are local.
Two samples — the last from the Dunning bore — were several
weeks ago brought to me ; the depth was then over 200 feet.
One was of a reddish colour, the other very pale ; both con-
tained mica and answered to the test for lime, and were what
any of the cypris or shell-beds of Dron might be from a bore.
If I were asked whether coal exists on the Duncrub estates,
I should answer somewhat as follows : — Lower Carboniferous
rocks exist at Dron. Lower Carboniferous rocks serially occur
immediately above Old Red Sandstone. Old Red Sandstone
exists within a short distance of Dron. It is, I believe, Old
Red Sandstone at Auchterarder. It is Old Red Sandstone
high up Invermay glen. It is this same rock on the north
side of the valley. If anything exists at Dunning more modern
than Old Red Sandstone, it is Lower Carboniferous. There
are several thin seams of coal to 2,000 feet of this in Fife. A
•
local patch is not likely to prove an exception to this. Even
were there hopes of a workable seam, its area would be very
limited. I have worked at Dron with my hammer, and it has
taught me what 60 fathoms' boring at -£9 per week hints at.
I was this twelfth day of June informed by a gentleman,
whom I considered a good authority, that several seams of coal
had been passed through at' Dunning on the previous Thurs-
day, one of which was 2^ feet in thickness, &c. This so
astonished me that I took the first train to Forteviot, and was
on my way to the bore to verify this report when I met one of
the residents of the district, who informed me that 300 feet
had been passed ; and that the week previous operations had
been given over ; and the man added, " no coal whatever has
been found." But I am assured that " coal " has been passed
through, and that boring operations may be recommenced.
PHYTOLOGY,
EEMARKS UPON "NOTES OP AN EXCURSION TO
BREAD ALBANE " (Sc Nat., III., p. 18).
By J. H. BALFOUR, M.D., F.R.S., Professor of Botany in the
University of Edinburgh.
SEVERAL of the localities of alpine plants mentioned in the
report of your botanical excursion to Breadalbane along
with Colonel Drummond Hay are not new. I send you the
following remarks : —
Sagina nivalis was found for the first time by me on Ben
Lawers on 25 th August, 1847. I have since gathered it in
several places on Ben Lawers, also on Creag na Caillich;
and on Benean (Stobinain), one of the tops of Ben More,
on nth August, 1864.
Alsine rubella has been found on Ben Lawers, Creag na Caillich,
and Cam Chreag, by myself and party.
Gentiana nivalis was gathered for the first time by my son on
Cam Chreag in October, 1872. It was in seed, and the
seed taken at that time germinated in the Botanic Garden.
At that time Cam Chreag was supposed to be a continua-
tion of the mountain called Meal-nan-Tarmachan, which
we ascended also. We ascertained afterwards that the
hill visited by us was called Cam Chreag. Since that time
we have gathered the plant in flower in that locality,
where it is abundant. I have also gathered Gentiana
nivalis on Creag na Caillich.
Bartsia alpi?ia grows on Meal Ghyrdy, and on Meal Uachdar,
and the mountains near it, far up the Lochay. I have
gathered the plant in both localities.
Kobrcsia caricina (Elyna caricina) was gathered on Ben Lawers
as well as on a hill called Creag Luigh, in the upper part
of Glenlyon, near a station for Cystoptcris montana. (The
mountain you call Ben Laoigh is probably another hill. I
do not know where it is ; I fancy not far from Tyndrum.)
We have also in the Herbarium fine specimens from Creag
na Caillich.
The Scottish Naturalist. 123
On October 2, 1872, the following plants were recorded by
our party on the actual summit of Ben Lawers : — Saxifraga
-cernua, on a rock on the cairn ; Draba rupestris ; Alsine ru-
bella; Gnapholium supinum; Carex rigida; Cerastium alpinum;
Cerastium latifolium; Festuca ovina vivipara; Alchcmilla alpina;
Saxifraga stellar is ; Saxifraga oppositifolia ; Hieraciutn alpinum ;
Leontodon Taraxacum ; Cladonia uncialis, &*c.
I think that your Sagina procumbens? is probably another
species of the genus — possibly S. saxatilis.
Cam Chreag is a very productive hill. I have examined
it several times. Draba rupestris grows also on Benean.
Edinburgh, 15th April, 1875.
[In our " Notes" we never intended that the localities indi-
cated should be supposed to be " new" ones for all the plants
mentioned. Every botanist who visits Ben Lawers must know
that Sagina nivalis is one of the many plants added to our lists
by the ever energetic Professor Balfour. Ben Laoigh is south-
west of Tyndrum; Kobresia grows in several places in that
district. The " Sagina procumbens?" is probably a form of
S. saxatilis. — F. B. W. W.]
ON SOME VAKIETIES OF TEE PKIMROSE POUND IN
PIPESHIEE.
The common primrose, Primula vulgaris, is generally distributed on the
grassy banks that flank the many streamlets with which the county abounds,
and where they are much admired, not only for the sweetness and beauty
•of their flowers, but also from their being associated with a sunny sky, as
the heralds of spring, as the poet thus expresses —
"Welcome thou again, love-listening primrose.
The cowslip, Primula veris, although widely distributed over the county,
is more localised. On the light sandy soil near Elie it lends, when in flower a
yellow covering over the grass, extending to great distances. In woods and
dens throughout the inland parts of the county it is also met with.
Our indigenous Primulas attracted the attention of the old florists, who
admitted them among florist flowers under the names of primroses
and polyanthuses, which were held by them in great esteem. The
differential representation of extended or contracted individual organs
together with the various shades of colours, as they raised large diversities
from seed, displayed to them an epitome of nature — unity in diversity
diversity in unity.
We had occasion to notice among our Primulas several differential
appearances, when during a very limited period we were working up the
124 The Scottish Naturalist.
"Flora of Fife and Kinross" for Ballingall's "Shores of Fife," published ii*
1872. One differential appearance, not only common among our indigenous
Primulas, but also inherent among the many varieties, even when placed
under cultivation, is the position of the anthers in the throat or tube of the
corolla, and this appears to regulate the length of the globose stigma, as
when the anthers fill up the throat of the corolla, the stigma is placed
below them, but when the anthers are placed further down (hidden), the
globular stigma is elevated into the mouth of the corolla, which was
described by the florist when he assumed the position of a judge, as" 'a
worthless pin-eyed thing." One feature presented by the primrose,
is that the scape is one-flowered, as distinguished from the cowslip, which
has a scape umbellate with the flowers drooping. We not unfre-
quently meet with the one-flowered scape, and the umbellate or many-
flowered scape, on the same plant. We noticed this diversity in connection
with a circular unbroken outline of the corolla, which was also conspicuous
at a distance in consequence of the darker yellow colour it displayed
among the pale yellow of its associates growing in the deep wooded ravine
known as Kiel's Den ; the flowers were one inch in diameter. On plac-
ing this variety under cultivation, where it still retains its pecularities,
many seedlings were raised of brown and purple colours, shades of
yellow predominating. They also varied in form from the parent plant
by presenting the combined scapes on the individual plant, as in the
parent, with flowers of larger size, while the large majority presented
flowers singly on a scape, as in the common primrose, which many of the
seedlings thus raised resembled. We selected two plants of the latter,
which seed freely, from which we have raised a goodly number of seedlings,
with flowers measuring ij& inches in diameter, differing in shades of
yellow to that of white, and the edge of the .corolla being a little fringed
or entirely smooth. In order to shorten the number of names, I purpose
designating this combination the "Louisa" group, (in commemoration of a
labourer in the domain of science), being a representation combining the
umbel, or many-flowered scape, with the one-flowered scape, in connection
with an enlargement of the floral umbel, and where the limbs of the corolla
spread into an entire circle.
In the " Flora of Fife and Kinross" the following notice also occurs :
" Collected from Kiel's Den, a group of three plants with the tubular calyx
cut up into linear segments. " These plants in no way differed from the com-
mon group of primroses among which they were growing, excepting that the
entire calyx or floral leaves were represented by detached segments, re-
sembling, in some examples, bracts. This group also seeds freely, and the
seed, by a succession of sowings, has produced a very great number of
varieties in colour of flowers, from dark purple to white, including orange
and various shades of yellow ; the greater number being plants flower-
ing with scapes bearing one flower, while on other plants they have
scapes with an umbel of flowers. Another peculiarity among this group
of seedlings is where the calyx is represented by forms of what may be
termed cauline leaves, in place of the bracteate divisions of the calyx, as in
the parent plant. This extension of bracts into foliated envelopes is ob-
served also in Plantago major and Plantago maritima, of which Fife fur-
nished us examples. Another form of this group of plants, where the brac-
teate form predominates, is where the scape bears an umbel of flowers.
The Scottish Naturalist. 125
the corolla being cleft down part of the throat nearly to the anthers, from
above which rises the style,, and the limb of the corolla being deeply cut on
the outer edge, spreads out into heart shaped divisions ; this combination I
purpose to designate the "Bracteate" group, producing so great diversity in
colour and form.
We further notice from the " Flora" already quoted — " In an old wood
where cowslips were abundant, far removed from primroses, seven dissimilar
plants were noticed : four plants being similar to what is frequently known
•in Fife as the Oxlip ; and two had flowers of less size, of a cowslip yellow."
Similar forms as here represented were collected near the summit of Kelly
Law, Dunbarnie Links, and Kincraig Point, the only difference being that
the flowers were pure white. Of this group we have not collected much
■seed, but what we have sown has produced several orange and other varie-
ties, and one hose-in-hose, where the entire calyx, being represented by a
a coloured corolla, was so designated by the old florists. This combination,
which embraces many varieties, we purpose to designate the "Oxlip" group,
although individually among so many small differences I am unable to
determine the individual Oxlip where the scape bears flowers in umbels.
There are three varieties which may form a separate group, as there are
many grown under cultivation, namely, the hose-in-hose, which I have not
yet seeded, which may be designated by the "Duplex" group in reference to
the divaricate corolla. I received notice from Mr. Luke of Elie of a duplex
primrose growing wild among other primroses on the Links there. I failed
•to find it that season, but found it the following year. I also received a plant
with duplex brown coloured flowers from Mr. Petheram, who found it by
the side of a stream ; and also from Miss Petheram a duplex form of the
common cowslip, who collected it on the Links at Lundin ; while a short
time after Miss Jeffrey found a plant growing on the Home Park at Largo.
— C. Howie, Largo, Fife, April, 1875.
Bryological Notes.— Dicranum montanum Hedw. found in Scot-
land.— In November last year, I took advantage of my being at
Blairgowrie to visit the Den of Craighall, in order that I might form
for myself some idea of the botany of that justly celebrated place. The
Den may be called a magnificent canon, one of the finest in Scotland,
very similar to the Den of Airlie in its geological character and general
appearance, but scarcely so grand or extensive. A place like this, and
which includes among its flowering plants several important species, chief
among which is Polygonatam verticillatum, might well be expected to
furnish many of the most interesting of the lower forms of vegetation ;
and as nobody had previously paid much attention to the cryptogams
there, I, in company with the Rev. W. Herdman of Rattray, started
for the Den with good expectations. Although we had only three or
-four hours to spare, and the day was so bitterly cold and stormy that every-
thing was frozen out of its normal aspect, and botanizing had to be carried
on with gloved hands, our expectations were more than fulfilled. We
selected the east or left bank of the river for exploration, and while passing
onwards from Rattray towards Craighall, through the cultivated fields be-
low Bonnyton, I gathered the golden summer-spores of Melamspora
126 The Scottish Naturalist.
euphorbia in great abundance, and for the first time in my life. This-
fungus is said in " Cooke's Handbook" to be common. It may be so in
England ; but many a day, in winter and in summer, I had previously
searched the north east of Scotland for it in vain. Advancing onwards
through pasture lands I observed very fine specimens of Hypnutn patienti<z
Lind., a moss common enough in some districts, but totally absent from
others; while on the dykes were fair supplies of Ortholrichum saxatile
Wood; Ptychomitriiun polyphyllnm, and Grimmia trichophylla. Within the
Craighall grounds, about a quarter of a mile or so below the house, and
close to the carriage drive on the right hand, there is a wettish broken clay
bank, which was covered with the beautiful red cups of Peziza irechispora,
a fungus, we believe, only recently discovered to be Scottish; and close by
this, careful search brought to light Puccinia chrysosplenii. This has been
regarded hitherto as one of the great British rarities, but there are now
several localities in the north-east of Scotland in which it has been detected.
On and about the same bank there are also two rather important mosses, viz.,
Barframia calcarea, var. major, indicating the presence of lime in a greater
or less degree, and Dicranella Schreberi. This latter is almost unknown
between the Tay and the Dee, and every station in which it has been met
with deserves to be carefully noted. Further on, as we passed by a most
tempting-looking burnside, we came upon Phlebia merismioides, which we
had seen before only in the neighbourhood of Forres. It is not so beautiful
nor so rare as Phlebia radiata. We here gathered Peziza tuba, Polyposis
nidnlans, P. amorphics, and last of all Psilopeziza myrothecioides B. and Br. ,
a new species figured in the Annals of Natural History, and first gathered
by ourselves in Banffshire. This burnside seemed full of rarities, but we
had no more time to devote to it, so we hurried on past the house to have
a glimpse of the real rocks. At the north base of the rock on which Craig-
hall House is perched, the vegetation at once assumes a distinct sub-alpine
character. Somewhat unexpectedly we came upon large masses of Saxi-
fraga hypnoides, a plant remarkably abundant and variable on the. Clova
mountains, but a great stranger below 700 or 800 feet. On the Buchan
coast I have met with it in several places within a few yards of the tide
mark, but on that cold coast still more alpine plants such as Saxifraga
oppositifolia may be seen. In Forfarshire Saxifraga hypnoides occurs in
the Den of Airlie, and I have met with it still more to the south, but not
at so low an altitude. Associated with it here at Craighall are two mosses
and a Jungermannia, usually met with only on the hills, viz., Barframia
gracilis Floerke, Encalypla ciliata, and Jungermannia trichophylla. A
little farther on, the rocks in slope, height, and exposure, are all that could
be desired ; but they want that shade, and moisture, and soft character
which is so essential to the existence and luxuriance of cryptogamic plants.
Huge masses of Madotheca platyphytla, Meizgeria pubescens, and M. jurcata,
Anomodon viticulosa, Homcdothecium sericciim, Antitrichia airtipcndula,
Cynodontium Jh-untoni, and other mosses and Jungermannia} of the baser sort
made me feel rather disappointed. Further on a hasty and fruitless search
of a yard or two of the river for Cinclidotits fontinaloides deepened the dis-
appointment. And so as my time was up we abandoned botanizing for
the day. Loth to depart, I thought I might just have a look at the trees,
which I had hitherto very much neglected, and so turned to the nearest. I
observed a somewhat peculiar dark green patch at its base. It bore the aspect
The Scottish Naturalist. 127
of Weissia cirrhata, but I had my suspicions, for I had found Weissia
cirrhata growing almost always in roundish tufts. I turned my lens
upon the plant, and found the apex of the leaf and the back of the
nerve distinctly serrated, and knew that I had found Dicranum flagel-
lars or Dicranum montanum. It afterwards proved to be the latter,
new to Scotland, and found in a second British locality. If such good
things are found in less than four hours, and in only a morsel of Craighali
Den, how much may be expected when the whole Den is subjected to a
patient and thorough exploration. Remarkably little attention has as yet
been paid to the cryptogams along the course of the Ericht, and not only
Craighali Den, but the Dens of Drimmie and Kingseat must contain
many rarities. — J. Fergusson, The Manse, Fern, Brechin.
Ulleriore, of Spynie Loch, Elginshire. — A notice, or query, regarding
this plant, and of similar import to that in the Scottish Naturalist p. 79,
was sent to Loudon 's Magazine of Natural History, 1 83 1, vol. iv., p.
188. No information was given in reply. In the notice will be
found an extract, in Latin, from Bishop Leslie, where the plant is
called Olorina. Why it was translated Ulleriore, in the survey of the
province of Moray, is not known. Typha latifolia was suggested as likely
to have been the plant meant by the Bishop. It was once abundant in the
Loch of Spynie. An inroad of the sea at the time of the Moray floods
(1829), almost killed it out. It again revived and spread its roots, when
some years afterwards the flow of the tide was excluded ; but now it has
almost disappeared, with the beautiful lake itself, through the progress of
agriculture. Scirpus lacustris, Arundo phragmiles, Sparganium ramosum,
Potamogdons, &c. , were also frequent in and around the same extensive sheet
of water. — G. Gordon, Birnie, Elgin, April 1875.
Peziza stevensoni. — In the notice of "Recently Described Scottish
Fungi" in our last number, this fungus, discovered by the Rev. J. Steven-
son, was accidentally omitted.
THE CRYPTOGAMIO SOCIETY OP SCOTLAND.
IN accordance with the notice given in April last (Scot. Nat. III. 78), a
meeting was held at Perth on April 16th, and attended by botanists
from various parts of Scotland. Dr. Buchanan White, convener of the
committee, occupied the chair, and after the report of the committee had
been received and a Constitution adopted, a Society under the title of the
" Cryptogamic Society of Scotland " was founded, and the following office-
bearers elected : —
President— Sir T. Moncreiffe, of Moncreiffe, Bart., President of the
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Vice-President— -Geo. Dickie, M.D., F.L.S., Professor of Botany, Univer-
sity of Aberdeen.
128 The Scottish Naturalist.
Secretary — K Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S., Editor of Scottish
Natitralist.
Treasurer— Rev. J. Stevenson, M.A., Glamis, Forfarshire.
Members of Council —
Rev. J. Fergusson, M.A., Fern, near Brechin, Forfarshire.
Rev. M. Anderson, M.A., Menmuir, Forfarshire (or after July, St
Andrews, Fife).
Rev. J. Keith, M.A., Forres.
J. Roy, Secretary of the Natural History Society, Aberdeen.
Colonel Drummond Hay, C.M.Z. S , of Seggieden, Perthshire.
G. Ogilvie, M.D., Professor of Institutes of Medicine, University of
Aberdeen.
C. Howie, Secretary of the Largo Naturalists' Field Club, Largo, Fife.
Botanists who may wish to see the Laws of the Society may obtain a copy
by applying to us.
At a Council Meeting held immediately aferwards — the President in the
chair — it was determined that the Annual Meeting should be held this
year at Perth, at the end of September. The programme of arrangements
for that meeting (as far as they have been made) will be found on the
wrapper (pp. 3 and 4).
We may mention that several of the most distinguished English myco-
logists have already intimated their intention to attend the meeting ; and
that the date of the most important of the Fungus Shows in the south,
viz., the Hereford Fungus Foray, has been fixed so that the two Shows
will not interfere with each other. We trust that all our friends, in every
direction, will help to make the Meeting and Show successful and interest-
ing in every way.
VAEIOUS NOTES.
We have received a " Guide to Belfast and the adjacent Counties," by the
Belfast Naturalists' Field Club. This little volume was originally got
up as a contribution from the Field Club, to add to the interest of the
British Association Meeting at Belfast last year, but though that of course
was only a temporary meeting, yet the "Guide" contains a considerable
amount of information which renders it of permanent value. It contains
sketches of the various departments of the local natural history, as well as
articles on the history, antiquities, agriculture, etc., of the district, and is
illustrated by 46 plates. Considering the proximity of that part of Ireland
to Scotland, the book will be found to contain a good deal to interest a
Scottish Naturalist, while to those who visit the locality it will be of great
service. Similar societies in other districts might do well to follow the ex-
ample of the Belfast Field Club, and get up similar handy "Guides" for
their own localities.
INSECTA SCOTICA.
THE LEPIDOPTEKA OF SCOTLAND.
(Continued from p. 84.)
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
MANIA Tr.
MAURA L. Not common. Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay o o o o o
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°4o'-56°3o/. Range in Europe. Southern and
central. Type. Meridiono-central. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. September-
May, Food -PLANT. Low plants, &c.
N^ENIA Stpfe.
TYPICA L. Common. Agrestal. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § o o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in
Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September-
May. Food-plant. Trees and low plants.
SCOLIOPTERYGID.E.
SCOLIOPTERYX Germ.
LiIBATRIX L. Common. Nemoral and riparial.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde g g
o
130 The Scottish Naturalist.
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central and north-
ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. August-June. Larva. June, July.
Food-plant. Willow.
XYLINID^E.
XYLOCAMPA Gn.
AREOLA Esp. (1789); lithoriza Bhk. (1792). Rare. NemoraL
Distribution — East. § § §00000
West. Sohvay Clyde § West-Ross o
Lat. 54°5o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Western. Type.
Occidental. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. March, April. Larva. June-August.
Food-plant. Honeysuckle.
CHLOANTHA Boisd.
solidaginis Hb. Not common or local. Nemoral. Ascends
to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East, g Tay Dee Moray [Sutherland] o o
West. [Solway] Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 55°4o/-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Northern and central.
Type. Septentriono-central. Type in Britain. Scot-
tish (?).
Time of Appearance. — Imago. August, September. Larva. June.
Food-plant. Blaeberry ( Vaccinium ).
CALOCAMPA Stph.
vetusta Hb. Not uncommon. Agrestal and nemoral.
Distribution— East. § Forth Tay Dee Moray o o
West, g Clyde Argyle West-Ross §
Lat. 55°5o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. September-June. Larva. May-
July. Food-plant. Low plants.
exoleta I.,. Common. Agrestal and nemoral. Ascends to
1200 feet.
The Scottish Naturalist 131
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde 800
Lat. 54°4o,-5704o'. Range in Europe. Nearly through-
out. Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. September- June. Larva. May-
July. Food-plant. Low plants.
XYLINA Ochsen.
ornitopus Rott. (1776); rhizolithaY. (1787). Rare. Ne-
moral.
Distribution. — East. Tweed 800 Moray 000
West. [Solway] § o o o
Lat. 55°3°'-57°4o'- Range in Europe. Central (South
Sweden). Type. Central. Type in Britain. English.
Time of appearance — Imago. September- April. Larva. May, June-
Food-plant. Oak.
X. semibt imnea and X. petrificata have been reported from Solway, but
corroboration is desirable. They might, from their European and British
distribution be expected to occur.
ASTEROSCOPUS Boisd.
NTJBECULOSA Esp. Rare and local. Altitude about 700 feet.
Distribution — East, o o Tay o 0000
West. 00000
Lat. 56°4o/. Range in Europe. Germany, &c. Type
Septentriono-central. Type in Britain. Scottish.
Time of Appearance — Imago. March, April. Larva. May, June.
Food-plant. Birch.
A. sphinx Hufn. (1767 ; cassinia Hb.) has been reported from Solway.
CUCULLIA Schrk.
chamomill^ Schiff. Not common (or overlooked) Agrestal.
Distribution — East. [Tweed] Forth Tay 00000
West. § Clyde 000
Lat. 55°5o'-56°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and
southern. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. April-June. Larva. May-July,
Food-plant. Wild Chamomile (Matricaria), &c.
132 The Scottish Naturalist.
UMBRATICA L. Common. Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray goo
West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o,-57°5o/. Range in Europe. Central and nor-
thern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. July- September.
Food-plant. Sowthistles {Sonchus) and Lettuce.
PLUSIID^J
ABROSTOLA Ochsen.
tripartita Hufh. (1767); urticcR Hb. (1804). Common.
Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g
Orkney o
West. Solway Clyde g g o
Lat. 5o°4o'-59°io'. Range in Europe. Central and nor-
thern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. June, July. Larva. July-September.
Food-plant. Nettle.
TRIPLASIA L. Local. Agrestal. Sub-maritime?
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay g [Moray] o o o
West. Solway Clyde 00 o
Lat. 54°5o'-56°3o'. Range in Europe. Nearly through-
out. Type. European. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. June- August. Larva. July-Sep-
tember. Food plant. Nettle, &c.
PLUSIA Tr.
chrysitis L. Common. Agrestal. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther-
land o o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle § o
Lat. 5404o'-5804o'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearanck — Imago. June- August. Larva. September-
May. Food-plant. Nettle, etc.
(To be continued.)
The Scottish Naturalist.
I3S
THE COLEOPTEKA OF SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 40.)
Edited by D. SHARP, M.B.
DBLIPHRUM Kr.
TECTUM Payk. Highland. In sheep's dung, and at oozing,
sap.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West, g g o o o
CRENATUM Grav. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay o o o o o
West. 00000
ARPBDIUM Kr.
brachypterum Grav. Highland, alpine. Common.
o
o
Distribution — East. Tweed \
Shetland
West. Solway Clyde
MICRALYMMA Kr.
brevipenne Gyll. Maritime. Very local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay
West, o Clyde. o o
Tay Dee Moray o o
o o
o
o
0000
PHILORINUM Kr.
HUMILE Er. In the flowers of gorse and broom.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o
West. Solway § o o o
o
Local,
o o
o
EUDECTUS Kr.
WHITEI Sharp. Alpine. Extremely rare.
Distribution — East. o o o Dee o o o o
West, o o o o o
A single specimen only of this species has been discovered in Britain. It
was found by me on the top of Ben-a-Bhuird. — D. S.
CORYPHIUM Kr.
angusticolle Steph. Very rare.
Distribution — East. oooooooo
West, o Clyde o o o
134 The Scottish Naturalist.
OMALIUM Kr.
hivulare Payk. Lowland, highland. Very abundant.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray g g
Shetland
West. Solway Clyde g g g
RUGULIPENNE Rye. Maritime. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o o Dee o o o o
West, o o o o o
SEPTENTRIONIS Th. Highland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay o o o o o
West, o Clyde o o o
L^EJVIUSCULUM Gyll. Maritime. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o
Shetland
West, g Clyde o o o
riparium Th. Maritime. Local.
Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o o o
West, o Clyde o o o
allardi Fairm. In carcases. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o o o
West. Solway Clyde o o o
FOSSULATUM Er. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee Moray o o
Shetland
West. Solway Clyde o o o
nigriceps Kies. Rare. In vegetable refuse.
Distribution — East, o Forth o o o o o o
West, o o o o o
CJESUM Grav. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth g g g o o o
West. Solway go o o
OXYACANTH.E Grav. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway g o o o
The Scottish Naturalist. 135
EXIGUUM Gyll. In carcases. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o 000000
West. Solway 0000
MONILICORNE Gyll. Under bark. Highland. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay Dee 0000
West. 00000
PLANUM Payk. At the oozing sap of the birch tree. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00 o 00
PINETI Th. Highland. Under the bark of logs of Scots
fir.
Distribution — Ea*st. o o Tay Dee Moray 000
West. 00000
PUSILLUM Grav. Under bark. Common.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
PUNCTIPENNB Th. Under bark.
Distribution. ?
I have Scotch specimens of this species, but have no exact record of
locality. — D. S.
deplanattjm Gyll. In vegetable refuse. Local.
Distribution — East. o Forth o o 0000
West. § Clyde 000
CONCINNUM Marsh. In vegetable refuse. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 00000
West. 00000
VILE Er. Under bark. Common.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway 0000
brevicorne Er. Under bark. Rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth § Dee 0000
West. Solway 0000
florale Payk. In flowers. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed § ' Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
136 The Scottish Naturalist.
iopterum Steph. Scarce.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o Dee o o o o«
West. 00000
striatum Grav. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000*
West. Solway 0000
PYGM^UM Payk. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay o o o o a.
West. 00000
"Rannoch." Buchanan White.
inflatum Gyll. Under bark. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee .0 o o o
West. 00000
EUSPHALERUM Kr.
primula Steph. In the flowers of the primrose. Very locaL
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000 00 o
West. 00000
ANTHOBIUM Kr.
MINUTUM Fab. Lowland, highland. In flowers in marshy
places. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g 000
LAPPONICUM Mann. Highland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
A single specimen has occurred in Rannoch. Further specimens must
be obtained to decide whether it be anything but a variety of A . minutum.
opthalmicum Payk. In flowers. Common.
Distribution — East. § § Tay g Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
torquatum Marsh. In flowers. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway g o o o
SORBi Gyll. In flowers.
Distribution — East, g Forth o o o o o o-
West. Solway 0000
(To be continued.)
pBJl^y^
TOJSH
k ' * ^^BSRSH
ggBflffigV-
3p?
-V^KSssH
p«fc
;5<jW"^^H
Mini
\] il»
fcl
^>
i^
S^. i\Nfl
Wir A
ffljll
_• ~^~~--^
j^ ^"^KJBKJ'-
ttnJF'rtf*- vT "^
w»v^\'iifflu
W
jmn]
KPtS.
VjSp^R
yy3S5B8§
1****
hsj|^_'_ ■ ■ , i ■ '"tSjJ^
HBin^kLJ
^Uf
nflg^S
ZOOLOGY.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL REASON.
f Co nli lined from p. 104. )
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S.
WHEN studying two years ago the subject of Laughter
and Tears in the lower animals, in connection with
the feelings which these phenomena express, it seemed to me
necessary in the first place to determine whether and to what
extent the said animals possess the muscles, which in man are
concerned in the actions or expressions of Laughing and Weep-
ing. I therefore addressed myself to two eminent Comparative
Anatomists and Zoologists — Professor Turner of the University
of Edinburgh, and Professor Macalister of that of Dublin.
The former replied by proxy, through the then senior Demon-
strator of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh, who is now
Professor of Anatomy in the Owens College, Manchester.
Writing from the Anatomical rooms of the University or
Edinburgh, of date 8th December, 1873, Professor Morrison
Watson did me the favour to report :
" Professor Turner has asked me to reply to your questions
regarding the Facial muscles and Lachrymatory apparatus of
the animals you name.
"As regards the Facial muscles of the dog, monkey, and
elephant, they are very similar to those of the human subject
in number and general arrangement, with such modifications as
are necessitated by the difference in form and configuration of
the cranium and face. In the Elephant (Indian) it is worthy
of remark that a particularly well developed Risorius muscle is
present. Whether the different facial muscles in these animals
are arranged in such a manner as to admit of the expression of
laughter is more difficult to determine, this expression in the
human subject being the result of the actions of so many
muscles, that it is almost impossible to decide as to the precise
133 The Scottish Naturalist.
action of any particular muscle when the general expression is
assumed. Upon this point, therefore, I cannot offer an opinion.
I may further observe that in the Elephant (Indian) neither the
large nor small Zygomatic muscle is present. As to the cor-
responding muscles in the Hare and Rat, I cannot give any
information, not having examined these animals.
."With reference to the Lachrymatory apparatus — it is present in
both the dog and monkey, and arranged in the same manner
as in man. As to the Elephant there is a difference of opinion on
the subject, and I enclose the proof-sheet containing my own
observations, which you will find printed in the last number ot
the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology.
" Having extensive notes on the Facial muscles of the Ele-
phant, I shall be happy to furnish you with any further par-
ticulars you may wish regarding them."
The special notes to which Professor Watson refers on the
Lachrymal Apparatus of the Indian Elephant are as follows : —
" Regarding the laclwymal apparatus of the Elephant we find
that various statements have been made by different authors.
Camper and Harrison on the one side maintain that no portion
of a lachrymal apparatus is present in the elephant ; while on
the other hand, Mayer (the most recent writer on the subject)
says — ' The puncta lachrymalia are small, the lachrymal duct
single and very narrow, the lachrymal gland of tolerable size.
Its excretory duct is as large as a strong knitting needle, and opens
on the external angle of the eyelids.' And, he adds, 'it is
striking that Camper should neither have discovered this gland,
its excretory duct, nor the lachrymal canal.' Perrault also men-
tions the presence of lachrymal glands in the elephant. My
own observations agree with those of the authors who have not
discovered any portion of a lachrymal apparatus, although each
separate element was carefully looked for. It is difficult to
explain the statements of those authors who maintain the
existence of such an apparatus ; more especially when it is
borne in mind that the Ethmoid bone in the elephant is quite
imperforate, and consequently affords no way of escape for the
lachrymal secretion. True, a Harderian gland, similar to that
which exists in connection with the third eyelid in birds, is to
be found in the elephant. It does not, however, occupy the
usual position of the lachrymal gland at the outer angle of the
orbit, but rests between the inner wall of that cavity and the inter-
nal Rectus muscle. Its excretory duct, moreover, opens on the
The Scottish Naturalist. 139
surface of the third eyelid, and not in the usual position of the
ducts of the lachrymal gland. That this gland, to some extent,
fulfils the function of the lachrymal gland is rendered probable
by the statements of African travellers, one of whom (Cumming)
describes an elephant, after suffering from the effect of several
balls, as weeping profusely. The mode, however, in which the
secretion of this gland is got rid of under ordinary circumstances
is difficult to determine in the absence of all trace of an excre-
tory apparatus."
Professor Macalister wrote me from Trinity College, Dublin,
of date 15th February, 1873 : —
" I send you some papers* which may help you. You will
see from them that some Facial muscles are present in very
many animals. The Gorilla has a fine lot of them, and there is
no anatomical reason why he should not laugh as well as the best
of his cousins. The Risorius Santorini is by no means a con-
stant muscle, nor is it essential to laughing. The Zygomatics,
which are among the most constant muscles of the face in
mammals, are very much more directly concerned in the action.
My idea is that the hairy covering of the face obscures the
action of the muscles in- many animals, and if we shaved them
we would see a very much greater play of feature than we ima-
gine them to possess. Barefaced monkeys do show modifica-
tions of expression very decidedly."
To the same distinguished Irish zoologist I am indebted for
the following additional Bibliographical notes : —
"There are some very interesting things on your subject of
Mind in the Lower Animals in C. G. Cams' ' Vergleichende
Psychologie oder Geschichte der Seele in der Reihenfolge der
Thierwelt,' published at Vienna in i860. Also in a rather
curious treatise by W. Wandt, ' Vorlesungen iiber die Menschen
* These papers consist of reprints of a number of the Professor's contri-
butions to Comparative Anatomy — originally published in the "Annals and
Magazine of Natural History, "including the following subjects : — (1) "On
some points in the Myology of the Chimpanzee and others of the Pri-
mates." Annals, May, 1871. (2) " On the Myology of Bradypus
tridactylus, with remarks on the general muscular anatomy of the Eden-
tata." Annals, July, 1869. (3) "On the Myology of the Wombat and
the Tasmanian Devil. " Annals, March, 1870. (4) " Further observations
on the Myology of the Tasmanian Devil." Annals, July, 1872. (5) "The
Muscular Anatomy of the Koala." Annals, August, 1872. (6) "Notes
on the Anatomy of the Derriah." Annals, July, 1872.
140 The Scottish Naturalist.
und Thier-seele.' Leipzig, 1863. There are two other books
dealing with the subject that have a good deal of interest —
Ludwig Schmarda's ' Andeutungen liber das Seelenleben der
Thiere,' and Scheillin's ' Versuch einer vollstand Thierseelen-
kunde.' I came across these in the course of my reading lately^
and was much struck with them."
There is a popular belief that the dog, cat, and other animals
— domestic or wild — are in the habit, at certain times, or
under certain circumstances, of inducing in themselves vomit-
ing or purging by chewing or swallowing various common
native plants, especially one or more Grasses. And the presump-
tion is that such a common popular belief is based, to some
extent at least, on facts. But it is important, for the purposes.
of generalisation, to determine exactly what the facts are. In
order to which I had occasion recently to apply to several
authorities conversant on the one hand with our domestic ani-
mals and their habits, and on the other with our native plants
and their properties. The fullest and most satisfactory reply I
rceived came from Mr. William Gome of Trinity, Edinburgh,
formerly one of the Vice-Presidents of the Botanical Society of
Edinburgh, and also one of the editors of the " Farmer" news-
paper, published in Edinburgh.
Writing from Rait Lodge, York Road, Trinity, Edinburgh,
on 3d May, 1875, Mr. Gorrie, says : —
" I regret that I am not able to give you any definite
information on the use by animals of plants, medicinally. I
have never seen the dog using the Cynosurus cristatus, but have
often seen dogs chewing up the common Couch grass (Triticuvt
repens), as well as other broad-leaved grasses, such as Cocksfoot
(Dactylis glomerata). And when they get into my garden
here they frequently make free with the leaves of the Holy
grass ( Hicroclilocborealis), and the Bunch grass of British Colum-
bia (Elymus condensates). Their teeth do not appear to be
suited for pulping these grasses, but they rather roll them up
aud swallow them nearly whole. This is generally, or rather
among shepherds and other dog owners, looked upon as a proof
that the dog is not well. The grass does not seem to be digested
by them, but passes through much in the same condition as
when swallowed. I have on several occasions seen it so passed,
with tape-worm intermixed or entwined in the folds of the grass.
And rightly or wrongly, I have a notion that these broad,
The Scottish Naturalist. ' 141
roughish-leaved grasses thus act mechanically in clearing them
of this troublesome parasite, which, or something like it, is
very frequent in them. Cats sometimes chew up broad-leaved
grasses as keenly as dogs, and their doing so is looked upon
•as evidence that they are unwell.
"In the large sheep park at Prestonhall, we had a large
number of old Holly trees, which in autumn 1851 were
attacked by the sheep peeling off and eating the bark. To
save them from destruction, we had to use means for their
immediate protection, and after a fortnight or three weeks these
attacks ceased, and were never repeated for the remaining
eight years that I lived there. The shepherds in the district
said that the sheep had used the bark for either the prevention or
cure of some disease, and not for food, of which they had plenty
in the shape of pasturage at the time.
" Gerard says of Dog's-bane, that " it is a deadly and danger-
ous plant, especially to four footed beasts." M'olfs-bane is a
name applied by him to two plants very different from the
Aconite. An arrow dipped in the juice of which, and a man
or four footed beast wounded therewith, 'they die within half an
hour after remedilesse.' The Aconiium he calls ' Mithridate
wolf's-bane.' "
Mr. George R. Jesse, author of the well-known " Researches
into the History of the British Dog," published in 1866,
writing from Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, on 17th April,
1875, says:—
" There is no doubt whatever as to the Dog grass.* That I
know for certain. Try a poor creature who is chained like a
malefactor near his master's door, lingering out a miserable
life in captivity, as Professor David Low well said it. Try
him with a handful of it, which the poor tyrannised-over
brute has seen waving a few yards from him, and longing for in
vain for many a day, and see if he will not think you a friend.
To Dr. M'Dowall of Morpeth, I am indebted for the following
instances of so-called " Monomania in Horses " — " The following
curious facts are extracted from a paper by Professor Rodet, in
the " Veterinarian," a sensible monthly publication : —
* Cynosurus cristatus — otherwise known as "Dog's-tail grass" — so
named according to Hooker & Arnott's "British Flora," (1850, p. 542),
"from the shape of its spike," and not from the use of the plant medi-
cinally or otherwise by the dog.
142 The Scottish Naturalist.
(1) " In 1 806, during the campaign of Austerlitz, a Piedmontese
officer possessed a beautiful, and in other respects, a most service-
able, mare,but which one peculiarity rendered at times exceedingly
dangerous for the saddle. She had a decided aversion to paper,
which she immediately recognised the moment she saw it, and
even in the dark if one or two leaves were rubbed together.
The effect produced by the sight or sound of it was so prompt
and so violent, that in many cases she unhorsed her rider ; and
in one case, his foot being entangled in the stirrup, she dragged
him a considerable way over a stony road. In other respects,
this mare had not the slightest fear of objects that would
terrify most horses. She regarded not the music of the band,
the whistling of the balls, the roaring of the cannon, the fire of
the bivouacs, or the glittering of the arms. The confusion and
noise of an engagement made no impression upon her ; the
sight of no other white object affected her; no other sound was
regarded ; the view or the rustling of paper alone roused her to
madness. All possible means were employed to cure her of
this extraordinary and dangerous aberration, but without suc-
cess ; and her master was at length compelled to sell her, for
his life was in continual danger.
(2) "A mare belonged to the Guard-Royal from 18 16 to
1 82 1. She was perfectly manageable, and betrayed no anti-
pathy to the human being, nor to other animals, nor to horses,
except they were of a light-grey colour : but the moment she
saw a grey horse she rushed upon it, and attacked it with the
greatest fury. It was the same at all times and everywhere.
She was all that could be wished on the parade, on the route,
in the ranks, in action, and in the stable ; but such was her
hatred towards white or grey horses, that it was dangerous to
place them in the same stable with her, at whatever distance.
If she once caught a glimpse of one, whether horse or mare,
she rested not until she had thrown her rider, or broken her
halter, and then she rushed on it with the greatest fury, and bit
it in a thousand places. She generally, however, seized the
animal by the head or by the throat, and held it so fast that she
would suffocate it if it were not promptly released from her
bite. As she grew old (for she was eighteen years old in 1821),
this mania was not quite removed, but was somewhat weakened.
No other body of white colour appeared to make the least im-
pression on her.
(3) " A mare, belonging to the fifth squadron of Hussars,.
The Scottish ATaturalist. 143
feared, on the contrary, all white inanimate objects — such as
white mantles or coats, even the sleeves of shirts and chemises
too much displayed, and particularly white plumes. When any
of these white bodies, and especially in motion, were suddenly
perceived, if they were of any magnitude, and their motion was
rapid, she was in a dreadful fright, and strove to escape ; but
if they were of no great size, and moved more gently, she
rushed furiously upon them, struck at them with her fore-feet,
and endeavoured to tear them with her teeth. No other colours
produced the slightest effect upon her ; nor did the appearance,
however sudden, of white horses or dogs ; but if a white plume
waved, or a white sheet of paper floated by her, her fear or
rage was ungovernable.
"These three cases of singular and particular aversion possess,
in my mind, all the characters of true monomania^ — [Extract
from " Penny Magazine," 1835.] It is noteworthy that in all
the above cases Mares, not Horses, were the subjects of
Eccentricity.
From Wakefield, Yorkshire, Dr. M'Dowall also wrote me on
29th June. 1873 : —
" Perhaps the following passage in Shakespeare may be of use
to you as a curious illustration of Insanity among the lower
animals.
Rosse. — And Duncan's horses
(A thing most strange and certain),
Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would
Make war with mankind.
Old Man. —
'Tis said they eat each other.
Rosse. — They did so, — to the amazement of mine eyes,
That look'd upon't.
(Macbeth, act il, scene iv.)
" In all probability you already know that in former times,
when luitchcraft was believed in, Insanity among the lower
animals was believed to be exceedingly common. I am work-
ing up a paper which will contain all sorts of " Antiquarian
scraps relating to Insanity," and have a large number of cases of
144 The Scottish Naturalist.
Insanity in cows, cats, and other animals, supposed due to witch-
craft. You will find these cases in Dalzell's " Darker Supersti-
tions of Scotland," a book in all public libraries. In all pro-
bability my paper will appear in the "Journal of Mental
Science " for October,* and will contain these instances of In-
sanity among the lower animals. Of course their scientific
value is small, but these cases might be used by you for
literary ornamentation."
According to a newspaper notice of his admirable volumes
of " Etudes sur les Facultes mentales des Animaux comparees
a celles de F Homme," published in Belgium in 1872, " Mons.
Houzeau maintains that not only does each group of animals
possess a language, which is understood by other members of
the same group, but that they can learn to understand -the
language of other groups. His dogs, for instance, perfectly
understood his poultry. Cocks and hens have one danger
signal for the approach of a bird of prey ; another for that of a
terrestrial animal or for a man. When the latter was sounded,
the dogs would rush out and bark ; while to the former they
paid no attention whatever. He therefore concludes that fowls
have the power of expressing slightly different but closely allied
ideas, and that dogs can learn to understand these differences."
In old historical works there are occasional descriptions of
singular events illustrative of peculiarities in animal life :
descriptions that are interesting as directing attention to the
desirability of observing and recording any similar incidents at
the present day. For instance, in certain " Memorabilia of the
Seventeenth Century " in Britain, contained in " Chambers's
Papers for the People" (No. 12), I find the following account of
a remarkable Bird-Battle. I cite it not for the purpose of
basing any remarks on the facts asserted, but simply in order
to point out the propriety of recording, in such media as the
Scottish Naturalist, accounts by competent observers — and
properly authenticated — of any such occurrences as may happen
now — in these our own times — in our own country.
" In October 162 1, a most remarkable Battle oi Starlings was
fought over the city of Cork, frightening the citizens out of their
wits, and inspiring the whole country with terror and wonder as
* It duly appeared, and maybe consulted in vol. xix, 1874, p. 386, of the
said Journal.
The Scottish Naturalist. 145
to what it might portend. Our author sets out in his preface
by stating to the "gentle reader," that "to report strange or
admirable accidents is subject both to danger and disgrace — to
danger, in that they may be held as prodigious or ominous ; to
disgrace, in that they may be reputed fabulous. I need not
fear disgrace in reporting so strange an accident to be reputed
fabulous, being able to free myself from any suspicion of such
an imputation, by certificate of letters from right honourable
persons in Ireland, where the accident fell out, to right honour-
able persons at court, and divers in London at this present ; as
also by the testimony of right honourable and worshipful
persons, and others of good reputation, now in London, who
were eye-witnesses, beholding the same during the time it
continued.
" To come to ihejight of these birds. They mustered together
at this above-named city of Cork some four or five days before
they fought, every day more and more increasing their armies
with greater supplies. Some came from the east, others from
the west, and so accordingly they placed themselves — as it were,
■encamped themselves — eastward and westward about the city.
The citizens more curiously observing, noted that from those on
the east and from those on the west some twenty or thirty in a
company would pass from the one side to the other, as it should
seem employed in embassages, for they would fly and hover in
the air over the adverse party with strange tunes and noise, and
return back again to that side from which, as it seemed, they
were sent.
"And further, it was observed, that during the time they
assembled, the Stares of the east sought their meat eastward,
as the Stares of the west did the like westward, no one flying in
the circuits of the other. These courses and customs continued
with them until the 12th of October, which day being Saturday,
about nine of the clock in the morning, being a very fair and
sunshine day, upon a strange sound and noise, made as well on
one side as on the other, they forthwith at one instant took
wing, and so mounting up into the skies, encountered one
another with such a terrible shock, as the sound amazed the
whole city and all the beholders. Upon this sudden and fierce
•encounter there fell down into the city and into the river multi-
tudes of Stares, some with wings broken, some with legs and
necks broken, some with eyes picked out, some their bills
thrust into the breasts and sides of their adversaries in so
146 The Scottish Naturalist.
strange a manner, that it were incredible, except it were con-
firmed by letters of credit, and by eye-witnesses with that assur-
ance which is without all exception. Upon the first encounter,
they withdrew themselves backward east and west, and with
like eagerness and fury encountered several times, upon all
which these Stares fell down in like strange and admirable
manner as upon the first encounter. They continued this
most admirable and violent battle till a little before night, at
which time they seemed to vanish, so that all Sunday, the 13th
of October, none appeared about the city.
" Upon Monday, the 14th of October, they made their return
again, and at the same time, the day being as fair a sunshine
day as it was the Saturday before, they mounted into the air,
and encountered each other with like violent assaults as for-
merly they had done, and fell into the city upon the houses,
and into the. river, wounded and slaughtered in like manner as
is before reported ; but at this last battle there was a Kite, a
Raven, and a Crow, all three found dead in the streets, rent, torn,
and mangled."
Another extract from the same " Memorabilia" illustrates
control over, or at least inactivity of, the natural antipathies,
passions, and habits of predatory animals of different species
and gender — in the face of a serious common danger. Referring
to a sudden flood in Monmouthshire, in which a milk-maid
saved herself by retiring to a high* bank above water-mark, on
which bank a number of animals — domestic and wild — had
found a similar asylum, it is stated that — "The hill or bank
where the maid abode all that space was all so covered over
with wild beasts and vermin, that came thither to seek for suc-
cour, that she had much ado to save herself from taking of hurt
by them, and much ado she had to keep them from creeping
upon and about her. She was not so much in danger of the
water on the one side, as she was troubled with those vermin
on the other side. The beasts and vermin that were there were
these — namely, Dogs, cats, moles, foxes, hares, rabbits, yea, and
not so much as rats and mice but were there in abundance ;
and that which is the more strange, the one of them never once
offered to annoy the other, although they were deadly enemies
by nature the one to another. Yet in this danger of life they
not once offered to express their natural enmity, but in a
gentle sort they freely enjoyed the liberty of life, which in mine
opinion, was a most wonderful work in nature."
The Scottish Naturalist. 147
The following is a sample of anonymous newspaper articles
of a commoner kind — representing incidents in animal life that
are of daily occurrence. Nevertheless such accounts, however
true to Nature, are valueless for the purposes of Science, by
reason of their anonymity. We want some guarantee as to the
reality of the facts — the veracity or credibility of their observers
and recorders.
"A Four-Footed Friend. — We believe our Nero to have been
an English Cat, but we know nothing of his antecedents, for he
came into our house one wintry day, seated himself on the
hearthrug beside the chair of the house-father, and instantly
adopted him for his master — a relation to which he contrived to
give an entirely novel and much-varied significance, and which
remained unbroken to the end. He was then full-grown and
very beautiful, with a peculiar upright grandeur of demeanour,
which was different from the usual slinking and stealthy grace
of his tribe. His head was finely shaped, and his whiskers
were superb, as was the fur upon his snow-white breast. He
had large, green, wistful eyes, with such a gaze in them as I
never saw before, and sometimes, when he was in grief, as I
could hardly bear to look at ; and a small black mouth, the
most eloquent with which a dumb creature ever spoke. He had
powerful forepaws, and the daintiest little white hind feet, of
which he was proud and careful. He would dispose them in
the palm of his master's hand when he was carried up to bed
by him, laying, at the same time, one forepaw round the back
of his master's neck, and the other on his breast, while the face
rested confidentially against his cheek. He allowed himself,
especially after his health began to fail, to be carried about by
other members of the household, but this particular attitude was
strictly reserved for his master. He would sit with both fore-
paws hanging over my shoulder, or lie along my folded arms,
but he never put his paws round my neck, or rubbed his face
to mine. In this way he invariably saluted his master, and
occasionally, when he believed himself unobserved, he would
stand on his hind legs, lay a forepaw on each side of his
master's face, and laying his little white nose alongside of his,
remain in that position for several moments, uttering a peculiar
contented sound, not a purr, which we used to call his " bleat."
He instantly recognized any new article of dress worn by any
member of the family, and he iiiventcd for himself a method of
curling himself up so as to adapt his back to the arch of a new
148 The Scot t is J i Naturalist.
bonnet, with his legs stretched out in careful avoidance of the
strings, which I venture to think has never been surpassed in
effectiveness and ingenuity. Shortly after he took possession of
our hearts and home we changed our residence. He was
carried to our new house in a basket, and, when set free, went
•direct to his master, with eloquent gestures and expressions of
resentment and inquiry. The matter was gravely explained to
him, for we never presumed to limit his intelligence to our per-
ception of it, and he presently acquiesced. He led his master to
the door of every room in the house in succession, deliberately
made the tour of the apartments, was lifted up to each window-
sill, whence he studied the front and back aspects of the house
and adjacent gardens, taking his time over it, and then, return-
ing to the study, as yet unfurnished, recognized, with manifest
pleasure, a standing desk he was in the habit of seeing his master
use, gave the little gasp which meant that he wanted to be lifted
up, was placed upon it, went to sleep, and ever afterwards took
to the new house with more than acquiescence, with enthusiasm.
He had favourite rooms, and his especial place in each, and he
resorted to them at different hours with undeviating regularity.
If he found a door shut, he went to the nearest person, made
the sound which we all knew meant that he wanted to be fol-
lowed, and then led the individual to the door, and stood aside
until it was opened." — Quoted from the " Spectator" in the local
newspapers in January, Z872.
Of the Dog with the ugly name, " Mum," this further incident
has to be noted, from a letter written by Dr. Murray Lindsay,
in June, 1875. The animal was not allowed to lie on a certain
parlour sofa. He did so, nevertheless, in his mistress'
absence from the house, well knowing that he did what was for-
bidden, and, therefore, punishable. But he knew her footstep ;
and whenever he heard it, he made off at once, assuming, as
he best could, an air of innocence. All this he did over and
over again, thus clearly exhibiting his sense of guilt
(To be continued.)
The Scottish Naturalist. 149;.
ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS.
( Continued from p. 96. )
By the Rev. J. Wardrop.
THIS view of Dr. Carpenter — that the animal, psychically,
is not a free productive power, but only obeys stimuli,
that is, so far from commanding motives, does not feel them,
and is no cause at all, having no will, is the most feasible view,
so far as it goes, yet offered on the whole question. It accords
exactly with what a careful observation of animal action might
suggest to any one. On the other hand Mr. Huxley's is, it may
be said visibly, not true to the facts. But first, irrespective of
whether Mr. Huxley's results answer to the facts, either on the
human, or on the animal side, there is an error and an incon-
sistency in his method. How is it that Mr. Huxley admits the
excitation of " states of consciousness which are termed sensa-
tions, emotions, and ideas," as the result of the ingoing mole-
cular movement of the animal nervous organism? He does not
strike on these things with the point of his scalpel. He does
not see them under his microscope. They are not among the
small dust of his balance. They are not to be detected by physi-
ological observation in any way whatever. They are got only
by the " introspective method," as it is called. Mr. Huxley has
looked into his own bosom, and he has taken what he found
there, and by a legitimate analogy employed it in philosophising
on what he observes in animals. But if Mr. Huxley allows the
introspective method to be the voucher for certain facts which he
accepts and works with, consistency binds him to allow its testi-
mony in the case of all facts, whatever they are, in reference to
which it tenders testimony. Now men are not more conscious of
the passive power of sensations — they are not more conscious
of feeling emotions and having ideas, than they are of their
active power — their real efficiency in muscular movements.
Mr. Huxley must be held to the same witness for an explanation
of the efferent phenomena, that himself has adduced on the
afferent. And it is a witness clean against him. If the human
consciousness vouches for anything, it vouches for this, that
movements are often the result of a state of consciousness — that
the will, the personality, the man, is a free productive power,
and does ''stand in a causal relation to action." Irrespective of
150 The Scottish Naturalist.
an inconsistency of procedure, Mr. Huxley's result, substantively,
could not be accepted as a possibly true account of animal
action, not to speak of human action. Admitting the analogy
of man's mind at all, it is a result that cannot apply to all the
facts. The animal transcends it. Blind automatism of an or-
ganism is one thing, and is a sufficient account of certain
actions. Blind automatism in an emotional and intelligent
principle is a very different thing, and is the equally sufficient
and necessary account of certain other and very different actions,
The actions of animals are not susceptible of interpretation
throughout by the former. Many of them, the actions i.e. in
which there is, we would say, intelligence, require the latter. Be-
sides you cannot divorce intelligence even from sensation. " It
is manifestly impossible," says Sir W. Hamilton, "to discrimi-
nate with any rigour, sense from intelligence," (Reid 878 and
881). It is not organism that feels or sees or hears. There is
no place for sensations or emotions or ideas but in mind.
" Mind seeth it, mind heareth it. All beside is deaf and dumb."
Far less can you divorce what can only be called emotional and
ideational action from an intelligent principle. We have no clue
to the interpretation of animal action, but the clue our own
action gives. This action reveals that intelligent mind is com-
petent to act in an automatic manner. And we hail the discovery
as applicable to our difficulties with animal action. As far as
investigation has yet gone, the line on which we seem to be in-
vited to proceed, in order to resolve the mystery of the animal
soul, is certainly automatism. But while we are promisingly
invited along this line, we are also warned from the same quarter
not to leave out of our automatism the automatic action of
intelligence.
But however different may be the part allotted to the soul in
two such views as those we have been considering, it is admit-
ted by both that soul of some kind in animals there is. Both,
therefore, remain burdened with the question, is the mind of
animals of the same nature with that of man' — the same out and
out in nature, though possibly differing in capacity ? or is there
an essential difference between the two? We have already
seen how that question is answered by the prevailing voice of
the science of the day. So decided is the answer, that the
popular notion of an essential distinction is, as we have seen,
held to be little more than a superstition. A contributor to this
Journal, Dr. Lauder Lindsay, is one of the ablest and boldest
The Scottish Naturalist. 151
in expressing the favourite 'conviction, the conviction that there
is " no essential mental, distinction between man and other ani-
mals." For myself, I have to confess that I feel insuperably
hampered in coming to this conviction — hampered by what I
conceive to be facts in the case that are not having their due at
the hands of those who feel no difficulty. It has not been un-
usual, with at least students of mental philosophy, to point to
self-consciousness as a fundamental distinction between the two
series of mental manifestations. Self-consciousness is a promi-
nent fact of the mental nature of man. And it is held that this
element is not proved to be found among the manifestations of
the mental nature of animals. The idea of this distinction
seems to have occurred first to those who saw so much else
that nobody had seen before — the schoolmen of the middle
ages. (Bayle 8, 762.) I do not know if it has been so syste-
matically wrought out as, especially with the help of present
science, it might be. I suspect it has not. The most ex-
tended and powerful advocacy I have known it to have received
was at the hands of the late Professor J. Goodsir, in a course
of, I think, some six or eight lectures he gave about eighteen
years ago. Few men then or since have had equal qualifica-
tions, philosophical or scientific, for estimating the validity of
such a view. But his lectures, which he promised to his stu-
dents to publish, were not by himself given to the world. His
lamented death interfered. And in reference to his powerful
exposition of the view which they supported, such notes as we
have in his posthumous works leave us but to desiderate " the
touch of the vanished hand and the sound of the voice that is
still." Bayle argued against the distinction made on the ground
of self-consciousness. " It is evident to any person," he says,
" who is able to judge of things, that every substance which has
any sensation knows that it is endued with it ; and it would
not be more absurd to maintain that the soul of man knows
actually an object without knowing that he knows it, than it is
absurd to say that the soul of a dog sees a bird without perceiv-
ing that it sees it," (8, 762.) And he adds, it is a thousand
times more difficult to see a tree than to know the art by which
we see it. (p. 764.) But in so far as Bayle's self-consciousness,
as these words describe it, may be more than the mere con-
sciousness of phenomena, its presence in animals is begged or
claimed to be self-evident, when it ought to be proved.. Self-
consciousness is our consciousness of a self in our conscious-
152 The Scottish Naturalist.
ness of aught else. As Dr. Bischoff, an advocate of this dis-
tinction between the animal and the man, says — " We cannot
deny to animals consciousness. We assert that man alone
possesses self-consciousness, /. e., the capacity of meditating on
himself and his connection with the rest of the creation." The
late Professor Ferrier signalized this characteristic of human
knowledge more than it had been before. The fact that what-
ever man knows he has a knowledge of himself along with that
knowledge, he made the foundation principle of his philosophy ;
and though he did not himself pronounce an opinion, he says
there is good reason for holding that this quality of mind does
not belong to animals — that they have no cognizance of them-
selves. Though Mr. Huxley himself now says, "very strong
arguments would be needed to prove that such complex pheno-
mena as those of consciousness first make their appearance on
man," (F. R. p. 573) what did he mean, when not long ago
he wrote that man is " the only consciously intelligent denizen
of this world?" (Placeae no.) Was he not looking in the
direction of self-consciousness, and did he not, instinctively it
may be, attribute to man alone that prerogative, when he used
the latter expression ? In another place, however, he says that
animals, by perceiving objects as external, practically recognise
the difference between the self and the not self. (C. Rev., May
1 87 1.) If what the animals do " practically" — which is very
much the philosopher doing it for them — they would but do it
speculatively, which would be doing it for themselves, the
point of self-consciousness would be gained for them ; but only
then.
It is from the quarter of self-consciousness that my difficulties
arise in accepting the identity of the animal and human soul.
It is not proved that animals possess this power. And so far
as the theory of their mental nature given above in Dr. Carpen-
ter's words, is a true one — in fact, so far as automatism, organic
or intelligent, is the real account of their psychical action, it
seems to involve the absence of self-consciousness. But, to
expiscate this matter farther, what is it that must be held im-
plied in the want of self-consciousness — implied in fact as the
source of its absence ? It is the want of a self— nothing less.
Animals, if they want self-consciousness, want it because they
have no self to be conscious of. They want Personality.
Their soul is not a soul that is a self or a Person. The I, the
ego, the ich, le moi, that idea of selfhood to which expression
The Scottish Naturalist. 153
is given in all languages, that have become vehicles of a philo-
sophy, is not attributable to animals. The home-felt conscious-
ness of self, that goes, though generally unnoticed along with
the man in all his walks of mental action, never warms the ani-
mal spirit, never flits across the disk of its consciousness. A
lady calls her dog an affectionate "thing" perhaps; never an
affectionate person.
It is at this point of the self and its consciousness, I con-
ceive, that the battle of identity or non-identity of the animal
and human souls is to be fought. It is here the day is to be
lost or won for the " poor brutes." Other points of the field
are often selected at which to make a stand. Man is said to
be the only creature that laughs ; the only creature that can
make or use a tool ; the only one that lights a fire, and so on.
Max Miiller says, " the true Rubicon which the brute has never
passed is articulate language. But if selfhood or personality
could be claimed for animals, they would not find much diffi-
culty in occupying in succession these and every other point in
the field. Other writers select their ground, and make a stand
nearer the central position. Quaterfages and others make the
moral and religious powers of man the ground of distinction,
and on that ground Quaterfages erects man into a separate king-
dom— raising him, in view of the totality of his attributes, out
of the animal kingdom altogether. Isidore St Hilaire does the
same ; and perhaps they are near the truth. Another distinc-
tion was signalised by a late Archbishop of Canterbury — Dr.
Sumner — as it has been by others, viz., the character of progres-
sive and improveable reason. Such efforts as these to find the
fundamental distinction are on the right track. But they have
struck on it, not at the beginning, but in the middle. We
should begin with what lies involved as the foundation of these
and such like powers in man, and what is awanting to be the
fountain from which they might issue in animals, i. <?., selfhood
or personality. This is the true Rubicon over which the brute
is not seen to pass. This, and all that lies beyond — all that
has this for its basis — and the characteristics just mentioned
have — is distinctively human.
154 The Scottish Naturalist.
ON THE GREY SEAL, HALICHCERUS GEYPUS, ON THE EAST
COAST OP SCOTLAND.
BY ROBERT WALKER, F.G.S.E.
THE history of the Grey Seal in the British Seas was for a
long time enveloped in considerable obscurity. This
was to a certain extent, no doubt, owing to the limited number
of people who took sufficient interest in biological matters to
induce them to investigate any subject for themselves. In the
case of the seals, the few opportunities that occurred to those
that were interested in them of examining living or recently
killed specimens, allowed the indentification of nearly all our
seals to remain long in confusion and uncertainty. There has
also to be taken into account the difficulty presented in the
close resemblance that almost all the northern seals have to
each other in external shape, and to a great extent in colour,
more especially in young and half-grown individuals. This
is, unfortunately for the purpose of identification, the condition
not only in which they are most frequently obtained, but that
in which they present a somewhat different aspect, both in col-
ouring and form of the head, from that exhibited by the mature
members of the same species. All this, and the anatomical
characters whereby they can with certainty be distinguished
from each other, not having been formerly well known, led, as
a matter of course, to the seal in question receiving several
specific names.
In 1742, Dr. Parsons 1 shortly described and figured a young
specimen of a large seal that was exhibited alive for some time
at Charing Cross, as the sea calf. He does not state at this
time where his seal was caught, but in a subsequent paper in
the same publication in 1750, he gives the coast of Cornwall
and the Isle of Wight as the localities frequented by what he
then calls the long bodied seal, a name by which it was after-
wards known. Buffon 2 in his " Le grand Phoque " identified
Parsons' seal with the Urksuk of Crautz. 3 The latter animal
was, not long after, identified by Fabricius 4 with his Phoca
barbata. Pennant 5 follows Buffon, and states that the sea calf
or great seal was not uncommon on the coast of Scotland, par-
ticularly about the rock Hiskyr, one of the western isles, where it
I Philosophical Transactions. 2 Hist. Nat. Supp.
3 Hist. Greenland. 4 Fauna Grcenlandica. 5 Brit. Zoology.
The Scottish Naturalist. 155
grows to the length of twelve feet. In his voyage to the
Hebrides he was not fortunate enough to meet with this seal
himself, so that the size given must be from the report of others.
In his "Arctic Zoology," published some years after Fabricius'
" Fauna Grcenlandica " appeared, he includes under Phoca bar-
bata the large seal of the coast of Scotland, and Parsons'
London animal. The latter, it would seem, became the pro-
perty of Donovan, who also figured it in his " British Animals "
as P. barbata ; ultimately, at his death probably, it was depos-
ited in the British Museum, where it was long regarded as a
genuine specimen of P. barbata.
After the publication of Pennant's " Arctic Zoology," it
appears to have been taken for granted, without further investi-
gation, that all the large seals of British waters were P. barbata.
This is the more remarkable, if we assume that none of them
were of that species; because, in 1790, Fabricius 1 published
figures of a number of the seals' skulls described by him, amongst
others were those of both P. barbata and H. grypus. And, in
182 1, Lichtenstein 2 described and figured a young example of H.
grypus, two or three specimens of which were driven ashore upon
ice during a storm on the Pomeranian coast. Two of these seals
were exhibited alive for some time by the fishermen in the
district, and one of these was taken to Berlin for that purpose.
He notices the surprise of the exhibitors when they saw the
animal, after it had been about a month in their possession,
rapidly changing the colour of its coat from a yellowish white
to that of a dusky spotted grey.
Dr. A. Edmondston3 gives an interesting account of the
Haaf-fish or Great Seal, as P. barbata, of the Zetland Islands
Amongst other particulars, he states that one which he saw
caught in a net struggled more than twenty-five minutes with-
out ever performing a single respiration, and when brought to
the surface was still alive. Dr. Fleming 4 throws no more light
on the matter. He gives the northern islands as the locality
where P. barbata is met with. It does not appear that he had
seen the seal himself, but refers to Maclean and Edmondston's
account of it.
In Wilson's 5 paper on the habits of the Scottish Phocse, the
Tapvaist or great seal of the western islands is referred with
1 Skrivter Naturhistorie Selskabet. 2 Akademie der Wissen. zu Berlin.
3 Zetland Islands. 4 British Animals. 5 Mag. Zoology and Botany, vol. 1.
156 The Scottish Naturalist.
doubt to P. barbata. This seems, however, to have been
mainly caused by the appearance of " Bell's Brit. Quadrupeds."
Backie and Heddle « include both the Great Seal P. barbata,
and the Grey Seal H. grypus in the Orkney fauna ; whether
they had themselves examined what they believed to be
examples of the former is not apparent. In the case of the
latter, they state that Macgillivray had seen two individuals of
this species killed in Orkney ; and they notice a large seal in
the Kirkwall museum, which they consider agrees in most
respects with the description of that animal. They also include
the Greenland Seal, P. grcenlandica, amongst the Orkney
animals. The chief evidence they seem to have relied in this
was the skull of the Greenland Seal figured by Home in the
"Philosophical Transactions," 1822. Home stated that the
drawings of the three skulls that he figured at that time were
made for Hunter thirty years ago, and that the seal whose skull
is figured on plate 28 (the Greenland Seal) was shot near the
Orkney Islands. In this he was evidently mistaken, as it was the
Grey Seal whose skull he figured on the preceding plate, and
which he stated was from the South Seas, that was shot in
Orkney.
According to Professor Owen 2 the seal in question was pre-
sented to Hunter by a Mr Oxendon, probably the gentleman
who went two years to Orkney for the purpose of shooting it.
Home's skull of the grey seal affords probably the earliest un-
doubted evidence we possess of the occurrence of that animal
in the British seas nearly a century ago. The skull was not
identified as such, I believe, until Ball 3 had clearly proved,
from skulls he procured on the Irish coast, that one of the large
seals of that country, at any rate, was H. grypus and not P.
barbata as had been supposed. After the publication of the
first edition of Bell's British Quadrupeds, containing a figure
and description of the Grey Seal, and stating that Ball recognised
in Donovan's seal in the British Museum a badly stuffed speci-
men of H. grypus, it seems, in the main, to have been taken
for granted that every large seal observed on our coasts pertained
to that species.
In 1 84 1 Selby's4 paper on the large seals of the Fame Islands
appeared. In this he states that the great seal of these Islands,
1 Nat. Hist, of Orkney. 2 Cat. Osteological Coll. of Surgeons.
3 Trans. Irish Academy, vol. 18, 4 Annals Nat. Hist., 1841.
The Scottish Naturalist. 157
■which he had formerly stated in the Zoological Journal to be P.
barbata, had, upon further investigation, proved to be If. grypus.
He also adds that an old gentleman, who formerly rented
these Islands, informed him that the seals were more abundant
there some forty or fifty years ago than they are now, and that in
1772 he killed seventy-two young seals, and once also fourteen
old ones in one day on the Crimstone Rock, all of this species.
Dr. L. Edmondston 1 was not so easily induced to give up the
name of P. barbata. He had, moreover, better opportunities
of observing the habits of the large seals of the Shetland Islands,
as well as examining them alive and dead, than falls to the lot
of most mortals. He expresses the opinion after the publica-
cation of " Bell's British Quadrupeds " that the Haaf-fish or
large seal of these islands was P. barbata, and that Bell had
figured the cranium of a different species from the Haaf-fish as
that of the animal in question. " The figure of it looks very
like the male barbata with the exception ot the teeth." What-
ever may be the facts of the case as to this, it is not quite easy
to reconcile the accounts of the disposition manifested by the
large seal of the Irish coast and that of the Shetland Islands
when in captivity, as given by Ball and Edmondston, if the
observation alluded to were in both cases made on the same
species of seal, and of a similar age. The former states that his
father had made several attempts to rear and tame this seal, but
all in vain. It appears scarcely susceptible of domestication.
The latter, on the other hand, gives it altogether a different
character. He says that a young male, which he took from a
cave, in a day or two became as attached to him as a dog, that
he knew no animal capable of displaying more affection than
he did, and that his temper was the gentlest imaginable. He
also gives an interesting account of a female which he had in
captivity for some time. This animal was carried daily in a
hand-barrow to the sea to bathe &c, by and bye she was
allowed to go fairly into the sea without any restraint, and she
regularly returned after a short interval, and of her own accord
mounted her carriage to be taken to or from home. She was
one day allowed to go to sea in a thick fall of snow and did not
find her way back. The same author also mentions a young
Greenland seal, Phoca groenlandica, that he saw shot in the Bay
of Burrafirth, in October, 1830. Had Edmondston preserved
i Memoirs, "Wernerian Society, 1839.
158 The Scottish Naturalist.
some of the crania of his seals they would have decided the
question definitely as to what species they belonged, whether
they were all H. gryfius, or whether some of them were not P.
barbata. As the matter stands the weight of evidence appears
in favour of the former seal. Whether the latter has occurred
anywhere in the British seas may be regarded meantime as an
open question. This much may be said, at any rate, it has not
heretofore been satisfactorily shown to have done so; at the same-
time it is a species that may turn up some day or other. As to
Parson's seal, it may or it may not have been of this species.
The late Dr. Gray, than whom none were more competent to
give an opinion on the subject, was, so far as I am aware, silent
regarding it : he placed it amongst the synonyms of P. barbata
with a query. Macgillivray's 1 Scottish example of P. barbata in
the Edinburgh Museum cannot now apparently be distinguished
in that collection. He may have been mistaken about it.
However this may be, it has been long known that a large
seal has been occasionally met with on the east coast, but, so
far as I can learn, it was not by any means a common animal.
With the exception of the Fame Islands, it is not mentioned as
of frequent occurrence anywhere near the mainland. Pennant 2
notices a large seal that was shot on the Sutherland coast.
Wilson 3 mentions one that was shot near Stonehaven by Lord
Cassilis. Don includes it in his list of the animals of Forfar-
shire, and St. John4 shot one at the Findhorn that weighed
three hundred and sixty lbs. What species of seals these were
is a different matter ; the old authors, of course, called them
bai'bata.
The Grey Seal seems to me to be the species most commonly
met with now on the east coast of Scotland. It may be seen
all the year through at the mouth of the Tay, and along by the
Carr Rock chiefly in summer. In autumn they congregate in
great force in the vicinity of the banks of the Tay. These
banks forming a favourite resting place for them when the tide
is out, as many as twenty having been counted at a time.
In 1863 six specimens of this seal were caught in the salmon
nets at Tentsmuir, some of them large animals, and all
more or less ferocious and difficult to secure. The largest
example was estimated by the fishermen to weigh fifty stones.
I Naturalists' Library. 2 Arctic Zoology, vol. I.
3 Mag. Zool. and Bot., vol. I. 4 Nat. Hist, and Sport in Moray.
The Scottish Naturalist. 159
He was a rather formidable customer to encounter ; after a
struggle, still keeping the net around him, they succeeeded in
getting him into the boat, but their difficulties were not yet
over, the question being how to keep him there. Blows with oars
and sticks appeared to have no other effect than to make him
still more savage. He endeavoured to attack all and sundry,
and bit pieces out of the thwarts of the boat. They managed at
last to stun him, when the poor beast was quickly rowed on
shore and despatched. Other two examples of this seal were
caught at the same place in 1868. Professor Turner noticed
one of these in the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ; the
skull of the other Mr Speedie kindly sent to me. Since then
specimens have been occasionally caught at that station.
The shape of the molar teeth of the Grey Seal changes con-
siderably as the animal advances in years. In the skull of a
young individual in my possession, which weighed eight stones,
the two posterior molars of the lower jaw have each an anterior
and posterior small cusp, beside the large central one ; similar
cusps are also present on the third molar, although not so pro-
minently displayed. The third and fourth molars of the upper
side have each a posterior cusp feebly pronounced, and the last
has two of like size. As the animal gets old these cusps in the
most instances disappear, and the teeth when not placed close
together in the jaw become more or less round and blunt. In
other examples, not of unfrequent occurrence, where the teeth
are inserted close to each other, and those of the upper and
lower series impinge upon each other, the teeth in these cases
are worn into very irregular and curious shapes. All the teeth
of this species have each a single root, except the posterior
molar above and below, the only true molars in this and other
seals — which have in general two roots or fangs. In a cranium
in my possession, the last molar of the lower jaw on each side
has three roots ; the third is placed about the middle of the
tooth toward the inner margin. It is not nearly so thick as the
other two, and a little shorter ; but has a distinct perforation
exactly its own size in the alveolar border to receive it.
Professor Turner gives in the Journal of Anatomy, &*c, a
notice of a skull of a half-grown individual of this species, which
he received from Montrose, that had no molar teeth, although
the canines of both sides were present, and of the usual dimen-
sions. Dr. L. Edmondston 1 mentions an adult cranium in
I Mem. Wernerian Society, 1839.
160 The Scottish Naturalist.
his possession that had only four molars on each side in the
lower jaw, and, he adds, most obviously there never had
been more. All the crania of this seal that have come under
my notice had the normal number of teeth in one shape or
other. In the lower jaw of a female I have, the posterior molar
has been attacked by caries immediately above the alveolar
margin, and is wasted about half-way across the tooth. This is
a smallish jaw, although evidently that of an oldish individual.
The female does not seem ever to attain to much more than
half the dimensions reached by the old members of the other
sex. In all the skulls that I have seen of this species, the
ascending processes of this intermaxilla are in contact with the
nasal bones to a much greater extent than is represented in the
figures of Ball, i Bell, 2 or Blasius. 3 Another curious feature
in the cranium of the Grey Seal is the unossified condition of
the sutures between the facial and cranial bones, which do not
appear to become anchylosed at any size or age.
St. Andrews, July, 1875.
Captures of Helicidse at Moulin, near Pitlochry, Perthshire. -
The following list by no means pretends to be a complete list of the shells
of the district, but is simply an account of my own experience, and as such,
may be of use, if any conchologist should visit Moulin : —
Vitrina pellucida — -very common under moss and stones. Helvetia cel-
lo Ha — abundant. 77. alliaria — less common than cellar/a. H. ptira —
common. H aysfalliua — rather scarce. 77". fulva — rare. Helix nemo-
ralis — not uncommon. 77. hortensis — less common than nemoralis. H
hispida — rather scarce. H fi/sca — not uncommon ; on nettles and coarse
grass. 77. aculeata—one specimen. H arbustorum — rather common ;
far. alpeslris — on the banks of Craigeour Burn. 77. rotundata — the com-
monest of the genus ; on one log of wood I counted about twenty speci-
mens. Bulimus obscurus — rare. Zita lubHca — common. Pupa umbtli-
cata — scarce ; among dead leaves. Clausilia rugosa — common, especially
on limestone rocks and roots of trees.
The shells enumerated in the above list were collected in June, which
was this year rather a favourable month for mollusk-gatherers, on account
of the frequent showers. — H. Coates, Perth, August 1875.
Helix caperata ■ — I found a white specimen of this shell at Troon, on
a wall facing the sea. — Id.
A New British Moth.— In July last I had the pleasure of taking a few
specimens of Ablabia argcntana CI., a beautiful white Tortrix not pre-
viously recorded as British. It was found on the side of a mountain near
Blair Athole, where I was collecting in company with Sir Thomas Mon-
creiffe and Mr. W. Herd, who also secured a few specimens. A. argcn-
tana is rather local on the continent. — F. Buchanan White.
1 Trans. Irish Academy, vol. 18. 2 British Quadrupeds.
3 Saugethiere Deutschlands.
The Scottish Naturalist.
161
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BRITISH OOLEOPTERA.
(Continued from p. 27. )
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
Amara continued.
16. Very wide. Gr. Legs gen. b. Th. impunc. at ba.
E. str. 4 1. B. .
Obsc. gr. Tib. pale. Th. punc. at ba. E. str.
3#L E. I. !
17. More than 3 Is. Brassy gr. Th. punc. at ba. E.
finely p. -s. throughout. Tib. and ap. of h.-b. as
in communis. 3^ 1. B.c-
Less than 3 Is. Dull obsc. gr. Th. not (or harrlly)
punc. at ba. E. str. , more deeply near ap. Tib.
and ap of h. -b. as in trivialis 2^ 1. B.
Zabrus.
Winged. Reddish b. Mouth, ba. of an., pal. and tib.,
paler. Th. tr. , consp. punc. at ba. E. dist. p. -s.
bl/2 1. E.s-
ovata
similata
spreta
curta
gibbus
Ninth Family— HARP ALID.E. (7 genera.
1. Length more than 2]/2 1. (exc. S. elegans). E. test.
or variegated .....
- not test, or variegated
- less than i]/2 1 .
2. Ant. tib. with a single spine at the ap.
A consp. spine before ap. of ant. tib. and one at the ap.
3. The whole insect closely and unif. punc.
Glabrous species .....
4. 1st j. of ant. tar. of 6 consp. less than 2nd. Often
with a r. mark on h.
Not possessing the above characters
5. Mentum with a sharp tooth. Interm. tar. of $ simple
- - no dist. tooth. Interm. tar. of 6 with dil. js.
Diachromus.
Thickly punc. H. , pal. and legs, test. Th. tr. , gr. or bl.
E. str., test. ; a bluish cloud near. ap. U.-s. b. 3^
1 V. s.c.
DlCHIROTRICHUS
Pub. Test. A dusky cloud on disc of e. E. str., widest
behind mid. ; 3 rows of fine puncs. on each int.
zU E-c' ......
-. -, often much clouded with fuscous. E. str. , widest
at mid. 2 rows of coarse puncs. on each int. 3 1. B.c- !
)
2
4
5
3
Diachromus
Dichirotrichus
Stenolophus
Anisodactylus
Harpalus
Bradycellus
Acupalpus
girmanus
obsoletus
pubescens
162
The Scottish Naturalist.
Anisodactyltts
Ap. spine of ant. tib. simple B. Ba. of an. , and often
legs, r. Th. widest in front of mid. ; its ba. angs.
laterally prod. E. el., str. ; ints. conv. 5 1. B.
- ----- 3 pronged. Gr., bl. or b. An. paler at ba.
Th. widest at mid. ; its ba. angs. rounded off. E.
rather wide, str. ; ints hardly conv. 5^ !■ Esc' .
Harpalus
1. H., th. and e., thickly punc. An., pal. and legs, test.
orr.
E. and ba. of th. (but not h. or disc of th. ) thickly punc.
B. Pal., an. and legs, yel. E. str., with golden
pub. 6 1. B. !
Only out. ints. of e. , and ba. of th. punc. Met. Gr, bl. ,
cop. or b. Legs, pal. and an. , gen. r. E. str, ;
mar. notched near ap. 4^ 1. B ! ! .
Ints. of e. not dist. punc. ....
2. Th. regularly contr. from mid. to ba. H., th. and e.,
bl. or gr. .
- cordate. ......
3. Ba. angs. of th. very obt. but dist. Mar. of e. ind.
sinuate near ap. Th. roughly punc. , widest in fr.
of mid.; fr. wider than ba. H. and th. blackish.
61 F s.
- - - - not dist. Mar. of e. dist. sinuate near ap. Th.
moderately punc, widest at mid.; fr. hardly wider
than ba. H. and th. unic. with e. Ints. of e.
equally punc, exc large puncs. on 3, 5, and 7.
- finely punc, widest at
mid.; fr. hardly wider than ba.. H. and th. more
or less reddish. Ints. of e. most closely punc.
behind. 5 1. E. .
4. H. and th. r. or reddish. E. reddish or pit.
H., th. , and e. bl. or gr. H. and th. coarsely punc.
Th. mar. behind. Ints. of e. rather strongly punc
H., th., and e. obsc. gr. H. and th. finely punc. Th.
not mar. behind. Ints. of e. finely punc. ; 3d, 5th,
and 7th, with some larger puncs. 4 1. E.s-
5. Only extreme hi. part (if any) of side mar. of th. falling
quite perpendicularly on ba..
The hi. }( of side mar. of th. falls quite perpendicularly
on ba. Th. hardly tr. , much contr. behind mid.,
thichly and strongly punc E. thickly and finely
punc. ; the sut. gen. consp. r. 4 1. E.sc-
6. E. not very parallel, less than twice as long as together
broad, ints. consp. less strongly punc. than th.
binotatus
pceciloides
ruficornis
Proteus'
8
3
4
sabulicola
obscurns
rotundicollis
5
azureus
punctatulus
6
cordatus
7
The Scottish Naturalist.
163.
E. very parallel, quite twice as long as together broad,
ints. in fr. hardly less strongly puna than th. Th.
only slightly tr. 2>H k E.
7. Th. strongly puna all-over, though a little less thickly
on disc. E. moderately puna In type specimens
the th. is dist. but slightly tr., and rectangular
(almost sharply) at ba. There are specimens, how-
ever, with the th. scarcely tr. and the ba. angs. gently
obt. This is probably a distinct species. It may
be recta?iguhcs, Thorns. 3^ LB!
Very like type form of prec. Smaller. H. and th. more
regularly puna Ant. angs. of th. more rounded
off. Outline of th. more sinuate. 2^ 1. E.
Th. very strongly tr. ; rather finely puna , especially on
the disc, where the puncs. are almost obs. ; ba.
angs. ac. E. very short and very finely punc,
I. E. . . • • •
8. Th. cordate, tr., its hi. angs. laterally prod.
deeply str. B. Pal., an., tib. and tar., r. 4 1.
- not cordate., its hi. angs. not laterally prod.,
sharply rectangular or ac. .
obt. or rounded off. .
9. Some dist. puncs. on 7th or 8th int. of e. near ap.
Not as above. ,
10. The puncs. on the 7th int. H. and th. shining bl.
or b. Th. puna at ba. E. consp. str. , coloured as
th. , duller in ?. An. , pal. and legs r. A wide
species. 4^ 1. E. S. I.
- 8th int. B. An., and pal. r., gen. marked withb.
Legs pit. Tar. r. E. finely str. (the str. puna in
fr. ), pointed at ap. 4^ 1. E.»w- I.sw- .
11. Hi. angs. of th. right. H. and th. blackish. E. pit.
or gr. Pal., an., legs, mar. of th., and sut., r.
Th. punc. at ba. E. finely str. 4^ 1. E.s-
- - - - ac. Pit. b. E. and mar. of th. often paler.
An., pal., tar., and ba. of tib. reddish. Th.
widest at ba. E. finely str. A wide flat species.
Z}i 1. E.sc- .....
12. Some dist. puncs. on 7th or 8th int. of e., near ap.
Not as above. .....
13. Th. dist. punc. at ba. E. with puncs. on 5th and 7th
ints. B. Th. gen. bl. or gr. E. often bluish.
An. pit., ba. r. Pal. pit. or r. E. consp. str. ;
ints. often elev. 5^ 1. E.s-
- not dist. punc. E. with puncs. on 7th int. only. B.
or bluish. Pal. and an. r., pit. near ba. Legs pit.
Tar. reddish. E. deeply str. 4^ 1. E.
rupicola
puncticollis
parallelus
3/2
•
rufilabris
E.
E.
consentaneus
but
•
9
•
12
•
10
•
11
gr-
rubripes
melancholicus
discoidens
servus
13
14
caspius
ignavus
164
The Scottish Naturalist.
14. Legs unic. r.-yel. B. An., pal., and mar. of th. test.
Th. punc. at ba. E. strongly str. 4 1. E. S. I. !
Very like prec., legs often darker. Th. unic. E. with
2 or 3 large puncs. on 3rd int. 4X !• S.M-
Legs more or less b. or pit. Th. ruggedly punc. at ba. ,
often very narrowly edged with r. H., th. and e.
br. gr. An. and pal. pit. Sut. brown. E. deeply
str. ; str. faintly punc. 5 J 1. E.s-
- not ruggedly punc. at ba.
15. Th. not (or hardly) punc. at ba.
- dist punc. at ba. Bl.-b. An. pal. and tar. r. Mid.
js. of an. pit. E. consp. prod, at ap. and strongly
str. 4J 1. E.
16. An. and pal. unic. rusty or r. .
- - - not as above .....
1 7. Th. hardly, if at all, wider in mid. than at ba.
- cons, wider in mid. than at ba., its ba. impunc. exc.
in the fov. Bl. -b. An. , pal. , tib. and tar. r. E.
strongly str. 2>H !• E. ...
18. - very tr., its ba. impunc, and ba. angs. hardly
rounded off. B. An. , pal. , and tar. r. Tib. more
or less r. E. very strongly str. 2>/4 1- B.
- tr., its ba. impunc, and ba. angs. very strongly
rounded off. Pit. b. An. & pal. r. Legs pit. r. ;
fern, darker. E. very finely str,
19. - dist. narrower in fr. than at ba.
- hardly narrower in fr. than at ba.
in the fov. ; ba. ang. obt. B.
ba. Pal. reddish. Legs pit.
3^1. E.S-S.C. ....
20. Th. very much contr. in fr. ; ba. impunc, exc. in the
fov. ; ba. angs. much rounded. B. Ba. and ap.
of an. and pal. test. Tar. often reddish. E.
strongly str. 4^ 1. E.c-
- moderately contr. in fr. ; ba. impunc. ; ba. angs.
hardly rounded. B. An., pal., legs and mar. of
th. more or less reddish. E. finely str. t>% L
E c- '
— ■• la 1 -. ' * •
• • •
ba. impunc exc.
An. pit., with r.
E. strongly str.
latus
qaadripunctatus
cupreus
15
16
tenebrosus
17
18
sulphuripes
tardus
picipenms
20
neglectus
sernpes
anxius
Stenolophus
1. Th. blackish, not tr., punc. at ba. ; its mar. yel. E.
narrow, dusky, often pale in fr., str. Legs and
ba. j. of an. test. H. b. 2.y2 1. E.
- Not as above. .....
2. E. test, in fr., with a well def. b. cloud behind. Ba. of
th.. not punc. exc. in the ba. fov. .
- rusty r., often dusky at sides and ap., str. II. b. An.
b. ; ba. 2 js. r. Th. tr. , r., punc. at ba. Pal. and
legs r. 3 1. E. .
vespertinus
2
Skrimshiranus
The Scottish Naturalist.
165
Pal. and legs test.
3. H. b. Th. hardly ti\, r. E. str., r. in fr., wholly
(except outer mar. ) b. behind. An. b. ; ba. 2 js. r.
Pal. r.; ap. j. dusky at ba. Legs r. 3 1. E.c-
Like prec. Th. tr. E. test., each with a large oblong
b. spot. Sut. pale. 2 1. E. sc-
Acupalpus
I. Ba. angs. of th. very obt, or rounded. More than \Y%\.
- - - - rounded. Not more than 1^ 1. Narrow. H.
b. Th. r. or dusky, tr. E. pit. or brown, str.
n.
An. dusky ; ba. j. pale.
- - - -hardly obt. H. b. Th. hardly tr., contr. behind,
r. or dusky. E. str., test., with a dusky cloud
behind. An. b., ba. 2 js. test. Pal. and legs test.
2 1. i-'j. ..«•••
2. Th. not punc. across ba. , nor wholly yel.
, yel. , very tr. H. b. E. str. , dusky ; mar. and
sut. test. An. b. ; ba. 2 js. pale. Legs and ba. of
pal. test, ii 1. E.s-
- punc. across ba. ; hardly tr. ; contr. behind ; b. H. b.
E. el. ; str. ; b. ; extreme ba. and the sut. pale. An.
b. ; ba. pale. Legs and ba. of pal. pale I73 1. E. !
3. Ba. fov. of th., and the whole ba., quite impunc. Very
like Gyllenhalli ; a wider insect ; darker ; th.
lU 1. E. .
wider ; tar. more el.
- - - - more or less punc. ....
4. Pit. b. Th. and e. partly test. Ba. of an. and of pal.
pale. Legs often pale. E. str., with some well
def. puncs. in hi. half of 2nd int. 1 ^ 1. B. ,
- -. H. th. and e. unic. E. more finely str., without
dist. puncs. on 2nd int. i^j 1. E.s-
Bradycellus.
1. E. without a shortened str. near sc.
- with a shortened str. near sc.
2. Brown, clouded with b. Legs and ba. of an. pale
Th. tr., narrowed at ba. ; ba. angs. rounded; ba
and fr. punc. E. str., rather wide; sides rounded
Very like prec. Gen. darker, especially legs and ba. of
an. Th. less narrowed at ba. E. more el. and
parallel ; sut. consp. the palest part. 2 1. B.
3. Ba. angs. of th. dist. obt. or rounded, and not laterally
prod. ......
- - - - hardly obt. , and slightly prod, laterally. Pit. or
b. An. , pal. , and legs pale. Th. deeply punc. at
ba. E. str. 2.\ 1. E. S. I.
4. Th. more or less reddish. ....
Teutonus
elegans
exiguus
consputus
3
flavicollis
meridianus
. derelktus
4
Gyllenhalli
brunnipes
2
3
placidus
cognatus
distinctus
5
i66
The Scottish Naturalist.
- h. and e. deep pit. b. An., pal., and legs paler.
Sut. often r. Ba. of th. punc. only in the fov. E.
very faintly str. , especially near mar. i| 1. B. .
Th. not narrowest at ba. ....
- narrowest at ba. H., th., an., pal., and legs rather
consp. r. E. darker. Th. punc. only in the fov.
E. str. l% L B.
Hi. angs. of th. strongly rounded, and ba. dist. punc.
Pit. r. An., pal, and legs paler. E. strongly
str. 2 1. B. .
- - - - dist., though obt., and ba. strongly punc. R.
brown. E. often darker. An., pal., and legs
paler. E. strongly str. 2^ 1. E. S. I. !
similis
6
collaris
harpalinus
verbasci
Tenth Family— TRECHID.E. (5 genera.)
1. Eyes not pub. ......
-pub. [Ap. j. of pal. very narrow.]
2. E. very flat and parallel, not dist. str., and shorter
than h. -b. Eyes hardly conv. A long spine
under 4th j. of ant. tar.
Not as above. ....
3. Ap. j. of pal. not dist. longer than prec. j.
.... very dist. longer than prec. j.
4. H. and th. shining brassy or gr.
- - - not shining brassy or gr.
N.B. — Lymnczum (in the Be??ibidiadic) bears sufficient resemblance to
this family to be capable of confusion with it.
Patrobus.
1. Wingless species ...... 2
Winged. H. and th. b. E. pit. or r. An. , pal. , and
legs reddish. Th. cordate, rather strongly tr. *J ba.
fov. very large and deep, separated from side mar.
of th. by a narrow elev. ridge. E. p.-s. 4 1.
F S T M-
Perileptus
Aepus
3
4
Patrobus
Pogonus
Trechus
2. Very like prec. Smaller. Th. only veiy gently tr.
y/i 1. B. .
Very like excavatus. Th. rather more tr. ; ba. fov.
close up to side mar. of th. E. longer and more
parallel. 3^1. E.S.I.*-
Pogonus.
I.'H., th.^and e. brassy gr. Pal. and an. dusky
H. and th. br. gr. An. , pal. , legs and e. test. Region
of sut. dusky. Th. double as wide as long. 3^ 1.
Ek. s. c
septentrionis
excavatus
assimilis
luridipennis
The Scottish Naturalist.
2. Legs reddish. Th. tr. E. p.-s.
on sides and near ap. 2% 1.
The punc. str. obs.
"R c. t
Very like prec. Th. narrower behind. E. much more
el. and parallel. The punc. str. hardly fainter at
sides, and not at all fainter near ap. Tar. shorter
and thicker than in prec. 3 1. E.c-
Trechus.
1. E. pub. ......
- not pub. ......
2. R. Legs paler. H. dusky. A dist. band near ap. of
e. b. An. nearly as long as whole body. Ba.
angs. of th. ac. E. p.-s. Ints. smooth. 2% 1. E.
• -. - -. Disc of e. often dusky. An. not more
than 3^ length of whole body. Th. rectang.
at ba. E. faintly p. -s. ; ints. punc. 2 1. B.
3. Ba. angs. of th. well def., though sometimes obt.
- - - - rounded off. R. An. and legs paler. E. short,
with rounded sides. 1st str. very deep, reaching
ap., punc. in fr., bent round at ap. to include 2d,
3d, and 4th str, which are fainter, but strongly
punc. 5th str. faint, if 1. B.
4. E. with rounded sides. ....
- very long and parallel. Pale brown. H. darker.
An. long. Th. rectang. at ba. 1st, 2d, and 3d
str. of e. deep, but faintly punc. Ap. of 1st str.
bent round to include 2d. The 4th str. faint, if
1 B c-
5. Str. of e. rather strongly punc. Th. rectang. at ba.
hardly punc, and faint. ....
; the 3 in. ones very deep, — the 4th faint.
Pit. or r. An. r. ; 2nd, 3d and 4th js. darker.
Legs test. Th. rectang. at ba. 2 1. E.F-
6. Str. of e. all well def. , the 4 in. ones very deep. R.
An. pal. and legs paler. E. short, with strongly
rounded sides. 2j^ 1. E. S. I.0-
Out. str. obs. ; the 3 in. ones only rather deep. Pit. r.
Pal., an., legs, and (often) ap. of e. paler. E.
longer and more parallel than in prec. 2l/z 1. B.
7. Pit r. Pal. , an. and legs pale. Ba. angs. of th. dist.
E. finely str., the in. 4 str. well def. l}£ L
obt.
-L>» • ••••••
Very like prec. Rather darker. Ba. angs. of th.
almost rounded. E. shorter, more faintly str. Not
more than in. 3 str. well def. i2/$ 1. E. S. I.
Aepus
Th. rectang. at ba. Pale r. 1 1. B.c-
167
chalceus
littoralis
2
3
discus
micros
4
secalis
5
longicomis
6
7
rivularis
lapidosus
rubens
minutus
obtusus
marmus
i68
The Scottish Naturalist.
B. angs. of th. very obt. Pale r. ; fr. of e. gen. darker
i 1. B.c" ...... Robinii
Perileptus
Pit. Ba. of an. , mouth, legs and disc of e. pale. Th.
tr., rectang. at ba. E. dist. p.-s. i% 1. B.c- . areolatus
Eleventh Family— BEMBIDIAD^E (5 genera.)
1. E. with a shortened str. near sc. 2
- without a shortened str. near sc. 3
2. Ant. tib. with a strong spine near ap. of ex. mar. . Cillenum
- - simple ...... Bembidium
3. H. , th. and e. unif. and densely punc. . . . Tachypus
Not as above ...... 4
4. Sut. str. of e. consp. bent round at ap. . . Tachys
Not as above ...... Lymnaeum
N.B. Perileptus (in the Trechidcv) bears sufficient resemblance to this
family to be capable of confusion with it.
Lymn.eum
Pit. b. Mouth, pal., an. and legs pale. Ba. of th.
faintly punc. E. flat, deeply str. Ints. elev. ; 2
deep imprs. on 4th. 2 1. E.sc- .
Cillenum
H. and th. gr. Mouth, pal. , an. , legs and e. pale brown.
Th. not tr. , with right angs. at ba. E. deeply str. ;
str. faintly punc. \% 1. B.c-
nigropiceum
laterale
Tachys
1. Ba. angs. of th. obt. ..... 2
- - - - sharp ...... 3
2. H. and th. dark brown. An. brown, paler at ba. Legs
test. E. test. , clouded with darker. Th. tr. In.
2 str. of e. dist. ; the rest obs. Ap. of bent part
of 1st str. consp. bent towards sut. il/i 1. B. . scutellare
Pit. (sometimes paler). Ba. of an. and legs paler. Th.
tr. E. with only the in. 2 str. well def. Bent,
part of 1st str. nearly parallel to sut. I 1. E. . bistriatum
3: Pit. b. Ba. of an. r. Legs r. brown. A r. spot near
should, and ap. of each e. Th. tr. E. flat, with
3 dist. punc. str. ; the outer str. fainter; 8th dist.
\yi 1. E.N- . . . . . quadrisignahan
R. -yel. An. and legs paler. Th. gently tr. E. short,
conv., twice as wide as th., with the in. 2 punc. str.
deep ; the out. ones grow obs., the 8th deep behind.
i# 1. E.» . . . . . Fochi
(To be continued.)
GEOLOGY,
THE ORIGIN OF SOILS.
By F. SMITH.
AS all the multitudinous things in the world may be traced
to a few elements, so there possibly was a time when
the world was wholly made up of those elements, under a very
few combinations. If, as the geologist asserts, he can read the
world's history in the rocks of which it is composed, then there
was such a time. That the world does contain its own history
is undoubted, and that this history is in a measure decipher-
able is as certain ; but that it will ever be read as it was written
is altogether improbable, and, indeed, impossible. The record
is itself a ruin — a ruin of former records ; the present volumes
have been made out of old, their pages have been crossed and
recrossed, and some of their characters have become illegible,
or confounded together. Only he who has thought deeply upon
the subject, and worked extensively among the rocks, can realize
the full extent of their obliteration ; only he who has attempted
to read that which does remain, can form a just estimate of its
comprehensiveness, of its profound superiority to all that man
has been able to do or to suggest, in his boldest experiments,
and in his deepest philosophy. Yet one can read sufficient to
be able to declare how wonderful earth's history has been, and
that a human life is far too short fully to comprehend even one
of its many pages. It is one of the greatest, as well as one of
the highest pleasures, to read such portion of the record as can
be discerned, for
He, the God, the Infinite,
Gives to the finite mind of man,
A ray of omnipresent light,
Wherewith the mighty work to scan ;
And in that light the simple will
Reads, meekly trembling as it reads,
170 The Scottish Naturalist.
And tells that the Creator still
The wonderful procession leads
Of all things that are, that have been blest,
And, being blest, were bid to yield
The life He gave them.
In making a few remarks on the origin of soils, a history of
soils is not intended, but as an explanation has been asked ot
one or two assertions in a former paper, relative to the origin
of " soil " in the Carse of Gowrie, I take this opportunity to
explain my ideas of the origin of rocks, or as we will now put
it, the origin of soils.
All sedimentary rocks, and, therefore, soils, have been de-
rived from the plutonic rocks, or the crystalline masses of the
first-formed solid crust of the globe. These igneous rocks —
very various in their aspect — are composed of comparatively
few elementary materials, but from these, by means of their
chemical attributes, as affecting each other under continually
altering conditions, have resulted all that can now be found to
partake of the nature of things earthly.
If granite be taken as a type of these early rocks, its con-
stituents are quartz, felspar, and mica ; quartz comprises about
one fourth of its bulk, felspar rather more than a half, and mica
less than a fourth.
These granitic rocks were, as soon as formed, subjected to
degrading forces that cohesion and chemical attraction or
affinity, were powerless to resist ; and from this disintegration
has come about, with an economy and simplicity of design that
may well astonish us, nearly all that is found in the inanimate
world.
The first or simple results of the disintegration of granite are
(if by the sea) beds of sand resulting from the accumulation ot
quartz grains near the shore ; micaceous clay-slate beyond the
area of sand, the result of the liberated mica, or, mixed with the
sand, micaceous sandstone ; and in the deeper parts of the sea
beds of clay settling down from the finely disseminated
particles of decomposed felspar. If the degradation takes
place upon the land by atmospheric agencies, rain, wind, frost,
&c, then the result is the same, but the distribution of the de-
rived materials is less regular, the quartz and mica accumulating
mixed or unmixed in the valley, while the lighter particles of
felspar are carried to considerable distances, and scattered
abroad with eveiy flood, and even in large quantities borne
The Scottish Naturalist. 171
into the sea. This simple re-arrangement of the primary rocks-
is a perfect illustration of what is now taking place, in so far as.
re-arrangement is concerned, and yet the sources of the redis-
tributed materials are indeed almost endless.
But we will follow out the decomposition of granite some-
what farther, and we may, perhaps, see more clearly what the
laws which govern distribution and chemical combination have
produced from these rocks. From quartz, silica is derived;
from silica, silicon ; from mica, magnesia, lime, potash, peroxide
of iron, silica, &c. ; from magnesia, magnesium ; lime, calcium -r
potash, potassium ; from peroxide of iron, iron ; from felspar,
silica, alumina, and potash ; from alumina, aluminium ; and so
on ; and from the ultimate division of all these, oxygen.
From quartz, as has been said, all sandstones were derived
(in a former paper on " Trap Rocks," see Scottish Naturalist,.
Vol. II., p. 219). Silex was more particularly spoken of, but
(where magnesia is named as a colouring material please read
manganese) it is not soluble in water at its ordinary temperature,
but it is contained in the waters of the Geysers, and some
thermal springs, and if fused with an alkali is soluble in water,,
but much of its operation and modification in nature is beyond
present chemical knowledge.
To the lime and magnesia of mica (and to trap rocks, &c.) are
owing the immense accumulations of lime, mountain limestone,
magnesian limestone, chalk, &c, and to the peroxide of iron of
mica, many of the iron impregnated masses of the earth are
due.
Clay, with its alum and potash, under any circumstances
whatever found has possibly come from the felspathic ingredients
of the early rocks.
Lime is a compound of calcium, carbon, and oxygen ; but to
attempt to follow these substances through their wonderful
metamorphoses and combinations would be as absurd as it
would be endless. The following graphic description of the
important part that iron is playing in the economy of things
tnay show us what a work this would be : — " How strange, if
the steel axe of the woodman should have once formed part of
an ancient forest ; if, after first existing as a solid mass in a
primary rock, it should next have come to be diffused as a red
pigment in a transition conglomerate ; then as a brown oxide
in a chalybeate spring ; then as a yellowish ochre in a second-
ary sandstone ; then as a component part in the stems and
172 The Scottish Naturalist.
twigs of a thick forest of arboraceous plants ; then again as an
iron carbonate slowly accumulating at the bottom of a morass
of the coal measures ; then as a layer of indurated bands and
nodules of brown ore underlying a seam of coal ; and then,
finally, that it should have been dug out, and smelted, and
fashioned, and employed for the purpose of handicraft, and yet
occupy, even at this stage, merely a middle place between the
transmigrations which have passed, and the changes that are
yet to come."
As with iron, so with most other substances, dissemination,
combination, change, has been the perpetual order of all
material things. Upon these mechanical and chemical laws ol
change the vegetable, and hence the animal kingdom, has
depended. Had not the denuding agencies laboured to
destroy, and the mechanical distribution of the debris been
effected, the world would have remained a bleak and barren
wilderness of rugged rocks ; but " Nature is but a name for an
effect whose cause is God," and so the hardest rocks have
yielded to the influences that the Almighty Creator fore-
ordained, and their ruins are spread abroad upon the earth,
and the world is fitted for vegetable existence. Barren spots
are greatly the exception, and places utterly void of animal and
vegetable life are very rarely met with.
If the general ideas of less than forty years ago were correct,
that plants derived their nutriment from pre-existing vegetable
matter, it were then necessary that all soils should contain a
large proportion of carbonaceous and other constituents of
vegetables ; but this is found to be not at all necessary, indeed,
where the soil contains any such carbonaceous material it has
invariably been derived' from vegetable growth, and where
vegetation is growing upon such humus the carbonaceous
matter is proportionably increasing. It is not necessary in
some cases that any such vegetable materialjshould exist in the
soil. Plants have been grown in soils from which all organic
carbonaceous matter has been purposely expelled with perfect
success, and crops are abundantly reared upon natural soils in
which no vegetable material exists — indeed some plants grow
best upon such soils. " According to Darwin, rich harvests of
maize are yielded in the interior of Chili and Peru by soils
consisting of the merest quicksand never enriched by manure.
According to Colonel Campbell, the soil of the cinnamon
gardens at Colombo, and where else the tree is cultivated, is
The Scottish Naturalist. 173
pure quartz sand as white as snow. Dr. Schleiden again
observes that the oil palms of the western coasts of Africa are
grown in moist sea-sand; and that from the year 1821 to the
year 1830 there were exported, as produce of these palm trees,
into England alone, 107,118,000 lbs. of palm oil, containing
76 million lbs. or 32 thousand tons of carbon — these thousands
of tons of carbon being furnished by trees grown in a soil that
was practically free from organic or carbonaceous matter of any
kind whatever."
What then constitutes a soil? The answer is — any earthy
material whatsoever. This is putting it broadly, but it is in
this broad simple law that so much beneficence and wisdom is
seen. Had it been an essential that earth, to become a soil,
must contain an amount of organised carbonaceous and other
material, then in a world constituted as is ours no soil whatever
could have been formed, and carbon with every earth and
mineral would have retained their inorganic form. But the
vegetable kingdom is ever ready to transform the most arid
plains into beautiful gardens where physical conditions are
not sufficiently powerful to oppose this usurpation.
If some extensive forests could be placed in the centre of the
Sahara, it would bid fair to become in time as fruitful a country
as any part of Africa. The shifting of the sand would be
checked by an increase of moisture ; and if the forests extended
their limits in the least degree, their conquest of the whole
district would become almost a certainty. In other words, if
perfect rest, with sufficient moisture, could be given to the
Sahara sands, they were then soil fit for the growth of forests
that would in the end produce a humus rich with vegetable
material. The soil of the Carse of Gowrie, and of the Tay,
and Earn valleys, are what I described them before as being
the wear and tear of the high-lying shoulders of the Grampians.
The floor of the Earn Valley is, as was before shown, com-
posed of layers of coarse pebbles, beds of sand, merging from
coarse material above the pebbles, to fine arenaceous, or argillo-
arenaceous soils at top, or in some parts from the pebble-beds
through sands to stiff clays at top. In all this we see nothing
but the re-arranged materials of older denuded rocks, and we
may generalize upon their origin by roughly estimating their
several natures. The pebble beds contain perhaps 80 per cent
of siliceous material : some of the pebbles are micaceous, and
in other ways vary from a state of pure quartz, but not to any
174 The Scottish Naturalist.
very great extent. The sands probably contain about the same
proportion of silex, but as they become clayey they necessarily
contain alumina, potash, lime, or some such materials in pro-
portion as the clay increases.
We have seen how of old forests flourished upon these
sands and pebbles, and that then were produced countless
tons of carbon, much of which remains still buried below
the upper clay beds. This carbon was not derived from the
sands (it was, ot course, chiefly, if not wholly, derived from
the atmosphere, but this is not immediately our subject), but it
remains an almost imperishable monument of the bygone forest.
In many parts of England and Scotland, forest remains are met
with embedded in peat, &c, in districts where trees at the pre-
sent time scarcely exist. I have seen hosts of tree-boles
(chiefly oak) exhumed from the peat of Cambridgeshire that
grew upon the Chalk-marl and Uppei Greensand beneath. I
found the peat at the foot of the " Sow of Athol " to be full of
birch and Scots fir, and yet from that spot not a tree was
visible in any direction. That last forest took its rise upon the
glacial material with which the valley is thickly strewn, when the
drainage was better than it is now, owing to the ab&ence of the
humus. The accumulation of carbonaceous material was pro-
bably the cause of the decay of the trees. The forests of the
Fens of Cambridgeshire and Strathearn (and what has been said
of Strathearn applies equally to the Tay Valley), were perhaps
destroyed in the same way. Nothing blocks up drainage more
surely than accumulating vegetable matter. The vegetable
mould of our fields possibly originated from forest growth, but
before the vegetable mould was formed the forests had to take
up their abode upon the gravel or sand or clay that some geolo-
gical phenomena had prepared.
Scottish soils would be much more variable than they are were
it not for the almost universal presence of the stiff Boulder clay
or " till" of northern farmers. This covers a great variety of
rocks that would have degraded into many varieties of soil. In
many cases this "till" is an advantage upon what would have
been ; in others it may not be so.
Ancient soils are frequently met with in the stratified rocks.
The Portland dirt-beds are a notable instance. These beds of
humus are inter-stratified with Portland limestones, so that one
sees forest beds resting upon ancient sea bottoms, upon which
the vegetables must have taken root. In these beds tree trunks
The Scottish Xaturalist. 175
are found still standing as they grew. Beneath layers of coal
an under-clay is often found permeated by the roots of the coal-
forming plants. The underlying beds, however, are not always
clay, but sometimes sand, or limestone, permeated also with
roots.
In all this we see how wonderfully vegetable life adapts itself
to circumstances, and it is enabled to do this because it does
not derive its principal substance from the soil. But in adduc-
ing this, we do not mean to disparage the value of certain soils
above others, nor the fact that by adding certain substances to
soils (they may, however, be entirely free from carbonaceous
materials,) plants may be made to produce twice or thrice as
much carbon and other matters as without the application of
such substances. Most decisive experiments regarding these
and similar facts have been made during a series of years by
Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert, at Rothamstead.
Soils are sometimes deteriorated, but often improved by the
" subsoils" upon which they rest, so that the nature of the sub-
soil being ascertained, it can at once be seen whether deep
ploughing is advantageous or not.
Natural mixtures of soils might be copied with good results.
Or to put it in another form, we might say, Imitate in one dis-
trict what nature has done for our advantage in another. For
instance, eight-ninths of a soil good for turnips may be siliceous,
and the rest lime or alumina ; then as far as practicable, clay
or lime might be added to the turnip-land, not as an experi-
ment, but with some assurance as to the result. Great improve-
ments in agriculture have resulted from the practical applica-
tion of Organic Chemistry to the developement of cultivation;
and this is nothing less than an attempt to simulate Nature
in her grand economy. The more the secrets of the conversion
of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen into hosts of organised
substances are inquired into, the more it will be found neces-
sary to submit to, and to imitate the laws that regulate matter.
In many ways the vegetable kingdom stands between us and
the mineral (we use but one mineral as an article of food), but
although sulphur, phosphorus, chlorine, calcium, sodium, potas-
.sium, and some other elements are sometimes found in the
substance of plants, they occur in very small quantities.
The destruction of the rocks has produced the soils upon
which plants through all time have flourished, and their ultimate
division and dissemination have strewn a vast variety of mate-
176 The Scottish Naturalist.
rials over the face of the earth, assorted and arranged so as
best to suit the functions of vegetables, by what we conceive to
be the most natural phenomena. Natural phenomena is of
course another name for ordained law. and although all through
the geological ages there have been great alterations in the
" soils," there has never been anything like accident in the
continuation of the vegetable kingdom, seeing that the magni-
ficent but simple rule that the food of plants is not so much in
the soils as in the atmosphere, made it of no vital importance
of what the soils were composed. In fine, soils may be, and
are, derived from an infinity of sources ; and any natural, or
what is called accidental mixtures of decaying rocks, produces
a soil that with few exceptions is a fit habitat for plants. This
is a striking fact when one places it beside the wonderful mu-
tations that have taken place on the world's surface during an
immensity of time. Had the vegetable world depended even
upon certain proper combinations having been geologically
produced, its existence would have been precarious, and its
continuation somewhat uncertain ; but tufa from the burning-
mountain, accumulations on the bottom of the ocean, or any
local patch of sand or gravel are adapted to the natural wants
of vegetables. If the whole world were subjected to the influ-
ence of rire, and the whole of the vegetable and animal tissue
disseminated, its ashes would be ready to support its vegetable
forms as heretofore. The universal atmosphere has since the
world began been more essentially the habitat of vegetable life
than the soil in which it has grown ; and it has exercised a
divinely bestowed right of modifying and subduing the effects
of the constantly occuring changes to which the soils have been
and are still subjected.
I have just seen the report of a lecture by Professor Wyville
Thomson, delivered at Japan, June 21, 1875. After referring
to the formation of ooze (chalk), from the accumulated shells
of globigerina, &c, the Professor is reported to have remarked,
•• At the great depths (2000 to 3000 fathoms), the bottom is a
red ooze. This substance he ascribed .to the carbonate of cal-
cium being entirely dissolved out ot the shells during their slow
fall through such a distance, so that only the ashes, as it were,
of the shell reach the bottom. These ashes were found to be
a silicate of alumina and iron, thus upsetting the doctrine that day
was formed by the disintegration of rockr (The italics are my
own. )
The Scottish Xaturalist. ijj
Many vast rocky, masses have been formed through the in-
strumentality of animals, and it is not more wonderful that
silicate of alumina — the general constituent of clays — should
be formed by these means, than that carbonate of lime should
have such origin ; but the Professor's fact does not disprove
the chemical origin of clays any more than the coral reef or
chalk ooze annuls the chemical origin of stalagmite and certain
limestone strata. Still the fact that immense beds of clay may
have been formed by means of organised beings is another of
the grand illustrations of the perfectness of the economy that
constitutes our world.
Gold in Scotland.— On the occasion of a recent visit to the National
Museum of .Science and Art at Edinburgh, I found, in the Mineralogical
department, a large lump of Auriferous Quartz labelled "Gold : Gediegen
Gold Gemi. : Or natif Fr., from Leadhills, Scotland:1 It has quite the
naked-eye characters of numerous samples of Auriferous Quartz I have seen
from California, Australia, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, or other auriferous
countries,
F. W. Hutton, F.G.S., Provincial Geologist of Otago, and Director of
the Otago Museum at Dunedin, New Zealand, writes me of date May 28
J875> "I suppose that by Quartziles you mean Quartz-veins? For Quartzite
is a Rock, an altered Sandstone, and never to my knowledge contains Gold.
. . . It is quite certain that Quartz Mining is improving in Otago."
I have used the term Quartzite in its most comprehensive sense, as includ-
ing all forms of massive quartz, whether as a Rock or in Veins. In
Scotland, Auriferous Quartz occurs chiefly, if not exclusively, in the
form of Veinstones in various Rocks. But there are, in other auriferous
countries, very few Rocks indeed in which Gold has not been frequently or
occasionally found.
Reports of Gold-finds in Scotland, in other localities than those men-
tioned in my various published Papers on the Native Gold and Gold-rocks
of Scotland, every now and then reach me. The latest comes from Dr.
Grierson of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, who writes of date August 18, 1 8 75
— " I beg to communicate to you that Gold has been found in Gattozuay.
I have just returned from a Natural History and Antiquarian tour in
Galloway and have brought with me Native Gold. " He does not explain
in what form it occurs, or under what circumstances or where he found it ;
but he promises details in a future communication, which he might very
fitly make direct to the Scottish Xaturalist in his own name. A subse-
quent Dumfries newspaper, reporting the proceedings of the August (1875)
meeting of the Society of Inquiry, Thornhill, states that "Dr. Grierson
gave a lengthened account of a Natural History and Antiquarian tour in
Galloway, from which he had just returned; in the course of which he
mentioned the finding of Native Gold in Galloway, and exhibited
specimens. The Gold will be specially inquired after by competent
parties. It may be remembered that about two years ago the first Gold
.178 The Scottish Naturalist.
that had been found imbedded in Quartz at Wanlockhead was shown at
this Society. The specimen has been frequently inquired after. But,
owing to its having been lent for a special purpose, and not yet returned to
the Museum, many inquiring Visitors have not had an opportunity of
examining it, which is to be regretted." Dr. Grierson's regret at the non-
return of a Museum specimen of such public interest, borrowed two
years ago, is much too mild a criticism of the behaviour of the borrower,
whoever he may be. — W. Lauder Lindsay, Perth, August, 1875.
PHYTOLOGY,
Note on Merulius lachryrnans. — The following seems to me a re-
markable case of dissemination of the spores of Merulius lachryrnans : —
In a closet, about seven feet in length and height, and four feet in
breadth, two small plants appeared recently at the level of the floor, and
soon began to shed their ferruginous spores. In die course of a fortnight I
was surprised to find the floor becoming tinted all over ; and shortly after-
wards, although I carefully guarded against disturbance, by excluding
•draught, a wooden shelf, some feet above the floor, and the sill of a win-
dow, still higher up, became quite coated with a layer of the same colour.
Near the roof, also, one or two cobwebs, which I had preserved for the
purpose of watching the habits of the spiders, assumed the same hue. On
submitting to the microscope portions of this layer of colour from the
different elevations, I found them to consist of the spores of Merulius
lachryrnans. I could not discover any source from which these could
proceed except the two small plants at the level of the floor. The whole
atmosphere in the place must have been charged with their spores, which
were in due time deposited. Such dissemination will help to explain the
extraordinary rapidity with which this fungus usually completes its work of
destruction. — J. Stevenson, Glamis, August 1875.
New British Fungi.— I have recently found Ilydnum Icevigatum Fr.
and Labrella ptarniiciv, which, I believe, have not previously been recorded
as British. I am indebted to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley for verifying my
determination of the first, and for determining the second for me. — F.
Buchanan White, Rannoch, Sept., 1875.
THE FUNGUS SHOW OF THE CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY
OF SCOTLAND.
We need hardly remind our readers that the first Annual Conference and
Show of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland is to take place at Perth on
September 29th and 30th, and October 1st.
We trust it will, as it promises to, be a great success. We under-
stand that several of the foremost English, and, of course, most of the
Scottish, cryptogamists will be present. The arrangements for the
conference will be found on the last page of the wrapper.
The Scottish Naturalist. 179
REVIEWS.
1. — "The Naturalist" : Journal of the West Riding Consolidated
Naturalists' Society. Edited by C. P. Hobkirk and G. T. Porritt, F.L.S.,
Huddersfield.
2. — "The Quarterly Journal of Conchology." No. 5, vol. I.,
Leeds.
3. — "Field and Forest" : Bulletin of the Potomac-side Naturalists'
Club. Edited by C. R. Dodge, Washington, U.S.A.
4. — "On the Conservation of our Rarer Native Plants and
Insects:" a Presidential Address to the Edinburgh Naturalists' Field
Club, by William Gorrie, Edinburgh.
Though as a general rule we do not care to devote the scanty space at
our disposal to matters of such temporary interest as reviews, we cannot,
resist noticing the appearance of several new journals devoted to Natural
History, as we trust their appearance in the field is an indication of pro-
gress. The first on our list is the third attempt made by the West Riding
Naturalists to establish a journal of their own, and we sincerely trust this
venture will be more successful than the former two. Amongst so many
Yorkshire societies, and with the editors whose sendees have been
secured for the new journal, it ought surely to be a matter of little difficulty
to obtain enough material and subscribers to make the Naturalist (rather
an ill-chosen name by the way) a success. If, however, it is to have an
interest outside of Yorkshire, less prominence must be given to the local
societies' reports.
The next two on our list are also well printed and got up Magazines,
and not so local in their contents. We wish them also success.
No. 4 is chiefly occupied by a review of various plants that have become
extinct, or nearly so, in various localities known to the author. Botanists,
sheep, rabbits, and rats appear to be the chief instruments of destruction.
Mr. Gorrie suggests the introduction of some of our rarer plants into
localities favourable for their naturalization, and suggests that field clubs
should record such introductions, both past and future. The importance of
the latter point should not be lost sight of. After disposing of the plants, Mr.
Gorrie next directs attention to insects, and thinks that insect collectors
are more to be blamed for extirpation of the objects of their pursuit than
plant collectors. The will to do so may be present in some cases, but we
do not think that in Scotland at least much mischief may be attributed to
insect collectors. Some suggestions then follow regarding the advisability
of the introduction of certain beautiful insects. By all means let this be
attempted, but do not let the experimenter be too sanguine of success.
" In conclusion," says Mr. Gorrie, "let each and all who study botany
and entomology, or other branches of natural history, do so carefully, per-
severingly, and above all, economically, not only avoiding needless waste,
but rather promoting or aiming at the increase of the rarer objects ; so
that those who come after may find no diminution of plants, insects, or
other specimens they may be in search of, in the habitats where they may
have previously been found. And in natural history, as in other pursuits,
it is a good rule to avoid all needless and ostentatious expenditure, over-
indulgence in which not only dulls personal exertion, but detracts from the
real pleasures that are derivable from natural history studies generally, and
from the country excursions of Naturalists' Field Clubs in particular,"
INSECTA SCOTICA,
THE LEPIDOPTEEA OF SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 132.)
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
bractea L. Not common. Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g o o
West. Solway Clyde § West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Britain, South
and north-eastern Germany, Alps, Finland, &c. Type.
Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. Scottish.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. September, June.
Food-PLANT. Nettle, etc.
festucje L. Not common. Agrestal and palustral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde Argyle § o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time ok Appearance — Imago. August, September. Larva. May-
July. Food-plant. Various low plants, grasses, &c.
IOTA L. Not common. Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §
Orkney o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-59°io'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Aitkarance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May.
Food-plaxt. Nettle, etc.
The Scottish Naturalist. 181
pulchrina Hw. Not uncommon. Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g
Orkney o
West. § Clyde g West-Ross o
Lat. 55°-59°io'. Range in Europe. Central (and northern?).
Type. Centro-Septentrional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May.
Food-plant. Nettle, etc.
gamma L. Common. Agrestal and pascual. Ascends to
above 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g
Orkney o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross g
Lat. 54°4o'-59°io'. Range in Europe. Throughout. Type.
Territorial. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June -September. Larva. April-
September. Food-plant. Low plants.
P. Hocheivwarthi Hchw. may perhaps be found on the mountains.
interrogations L. Not uncommon. Ericetal. Ascends
to 1300 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee Moray Suther-
land o o
West, g Clyde Argyle g g
Lat. 55°4o'-58°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. Scottish.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. September-
June. Food-plant. Heather.
HELIOTHID-ffi.
ANARTA Tr.
MYRTILLI L. Common. Ericetal. Ascends to 1300 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther-
land Orkney g
West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-59°io'. Range in Europe. Central and north-
ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. April-July. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Food-plant. Heather.
1 82 The Scottish Naturalist.
cordigera Thnb. Local. Ericetal. Ascends to 2200 feet.
Distribution — East, o § Tay Dee Moray goo
West, o § g g o
Lat. 56°3o'-57°3o'. Range in Europe. Northern and
central ; Alps, etc. Type. Septentriono-central. Type
in Britain. Scottish.
Time of Appearance — Imago. April-June. Larva. June- August.
Food-plant. Arctostapkylos uva-wsi? &c.
Some other species of Anarta may yet be found on our mountains,
especially in the north.
MELANOPA Thnb. Local. Alpine. Ascends to 4200 feet.
Distribution — East, o g Tay Dee g g g Zetland
West, o Clyde g g g
Lat. 56°3o'-6o°3o'. Range in Europe. Scotland and Lap-
land : (a variety on the Alps). Type. Boreal. Type in
Britain. Alpine.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. July- August. Food-
plant. Azalea procitmbens? &c.
Heliaca tenebtata Sc. (1763; arbicti F. 1775) nas been reported from
Clyde.
HELIOTHIS Tr.
armiger Hb. Rare. Pascual.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Sohvay 0000
Lat. 54°5o'. Range in Europe. South and west-central,
&c. Type. Meridiono-central. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. August-October. Larva. June,
July. Food-plant.
H. pcltigera is reported from Clyde.
CHARICLEA Stph.
umbra Hufn. (1767); marginataF. (1775). Not common.
Pascual, maritime.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay g g Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central (S. Sweden).
Type. Central. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. July, August.
Food-plant. Rest-harrow ( Ononis).
Thalpochares ostrina lib. was reported from Clyde several years ago.
(To be continued. )
The Scottish Naturalist. 183
THE COLEOPTERA OP SCOTLAND.
(Continued from p. 136.)
Edited by D. SHARP, M.B.
0
0
0 0
0
0 0
0
0
1
0 0
0
:al.
0
Dee 0
(
0
0 0
PROTEINUS Kr.
brevicollis Er. Rare.
Distribution — East. § Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
brachypterus Fab. Common in decaying vegetable matter.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Sohvay §000
macropterus Gyll. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 000 00000
West. Solway
atomarius Er. In fungus. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o Dee 0000
West. Solway o
MEGARTHRUS Kr.
DEPRESSUS Payk. In dung. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §000
West. Solway §000
SINUATOCOLLIS Lac. In fungus. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee §000
West. Solway §000
denticollis Beck. In fungus. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee §000
West. Solway §000
[hemiptertjs 111. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 0000000
West. Solway 0000
"Raehills, Rev. W. Little." Murray.
PHLCEOBIUM Kr.
CLYPEATUM Mull. Lowland. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee §000
West. Solway §000
184
The Scottish Naturalist.
PHLCEOCHARIS Kr.
SUBTILISSIMA Mann. Under bark of Scotch fir.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee Moray o
West, o o o o o
MICROPEPLUS Kr.
PORCATUS Payk. Lowland. Not common.
Distribution — East. § Forth o o
West. Solway § o
STAPHYLINOIDES Marsh. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth
West. § § o o
margaritje Duv. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o
West, o o o o o
o
o
o
o
Dee
o
o
o
o
o
tesserula Curt. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o o o
West, o Clyde o o
o
o
o
o
o
PSELAPHID^E.
BRYAXIS Leach.
[sanguinea Fab. Doubtful as Scottish.
Distribution — East, o o o o o
West. Solway o o o
"Raehills, Rev. W. Little." Murray Cat.
fossulata Reich. Lowland. Local. In marshes
Distribution — East. o o o o
West. Solway Clyde o
COTUS De Saulcy. Riparial. Very local.
Distribution — East. o o o o
West. Solway o o
In sandy places by the Nith and Ken ; peculiar to Scotland.
h^matica Reich. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o o o o
West. Solway o o o
Found at the actuary of the Nith below New Abbey. — D. S.
(To be continued.)
O
O
O
O
O
0
o
0
0
0
o
0
0
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
PHYTOLOGY. P
NOTES ON ERGOT.
By A. STEPHEN WILSON
, F. C. S. SX U
THE investigations of the Messrs. Tulasne have left little
of an obvious character to be gleaned on the subject of
Ergot. But the following notes of observations and experi-
ments may be of some use to any one who desires to enter on
this branch of mycology.
In those localities of Aberdeen and Kincardine which I have
examined, about twenty of the grasses are usually ergotised.
Whatever may have been the case anciently, when the land was
undrained and full of gramineous weeds, and the crops perhaps
later, at the present day cereal rye is very rarely ergotised. I
have searched whole fields without finding a single spur. It is
therefore obvious that some of the conditions under which rye
is grown in France (from which the Ergot of rye for medical
practice is derived), are different from those under which it is
now cultivated in the north-east of Scotland. But whether the
absence of Ergot on rye in Scotland, as compared with France
and other places, is due to a cultivation which destroys the
Ergot ; or whether it results from the fruit of the Ergot not
being ripe in Scotland "when the bloom is on the rye" to the
same extent as on the Continent, I am not aware. But the
quantity of Ergot which can be found almost any autumn, on
the various grasses of this country, would probably be found
equal to the demand. The smaller Ergots are more compact
and less fractured than those of rye, and would probably better
preserve whatever qualities they possess. These Ergots are
worth a practical trial.
The grasses most liable to be ergotised are the common rye
* Read at the Conference of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, Sept.
30, 1875.
1 86 The Scottish Naturalist.
grass {Lolium perenne); the vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odora-
tum) ; the cat's tail (Phleum pratense) ; the floating meadow
grass (Glyceria fluitans) ; and some others. The crested dog's
tail ( Cy Hosieries cristatus), and the various species of Bromus,
are not ergotised in the places named. Wheat and barley are
rarely ergotised; and on the cultivated oats, the wild oats
(A vena fatua), the bristle-pointed oats {Avena strigosa), and
the fly oat [Avena sterilis), I have never seen a single case of
Ergot.
The time of the year at which the grasses begin to be ergo-
tized depends on the time at which the Clavkeps is ripe. I
have found the Clavkeps growing naturally as the Ergot had
fallen, nearly in a ripe state, on the 27th of June. The grasses
therefore, which are fertilised before the middle of June, must
generally escape Ergot. The latest date at which I have seen
Ergot in its early and growing state is the middle of September.
Thus the hay crops being past flowering before the heads of
the fungus are mature, entirely escape the spores, which are so
fatal to the seeds of rye grass on individual stalks at a later
date.
It appears from Mr. Cairuthers' recent paper in the Journal
of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, (vol. x. pt. 2,
1874) that differences of opinion exist as to the character of
season most favourable to Ergot ; some holding that a wet sea-
son is most favourable, and others that a dry season is most
favourable. Such statements are too loose. The conditions
necessary to a crop of Ergot appear to be these : — That there
shall remain from the previous year a considerable quantity of
Ergot upon the ground : that during May, June, and July, there
be sufficient moisture to cause the vegetation of the fungus :
and that at the time when the heads are ripe there be sufficient
dry, hot, and sunny weather, for the dissemination of the spores.
Because if a quantity of Ergot is collected at an early date, and
with the Clavkeps only beginning to appear here and there, and
is laid aside in a dry place, the growth of the fungus is instantly
arrested. And if, when by sufficient moisture the heads come
to maturity, there is heat and sunshine, the spores will be dis-
seminated; while, if at this time, they are drowned by frequent
rain, the spores will either not be projected into the air, or will
be washed down into the soil and lost. There must be wet
weather for the growth of the fungus, and diy weather for the
scattering of the spores.
The Scottish Naturalist. 187
In proof of this theory, if a quantity of Ergot, bearing the
fungus nearly ripe, is put into a small clear bottle, the process
of sporing may be watched. The pileus, smooth at first, is
known to be ripe when the mouths of the conceptacles begin
to pout in protuberances above the general surface. If the
bottle is held up in the bright sunshine so as to give the
proper reflection, instantly a head here and there begins to
open its batteries, and to discharge a shower of needles in all
directions. These needle-spores are about half a hundredth of
an inch in length, and can easily be seen with the naked eye
floating about in glittering shoals in the bottle. It would ap-
pear that they are shot into the air by elastic pressure, brought
to a crisis by the expansion by the light and heat ; for whenever
the pressure (as it seems) has been withdrawn by the projec-
tion of a certain number, the remainder, or some of them, are
merely pushed to the mouth of the ascus and fall over on the
surface.
But of course it is obvious that although there may be plenty
of spores flying about, if the season is unfavourable to the til-
lering of the grasses, there will be fewer late-flowering spikes
thrown up, and so a defective crop of Ergot from the want of
nests to be hatched in. At any spot where the grass is much
ergotised in one year, it is more ergotised in the same place
the following year than the grass at a short distance.
When the parts of a recently-opened grass floret have been
attacked by a flying spore, there soon appears a drop of fluid
adhering to the pales. Some ears of rye which I had inserted
into a test tube containing many ripe heads from the Ergot of
Glyceriafliiitans, were placed as they grew, in the inside of a
clear bottle with the bottom out. This protected them from
rain and wind. In a few days drops began to appear at various
florets, increasing to large dimensions. These drops have a
strong and peculiar smell. At the bottom of them there accu-
mulates a deposit of spermatia, which must be exuded from the
growing Ergot. But it seems clear that the great masses of
fluid must be drawn from the air. These were constantly
visited during the day by about six species of diptera, which
drank part of the fluid, or the sperm it contained. A portion
of the fluid was collected by a dipping tube every morning and
put into a small phial.
Some other neighbouring spikes became affected which had
not been artificially touched ; but whether the flies had carried
1 88 The Scottish Naturalist.
the spermatia to these, I could not determine. Nor could I
determine what effect was produced on the flies themselves.
Two artificially affected barley florets which stood inside in
pots, were visited constantly and persistently by the house fly,
and one of these dropt dead on the paper before me ; but
whether from Ergotism or old age, I could not tell. Ergot, in its
complete state, is also eaten by swarms of black ants and other
insects as it hangs on the grass.
In the case of the rye artificially ergotised, although the
drops were immense and promised good spurs, all turned out
very small. Two artificial barley Ergots were of large size, and
one which showed the drop very largely merely destroyed the
seed without producing an Ergot at all. Perhaps the rye
Ergot may have been hindered in its growth by the withdrawal
of the fluid.
The Ergot on each species of grass is of a peculiar shape.
The heavier spurs on rye weigh five grains, while those on Poa
pratensis do not weigh more than about the hundredth of a
grain. The heavier rye Ergots are ten times the weight of the
healthy seed ; but in some of the other grasses the Ergot is
from twenty to forty times the weight of the seed. In many
cases, however, the Ergot is little larger than the natural kernel.
The structure of many grass florets and their mode of fertilisa-
tion render them specially liable to the floating spores of
Ergot. When a rye floret opens for fertilisation, the feathery
stigmas are thrown outside the pales on both sides, and are
seldom retracted ; while in many cases the pales remain open
to a certain extent after fertilisation has been effected. In
wheat, on the other hand, the flower cup is much wider ; the
feathers are seldom exposed outside, even when the flower
opens for fertilisation ; and they are, as a rule, retracted as the
flower shuts. The pales remain open only for twenty or thirty
minutes, and finally close, barring all doors against the flying
darts of the enemy.
I have found the fungus growing naturally only upon the
Ergot of Glyceriafluitans and Holms mollis, but have succeeded
in producing it by cultivation from the Ergot of eleven species
of grasses. Whether all these fungi are to be classed as one
species, I will not venture to decide. But where many
hundreds on the Ergots of one kind of grass are seen growing
together — some a tenth of an inch in length of stem, some two
inches, some with a double head, some purple in colour, some
The Scottish Naturalist. 189
pale yellow, some with a thick stem and large head, some with
a thin stem and small head — the species purpurea and micro-
cephala seem to run into each other. The Claviceps, which
grows in deep shade under withered grass, near the bottom of
a ditch, is less ruddy in colour than that which grows on a
ledge more exposed to the light.
A question suggests itself — What may be the effect of Ergot
on the grasses ? Of course the immediate effect is to prevent
the growth and ripening of a certain proportion of the seeds ;
and thus to hinder in one way the natural propagation of the
plant. But it is a fact that the ripening of the seeds and
culms of the cereal grasses tends to make these grasses annual.
They are not absolutely annual even when a few spikes on a
stool are fully ripened, but grow occasionally for two or three
years. Now, if before rye was cultivated, it was so largely
ergotised as to prevent all but a few seeds from maturing, the
plant may at that time have been a perennial grass. And the
present effect of Ergot on the grasses may be to give a longer
term of perenniality to the roots and lower nodes, than if all
the seeds were allowed to exhaust the plant by coming to
maturity.
o
APPENDIX— No. I.
List of Ergotised Grasses referred to.
1. Wheat, Triticum sativum Linn.
2. Wheat grass, Trit. repens Linn.
Rye, Secale cereale Will.
3. Rye, Sec. cereale, artificially ergotised.
4. Barley, Hordeum distichum Linn.
4. Barley, Hor. distichum, artificially ergotised.
5. Vernal grass, Anthoxanthirm odoratum Linn.
6. Mat grass, Nardus stricta Linn.
7. Fox-tail grass, Alopecurus pratensis Linn.
8. Reed Canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea Linn.
9. Cat's-tail grass, Phleum pratense Linn.
10. Turfy hair grass, Air a caespitosa Linn.
11. Waved hair grass, Airafiexuosa Linn.
12. Creeping grass, Holcus mollis Linn.
13. Meadow soft grass, Holcus lanatus Linn.
14. Oat grass, Arrhenatherum avenaceum Beau.
15. Smooth meadow grass, Poa pratensis Linn.
190 The Scottish Naturalist.
16. Floating sweet grass, Glyceria fluitans R. Br.
17. Cock's-foot grass, Dactylis glo?nerata Linn.
1 8. Tall fescue grass, Festuca elatior Linn.
19. Meadow fescue grass, Festuca pratensis Hudson.
20. Rye grass, Loliuvi perenne Linn.
21. Darnel, Loliwn temulentum Linn.
No. II.
Grasses referred to on the Ergot of which the Claviceps has
been grown.
2. Wheat grass, Triticum repe7is.
3. Rye, Secale ceirale (23 fungi on one spur).
5. Vernal grass, Anthoxanthum odoratui?i.
6. Mat grass, Nardus stricta.
10. Turfy hair grass, Aira caespitosa.
. 12. Creeping soft grass, Holcus mollis (found growing
naturally, 1874).
14. Oat grass, Arrhenatheru?n ave?iacewn.
1 6. Floating sweet grass, Glyceria fluitans (found growing
naturally in many hundreds, 1874).
1 7. Cock's-foot grass, Dactylis glo?nerata.
18. Tall fescue grass, Festuca elatior.
20. Rye grass, Lolium pereiine
NOTES ON KAEE OE PKOBABLE SCOTTISH FUNGI/
ByM. C. COOKE, LL.D., Cor. Mem. C.S.S.
IT is never a difficult task for a practical worker in any de-
partment of Natural History to find a subject on which
to communicate with his fellow-workers, either in propounding
and seeking the solution of problems which have presented
themselves in his experience, or in communicating from his
own knowledge facts and hints which may assist and lighten
the labour of others. Hence it will be concluded that two or
three days' notice was ample to enable me to present to the
Cryptogamic Society of Scotland such a communication. It
was, nevertheless, the cause of some anxiety, since such an
opportunity so seldom occurs, of producing just such a short
* Read at the Conference of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland,
Sept. 30, 1875.
The Scottish Naturalist. 191
paper as should combine brevity with utility, and supply the
kind of information which would best serve the interests of
this Society and of Scottish Cryptogamists generally.
It is well known that I have abjured the study of all other
Cryptogamia on behalf of Mycology, and deeming the interests
of the Hy meno my cetes perfectly safe in the hands of Mr. Worthing-
ton Smith, it is but little attention that I can find time to
bestow on any but Microscopic Fungi, and, therefore, it is of
these alone that I purpose to write.
The geographical distribution of Fungi in Scotland is a topic
of interest ; but as yet the materials are deficient for constructing
any such tables. This, I would suggest, is an eligible work for
the Cryptogamic Society to undertake, and as the Rev. J.
Stevenson is making a contribution to such a work, we may
fairly conclude that it has really commenced. I shall not
attempt, therefore, to enumerate the Fungi found in Scotland,
or any portion of it, since this Society may soon avail itself of
much more complete materials than any which I possess. The
subject which appeared to me at once the most advisable to
attempt, and the one which would best secure your approbation,
consists of a few stray notes and suggestions on Fungi not yet
recorded, or but rarely found in Scotland, deeming that thereby
you might be enabled considerably to augment the Scottish
catalogue.
Before proceeding directly to this subject, I cannot forbear,
on this the first opportunity I have had of addressing Scottish
Cryptogamists on their own soil, to pay my tribute of respect
to the memory of workers who have ceased their labours and
gone to their rest. Foremost amongst these stands the name of
Dr. Greville, whose Scottish Cryptogamic Flora still holds a
respectable place in Cryptogamic literature, notwithstanding
that his microscopical details are not up to the standard of the
day. Dr. Greville was a hard and earnest worker, and set an
example which may be worthily followed.
In a humbler sphere William Gardiner must not be forgotten,
although chiefly as a collector, yet he performed useful work
in his generation.
No collections however have been more important than those
made by Captain Carmichael in Appin. Considering the time at
which he worked and the difficulty of acquiring information, it
is no small honour that Carmichael found so much that was
new and interesting.
192 The Scottish Naturalist.
Coming down to more recent times, the late Mr. Jerdon
deserves mention, as quietly and in a manner void of assump-
tion adding to the number of Scottish Cryptogamia.
The rarer Scottish Fungi found by each and all of these
gentlemen should be sought after again by their successors, so
as to establish their work.
Of Greville's species his Hysterium figured as Hysterium
varium, but which Berkeley has named H Carmichalianum,
although figured by Greville was found by Carmichael, and the
specimen in the Edinburgh Herbarium, which I examined by
permission of Professor Balfour, contains sporidia very similar
to those of Hysterium repandum, Blox., except in being rather
larger. It may be that additional specimens if found would
prove that the two are identical.
ALcidium ParnassicB found by Greville in the neighbourhood
of Edinburgh, I am informed has since been found by a mem-
ber of this Society ; until recently the only specimen I had
seen was the single leaf from Dr. Greville in the Edinburgh
Herbarium.
Puccinia Chrysosplenii, which, by the way, is quite different
rom the P. Chrysosplenii of German authors, has recently been
found south of the Tweed by my good friend the Rev. J. E.
Vize, of Forden, fully according with Greville's specimens.
Helotium ochraceum, the Peziza ochracca of Greville ; Helo-
tium cribrostwi, the Ptziza cribrosa of Greville ; Helotium claro-
flavum, the Peziza claroflava of Greville, are all species so rare
that they merit a good search.
Cylindrosporum concentricum^ Grev. fpl. 27J, is a species
which has given rise to some confusion, and one I have never
seen. It occurs on cabbage leaves, but I am not aware that it
has been found since Greville's time. '
Puccinia Fabce, according to Greville's figure, is only an
Uromyces ; but he speaks of it as containing more than one
cell. I have never seen other than Uromyces on leaves of the
bean, although included in the Handbook, on the faith of
Greville and Berkeley. A Puccinia on Faba is therefore a
desideratum.
Sphoiria ( CryptospJuvria ) Tamariscinis, Grev., is a species
which should be sought, as I do not think that the Sp/uuria
on Tamarisk, with which I am acquainted, is the same species.
Nectria Purtoni ( Cucurbitaria pinastri of the S. C. Flora, pi.
50), is certainly rare, and should be diligently sought after.
The Scottish Naturalist. 193
Puccinia variabilis, according to Greville, has the cells often
subdivided and constricted. I must confess that I could never
find a spore with more than one septum in what is supposed to
be Puce, variabilis, and the experience of others coincide with
my own. If specimens could be found in Scotland upon Dan-
delion leaves, agreeing with this portion of Greville's descrip-
tion, the fact should be recorded.
Whether Greville's Peziza reticulata (pi. 156) be the same as
P. venosa is considered by some to be doubtful. The Scotch
plant was found near Edinburgh, and it would be well that the
forms of P. ve/iosa found in Scotland in the spring should be
carefully compared with southern forms.
Lophium elatum (pi. 177), is another of Carmichael's plants
first figured by Greville. It appears to be everywhere rare —
though since found on the continent of Europe — and is always
worth searching after.
Dothidea betulina is probably not very uncommon in Scot-
land ; indeed Greville states that it is common, whereas I have
never met with it in England or Wales.
Sticlis Wauchii ( Crypto my ces Wauchii, Grev.J is clearly a
condition of Rhytisma maximum, which occurs in some parts
of England.
Choetopsis Wauchii (Grev. fig. 236) I have never seen in any
condition, or from any part of the world. It is a very curious
mould, and requires further examination. It was found in
spring, on rotten wood, at Fox Hall, and might probably be
found again if sought after.
Virgaria nigra is another scarce mould on dead trunks, found
at Appin, but which is also found in N. Europe. It is one of
those obscure plants which, being seldom met with, has never
been satisfactorily figured.
These are some of the fungi figured or described by Greville,
which it is well that Scottish Cyptogamists should bear in
mind, and probably they will be found again under similar
conditions. For my own part, I always feel more satisfied in
finding a lost plant which has been described by a botanist of a
previous generation than in two or three which are absolutely new.
There are also records of other rare plants in Scotland, be-
sides those figured by Greville, which may be found again.
For instance, a pale rosy-pink Peziza on old Stcreum, which I
named Peziza stereicola, and of which the only specimen is in
the Edinburgh Herbarium. A pretty little red Peziza on fir
194 The Scottish Naturalist.
leaves, named Pcziza incarnata, hitherto only found by Mr.
Jerdon. Venturia atramentaria found by Dr. Buchanan White
on living leaves of Vaccinium uliginosum ; also Vibrissea Mar-
garita, found by the same gentleman. Peziza albo-spadicea
(Greville), which I have had recently sent me from the United
States. Feziza livida (Sch.) — The true plant was found in
Scotland by Sir William Jardine. Peziza Polytrichi Schum.
— The only genuine plants yet found in Britain are the Scotch
specimens. Pcziza Dalmeniensis, an elegant golden yellow
Peziza, found on the ground amongst old nettles at Dalmeny.
The little Peziza Grevillei, on stems of Umbellifers, which
Greville mistook for P. nidulus. Peziza subtilissima, so like
P. calycina, except in fruit, is probably equally common on firs.
The rarest of our British species of Puccinia is P. Rhodiolce,
found on Scdum rhodiola, in Clova and Glen Callater, and, I
believe, nowhere else. It was first discovered by Gardiner.
Ustilago vinosa on the flowers of Oxyria, found at Glendole, in
August, is another of Gardiner's species, and one of the rarest
species of Ustilago. Hydnangium carneum has been found by
Dr. Dickson at the Botanic Garden, Glasgow, and hitherto in
no other station in Britain. Subterranean fungi are apparently
rare in the North.
Eustcgia arundinacea, Fr., is certainly an interesting fungus,
found in Scotland by the Rev. J. Fergusson, * but apparently
not yet in England. The same gentleman has also found
several other fungi, as yet confined to Scotland. It may be of
interest to note that I found Puccinia Pcrgussoni many years
ago in North Wales, as Puccinia Andersoni was also found ori-
ginally by Mr. Gardiner.
Amongst the Fungi collected at Appin there are several not
yet recorded from any other place in Britain, as for instance :
Stictis pallida P., Stictis Microstoma, Hclotium buccina Fr.,
Helotium sclerotioidcs B., Hclotium agaricinum B., Puccinia
clandcstina Carm., Helm in thosporium subulatum N., Sporotrichum
inosculans B., Peziza mclaxantha Fr. All of these should be
sought again. Amongst Capt. Carmichael's specimens there
were apparently fragments and indications of other species, too
immature or insufficient for description.
It is scarcely necessary to include here the more recently
discovered or described species, such as those found by Mr.
Jerdon, or those collected by mycologists still living, except
*See note on p. 197.
The Scottish Naturalist. 195
perhaps to intimate that Ascomyccs tricntalis requires more
minute examination, especially in a fresh state, than it has
received, and that Professor Thistleton Dyer found a Rhytisma
on leaves of Vaccinium at the same time that he collected the
Exobasidium, which was not in a sufficiently perfect state for
description or identification. The same may be said of a
Sphceria or punctiform Rhytisma on leaves of Empetrum nigrum.
Species not yet recorded in Scotland include Uromyces
Trientalis, found on a single leaf from Dr. Dickie, of Aberdeen.
It has never been described or recorded, because only this
single specimen has been found. Uredo Empetri was found
sparingly in North Wales, but there is no reason why it should
not be found on Empeti'um nigrum in Scotland. A single
example of Mclampsora padl was found within about twenty
miles of London, but it is far more probable that it will be
found on leaves of Primus padus in Scotland, where Uredo
poiphyrogenita occurs, than in the south. Calyptospora Gcep-
periiana is a very curious brown fungus, investing the stems and
branches of Vaccinium Vitis Idcea, hardly looking like a fungus,
but a diseased condition of the tissues ; still it is placed
amongst the Uredines, and I have great faith in its being ulti-
mately found in Scotland, since it occurs in North Europe and
North America.
There is no reason to suppose that some of Karsten's
Finland species may not also be found in these northern parts
of the British Isles, or some of the smaller species found by
other mycologists in Northern Europe. For instance, Peziza
chrysophthalma and Peziza pithya, on small branches of firs,
both elegant little orange species, not unlike Peziza calycina.
Peziza hirtella and Peziza avicularia on grouse dung, also
Ascobolus crenulatus and Peziza Cesatii on the same substance.
It seems to me most extraordinary that hitherto no fungus has
been found on grouse dung in Scotland, and I believe that it
only requires to be looked for, and some one or more forms of
Discomycetes will be found.
There is certainly no scarcity of Pinus sylvestris in Scotland
and yet we have no record of such species of Discomycetes as
Ombrophila abacina, or Helotium proximellum^ or Desmazierella
acico/a, all of which are very likely indeed to be met with, the
latter having recently been found in the south. Fir leaves, and
the small twigs or bark of firs, are the habitat of numerous
species, some of which are still unknown to Britain.
ig6 The Scottish Naturalist.
Two other plants not at all uncommon in Scotland — Calluna
and Erica — have not been satisfactorily examined. It would
occupy too much time to enumerate all the species separately
which should be sought on these and other common plants,
such as the species of Vaccinium, Sfiircea, Alchemilla, &c, and,
indeed, it would take more time to prepare a satisfactory list
than was at my disposal in the preparation of these notes.
It will perhaps be objected that these suggestions are too
fragmentary to be of much service, and this is doubtless true ;
but, as no intimation reached me that a communication would
be acceptable until only a few days remained before the journey
to Perth had to be commenced, this must be accepted as an
earnest of good-will and a desire to assist, even though in-
efficiently, the Mycologists of the north.
CKYPTOGAMIO SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND.
THE first annual conference of this Society was held at Perth, on
Sept., 29th and 30th, and October 1st, 1875, and was fairly
successful. As a report of the conference has been already published, it is
not our intention to give here more than a brief account of the proceedings.
The first day was devoted to excursions in the neighbourhood of Perth —
Moncreiffe Hill, Scone Woods, and Dupplin Woods, being visited by different
parties. Though by this plan more ground was searched than would other-
wise have been the case, yet it seems to us that it might have been preferable
for all the botanists to have united in one party, and thus given an opportunity
to those from different parts of the country of making each other's acquaint-
ance : (and more than one day might have been devoted to the excursions
with great advantage). Another matter may here be alluded to, and that is
the desirability on another occasion of so arranging matters that all the
visitors to the Conference may have a common meeting place in the evenings,
for the examination of specimens and for conversation. Under the circum-
stances it was impossible to make any arrangement for this being done,
chiefly because the various members were located (through the kind
hospitality extended to them) in various places more or less distant from a
common centre.
The second day was fully occupied. The forenoon was devoted to the
arrangement of the specimens. In the afternoon the Business Meeting was
held. After the election of various honorary, corrresponding, and ordinary
members, Kelso was selected as the place at which the conference of 1S76
should be held. It appears doubtful to us whether it would not have been
more advantageous to have selected a larger town than Kelso for the place
of meeting, but on behalf of Kelso, it was urged that it was a place very
accessible from all parts of the south of Scotland, and that it was moreover
the centre of a district probably very prolific in cryptogamic plants. The
following papers were then read : — " On certain probable Scottish Fungi'
by M. C. Cooke, LL.D., editor of Grevillea. This will be found at p. 190-
The Scottish Naturalist. 197
In moving a vote of thanks to Dr. Cooke, the Rev Mr Fergusson, of
Fern, said — I am sure that I express not only my own, but the feelings of
all the members of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, when I say that
we are deeply indebted to those distinguished English Cryptogamists who
have come so far to honour us with their presence at our meeting, and to
aid us in so brotherly a way by their wider and more varied experience, and
larger knowledge. More particularly are we indebted to Dr. Cooke, whose
name is so well known everywhere in connection with Fungi ; for he has
not only come all the way from London, but has also been at the trouble to
prepare this most interesting and important paper which he has just read
to us. Before moving a hearty vote of thanks to him for this paper, I may
perhaps be allowed to say a very few words on some of the points contained
in it. We in Scotland know very little about Fungi ; and for a long time, until
quite recently we had been doing very little that was worth mentioning —
but lately some of us have been working up the Fungi of the north of Scot-
land— though quietly not altogether unsuccessfully. The result has been,
that though many of those species which Dr. Cooke has advised us to look
for, have been looked for unfortunately without success, there are othei-s
which have been found. sEcidium pamassia: has been found both by Mr.
Anderson of St. Andrews and myself, in several localities, but except on
one occasion never in any quantity. So far as yet appears it must still be
considered as rather rare. Puccinia chrysosplenii though apparently local
has been found in so many places that it can hardly be considered as rare.
Puccinia rhodiolce has also been met with, far removed from Clova and
Glen Callader, but the localities, for reasons which can be appreciated by
many members of the Society, are not at present divulged. Again, Puccinia
dandestina was discovered by Mr Anderson and myself in company, but
only in one spot and veiy sparingly indeed. Dr. Buchanan White has
gathered Uredo empetri in Rannoch, and I believe that I have also
gathered it in the north-east of Scotland. Moreover Mr. Anderson and my-
self once came upon Vibrissia mar^anta in great abundance. With regard
to Puccinia fabcc, I may say that the Rev. Mr. Keith of Forres, and others,
have gathered not only the Uromyces but the Puccinia state of this species, and
that this latter state seems not very unfrequent in Scotland in certain seasons.
I may further mention that though I am put down as the discoverer of
Eustegia arundinacea, my friend Mr. Stevenson is really the discoverer of that
species, which indeed I have never seen. I am also credited with some
of Mr. Anderson's discoveries ; and some of the localities given by Mr.
Berkeley for our gatherings are occasionally mistaken ; but this is not to be
wondered at. The wonder is that, considering the thousands of speci-
mens which pass yearly through his hands, he makes so very few mistakes.
Other species mentioned by Dr. Cooke as worthy of our search, have
already been discovered in Scotland. Amongst these are Stictis pallida,
Helotium ochraceum, Helotium clarqflavtim, Peziza Grevillei, &c, and there
are not a few of the Appin species of Captain Carmichael which have come
to light elsewhere. But we are under large obligations to Dr. Cooke for
calling attention, in this seasonable and important paper, to species which
ought to be re-discovered, or which have not yet been, but are likely to be
met with in Scotland. It is of the utmost importance to know what to
look for, and where to look for it. Dr. Cooke has largely helped us in this
way, and I beg to move that we accord him a hearty vote of thanks.
198 The Scottish Naturalist.
In replying to Mr. Fergusson's remarks, Dr. Cooke begged to ask how they
in England were to know what their Scottish brethren were doing unless
the latter recorded their discoveries. He thought, too, that any mistakes (in
localities) that might have crept into Messrs. Berkeley and Broome's report
in the "Annals of Natural History" might be corrected in the pages
of the Scottish Naturalist, where also other discoveries might be reported.
Dr. Buchanan White remarked that he was always happy to give space in
the Scottish Naturalist for reports of discoveries, and that some of these
discoveries had been reported, and the mistakes alluded to by Mr Fergusson,
corrected in that magazine.
The next paper was "On the Fungi of Scotland north of the Tay," by
the Rev. J. Stevenson, of Glamis. In submitting this extensive list to the
Society, the author intimated that he intended to supplement it at next
Conference, by a list of the species south of the Tay, and that then the
Society might perhaps publish it. We would take an opportunity in the
meantime, of asking assistance from every one who could give it.
Mr. C. P. Hobkirk of Huddersfield, read the next paper " On Zygodon
rupestris" in which he discussed the differences between that species and
Z. viridissimus. This paper will appear in the Journal of Botany.
The concluding paper was " On ergots" by Mr. A. Stephen Wilson, of
Aberdeen, and will be found at p. 185.
In the evening the members of the Society and their friends had a Fungus
Dinner.
On the last day the Show was thrown open to the public. It was estim-
ated that at least 150,000 specimens of fungi, mosses, lichens &c, were ex-
hibited— the space covered amounting to nearly 3000 square feet. A fan-
amount of species new to Britain were exhibited. Special features of the
show were the original drawings of Mr. W. G. Smith's discoveries (see
Gardeners Chronicle, &c.,) regarding the potato fungus {Peronospora
infestans), and a series of beautiful water colour drawings of fungi, by Miss
Johnstone of Inverary.
A full account of the Show will be found in the report referred to above.
Though the Cryptogamic Society may well be proud of the success of
their first exhibition, " the most comprehensive," it was declared, "ever
seen in the world ; " yet there are one or two points of failure which we
may allude to. The chief of these was the absence of a systematically
arranged and named collection of fungi. An attempt was made to have
such, but the immense number of specimens sent in for exhibition, and the
shortness of the time available for arrangement, as well as the comparatively
small number of workers, prevented anything approaching completeness.
On another occasion it might be advisable to have more unpackers and
arrangers, so as to permit those qualified to classify and name. To reduce
the number of collections sent in, would be to risk the loss of many
specimens instructive in various ways.
On another occasion, too, the Show might be kept up for longer than
a single day. As it was, the shortness of time prevented many of the
arrangers from having a thorough examination of the specimens.
Naias flexilis in Perthshire. — On the 13th of August last, I accom-
panied my friend Mr. Robb, of Worcester College, Oxford, for a few days'
botanizing among the aquatic plants of the Loch of Cluny. This Loch,
The Scottish Naturalist. 199
as most readers of the Naturalist will know, lies about midway between
Blairgowrie and Dunkeld, receiving the waters of the Lochs of Butterstone
and the Lowes, and discharging into that of Marlee. Its surface is 157
feet above the level of the sea, and about two miles in circumference. It
abounds in such interesting aquatic plants as Elaline hexandra, Sulndaria
aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Nupkar lutea, Nymphaa alba, several species
of Potamogeton, &c. ; and in addition, Stratiotes aloides, and, I believe,
Bidomns nmbellatus, though I have never found it. Its castle, which
stands on a small island near its western shore, is historically interesting,
as, if not the birthplace of the admirable Crichton, at least the place where
he spent the early years of his boyhood.
In the course of our dredging operations — our dredger being a six-foot-rod
with a strong hook attached — we were so fortunate as to fish up a plant,
which was new to both of us, but a reference to Hooker's Manual, and
afterwards to Bentham's Illustrations, convinced us that we had added
Naias Jlexilis to the flora of Great Britain.
We found the plant pretty generally distributed over that part of the loch
which we examined, viz., the north-west side, growing on the gravelly and
muddy bottom, generally along with Callitriche aiitumnalis or a C/iara, but
sometimes in patches by itself. As seen from the side of the boat, the loch
is so clear and limpid that plants may be seen and recognised through six
feet of water — a patch of it looks very like Callitriche, only somewhat
darker, and more diffuse. One peculiarity of its growth deserves to be
noticed. A considerable depth of water, five feet at least, seems to be
necessary to its existence, for nowhere did we find it on the shallow water
near the edge. True to its name, it appears, like the Water-Naiads of
ancient mythology, to avoid the curious gaze of mortals, and to delight in
the placid depths of its native pool.
The question at once occurred to us, "Is it native?" At first we felt
disposed to doubt it, knowing, as we did, that other plants had been intro-
duced into the loch. It is a well-known fact that the Rev. Mr. M 'Ritchie,
who was minister of the parish of Cluny during the first thirty years of the
present century, was an enthusiastic botanist, and introduced, at least,
Stratiotes and Bidomns into the loch, and Typha latifolia into a pond near
by the church. Of course he would not intentionally, but it has been
suggested that he may, accidentally, have introduced it in seed along with
another plant. I incline to think not. On inquiring of Mr. Duff, the
intelligent and obliging gardener at Cluny Cottage, we learned that Mr.
M' Ritchie inroduced these plants from Wales. Now, when we consider
how irregularly Naias is distributed over Europe — in Sweden, North
Germany, and Ireland — it is just as likely to be native in the Loch of
Cluny as in Wales, from which it has never been recorded. As far as we
could learn, Mr. M'Ritehie never got plants from Ireland or North
America, where I believe Naias is common. On the whole, therefore,
at present I incline to consider it one of the native rarities of the Loch
of Cluny. — Abram Sturrock, Rattray, December, 1875.
W
NEW SCOTTISH FUNGI.
E are indebted to Dr. M. C. Cooke, editor of Grevillea,
for the following extracts from a paper on New British
200 The Scottish Naturalist.
Fungi, about to appear in Grevillea. Some of the species were
exhibited at the Perth Fungus Show, and the others found
about the same time.
Badhamia fulvescens. Cooke.
Peridia sessile, subglobose, scattered, or 3-6 together, tawny-
ochre, towards the base clad with a delicate white pubescence ;
spores pale brown, minute, ovate.
On old sacking. Dupplin Castle, Perth. Dr. M. C. Cooke.
Spores ('0003 in.) '00 7 5 m.m. diam.
The cysts investing the spores are quite distinct. I am in-
debted to Mr. C. E. Broome for examining this plant, and he
coincides in the opinion that it is undescribed.
TJstilago intermedia. Schioter.
Produced within the florets, violet-brown ; spores subglobose,
ovate, or shortly elliptic, rather large ; epispore minutely spinu-
lose. — Schroter in Rabh. F. Eur. No. 1696.
On flowers of Scabiosa. Scotland. Rev. J. Fergusson.
The spores are larger and darker than in U. flosculorum ; in
the latter being *oi m.m., and in the present species "015 m.m.
Geoglossum microsporum. Cook & Peck. " Mycographia, " fig. 11.
Var. tremellosum.
Sporidia biseriate, cylindrical, or subfusiform, hyaline, be-
coming at length faintly 5-7 septate.
On the ground. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White.
This is referred to the American species as a variety, but it
seems to be more tremellose than the typical form, and the
sporidia do not flow out and cover the surface of the club ; this
may be accounted for in that the specimens were not so fully
matured. Sporidia -03 m.m. long.
Peziza (Sarcoscypha) coprinaria. Cooke.
Subgregarious, sessile, crimson. Cups hemispherical, soon
flattened (1 cm. broad) : margin slightly elevated, fringed with
long pale brown septate hairs ; asci cylindrical ; sporidia ellipti-
cal, smooth ; paraphyses clavate at the tips, filled with orange ,
granules.
On dung. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White.
A very distinct species, exhibited at the Perth Fungus Show.
The cups remain flattened in drying, external cells very large,
hairs J m.m. long. Sporidia '02 x *oi m.m. The hairs are
never stellate as in P. stcrcorea, nor is the cup so densely hairy,
the hairs being confined to the margin. The name of P.
The Scottish Naturalist. 201
hippocopra, under which this species was first reported, has
been replaced since it appears to have occurred on cow-dung.
It is curious that at the same time an interesting species allied
to P. stercorea, on dung, was sent from the United States by
Mr. W. R. Gerard, which also is undescribed.
Peziza (Dasyscypha) comitessae. Cooke.
Caespitose or single and gregarious, bright golden-yellow,
externally paler, and tomentose, stipitate, common stem
branching below. Cups at first clavate, then expanded and
cupulate ; asci cylindrical ; sporidia minute, linear, straight or
curved ; paraphyses filiform.
On a fallen tree. Dupplin Castle, Perth. Dr. M. C. Cooke.
Asci -05 x -006 m.m. ; sporidia 'oo6-'oo75 m.m. long.
The branching stem resembles that of Peziza pygmea, to
which this species is allied ; the tufts contain from two to four
cups proceeding from a common stem, or sometimes single. It
is an elegant species dedicated to the Countess of Kinnoull, on
whose estate it was discovered.
Peziza (Hymenoscypha) monilifera. Fckl. Sym. Myc. 310.
Stipitate, scattered, or caespitose. Cups seated amongst Bis-
pora, at first subclavate, at length dilated ; disc concave, patellate
when mature, marginate, waxy, externally and rather long stem,
smooth, pallid brown ; disc slightly darker ; asci elongated ;
sporidia biseriate, oblong, attenuated towards each end, but
obtuse, at length uniseptate, hyaline ; paraphyses filiform, sub-
clavate.
Amongst Bispora monilioides on cut timber. Dupplin Castle.
Dr. M. C. Cooke.
Cups 1-2 m.m. broad, 1-3 m.m. high; sporidia "012 x -004
m.m.
Fuckel has constituted a new genus under the name of Bis-
pora for this species, of which he assumes that Bispora monili-
oides is the conidia form.
Helotium scoparium. Cooke.
Scattered or subgregarious, pallid, sessile ; disc convex, rather
paler, whole plant becoming greyish in drying ; asci clavate ;
sporidia cylindrical, obtuse, straight or curved, binucleate, at
length with the endochrome divided ; paraphyses simple, fili-
form, slightly granular.
On dead twigs of broom. Dupplin Castle, Perth. Dr. M.
C. Cooke.
202 The Scottish Naturalist.
Cups i m.m. broad ; Asci "i x '02 m.m. ; sporidia ,02-,02 5
x -005 m.m.
Ascobolus crenulatus. Karst. Fung. Fenn. No. 763.
Gregarious, sessile, at first spheroid, then flattened, nearly
plane, greenish-yellow, furfuraceous ; margin crenulate (1-5
m.m. broad) ; asci clavate ; sporidia elliptical, striate, violet
becoming brownish ; paraphyses slender. — Karst. Myc. Fenn.
\.p. 77.
On grouse dung. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White.
Sporidia •oi2-,oi6 x -oo6-'oo8 m.m. ; cups about 1-1 \ m.m.
broad ; disc of the Rannoch specimens, vinous when old, re-
taining the greenish colour at the base of the cups.
Ascobolus (Ascophanus) pilosus. Fr.
Minute, sessile, yellow, testaceous, yellow or tawny-orange,
externally pilose with long hairs ; disc papillate ; margin
naked ; hairs simple, incrassated at the base ; asci clavate ;
sporidia hyaline, oblong ovate ; paraphyses slender, septate,
simple, or branched, granular.
On grouse dung. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White.
Cups /oth m.m. broad; sporidia "02 x -oi m.m.
This is referred to A. pilosus as a variety, but the specimens
were more minute than usual, scarcely visible to the naked eye,
pallid. It differs from any form of A. papillatus and A. ciliatus
in the hairs not being marginal but clothing the surface of the
cup ; they are also more slender than in the other species. It
was accompanied by a minute Rypai'obius and Sphceria
(Sporormia) Notarisii.
Xylaria Scotica. Cooke.
Suberose ; stem very long, pallid, root-like, slender, 1-3 times
dichotomously branched above ; branches elongated, or very
short and fasciculate ; heads elongated, subcylindrical ; apex,
more or less acute, greyish-brown, then black ; perithecia very
numerous, slightly papillate ; asci cylindrical ; sporidia uniseri-
ate, elliptical, brown, minute.
On the ground. Meikleour. Mr. D. Matheson.
Entire length, including rooting base, 2 to 6 inches. Clubs
about 1 inch long ; sporidia 'oos-'ooG x -003 m. m.
A most interesting addition to the British Flora. It was ex-
hibited at the Perth Fungus show, and is wholly unlike any de-
scribed species. The sporidia are smaller than in any other British
Xylaria. Commonly 6-8 heads arise from the rooting stem.
The Scottish Naturalist. 203
Sphoeria (Sporomia) Notarisii. Car. Rabh. Fung: Eur. 976b.
Perithecia black, rather shining, ovoid or rounded ; ostiola
wart-like or mamillaeform ; asci cylindrical, octosporous ; sporidia
tetramerous, brown, not apparently surrounded by a hyaline
coat — Hedwigia, 1868,/. 69, /. i,fig. 1.
On grouse dung. R'ann< >ch. Dr. Buchanan White.
Sporidia ,o22-,026 x •oo4-,oo5 m.m. ; segments of the sporidia
*oo5-'oo6 m.m. long.
Sphoeria (Sordaria) curvula. D. By. Morph. Pilze, p. 209.
Perithecia scattered, superficial, or rarely semi-immersed,
oblong-conical, rugulose, densely clothed with articulate fasci-
culate brown hairs ; asci broad, cylindrical, stipitate ; sporidia
ovate or elliptic, dark brown, with hyaline terminal appendage ;
paraphyses articulated, longer than the asci. — Sphceria sterco-
raria, Fungi Britt. i. 589.
On cow dung. King's Lynn (C. B. Plowright). Rannoch
(Dr. Buchanan White).
Sporidia '029 x .015 m.m., without appendage.
Bryological Notes.- Mr S. A. Stewart, of Belfast, who knows more about
the Geology and Botany of the north east of Ireland, than any other man
now living, has recently published a list of the Mosses of that district. The
list is an admirable one, contai s many important species, and very largely
extends our knowledge of their geographical distribution in that region.
Among the more important species mentioned are Cryphcea heteromalla,
Hypnum giganteum, Hyp. ha nulosum, Hyp. Teesdalii, Hyp. punnlum,
Tayloria serrata, Zygodon cone lens, Z. saxicola {Z. Stirtoni Sch. ), Gly~
phomitruim Daviesii, Grimmi robusta, Hechuighivi imberbe, Grimmia
coiiferta, Trichostomum tortile, 1 cttia littoralis, Seligvria calcarea, and many
others. The district ought to i a rich one, and should furnish more than
the 238 species here enumerated, which is only about half the number found
in the north-east of Scotland, and we do not doubt but that continued
search on the spot will yet revc I the existence of yet more and interesting
species. Might we venture to hope that some one will do for the north-
west of Ireland what Mr Stewa: •:. has done for the north-east ? As yet the
the north-west is almost unknown to us, so far as its mosses are concerned.
— J. FERGUSSON, The Manse, Fern, near Brechin.
Manual of Bryology.— I should feel much obliged to all collectors of
mosses were they to send me sj cimens of any rare mosses or records of
localities for such, before I finish che manuscript of "the Manual of British
Bryology. — Id.
ZOOLOGY.
ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS.
( Continued from p. 153. ^
By the Rev. J. Wardrop.
IF animals have not a self or self-consciousness, let us see
what else they must be destitute of, that man, in having a
self and self-consciousness, has ; and let us observe, besides, if
it be not the fact that, what the absence of selfhood dooms
animals by inference to be without is exactly what they cannot
by observation be proved to have.
2. A self or person is not only, as a being, self-conscious, but
as an intelligence, it is self-regulated, and as an agent, it is self-
determined. A self is a freely active and productive power. It
is not only power, nisus, action, but will of self-determined
action. Man is such a self or person. Will is an essential
element of our personality. Kant says, will is a man's " proper
self." In the proper sense of the term "Will is a power of
control over the other faculties or capacities of our nature,
by means of which we are enabled to determine personal
activity" (Calderwood, Hdb. of Moral Phil. p. 165). In
this sense of the term, "an animal," as Goodsir says (Anat.
Mem. 1. 213), "has no will." Will is not only characteristic
of man, as introspection at once shows, but observation of
animal action can discover nothing to prevent us from call-
ing it also distinctive of man. There is no indication of
proper voluntary agency in the animal. All its activity is
determined for it and necessary. Huxley's doctrine that man's
volitions, so called, do not enter into the chain of causation of
his actions, who that looks within himself can for a moment
admit? It is the grovelling doctrine of H. G. Atkinson and
Harriet Martineau over again. "All causes are material
causes." " I am what I am," it makes a man say. " A creature
of necessity, I claim neither merit nor demerit. I feel that I
am as completely the result of my nature, and impelled to do
The Scottish Naturalist 205
what I do, as the needle to point to the north, or the puppet to
move according as the string is pulled." This is as false to fact
as it is grovelling. The order of man's inner nature, as can be
ascertained with certainty, is quite the reverse. The sequence
of his thoughts and the resultant actions are determinable by
will. In the words of Mr. Huxley, elsewhere than in the Fort-
nightly Review : " Our volition counts for something as a
condition of the course of events " (Phys. Basis of Life). It
counts for that tremendous something, the rendering man a
self-regulated intelligence, and a self-determined agent — that is
to say, a man, and not a puppet. Huxley's other statement
about the nonentity of volition will hold, however, of animals.
They may take up the above language of H. G. Atkinson and
H. Martineau. In them volition counts for nothing. It does
not enter into the chain of causation of their actions. In them
the connection between the idea, or feeling, or stimulus, and
the action is immediate, predetermined, and necessary. There
is no self-control — "no choice between action and inaction"
(Goodsir). In the words of Carpenter, " there is no evidence
that any of the lower animals have a voluntary power of guid-
ing, restraining, or accelerating their mental operations at all
similar to that which man possesses" (Hum. Phys. p. 771., and
Mental Phys. p. 105. and 377). But Huxley's protean philoso-
phy, true again to itself, had said, in the Comtemporary Review,
" There is as good evidence that animals possess powers of
emotion and volition as sensation, and as good evidence that
they possess all these as there is that man possesses them."
These, for the most prominent physiologist of the day, are rash
words. It would be a strange philosophy, of which such tam-
pering with " evidence " would not be unworthy. What is the
evidence that animal action, in any of the conditions of it, is free
and self-determined. It is harmless enough, in an easy and
popular way of speaking, to allow animals wills of their own.
But when, in scientific discussion, Mr. Huxley, and others who,
it may be, are otherwise far from his platform, such as Dr. Leitch
(Ethics of Theism, p. 373, seqq.), and Max Miiller (Lect.
on Science of Lang. 1. Lect. ix.), ascribe the faculty of will to
animals, there is the want either of vigorous definition, or of
adequate evidence. If man be not the only second cause in the
universe, he is the only second cause that is voluntary and free.
3. The absence of self-consciousness and voluntary agency
must leave the whole mental faculties, whether subservient to
206 The Scottish Naturalist.
knowledge or to impulse, modified in the animal in a manner
totally different from what is presented in man — so modified
indeed that they can no longer be called the same faculties.
Leaving aside meanwhile the lower faculties of sensitive per-
ception, memory, and the simply representative, as distinguished
from the creative, imagination, and taking thought proper — that
conceptual power by which man reduces to knowledge and
truth the real, and that idealising power by which he can deal
with the possible and body forth the desirable ; where is the
evidence that animals can, even in the most rudimentary fashion,
abstract, generalise, ideally create, extract the thoughts that
are in things, or have a sense of certitude, or realise the dimmest
feeling of axiomatic necessity, or taste in any way the joy of
knowledge, or even rise to the dignity of being curious about
knowledge. Their knowing is not of the human type. Hence
it is at this point of abstract and notional knowledge that Locke
found the fundamental distinction between animals and man.
Max Millie* does the same, though he prefers to signalise the
distinction by the outward expression of it in language. To
him the brute creation constitutes what Lord Erskine called the
"mute creation:" man, on the other hand, is "articulately
speaking." He embodies in words the generalised thoughts
that are his mental interpretation of the universe.
It may of course be expected that it will not be easy to show,
by a direct appeal to the psychical phenomena of animals,
either that they have or have not the power of conceptional
thought. I appeal here only to the following considerations.
It is this power that makes man the possessor of truth, and the
architect of science and literature, and that therefore bestows
on him, as it makes him capable of, the boon of progressive
civilisation, and the promise of indefinite perfectibility. All
these characteristics man owes to his notionalising and ela-
borate powers of mind. Now, first, these characteristics are
strikingly distinctive of man, and peculiar to him, indicating
that the mental ground of them is also distinctive and peculiar.
The amassing of knowledge, self-culture, the power of in-
definite unprovability, is absent in the animal, — of course,
is it not? with the absence of the self to cultivate. There is
no amassing of knowledge, no science, competent to animals, —
is it not because the real condition of true knowledge and its
end they lack — self-hood ? What have they done for self-
development, for the improvement of their knowing powers,
The Scottish Naturalist. 207
and the hoarding up of results in the shape of truth, during the
secular periods that have been allotted to them. These
periods of probation have been multiplied to them above those
allotted to man ; but with what result ? Mr. Huxley has ex-
pressed it when he says, " Man has accumulated and organised
the experience which is almost wholly lost with the cessation of
every individual life in other animals" (Man's Place, &c, 112).
He says "almost wholly lost." True, a pointer can have his
instincts somewhat improved by human care, and skill, and
whipping. And he can bequeath the accumulation to his pos-
terity ; and if the means of training at the hands of man are
persevered in, the forced result in the shape of education may
be considerable. At the most, it is plainly a limited, not an
indefinitely augmentable, result. And if the means were
neglected, what would the dog grow to ? He would ungrow
very soon the whole product of his laborious education, and re-
trograde to his own place. There is a fixity about animals most
unlike anything about man. As Sumner says, " Animals are
born what they are intended to remain. Nature has bestowed
on them a certain rank, and limited the extent of their capacity
by an impassible decree. Man she has empowered and obliged
to become the artificer of his own rank in the scale of beings,
by the peculiar gift of improvable reason" (ap. Lyell Antiq.,
&c, 497). Mr. Huxley has ascribed this accumulative power of
man to the " possession of the marvellous endowment of intelli-
gible and rational speech." But it is not speech, the logos pro-
forikos, that is to be credited with this result. The achievement
must rather be laid to the account of the logos endiathetos, the
archbishop's " improveable reason." The amassed truth, the
organised experience that exists in the body of human knowledge
and science ; the self-culture, which the mere life-bound soul of
the animal does not need, but which a self constantly craves,
and to which every man may make his acquaintance with
objects and beings beyond himself subservient ; and the fact
that every man is capable of adding, in his measure, a con-
tribution to the accumulated store ; all this forms one of
the broadest and most glaring distinctions between animals
and man.
As, moreover, there is no self-development in the animal in-
tellectually, so there is no self-aggrandisement, so to speak, in
things material. There is no wealth, no trade, no commerce,
no industrial occupation. The whole outward life is diverse
2o8 The Scottish Naturalist.
from the human type. It requires a self-regulated intelligence,
having conceptional powers, and a self-determined activity in
the use of them, — a person, in short, to make use of tools or
machinery, or to store their products and follow a system of
material accumulation. Animals are as incapable of material
civilization as of intellectual. In reference to some of the
above points, and some others not here mentioned, the follow-
ing passage from a very able, though not always a very clear
writer, is well worth quoting —
" Nothing appears more really conclusive against all sup-
posed capacity for great development 'in the animal' than the
history of what are called ' learned animals;' of the mechanical
means necessarily employed for teaching them, and the me-
chanical results obtained. There is, indeed, no better word to
describe the true state of the case than the term ' mechanical,'
as opposed to everything that is ideal or truly creative. If a
brute could idealise the laws of outward nature, or the laws con-
necting his own powers with their proper functions, he might
see them as a man does, and give them a fresh existence within
his own intelligence. He would then be able to invent an
alphabet, conceive a picture, and view the properties of outward
objects as universals inwardly apprehended. In this way he
would acquire exemption from the reign of mechanism, and live
a really creative life. It is manifest at a glance how far in fact
these conquests are from the world of creatures — by us, there-
fore, called unreasoning. Art, letters, and abstract thought are
no visitants of the animal sphere. Words cannot come where
thoughts are not, and therefore language, in the human meaning
of the term, is unknown to brutes ; and no effort of man has
ever been successful in sharing with his humble companions
any one (much less all) of these attainments. His artistic sense
of Beauty, and power of giving it varied expression, find no
echo beneath himself. He can in nowise teach by historical
record, poetry, abstract calculation, or abstract thought.
Neither can he impart the true secret of social sympathy, and
forbid the stricken deer to weep and die alone. Intelligence
without imagination cannot conceive a sorrow so lonely or un-
seen, therefore it knows little of deep sorrow, for even the
mortally wounded bird will strive to hide its wound." — (Jack-
son, Philosophy of Nat. Theology, pp. 312-3).
Is it open to us to hold an identity of mental principle where
the mental powers are so opposite ? Till it can be shown that
The Scottish Naturalist. 209
at least the highest animal has something of the capacity for
improvement possessed by even the lowest human savage, we
should not be asked to admit that it is the same kind of being
that the improvement is to affect. Especially as secondly, in
the reverse way, if animals had had the self-consciousness and
the abstract cognitive faculty that gave man his powers of
attainment and progress, it may well be asked, How is it that
animals do not benefit in the same way by the endowment ?
Have they not yet had their opportunity ? What arrest has
been laid on the natural tendency of the faculty that in them
it has remained thus, not only stunted but altogether unger-
minative ? These considerations do not make it hopeful that
any direct inspection of the psychical phenomena of animals
shall ever discern in them a likeness to human thought, or in
their principle a subject identical with the human soul.
4. Animals are sometimes credited with the principle of
prudence— that outward self-love that refuses a present good in
order to secure a future greater good. In man the "reflex
ego " is never busier with its reflex functions, never more
occupied with itself than in an act of prudence. Through all
such prudential actions in him, there constantly shoots the
warm light of self-consciousness, making the end, the motive,
and the means clear to the mind, personal, self-regarding, and
self-determined. If the animal be capable of such action in a
true human fashion, it is as much a person, self-conscious and
free, as any of us. But is it true that the mole, while he stores
his worms — even granting that he employs ingenious means of
keeping them fresh — is exercised in mind much as the husband-
man is when he stores his harvest ? Even if there had not
been found far down in the animal series, such a typical storer
as the bee or ant, I do not know that it would have been much
less easy than with that circumstance it is seen to be, to answer
the question. But with an entomological claim on the dignity
of prudential motive and conduct, the anthropological preroga-
tive must be held safe, sacred, and incommunicable.
5. The moral and religious faculties — the highest powers of
humanity, still remain. They again stand or fall with self-
hood ; and self-hood stands or falls with them. If there is no
will, no personality, no self determining agency, the foundations
of morality are not laid. It is because man is not pre-
determined, but is a law to himself that he is moral and
responsible. The animal receiving its law, all the conditions
210 7 he Scottish Naturalist.
of its being from without, and acting thus by fate, is beyond
the moral sphere. Having no will, " it cannot be conceived "
as Goodsir says "to possess a choice between right and wrong."
Where is the evidence that animate, even the highest of them,
ever come within sight of such a power? It might have been well
if all scientific men had left it to old Montaigne to lead this
evidence. Dr. Lindsay, however, says, "the actions of certain
animals, especially those which have been highly educated,
such as the dog, show that they possess a distinct conscious-
ness, perception, knowledge or appreciation of the nature or
meaning of right and wrong, of praise and blame, of rewards
and punishments, of justice and injustice, of duty and its obliga-
tions, of trust and responsibility, of property and ownership, of
moral and immoral actions, of honesty and dishonesty."
{Journal of Mental Science, April 1871, p. 50). He then
adduces proofs. But the words which Mr. Wallace has employed
in dealing with Houzeau, who advances similar reasonings and
conclusions, are a fair answer to Dr. Lindsay. "Our author
adduces the usual proofs that animals have a sense of right
and wrong, but which really show nothing more than that
they can be made to acquire certain habits through the fear
of punishment, or the expectation of reward." &c. (Nature, vol.
vi. 470). Indeed a more conclusive method for convincing
any one of competent philosophical attainments, that animals
are not moral beings, could hardly be resorted to than just to
study the facts and reasonings adduced to show that they are
moral beings. One of the first established distinctions between
the man and the brute, that of Aristotle, shall no doubt remain
to the last. It is the possession by man of a conscience. Dr.
Lindsay himself, to all intents and purposes gives up the point,
when he says, " this — 'the conscience grounded on fear;'" which
is not the conscience at all in Aristotle's sense, " animals un-
doubtedly possess. Whether they possess also the gradually
developed ' conscience grounded on spontaneous approval,' "
which is the conscience of Aristotle and truth, bating something
about the "development," "is one of the many probably insolu-
ble questions that arise in comparing the mind of other animals
with that of man." If " insoluble," or even if as yet unsolved,
so far the conclusion that any " animals possess mind of the
same nature as that of man," is beyond the premises. But
why is comparative Psychology presumably so helpless at this
point? If animals do really possess a true conscience, spon-
The Scottish Naturalist. 211
taneously approving the right and disapproving- the wrong, their
actions may be expected to reveal its presence. If their actions
do not reveal the influence of such a faculty, why place its
possession among possibilities — except indeed for the sake of
the conclusion ?
Thus, the whole round of faculty that belongs to human self-
hood is untouched at any one point by any power within the
animal range. There is no inward self to be either a free pro-
ductive power or a conscious end to the brutes. Their outward
individual life, and the life of their race, is all that their actions
are directed to maintain ; and not for a moment is either that
life or its maintenance before their consciousness or in their
purpose in the homefelt sense of being theirs, their end, and their
work. Such is the effect of the absence in them of self con-
sciousness and free agency on the higher psychical functions.
But now, since this want of personality affects the very nature
of the psychical principle itself, does it not affect also the
character even of the lower manifestations of mind, such as have
been allowed to be similar to those of man ? If, on passing up
the scale of mental powers, we come at last to personality, writh
its accompanying specialities, and find them awanting in ani-
mals, must not this fatal want at the top make its influence be
felt on the previous series, even to the bottom, and really
transform all the psychical powers we have previously allowed
to have a similarity to man's, into something quite different
from the human type? All human mental operations, from
sensation upwards, are accompanied, we have seen, by a real
home-coming knowledge of self. Those of animals never are.
Are the two series, in that case, even at the start, of the same
type ? Ending wide as the poles asunder, do they begin in
identity ? We find them beyond dispute diametrically divergent
at last, must not this radical distinction cast its shadow before,
and establish a variety of type from the beginning? At all
events, where the powers manifested are so widely different, the
principial source cannot be the same.
There is no reasoning ever yet resorted to by the keenest
advocate of identity that has even plausibility about it, or, at
least, such a speciousness as will bear a second look. When Bayle
argues that the souls are the same, and that it is only deficiency
of organisation in the animal tribes to which their deficiency
in psychical manifestation is due, — this would have argued a
serious mistake on the part of the Creator, unless it had turned
212 The Scottish Naturalist.
out to be only an error on the part of the physiologist.
Agassiz argues for an immaterial principle in all animals, simi-
lar to that which, by its superior excellence and superior endow-
ments, places man so far above them. He does this on the
ground that they possess individuality. If this individuality
had been a conscious possession of animals, i.e. one they knew
anything about, it would have argued a psychical principle that
might be equal to man's, for that possession is one of man's,
highest prerogatives. But as the idea of individuality is only
an attribute that the scientist describes the animal by, as he also
does the crystal, it argues an immaterial, or at least a human-
like soul in the animal no more than it does in the stone.
( To be continued. )
ILLUSTKATIONS OP ANIMAL KEASON.
( Continued from p. 148.)
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S.
IT is scarcely possible now-a-days to take up any Newspaper
or Magazine of the better class, without finding- — whether
or not they are looked for — incidents or Anecdotes illustrative
of Animal intelligence. This is a significant sign of the times,
showing the growing attention that is being given by the
general public to the Mental status of subject creatures. But,,
for various reasons, the paragraphs or articles devoted by news-
papers or magazines of all kinds to the illustration of the mental
endowments of the lower animals are too generally regarded as
ephemeral and worthless. They are far too little utilised for
the purposes of generalisation by those who will neither take
the trouble to observe Nature for themselves, nor give their
attention to the study of such published works as those of
Darwin, Huxley, Wallace, and Spencer. It is only the in-
dustrious and sagacious compiler, such as the Rev. J. G. Wood,
F.L.S., who has the sense, and takes the pains, to garner the
scattered grains of Newspaper science. This feeling or estimate
of the valuelessness of Newspaper anecdotes arises partly, from
their usually being anonymous, and partly from the ephemeral
nature of the medium in which they are presented to the
public. But that they, or at least many of them, deserve a
better fate — a more permanent record — it is the object of the
present article to point out. I have personally taken a con-
The Scottish Naturalist. 213
siderable amount of trouble in the endeavour to fix the value
pertinent to many " Illustrations of Animal Reason" given in
current serial literature, and the results are perhaps of sufficient
interest to warrant description somewhat in detail.
Firstly, as regards newspapers of all classes — including not
only the daily — such as the " Telegraph," but the weekly, such
as "The Graphic," "illustrated London News," "North
British Advertiser and Ladies' Miscellany," "Saturday Review,"
and " Spectator."
(1.) Their occasional leading articles on subjects connected
with Natural History are usually by men holding a high or a
.good position in the scientific world, either as general Naturalists
or as Zoologists. I do not happen to know who are the authors
of those " leaders" of this class that every now and then appear
in the " Daily Telegraph" — with reference, for instance, to
doings at the London Zoological Gardens. But they bear the
stamp of being written by men thoroughly versed in their sub-
ject, men not only of great experience as Field Naturalists, but
of great erudition as Library Students. These leader-writers
are indeed of a far higher class — as will be shown in the sequel
— than the contributors of zoological articles to such pretentious
works as "Chambers's Encyclopaedia. "
(2.) It is the custom of Newspapers now-a-days to give
copious reviews of Natural History works, with extracts there-
from. These criticisms are by the same class of popular Natu-
ralists as the writers of leaders on Natural History subjects ;
while the extracts or quotations, of course, give reference not
only to the works criticised, but to various of the incidents
contained in these works.
(3.) In noting current events in which the dog, horse, and
other animals take a part, the correspondents of the public
press frequently give the dates of the incidents — the names,
addresses or residences of the proprietors of animals, and of the
eye-witnesses of their behaviour — whereby such Anecdotes ad-
mit of satisfactory investigation.
(4.) Newspapers are in the habit of giving copious extracts
with comments, or of otherwise mentioning the contents, of all
the leading Serials — such as " Nature," " Science Gossip," the
various Quarterly Reviews, " Cornhill " and "Macmillan's"
Magazines, and " Good Words."
(5.) Even in Newspapers, articles on Natural History — Anec-
dotes of Animal sagacity — are not always anonymous.
214 The Scottish Naturalist.
(6.) It happens then that where incidents illustrative of Ani-
mal Reason are of such a character as to render it worth while
to investigate their authenticity or truthfulness, it is generally
possible — with much trouble it may be — to prove to what ex-
tent they are based on fact.
Let me now give a few special examples from my own ex-
perience, in support of the foregoing general propositions.
I know no Newspaper which gives so much, or so frequent-
attention to Anecdotal Zoology as the " North British Adver-
tiser," an Edinburgh weekly, which contains not only original
articles, but plentiful quotations from recently published volumes
and serials. I have personally known that newspaper and its
proprietors for at least thirty years ; and the nature of this
knowledge leaves me in no doubt as to the genuineness of its
extracts and the character of its contributors. In January 1875,
appeared in its columns certain letters on the " Reasoning
Powers of Animals," signed " Mary Mackellar." To assure
myself of the character of the writer (whose signature might
have been a mere nom de plume), and of the truth of her state-
ments, I applied to the proprietors ; with the result that one of
them at once wrote me (Feb. 1, 1875) in the following terms :
"In reply to your memo, of 30th ult. Mary Mackellar is the wife of a
sea captain, without family, and frequently accompanies her husband when
he goes to sea. She has thus ample opportunity for observing the habits
of animals on ship board, &c. Our Editor, who comes in personal contact
with her, believes that her narative^ are founded on facts brought under
her own observation. Her address is — Mrs. Mackellar, 22 William Street,
Edinburgh."
There are probably no readers of the well-known " Inverness
Courier," which, under the editorship of the accomplished Dr.
Carruthers — himself an eminent Scottish litterateur, is one of
the best provincial newspapers in Scotland, who are not ac-
quainted with the letters from its " Nether Lochaber " corres-
pondent. Every now and then these letters contain, in the
midst of a profusion of Celtic Folk-lore, incidents, obviously
founded on personal observation, illustrative of the Intelligence
of West Highland birds or other animals. Desirous, however,
of being assured of the perfect accuracy of some of the more
striking of the statements made by the anonymous writer of the
letters, I made application to Dr. Carruthers. The result was
the following answer from the Resident in Nether Lochaber
himself : —
The Scottish Naturalist. 215
" Dr. Carrutiiers of the " Inverness Courier " has sent me your note.
"You are at perfect liberty to make use of such parts of my contribu-
tions to the " Courier " as may best suit your intended publication, giving
my name as writer and authority in full.
" If you will explain to me the nature of the work on which you are en-
gaged, and I find that I can help you in any other way, I shall be very
glad. (Signed) Alex. Stewart, Minister of the Parish of Ballachulish and
Ardgour — Feb., 1874,"
who is at the present moment, it may be added, editing, with
memoir and notes, a re-issue of " Logan's Scottish Gael." His
competency both to observe and report upon facts in Natural
History is unquestionable, and far superior to that of the
authors of not a few works on Animal Sagacity that I have had
occasion to peruse.
In October, 1875, there appeared in the " Perthshire Constitu-
tional and Journal" newspaper, a couple of Papers entitled "The
Cats' Opera Man," being the biography of Samuel Bisset — once
a shoemaker in Perth, but who subsequently became known
throughout the three kingdoms as a trainer of" performing
animals : — who was in his way, indeed, one of the celebrities of
Perth — one never heard of, however, alongside of the nobodies
who, by reason of the butchery of their fellow-men, have
achieved what is called military " Fame," or who, by " strict
attention to business" and the " selection of the best style of
goods," have amassed wealth and attained civic eminence.
These articles — devoted to poor Bisset's memory — were con-
tributed by the writer of the series of Antiquarian papers for
which the " Perthshire Constitutional" has acquired local dis-
tinction— a series of sufficient value to have required their re-
publication in a more permanent form in at least 3 volumes —
one of which has just been issued as " The Perthshire
Antiquarian Miscellany," whose contents, however, cannot be
wholly "Antiquarian," seeing that it contains a paper on " The
Salmon of the Tay." The author of the said " Miscellany" — the
Biographer of worthy Bisset — is a residenter in Perth, Mr. Robert
Scott Fittis — known to the literary world less perhaps by his
" Illustrations of the History and Antiquities of Perthshire " than
by his " Gilderoy: a Scottish tradition,"* and other works. In
reply to certain inquiries as to Bisset's Biography, Mr. Fittis
favoured me with the following particulars : —
* Published as one of the volumes of "Routledge's Railway Library :"
London, 1866.
2i6 The Scottish Naturalist.
"The 'old biography' referred to appeared in an octavo volume, of
some 300 or 400 pages, entitled ' Curiosities of Biography, or Memoirs
of Remarkable Men' (no author's name given), which was published at
Glasgow byGrifhn & Co. in 1845. il *s a collection of the lives of dwarfs,
giants, fat men, misers, &c. , and is evidently in the main a reprint of much
older matter. Bisset's life occupies 2.\ pages. I suppose the book is now
entirely out of print. I saw it in 1856, and at that time copied Bisset's
life. But I may state that I have incorporated the whole of the biography
in my articles— for there are two of them. Several notices of Bisset have
occasionally appeared in periodicals. There was one, I understand, about
a year ago, in Land and Water, and one, a number of years ago, in Hogg's
Instructor. It is remarkable that no notice of him appears in Chambers's
Book of Days, though that work contains an account of some ' Animal
Comedians' in London about the same time. The well-known work,
'Wilson's Wonderful Characters,' never mentions Bisset."
In April, 1874, an accident, fatal to a young lady belonging
to a well-known family in the Carse of Gowrie, occurred on the
Public Bridge of Perth — a runaway ox having butted her so
suddenly and seriously against the parapet wall as to have
speedily caused death. So at least said the Newspaper ac-
counts, whicli differed in their details, though all were correct
in the essential facts. Desirous, for many reasons, of ascer-
taining the simple facts of the case, particularly in reference to
the mental state of the accused animal — for 1 have a strong
conviction that at least the majority of such accidents are due
to man's culpability in his treatment of over-driven, footsore
cattle, infirm both in body and mind — I appealed to Mr.
Melville Jameson, the Procurator-Fiscal for the city and county,
for permission either to read, or to be present at, the deposi-
tions of the witnesses in the event of there being any judicial
investigation. He promptly replied as follows : —
"County Buildings,
"Perth, 23d April, 7874.
"Accident to Miss . — The circumstances did not render it
necessary for me to conduct any criminal investigation, and no depositions
were taken from any of the witnesses. Had an inquiry been instituted, I
would have been glad to have suggested your name to the Crown Office as
a professional witness in the special facts to which your attention has been
directed."
For a series of years the " People's Journal" (Dundee), has
signalised itself by offering Prizes to youth of both sexes —
especially to those still attending school — for Essays and poems
on various popular subjects. The prize essays and poems are
published in the Christmas No. of the "Journal," and constitute
a special kind of Christmas literature. The subjects proposed
The Scottish Naturalist. 217
have sometimes included Natural History, Popular Zoology,
the Habits of the Domestic or other Animals : — the object of
the donors of the prizes and projectors of the essays being
apparently, on the one hand, to stimulate the faculties of Obser-
vation and Description, and, on the other, to inculcate lessons of
Kindness to the lower animals — a twofold object deserving of
all commendation. Thus, in or about 1872, Dr. Stables, R.N.,
offered, through the Journal in question, a series of prizes for
stories, anecdotes, or poems about Cats and their doings ; and
many of the resultant facts — illustrative of the affection, sagacity,
or other good qualities of these animals — are quoted in a work
published by him in 1874;* or rather, it should be said, the
Prize Poems appeared in the " Journal," while the Stories or
Anecdotes were woven into the text of Dr. Stables' book.
In December, 1872, I was struck with an article in the
" Graphic," entitled " Our Parrot," which was described as
possessing the power of appropriate remark and repartee. In-
quiry at the Editor, as to the accuracy of the facets or state-
ments, elicited the following prompt and courteous reply; and
I mention specially that it was both prompt and courteous in
contrast with the procedure of certain other Editors who vouch-
safed no reply — and might have had good reasons for with-
holding one — or whose reply was neither prompt nor satis-
factory : —
" ' The Graphic ' Office,
^ " igo Strand, W.C., London, Jan. 8, 1873.
" In reply to yours of 6th instant, I beg to say that before inserting ' Our
Parrot,' I wrote to ask the author if the facts were authentic, and she
assured me they were. Mrs. E. M. Lynch, Warrenstown, Navan, Ireland,
wrote the article. (Signed) Arthur Locker, Editor."
The " Illustrated London News" has frequently reproduced
in its pages, or supplements, the pictures of Landseer and
other great Animal painters — pictures that in themselves are
eloquent exponents of many of the noblest moral and intel-
lectual attributes of such animals as the dog and horse;
and these pictures are invariably accompanied by descriptive
letterpress, occasionally at least embodying "Illustrations of
Animal Reason." The same may be said of the "Graphic," and
other illustrated newspapers or serials of the best or better class.
* "Cats : their Points and Characteristics ; with Curiosities of Cat Life,
and a Chapter on Feline Ailments," by W. Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N.
London, 1874.
218 The Scottish Naturalist.
On looking over my mass of Notes of Incidents illustrating
Animal Reason, in order to determine their source, I find a
large proportion taken, in the first instance, from Newspapers
— and not only from the leading ones of the English and
Scottish Metropolises— the "Daily Telegraph" or the "Scots-
man"— but also from a number of smaller, even obscure, Pro-
vincial ones, which use as " padding," in the paucity of local
matter of sufficient interest, citations from recently issued works
on Natural History, or from serials containing popular Zoological
articles. Thus excerpts have been taken, amongst other news-
papers, and in addition to those already mentioned in the text,
from the "Daily Review" and " Courant," Edinburgh; "North
British Daily Mail," "Weekly Herald," and " Evening Citizen,"
Glasgow; "Andover Chronicle," Hants; and "Pall Mall Gazette,"
London. These Newspaper criticisms and quotations have
frequently introduced me to important sources of information.
At the same time, it must be borne in mind that Newspapers
abound in % sensational" Anecdotes of dogs, horses, and other
sagacious animals. There is too frequent a mixing up of
Fiction with Fact, and it is not an easy matter in such cases to
distinguish the grain from the chaff. Fortunately, it is only
now and then worth while to essay their separation ; for the
"stock" — the general run — of newspaper "stories" of animal
intelligence illustrate mental attributes that are already suffi-
ciently well known.
Common Swallow (Hirtmdo rustica).— For a period of six years, a
pair of these birds, or their descendants, have regularly every season repaired
to a weaver's house near me, built their nest, and reared their young
on the rafters, amongst old heddles and sticks, in an attic room not much
used, the skylight window of which was left open all season for their con-
venience. There is perhaps not much novelty in this, but the fact that the
same pair of birds have reared and departed with two nests of young, is
perhaps one not generally known. The first nest of young were reared and
able to fly early in July, and the second about the sixth instant ; and a
week ago the whole took their departure for more congenial climes. I
may add, the same birds, last year, reared one nest of young ones, and laid
three eggs at the beginning of September, for the second lot, but finding
the season too far advanced and cold to incubate, deserted them and left. I
am not aware that I have seen this fact recorded of swallows breeding twice
in one season ; but for migratory birds like these it is indeed a nice calcula-
tion to do so and yet be in good time for departing ; a decided improvement
on their efforts of 1874. It is indeed a wonderful instinct, that year after
year the same birds should traverse thousands of miles to visit their humble
birth place, the "poor weaver's" garret room. — Alexander Murdoch,
Allan s Hill, Maybole, September 25, 1875.
[The Swallow generally breeds twice during the season. — Editor Scottish
Naturalist. ]
The Scottish Naturalist.
219
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BRITISH COLEOPTERA.
(Continued from p. 168.)
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
Bembidium.
1. The 9th int. of e. much narrower than the rest
about equal to the rest. Pale copper or sil-
very. An., pal. and legs greenish. Th. tr.; ba.
angs. sharp. E. dist. p.-s. On the 3rd int. are 2
large square pits. 2l/2 1. B.N-
2. Entire surface of h. and th. strongly punc. Greenish
or dusky. Legs and ba. j. of an. more or less r.
Ba. angs. of th. sharp. E. strongly p.-s. 2%. 1.
-L-. o* JL* • • • • •
Not as above. ......
3. E. with 7 well def. symmetrical str.
Str. of e. faint at sides and ap. ...
4. - - - punc. ......
- - - impunc. Bronzy gr. An., pal. and legs dusky.
Th. tr., not much contr. at ba. ; ba. angs. sharp.
Ap. of 5th str. of e. very deep. 2]/i 1. B.y-
5. E. test. , often dusky at ap. H. and th. gr. An. , pal.
and legs test. Th. little contr. at ba. A fov. on
each side of mid. line besides the usual ba. fov.
Not as above. ......
6. 2nd and 3rd js. of an. more or less test.
An. b. exc. 1st j. which is r. beneath. Bronzy gr. E.
with 2 narrow pale fasc. Th. tr., little contr. at
ba. E. finely p.-s.; ints. very flat. 1^ 1. E.s« .
7. Ap. of h.-b. not dist. test. ....
Extreme ap. of h. -b. dist. test. H. and th. obsc. gr.
E. and legs fuscous. E. more or less mottled with
test. An. and pal. dusky, test, at ba. Th. tr.
1.
E. strongly p. -s. ; ints. not quite flat in fir. 2
F S T
8. Th. not wider at ba. than in fr. Obsc. gr. E. more
or less mottled with test. Legs pit. Ba. of an
obsc. pale. Th. tr. E. finely p.-s.; ints. very
flat. 2^ 1. E. .
Very like prec. Th. wider at ba. than in fr. The
test, markings on e. well def., occupying at least
half the surface. Ba. 3 js. of an. , and the legs test.
E. more strongly str. i^f 1. E.
9. Th. cons, narrowed at ba. ; more or less cordate ; ba.
angs. sharp. .
- little narrowed at ba. ; not cordate ; ba. angs. obt. or
rounded ; mars, very narrow . . ,
; - - ; mars, very broad
paludosum
punctulatum
3
4
9
5
prasmum
ephippium
6
7
obliquunv
8
flammulatum
vanum
adust um
10
. 40
44
220
The Scottish Natiwalist.
10. Whole surface of h. coarsely punc.
Not as above .....
11. An., pal., legs and e. pale test. E. with a darker tr,
fasc. H. and th. gr. or cop. Th. tr. E. dist
p.-s. 2 }i 1. B.NC-
Unic. Obsc. gr. Th. tr. ; punc. in fr. and at ba
E. finely p. -s. ; a consp. pit on each, in fr. of mid
2 1. XL/* o* X* • • • ■
12. Fr. of h. with 2 well def. longi. ridges on each side
- - - - not more than I ridge on each side
13. E. not mottled with test.
Blackish. E. mottled with test. Legs and ba. of an. r,
Th. tr. E. dist. p.-s. 2 1. E. .
14. Obsc. greenish. Legs, ba. of an. and a spot near ap. of
e. test. Th. tr. with a simple ba. fov. on each side
E,, strongly p.-s. infr. i^L E.
Very like prec. Th. wider at ba. ; the ba. fov. each
contain a small dist. longi. ridge. E. with no dist
pale spot near ap. i%\. E.S.I.
15. Ba. fov. of th. close up to side mar. of th.
- - - - separated from side mar. by a dist. elev. ridge
16. Brassy b. An. reddish at ba. A large test, spot near
fr. , and a small one near ap. of each e. Tib. very pale
test. ; fern, and tar. darker. Th. not tr. E. with
rows of puncs. failing in hi. %. 2 1. B. !
Veiy like prec. Ba. of an. paler. Fern. pale. Th
11
12
pallidipenne
bipunctatum
15
14
fumigatum
assimile
Clarki
16
17
quadriguttatum
gently tr. E. p. -s. to behind mid. i%\. E. quadrimaculatum
E
Very like qitad7'iguttatum. An. wholly b . Th. tr.
p.-s. to behind mid. I%1. E.s- .
1 7. Part (at least) of fr. half of e. dist. test.
Front half (at least) of e. unic. ; not test.
18. Less than \%\. (E. dusky, mottled with test.)
More than i^ 1.
19. H. andth. br. gr. Legs, ba. of pal., andba. of an. test
2 fov. on each side of h. : the in. ones meet in fr
E. consp. p.-s. i]4. 1. E. .
quadripiistnlatum
18
27
19
20
Legs, ba. of pal. and 1st j. of an. test
iX 1- E.s-
Th. not. tr.
H. and th. b.
Th. tr,
20. Th. not (or hardly) tr. ; not dist. punc. across ba.
Th. not as above ....
21. II. andth. br. gr. E. el., narrow, with gently rounded
sides, dusky, with a pale blotch on should, and near
ap. ; strongly p. -s. Legs, ba. of an. and ba. of pal.
test. Th. eL 2# 1. E. .
E. broad, flat, parallel, p.-s., obsc. test, without dist.
markings. H. and th. br. gr. Th. slightly tr., very
short and narrow. Legs and ba. of an. r. E. rarely
marked as in littorale. 2 1. B.N- .
22. Ap. of pal. and of an. dusky. H. and th. gr. E.
dusky, with a pale blotch at should, and near ap. .
articulatum
Sturmi
21
22
fluviatile
testaceum
23
The Scottish Naturalist.
221
H. and th. br. gr. Legs, pal. and at least ba. and ap
of an. test. E. dusky, with a pale blotch at should
and near ap. connected along the mar. Th. tr. E
strongly p. -s. i\ 1. B.
23. Not more than the in. 3 str. of e. continued in ap
quarter as more than a faint row of puncs. .
At least the in. 5 str. of e. dist. continued as str. , quite
(or almost) to the ap. Pal. dusky. Ba. 3 js. of an
and the legs, gen. test. Fern, sometimes dusky. A
flat, parallel species. 2% 1. B.
24. Ap. part, of 3rd j. of an. dist. blackish
at most ind. fuscous.
25. An. with ba. I or 2 js. test. Th. hardly punc. at ba
E. narrow, widest at, or in Jr. of mid. ; pale part
whitish brown, finely p.-s. ; 7th str. ind. Fern
dusky. Tib. pale. 2 1. E. S. I. !
Very like prec. Th. punc. at ba. E. widest behind
mid. ; more strongly p. -s. ; 7th str. dist. Pale
part of e. brown. 2 1. E. S. I.
26. Th. strongly punc. at ba. E. strongly p.-s. Legs
entirely test. Pale part of e. brown. 2% 1.
Th. hardly punc. at ba. E. finely p.-s. Fern, some-
times dusky in mid. Pale part of e. whitish brown.
21/ 1 B N-
27. Not less than 2I. Fern, dusky. Ba. j. only of an. test.
- - - -. At least ap. of fern. test. Ba. 2 or 3 js. of an.
Less than 2 1. .
28. Dusky gr. Tib., tar., ba. j. of an., and often extreme
ap. of fern, reddish. Th. tr. ; sides strongly rounded.
E. conv. , strongly str. ; the str. consp. punc. to cons,
behind mid. Ap. ofe. very obt. 2j^ 1. B.N-
Very like prec. Narrower and much flatter. E. much
more finely p.-s., and with the str. hardly punc.
behind mid. 2 1. E. S. I.
29. E. without dist. markings. ....
Brassy. Legs, pal. , a semicircular fasc. near ap. of e. ,
and ba. (often the whole) of an. pale. Th. strongly
tr., ba. punc. E. strongly p.-s. 2^ 1. B.N- .
30. E. with dist. rounded sides, ....
E. long, flat, parallel. Bl.-gr. Legs, ba. of pal.
and ba. of an. r. A few puncs. on h. behind eyes.
Th. hardly tr., obs. punc. at ba. E. strongly
p.-s. 2j£l. E. S.I.
31. Th. dist. tr.
- not or hardly dist. tr. ....
32. Brassy brown. Pal., legs and at least ba. 3 js. of an.
test. E. rather strongly p.-s., widest behind mid.
2# 1. E. .
concinnum
24
saxatile
25
26
femoratum
bruxellense
littorale
anglicanum
28
29
34
tibiale
atrocceruleum
30
lunatum
31
decorum
32
33
Stephensi
222
The Scottish Natiii'alist.
Gen. gr. Ba. of pal., not more than ba. 2 js. of an.
and the tib. test. Fem. dusky, with broadly test.
ap. E. widest at or in fr. of mid. H. shorter than
in prec, eyes more prominent, an. longer. 2 1. B.
33. Br. bl.-gr. Legs, ba. of pal. and ba. 2 js. of an. r.
Th. hardly punc. at ba. E. conv., very finely p.-s.
2}£ 1. B.N- .....
Bronzy gr. An. reddish. Legs, pal. and ba. of an.
r. -yel. Th. strongly punc. at ba. E. str. ; sides
dist. rounded ; str. very strongly punc. ; 8th str. obs.
in fr., very deep behind. 2]/$ 1. BH-
34. The fov. on fr. of h. parallel in their hi. half .
consp. sloped from ba. almost to meet in fr.
B. Legs and ba. j. of an. reddish. Th. hardly try,
narrow behind ; 2 dist. fov. on each side at ba. E.
finely p.-s., gen. pale near ap. 1^ 1. E. S. I.
35. An. entirely b. .....
- not entirely b.
36. Brassy. Legs reddish. Pal. brown. Th. very strongly
tr., with strongly rounded sides; ba. angs. slightly
obt. E. moderately p.-s., 7th str. wanting. Very
like lampros. \% 1. E.N-
B. Ba. of tib. and ap. of e. sometimes pale. Th. tr.
E. with 7 strongly punc. str. I ]/$ 1. B. c. ! .
37. Fov. on fr. of h. not approximated in fr.
The fov. dist. sloped together in fr. of eyes
38. Th. very tr., rectang. at ba. Br. brassy. Ba. j. of
an. (more or less) and legs r. E. faintly str. (7th
str. gen. wanting); str. strongly punc. \% 1.
t—it o. JL* ••• • • • • •
- gently tr. ; ba. angs. obt. ; 2 equal fov. on each side
at ba. Blackish. Ba. j. of an., legs, and ap. ofe.
obsc. r. E. strongly p.-s. 1% 1. E.c-
39. B. or blackish. Legs and ba. 2 js. of an. clear test.
Th. strongly tr. E. strongly p.-s., smooth at ap.
\y% 1. E. . . . .
Very like prec. Bluish or greenish. Fem. pit. Pal.
reddish. Th. less narrowed behind. E. shorter ;
the in. str. are dist. to ap. \% 1. B.N-
40. Ba. of th. emarginate behind the ba. angs., so that its
mid. part, is strongly prod, backw.
Ba. ot th. straight, or only slightly emarginate behind
hind. angs. ......
41. B. Legs, ba. of an. and a spot near ap. of each e.
more or less pale. Th. very tr. Ba. angs. extremely
obt. E. with 6 or 7 veiy strongly punc. str., the
6th strongly punc. to behind mid. I^f 1. B. !
Very like prec. ; more brassy in color. Ba. angs. of
th. only slightly obt. Str. of e. only 6, finely punc,
and more dist. near ap. than in prec. Ap. pale
spot on e. often wanting. 2 1. E. S. I.c-
brunnipes
monticola
stomoides
35
doris
36
37
mgricorne
minimum
38
39
lampros
normannum
gilvipes
Schuppeli
4i
42
biguttatum
ceneum
The Scottish Naturalist.
223
42. Th. dist. , though slightly, emarginate at ba., widest
at mid. ......
- straight at ba., widest in fir. of mid. Blackish, gr.,
or bronzy. Legs, ba. of an., and ba. of pal. test.
E. very finely p. -s. I l/$ 1. B.
43. Brassy b. Legs, ba. of an., and a red spot nearap. of
each e. r. E. rather el., rather strongly p.-s. 6th
str. not dist. punc. so far as to mid. ofe. \l/2 1/ B.!
Very like prec. B. (not brassy). Legs and ba. of an.
test. Extreme ap. of e. often reddish. Th. broader
than in prec, moi-e narrowed behind, more rounded
on sides. E. shorter, with more rounded sides.
\l/z 1. E. S. I. . . . .
44. R. E. gen. clouded with fuscous. An. pal. and legs
test. Th. very tr., its ba. angs. very sharp. Sides
of e. much rounded. E. very finely p.-s. 2^3 1.
J-J. o. J.. . . . . . .
Obsc. gr. , sometimes bronzy. An. , pal. and legs test.
Th. extremely tr., its ba. angs. rather blunt. E.
very long, strongly p. -s. in fr. 2%. 1. B.
Tachypus.
Cop., marked with gr. Legs, pal. and ba. of an. more
or less test. Up. side of fern., pal., and istand2nd
j. of an. often gr. H., across eyes, hardly wider than
th. Th. cordate, hardly tr. E. pub., minutely
punc, ind. str., each with 2 consp. pits. 2^1. B.
Very like prec. Pal., legs and ba. of an. more unif.
test. H., across eyes, dist. wider than th. Th.
dist. tr. E. more strongly punc 2 1. B.
43
obtusum
guttula
Mannerheimi
I.
2.
rufescens
quinquestriatum
pallipes
flavipes
TABLE OF FAMILIES OF HYDRADEPHAGA.
1. An. not shorter than h., having only 10 js.
m M ™ "* ~j -I A Jo* • • • • •
- shorter than h.
2. Tar. with only 4 visible js. Sc invisible
- dist. 5 j. Sc. (exc in Noterus and Laccophilus) well
def
3. H. deeply inserted in th.
- protruded and dist from th.
Haliplidae
2
Gyrinidse
Hydroporidse
Dytiscidse
Pelobiidae
First family— HALIPLIDiE. (3 genera.)
Space between the eyes not consp. less than diameter
of eye ......
- - - - very consp. less than diameter of eye
Tli. about same width in mid. as at ba.
- much narrower in mid. than at ba.
Cnemidotus
Brychius
Haliplus
Cnemidotus.
Test. Some large b. puncs. at ba. of th.
E. with 10
rows of large b. puncs. , 1% ^
B.
caesus
224
The Scottish Naturalist.
Haliplus.
i. H., th. and ints. of e. (independently of larger puncs. )
minutely reticulated, dull ....
smooth, shining
2. Test. Th. punc. at ba. E. with rows of fine puncs.
placed on b. lines ; the b. lines interrupted at least
twice, and often run together. \yz 1. B. .
Very like prec. Th. with a faint fov. and (often) a b.
mark on each side at ba. E. with the b. lines
seldom interrupted more than once, and less run
together, ii. 1. E. S. I.
Very like obliquus ; smaller, broader in fr. Ba. and fr.
of th. b. Resembles confinis in having fov. at ba.
of th. but they are very faint. Perhaps a var. of
one of the 2 prec. 1]/$ 1. E.N-
3. Th. with a dist. furrow on each side at ba.
- without the furrow .....
4. E. just behind shoulds., hardly wider than in mid.
.... very cons, wider than in mid. Reddish. Back
of h. and fr. of th. dusky. H. and th. punc. E.
with rows of puncs. placed on b. lines which are
confused and blotched, i-ij L E.S.I. !!
5. Coloured much as ruficollis, or darker
Very pale test. H. and fr. of th. darker. E. with
rows of fine puncs. placed on b. lines which do not
run together, but are not of even width. H. and
th. punc. 1 Yi 1. E. S. I.
6. Very like ruficollis in color and markings, but the b.
lines on the e. do not run together, and are of even
width throughout. i]/i 1. S.
H. and f r. ofth. nearly b. Some b marks at ba., and
gen. a well def. b. line down mid., ofth. H. and th.
strongly punc. Markings of e. as m ruficollis. \)/2 1.
F S T '
7. E. marked with numerous well def. dark spots
- not so marked .....
8. Dark test. H. and th. punc. Th. with a consp. row
of large puncs. along ba. E. with rows of puncs.
forming str. ; ints. with rows of smaller puncs. The
long dark blotches on the e. are not confluent with
thesut. 1)4 1. E. S. I..
Very like prec. Less pointed behind. The rows of
puncs. at ba. of th. less consp. Some of the round
dark spots on e. confluent with sut. 1^ 1. E.
9. Ba. puncs. of th. confused, not forming a consp. row .
A consp. row of large puncs. along ba. of th. (besides
smaller ones). H. and fr. of th. punc. E. with
rows of strong b. puncs. , and of fine ones in the ints.
Sides rounded. 1% 1. B. .
2
3
obliquus
confinis
varius
4
7
5
ruficollis
7
fluviatilis
striatus
lineatocollis
8
fulvus
vanegatus
10
flavicollis
The Scottish Naturalist.
225
10.
Dark test. E. very parallel in fr. %. H. wide and short.
H. and th. (exc. on disc. ) thickly punc. E. with
rows of puncs. and finer rows between. 1% 1. E.s-
Test. Sides gently rounded. H. , and th. (in fr. and
behind), strongly punc. E. with rows of puncs.,
and finer rows between. 1% 1. E.s-
Brychius.
Th. with a mar. fold on each side. E. p.-s., clouded
with b. The fr. part of the 3rd int. and the hi. part
of sut. strongly elev. 1 % 1. B. .
mucronatus
cmereus
elevatus
Second Family— PELOBIID^E. (1 genus) Pelobius.
Dull reddish. Thickly punc. Th. at ba. and in fr.,
2 marks on h. , and disc of e. , b. 4^ 1. E.
Third Family— HYDROPORID.E. (3 genera)
1. Ap. of e. prod, in a consp. and very sharp point.
Not as above. ......
2. Claws of post. tar. unequal ; the in. claw fixed.
- - - - equal, moveable. ....
OXYNOPTILUS.
Punc. Reddish brown. Th. darker in mid. Each e.
with the mar. and two indist. bands paler. I % 1.
E. s,c* ......
Hyphydrus (1 species) and Hydroporus.
1. Forehead with an elev. mar. in fr. (Body globose).
- simple. R. -m. of e. with a mar. pit at should, to
receive the ba. end of the mid. tib.
- -. - - -simple. On each side a furrow at ba. of th.
is continued on the e.
--. - - - -. on th. runs parallel to the
mar., but is not continued on e.
- -. - - - -. No dist. furrow on th. E. test., with
dist. dusky lines or spots, or vice versa.
Not belonging to any of the above groups
2. Less than \%\. Body dist. globose. H., th. and e.
punc. ......
More than i%\. Body very globose. R. -brown; e.
darker. Irreg. punc. , with mingled large and small
puncs. E. often with obsc. pale lines and blotches.
S shining, $ dull. i]/i 1. B. .
3. A well def. and consp. pale line close to sut. runs from
near ba. to ap. of each e. • .
This line is wanting, at least on disc.
4. H., th., an. and legs pale brown. Ap. of an. and ba.
and ap. of th. often dusky. E. b. ; the irreg. mar. ,
and 2 lines (joined in fr. and behind, not reaching
ba. ) test. These lines meet the pale mar. in fr. and
behind, and an irreg. fasc. joins the out. one to the
Hermanni
Oxynoptilus
2
Hyphydrus
Hydroporus
cuspidatits
2
6
9
11
17
22
Hyphydrus
ovatus
4
5
226 The Scottish Naturalist.
mar. just behind mid. E. very finely reticulated,
and spar, sprinkled with very coarse puncs. 1^3 1.
E. . . . . . . . reticulatus
Very like prec. Thickly punc. with mingled large and
very fine puncs. The pale mar. and 2 lines on the
e. are all dist. in fr., and commence nearer the ba.
of e. 1^ 1. E.S.I. . . . . quinquelineatus
5. Resembles prec. The in. line on e. (and often the out.)
absent, exc. at ba., or near ap., or both. Ba. and
ap. of th. dist. b. No. consp. well def. contrast in
size of puncs. on e. 1 X 1- E. S. I. ! . . incequalis
Brown b. H. , th. , and a blotch near ba. and ap. of
each e. , paler. E. spar. punc. , with very fine and
very coarse puncs. mingled. 1 1. E. . . decoratus
6. Coarsely punc. Dark brown. An. , legs, fr. of h. and
fr. of th. paler. Fr. part of each e. with 4 dist. str.
formed by rows of consp. puncs. 2 1. E. S. I. . picipes
Not as above ...... .7
7. Less than 2 1. . . . . . . 8
Finely punc. Test. Sides of h. , disc, of th. , sut. and
4 lines on each e. (of which the 2nd reaches the ba.
and which are often more or less confluent) b. Mar.
of e. gen. marked with b. 2X1- E-c parallelogrammus
Gonepteryx rhamni in Fifeshire.— In the second volume of the Scottish
Naturalist mention is made by Dr. J. Boswell Syme, of the capture of
Gonepteryx rhamni in Fifeshire. This was a very unusual occurrence, and
I should much like to know if either of its food-plants Rhamnus catharticus
or Rhamnus frangula, are found in that locality. — Owen Wilson, Carmar-
then, Oct. 26th, 1875. [Is ^ certain that species of Rhamnus are the only
food-plants of Gonepteryx rhamni? We think it is doubtful. At the same
time, it is not only possible, but probable, that the Fifeshire specimen
alluded to was not bred in that county. — Editor Sc. Nat.~\
VAKIOUS NOTES.
We are glad to hear, that a Natural History Society in Inverness is in
course of formation. Dr. Aitken, of the Inverness District Asylum, is
the interim Secretary, and will no doubt be glad to give information to
those interested.
Messrs. J. R. and T. Drummond are about to bring out a Flora of
Clackmannanshire and its neighbourhood. The subscription price is only
four shillings, so doubtless many persons will be glad to avail themselves of
the opportunity of learning something of the botany of what is rather an
interesting — phyto-geographically — part of Scotland. Messrs. Maclachlan
and Stewart of Edinburgh are the publishers.
As will be seen from the advertisement on the wrapper, the Rev. J. E.
Vize, is prepared to send out microscopic preparations of cryptogamic plants.
Having seen some specimens of Mr. Vize's work, we can heartily recom-
mend them as illustrating well the structure of an interesting class of
plants.
INSECTA SCOTICA.
THE LEPIDOPTEKA OP SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 182.)
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
HYDRELIA Gn.
uncula CI. (1759); uncana L. (1761). Not common. Palu-
stral.
Distribution — East. 0000000 o
West. Solway 0000
Lat. 54°5o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance— Imago. June. Larva. August. Food-
plant. Sedges (Carex).
Erastia fasciana L. (176 1 ; fusada Bkh. 1792) has been reported from
Moray (Dingwall).
PHOTHEDES Ledr.
CAPTIUNCDLA Tr. var. expolita Stt. Rare. Pascual.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00 0000
Lat. 56°3o\ Range in Europe. Britain (the variety only)
Austria, Styria, Finland, &c. (the typical form). Type.
(of the var.) British. Type in Britain. British?
Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva.
Foodplan-t.
PROTHYMIA Hb.
viridata CI. (1759); <znea Hb. (1788). Common. Ericetal.
Ascends to 3000 feet.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay Dee Moray § 8 8
West. Solway Clyde 808
228 The Scottish Naturalist.
Lat. 54°4o/-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Nearly throughout
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Foodplant. Milk-wort ( Poly gala).
EUCLIDIID.E.
EUCLIDIA Ochsen.
Mi CI. Not uncommon. Pascual.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee o o o o
West. Solway Clyde o o o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°io/. Range in Europe. Central and north-
em. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearnnce — Imago. June. Larva. August, September.
Food-plant. Clover, etc.
GLYPHICA L. Not uncommon. Pascual.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee o o o o
West. Solway Clyde o o o
Lat. 54°4o/-57°2o/. Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva.
Food-plant.
Ophiodes limaris has been taken in Tay (Perth), but was evidently an
accidently imported specimen.
HERMINIIDiE.
ZANCLOGNATHA Ledr.
grisealis Hb. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. oooooo o o
West. Solway o o o o
Lat. 54°5o' Range in Europe. Central (to South Sweden
and Finland). Type. Central. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June-July. Larva. April.
Food-plant. Chrysosplenium ?
tarsipennalis Tr. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. oooooo o o
West. Solway o o o o
The Scottish Naturalist. 229
Lat. 54°5o' Range in Europe. Germany, Belgium, Britain,
South Sweden, &c. Type. Occidento-central. Type in
Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August, Septem-
ber. Food-plant. Raspberry.
HYPENIDiB.
HYPENA Tr.
proboscidalis Hb. Common. Agrestal.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § 8 8
West. Solway Clyde g §
Lat. 5o°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Central and north-
ern ; local in the south. Type. Centro-septentrional.
Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. May, June.
Food-plant. Nettle.
THOLOMIGES Ledr.
TURFOSALis Wk. Rare. Palustral.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
Lat. 56°4o/ Range in Europe. North-western. Type.
Occidental. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. ? Food-plant. ?
RIVULA Gn.
SERiCEALis Sc Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. § 0000000
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°5o'-56° Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. June, July. Larva. May. Food-
plant. ?
BREPHID^J.
BREPHOS Ochs.
parthenias L. Local. Nemoral. Ascends to 1400 feet.
Distribution — East. § g Tay Dee Moray §00
West. 88880
Lat. 56°3o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. March- April. Larva. June-July.
Food-plant. Birch.
230 The Scottish Naturalist.
B. not hum Hb. has been recorded from Moray ; but as it so greatly
resembles B. fiartheuias, and I have not seen examples, I hesitate to include
it in the Scottish list.
EUGONIIIXffiL
RUMIA Dup.
LUTEOLATA L. (1758); cratcegata L. (1761). Common.
Agrestral and nemoral. Ascends to 1300 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § o o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May-August. Larva. June-April.
Food-plant. Hawthorn, sloe, &c.
URAPTERYX Leach.
SAMBUCARIA L. Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. g [Forth] o o o o o o
West. Solway 0000
Lat. 54°5o'[-56']. Range in Europe. Central (South
Sweden, &c). Type. Central. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. September-June.
Food-plant. Oak, elder, bramble, &c.
METROCAMPA Latr.
Margarita ri A L. Common. Nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § oo
West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross §
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central (Sweden
&c.) Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. September-May.
Food-plant. Oak, beech, &c.
ELLOPIA Tr.
prosapiaria L. (1758) ; fasciaria Schiff. (1776). Common
in pine woods. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde 808
Lat. 54°4o/-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June-July. Larva. September-May.
Food-plant. Scots-fir.
The ab. manitiaria HS. (violet-ferruginous) has occurred in Dee (fide
Tait).
(To be continued.)
The Scottish Naturalist. 231
THE COLEOPTERA OF SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 184.)
Edited by D. SHARP, M.B.
juncorum Leach. Lowland. In sphagnum. Very local.
Distribution — East. Tweed 000000
West. Solway 0000
[impressa Panz. Doubtful as Scottish.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
"Raehills, Rev. W. Little." Murray Cat.
PSELAPHUS Herbst.
HEISEI Herbst. Lowland. Rare. Among sphagnum.
Distribution — East, g Forth 000000
West. Solway g o o o
DRESDENSIS Herbst. Lowland. Extremely rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000
West. 00000
BYTHINUS Leach.
punoticollis Den. Lowland, highland. Not rare.
Distribution— East. Tweed Forth g Dee 0000
West. Solway Clyde 000
bulbifer Reich. Lowland, highland. Common.
Distribution— East, g Forth Tay 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
CURTisi Leach. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. 0000
West. Solway 0000
SECURIGER Reich. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East, g g Tay o o o c
West. Solway 0000
BURRELLi Den. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. 0000000
West. Solway Clyde 000
o
00000
232 The Scottish Naturalist.
EUPLECTUS Leach.
SIGNATUS Reich. Rare. In the nests of the wood ant.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o Moray 000
West. 00000
sanguineus Aube. Rare. In decaying hay.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
KARSTENI Reich. Rare.
Distribution — East. o Forth 000000
West. 00000
ambiguus Reich. Lowland. Rare. In moss.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
bicolor Den. Rare. Under bark of dead birch.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee 0000
West. 00000
CLAVIGER Preys.
FOVEOLATUS Mull. Very rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. 00000
SOYDlVLENlDiE.
EUMICRUS Cast.
tarsatus Miill. Lowland. Rare. In fermenting grass and
hay.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000
West. Solway §000
SCYDM^SNUS Latr.
COLLARis Miill. In moss. Not rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 3 Dee 0000
West. Solway 3 ° ° °
pusillus Miill. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
exilis Er. Highland. Very rare. Under bark of dead trees.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West, o Clyde 000
(To be continued.)
ZOOLOGY.
NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE COMMON JAY
IN SCOTLAND.
By JAMES LUMSDEN, J UN., F. Z. S.
THE Common Jay ( Garrulus glandarius) is a well-known
bird in many parts of the continent, and is met with in
nearly every county in England, both as a migratory and breed-
ing species. According to Mr. J. H. Guerney,« it is a regular
autumnal migrant to the eastern coasts.
In Scotland, however, its distribution is more local. Mac-
gillivray gives its northern limit b "in the woods skirting the
Grampians from Forfar to Dumbarton." But it appears to be
somewhat extending its range, as it has occasionally occurred
in districts north of that line. It has once been observed in
Shetland/ and also in Caithness. In Orkney, however, we
have no trace of it, and it is not mentioned by Mr. Low in his
" Fauna Orcadensis." Neither have we heard of it ever having
been observed in the Outer Hebrides, or any of the western
islands.
In collecting the following notes, I have to express myself
indebted to the many correspondents who have so kindly and
readily answered my questions about the occurrence of the
Jay in their respective districts. Besides those, I must specially
mention the following gentlemen who collected and forwarded
me information from various parts of the country : Sir George
H. Leith ; John Gilmour, Esq. of Lundin, Fifeshire ; The Rev.
James E. Somerville ; Mr. Henderson, of Dundee ; and the
a Harting's Handbook of British Birds, p. 32.
b A. G. More on " The Distribution of Birds in Great Britain during the
nesting season."
c Birds of Shetland, p. i38.
234 The Scottish Naturalist.
late Mr. James Thomson, of the Kelvingrove Museum. Glas-
gow, who was still working for me when overtaken by his last
illness. I am also more than obliged to Mr. J. A. Harvie
Brown for furnishing me with the names of correspondents
and also for thoroughly working up the Stirlingshire district.
Caithness. — The only trace of the Jay we have been able
to find in this county is a notice in Mr. R. J. Shearers paper a
on the Birds of Caithness, in which he states that the Jay is
rare, " probably introduced."
Sutherland. — Mr. John Crawford kindly informs me that,
as far as he knows, the Jay has never been met with in Suther-
landshire. And my friend, Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown, who has
paid much attention to the birds nesting in this county, omits
the species in his recently published paper on the subject, b
Ross-shire, with which is included Cromarty.— In Ross-
shire I am also unable to trace the species, although I have
corresponded with several of the authorities on the natural
history of the county. In fact, I consider that any Jays which
may have been met with in the north of Scotland are only
stragglers driven there by storms or by some other accidental
cause.
Nairn and Elgin. — The Jay does not occur in either of
those counties. Mr. M'Leay of Inverness, who has for the
last 20 years done most of the bird stuffing in the neighbour-
hood, has never seen a Jay from Morayshire. Neither is the
species mentioned by Mr. St. John in any of his interesting
works on the natural history of the neighbourhood. Nor does
the Rev. G. Gordon include the Jay in his " Fauna of Moray, "c
Banff. — Writing in 1856, Mr. Thomas Edward^ says he
has several times observed the Jay in various parts of the
county. It must, however, have become much more rare of
late years, as it is now seldom if ever seen. The last I have
heard of was a pair seen in the neighbourhood of Banff in the
summer of 1872-3, which fact was duly recorded in a local
newspaper.
a Proceedings of the Royal Physical .Society of Edinburgh, vol ii. p. 33S.
b "Birds found breeding in Sutherlandshire. " By J. A. Harvie Brown.
Proceedings of the Nat. His. Society of Glasgow, vol. ii. p. 69.
c Zoologist, I844, page 502.
dfList of the Birds of Banffshire,, Zoologist, 1856, page 5273.
The Scottish Naturalist. 235
Aberdeenshire. — Mr. George Sim, of Aberdeen, tells me
the Jay is quite unknown in Aberdeenshire. It is also omitted
in Macgillivray's list of birds of Deeside and Braemar^
Kincardineshire. — In the county of Kincardine Jays are
rare. But I am informed on good authority, that at one time
they were more common than they are at present.
Forfarshire. — This is one of the few counties in which
there is still a fair sprinkling of Jays. Mr. Henderson of
Dundee, informs me that they are found in all the wooded dis-
tricts of the county, especially in the north and east. But, as
in other places, the gamekeepers are wageing war against them,
and reducing their numbers year by year. In some districts
however where it is unmolested the species is on the increase.
Perthshire. — In many parts of Perthshire the Jay is very
common. Mr. M'Gregor, head gamekeeper to the Duke of
Athole, writes, 8th July, 1875 : — " There are plenty of common
Jays about us, and they breed here. There are not quite so
many as I have seen, as we kill a great many of them every
year ; but it is quite a common thing to see them." On the
Castle Menzies estate, near Aberfeldy, they also breed every
.season. Mr. Harvie Brown, informs me that the species has
within the last ten or twelve years, "increased its numbers in
the valleys of the Tay and Tummel, especially in the latter,
above Ballinluig, and in the neighbourhood of Aberfeldy." Mr.
W. Cameron, in his list of the birds of Balquhidder, b notes the
Jay as breeding in Strathyre Woods. In the North-East of the
county they are met with but are on the decrease ; and in the
North-West they are very rare. Writing of the Jay from the
neighbourhood of Auchterarder, Mr. J. A. Haldane, junior, of
Cloanden, says, " at one time there used to be a considerable
number, but now they are rare ; I fancy from being killed
down as vermin, and for the sake of their feathers for Salmon
flies." Sir Thomas Moncreiffe states that a few breed every
year at Moncreiffe, and that there are generally a few to be
found in the Lynedoch Woods, near Methven. Colonel
Drummond Hay tells me that about forty years ago the Jay was
■?' abundant in the Carse of Gowrie, and various other localities
in the vicinity of Perth, but from their being trapped, poisoned,
a Natural History of Deeside and Braemar, by W. Macgillivray, Edited
by E. Lankester, 1855.
b Scottish Naturalist Vol. ii. p. 9.
236 The Scottish Naturalist.
and destroyed in every way by gamekeepers, their numbers are
reduced, generally speaking, to a mere trifle ; though in some
places where game is not so strictly preserved in the Carse, a
few may still be seen occupying the woods unmolested."
There can be no doubt that, but for persecution they undergo,
Perthshire would long continue to be one of the strongholds of
the species in Scotland.
Inverness-shire. — I am indebted to Mr. M'Leay
bird-stuffer, Inverness, for the following, written 19th January,
1875. "The Jay is considered a 'Rara Avis' in Inverness-
shire. I have been in business here over twenty years, and so
far as I know, only three specimens have been got. Two of
these were killed two years ago in Glen Urquhart, on the north
bank of Loch Ness. The third was killed last year at Grantown
Strath-spey. I never heard of one being seen north of Inver-
ness or in this neighbourhood." In the Moidart district, Mr,
J. J. Dalgleish tells me, the species is quite unknown. Mr.
Robert Gray has been informed « that it is only within late years
that it may be occasionally seen about " Nether Lochaber, and
north as far as Glengarry ; along the woods skirting the
Caledonian Canal, and about LochiePs seat — Achnacarry."
Argyleshire. — In the central part of Argyleshire the Jay is
not uncommon. But I am informed by Mr. Dalgleish, that it
is not found further west than the estate of Airds. It is not so
far as I can learn found on any of the Islands. On Loch Fyne
side and in the Cowal district, it is not uncommon, but does not
occur in Cantire, in the south of the county, and Ardnamuchan
in the north.
Dumbartonshire. — The Dumbartonshire woods have been
long known as a breeding place of the Jay. The "Jay Piet"
is mentioned by the Rev. John Stewart in his list of the birds
of the Parish of Luss. b In all the woods on the banks of
Loch Lomond and Gare Loch, the Jay is very common, and
during the autumn and early winter months, its numbers are
much increased by migratory flocks. It breeds regularly in
the county, although the nest is not easily found until the young
are hatched and become noisy.
The number of the species is being reduced as in other
counties by the gamekeepers of the district.
a Birds of the West of Scotland p. 187.
b Statistical account of Scotland 1796. vol. 17. p. 247.
The Scottish Naturalist. 237
Stirlingshire. — Mr. John A. Harvie Brown sends me the
following notes on the Jay in this county : —
" The Jay is now an exceedingly scarce bird in the East of
Stirlingshire but is more abundant in the West. In 1866, I
recorded in the Zoologist a that it was rare even then, and at
that time I had only once met with the nest in this part of the
county; and in September 1867 I made further mention* of
the Jay, as still lingering in the Dunmore woods, where it is
difficult entirely to extirpate them, as accessions to their numbers
take place from time to time from the woods on the opposite
side of the Forth on the estates of Tulliallan, West Grange, &c.
In the coppices and woods of Alva, on the south slope of the
Ochils, the Jay is still found, but not numerously. Further
eastward it becomes somewhat more plentiful. The Jay is
well known by name to nearly every farm labourer in the east
of the county, and at one time was equally well known by
sight, but their decrease of late years, and almost total extirpa-
tion in some parts, is distinctly traceable to the persecution of
gamekeepers."
Clackmannan and Kinross. — Mr. J. J. Dalgleish writes as
follows : — " The Jay is by no means an uncommon bird in the
district bounded on the south by the Forth, and lying between
Alloa and Dumfermline as far north as the Ochil hills, but its
numbers vary very much owing to their being at times nearly
exterminated in certain parts of this district by game keepers ;
even in those parts, however, they are generally found in spring
about the breeding season."
Mr. Miller, gamekeeper, Tulliallan Castle, reports that Jays
are not rare in the woods of that estate and are found breeding,
but that they have much decreased in numbers during the last
twelve or sixteen years.
Fifeshire. — Mr. John Gilmour of Lundin, tells me the Jay
is a very rare bird in that part of the " Kingdom of Fife." As
before mentioned it is more common in the neighbourhood of
Dunfermline and is also frequently met with in the north of the
county and on the borders of Perthshire.
Mr. Robert Walker, writing of the Jay says^ " This bird
a Zoologist S. S. p. 70. £ Zoologist, 1867, p. 894.
c Scottish Naturalist, vol. i. p. 79.
238 The Scottish Naturalist.
which was not uncommon at one time, has now become rare irt
the east of Fife."
Haddington-shire. — Mr. A. Hepburn writing in 1843, notes
the decrease of the species in East Lothian, a and Mr. Turnbull
in his " Birds of East Lothian" says the Jay is * " rather scarce,
used to be plentiful in Gladsmuir Woods."
Mr. R. Scott Skirving, in his examination before the com-
mittee of the House of Commons on wild birds' protection states
that there are no Jays in the neighbourhood of his farm in East
Lothian, c
The result of enquiries up to the present date shows that the
species is yearly becoming more scarce in this country.
Edinburgh and Linlithgow. — Lieut. -Colonel Wedderburn
in his list of the birds found at Rosslyn and neighbourhood^
marks the Jay as a common species. But it is rather rare in
other districts. The birdstuffers of Edinburgh do not receive
many from either of these counties. And this with a species of
such marked plumage as the Jay is a strong proof of its scarce-
ness. In Linlithgowshire it has very much decreased in num-
bers during the last twenty or twenty-five years ; for at one
time, I am informed, it was a comparatively common bird in
the county, and now it is rarely seen.
Lanarkshire. — Mr. E. R. Alston writes, "In the upper
ward of Lanarkshire the Jay is decidedly local. I have never
seen it myself, but a few breed in some places, as at Blackwood
and Darfen, in Lesmahagow parish. I have received it from
near Bothwell," It is also found breeding in the Hamilton
woods, but in very limited numbers, and is getting scarcer
every year. Mr. Stewart of Murdostoun Castle writes me that
neither he nor his gamekeeper — who has been on the ground
for 9 years — has ever seen a Jay on that estate.
Renfrewshire. — I have no note of the species having ever
occurred in this county.
Mr. John Peebles, gamekeeper to Sir M. R. S. Stewart,
writes "There are none on the Ardgowan estate, and there
a Zoologist, 1843, P« 37°*
b Birds of East Lothian, by William P. Turnbull, pub. 1867, page 18.
c Report from the Select Committee on Wild Birds' Protection, 1873^.
p. 64.
d Scottish Naturalist, vol. i. p. 152.
The Scottish Naturalist. 239
have been none for twenty years at least ; whether there were
any before that I am unable to say."
Buteshire. — The Jay is not now met with in this county ;
but the " Jaepy" is included in the list of " fowls and birds
abiding or coming in their seasons " in a manuscript account
of the Natural History of Bute, written by John Blain, commis-
sary of the isles, about the year 1800. a
Ayr and Wigton. — In the counties of Ayr and Wigton, the
Jay is far from common, although a few pairs are sometimes
observed. It has according to Messrs. Gray and Anderson b
been much destroyed on account of its thievish habits.
In the New Statistical Account of the parish of Kilbirnie, Ayr-
shire, it is included in the list of rare birds of the parish by Mr.
John Jamieson.
Kircudbrightshire. — In the county of Kircudbright the Jay
is very rare, and I have been unable, after many enquiries, to
find any trace of its breeding in the district. It is, however,
possible that a few pairs may yet be found in the county.
Dumfries-shire. — The Rev. James E. Somerville, late of
Langholm, kindly sends me the following information. He
states, that the Jay does not occur in Langholm parish. In the
parish of Canonbie, five miles below Langholm, " it is found, but
not abundantly ; a few pairs breed but it is not increasing." It
is met with altogether in about seven or eight places in this
parish which is of considerable extent. On the Springkell
Estate, the Jay has not been seen for upwards of nine years ;
but it is reported to have been known at one time in that
district. In the neighbourhood of Annan and in Hoddam
parish, the species is also quite unknown.
Dr. Grierson of Thornhill informs me that " The common
Jay has not been known in Nithsdale for a very long time —
some forty or more years ago — but about that time I have
heard it said there were a few."
- Roxburgh and Selkirk. — I am informed by Sir George H.
Leith, who has kindly made many enquiries for me, that there
are no Jays in either of those counties. A gamekeeper in
« Geology of Arran, by James Bryce, M.A., LL.D., &c.— 4th ed. p. 301.
b On the birds of Ayrshire and Wigtonshire. Proceedings of the Natural
History Society of Glasgow. Vol. i. p. 294.
240 The Scottish Naturalist.
Selkirkshire remembers having trapped one thirty-five years ago,
but there is no record of any having been seen since that time.
Peebles. — The Jay is, and has for some time been, very
rare in this county.
In the New Statistical Account a of the united parishes of
Broughton, Glenholm, and Kilbucho the Jay is mentioned as
"seldom seen," and the same remark may be made of it at the
present time throughout the county. Mr. Small, of George
Street, Edinburgh, has occasionally but rarely had Jays sent in
from Peebleshire.
Berwickshire. — At one time the Jay may have been common
in Berwickshire, for in the New Statistical Account of the united
parishes of Cockburnspath and Old Cambus it is mentioned
that " In Penmanshiel Wood, Jays build in considerable
numbers."
At the present time, however, it is very rare all over the
county. The only recent record of the Jay I can find is in Mr.
A. Kelly's notes on the birds of Lauderdale t> where he mentions
two having been shot in a wood in that district — one in 1874,
and the other some years previously.
From the foregoing notes it will be seen that only in a very
few counties can the Jay be now called plentiful; while in others,
where at one time it was well known, it is rarely or never seen.
In one thing correspondents seem to agree, that the cause of
its decrease is the continual persecution by gamekeepers. Were
it left undisturbed it would be certain to increase and distribute
itself over the country — as it is doing in a few places where not
killed down : the many young oak and fir woods yearly
springing up, forming the very kind of shelter in which the Jay
delights to nest. It is much to be regretted that this, one of
the most lovely of our few bright coloured birds, should be
driven from our land. But we cannot blame any one for not
preserving them as they are a thieving race, whether they are
found digging up, and eating the gardener's peas, breaking the
carefully watched eggs in a pheasant covert, or clearing small
birds' nests of their young.
a New Statistical Account of Scotland, pub. 1845.
b Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 1875, p. 304.
The Scottish Naturalist. 241
ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL REASON.
( Continued from p. 218. )
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S.
IN the last number of the Scottish Naturalist I endeavoured
to show how rich a mine of information, concerning the
moral and intellectual faculties of the lower animals, exists in
the Daily Newspaper Press ; and how this mine may be profit-
ably worked by those competent to such an undertaking.
To point out that this is even truer of the more permanent
forms of the Serial Press, — that the nature and amount of the in-
formation which they treasure on the same subject are superior,
and the reward of extracting their riches correspondingly greater,
— is the object of the present paper, which relates to the valua-
tion and value of anonymous articles on Animals and their habits
in all kinds of Serials, from Weekly Magazines or Journals, such
as Chambers's or "Once a Week," to ponderous Quarterly
Reviews.
In the "Cornhill Magazine" for December, 1872, there
appeared an anonymous paper — an excellent article equally
instructive and interesting — entitled, " Dogs whom I have met.''
An inquiry at the editor, as to the authorship of the article, and
the authenticity of its anecdotes, elicited the following court-
eous reply : —
"London, January 19, 1873.
"The editor of the "Cornhill Magazine" presents his compliments to
Dr. Lauder Lindsay, and begs to inform him that the writer of the paper —
1 Dogs whom I have met ' is Miss Frances Power Cobbe ; and he has
no doubt but that the statements it contains are actual facts."
In the same year (1872) my attention was attracted by a still
more admirable — again anonymous — contribution to the
"Quarterly Review" for October, on "The Consciousness
of Dogs." As usual I applied to the editor (who is also
by the way, so far as I am concerned, anonymous) for the name
and address of the author, but in this case without reply. It
then occurred to me that Dr. John Brown of Edinburgh, the
well-known Canophilist, and author of " Rab and his Friends,"
might know something of the authorship of such an article in
so important a serial. My surmise proved correct. On applica-
tion to him, he at once suggested the name of Miss Cobbe
242 2/ie Scottish Naturalist.
as the probable writer of the paper. A communication to her
— through the publisher of others of her works — forthwith
elicited the following acknowledgment of her authorship of
both the articles, that of the " Cornhill Magazine," as well as
that of the " Quarterly Review" : —
"26 Hereford Square, London, S.W.,
' ' December 4, 1873.
"Miss Cobbe is happy to answer Dr. Lauder Lindsay's inquiries. The
articles in the 'Quarterly Review,' and in the 'Cornhill Magazine,' re-
ferred to by Dr. Lindsay, are by Miss Cobbe, and she has no objection to
owning their authorship.
' ' There is also an article from ' Fraser's Magazine, ' republished in Miss
Cobbe's Studies — Ethical and Social a — on 'The Rights of Man, and the
Claims of Brutes,' which may possibly have some interest for Dr. Lindsay.
' ' The Confessions of a Lost Dog is not a pamphlet, but a child's book —
written for the Bazaar for the Dog's Home — and not worth Dr. Lindsay's
attention."
The result is this, that everybody acquainted with Miss Cobbe
or her numerous writings, b will at once admit her competency
to observe and report on such a subject as the mental endow-
ments of the Dog; and will accept her Facts, and perhaps also
her inferences or opinions. Having carefully studied her two
articles — above mentioned, on the Dog — and knowing, as I do,
the character of her other published works, I can confidently
commend her panegyric on that animal to the attention of all
students of Mind in the Lower animals.
Fortunately these two essays are easily and cheaply accessible;
for, last year Miss Cobbe threw aside her Anonymity, and re-
published the two papers in question (along with two others
that appeared originally in the " New Quarterly Magazine" for
March and October, 1874 — entitled respectively "Animals hx
a " Studies on Subjects New and Old — Ethical and Social" : reprinted
from "Fraser's Magazine." London, post 8vo., 1S65. Chapter on "The
Rights of Man, and the Claims of Brutes. "
b These writings — so far as they relate to the mental faculties of animals —
include: — (1) Minor articles — such as that on "Instinct and Reason" in
the "Animal World," vol. i, p. 40: (2) Reprints of Major contributions
such as : — " Darwinism in Morals and other Essays" : — from the Theological
and Fortnightly Reviews, and from Fraser's, Macmillau's, and other
Magazines. London: 1872.
The most noteworthy chapter in the latter work relative to our present
subject, is that on "The Evolution of Morals and Religion."
The Scottish Naturalist. 243
Fable and Art" and "The Fauna of Fancy") — as one of the
volumes — published at one shilling each — of Messrs. Ward,
Lock, and Tyler's, " Country House Library" — Miss Cobbe's
volume bearing the title " False Beasts and True : Essays on
Natural and Unnatural History." It is a most convenient and
important little Manual: but without an Index — a serious
defect to such a work. The " Fauna of Fancy" gives an account
of Griffins, Dragons, Krakens, and other purely Fabulous
animals.
Miss Cobbe is well known in England as the authoress of
various Moral, Religious, and Social Works ; and was long a
member of the London Literary world as Leader-writer of the
Echo Newspaper. Of her, Mary Somerville in her " Memoirs"
(p. 305) speaks as " my dear friend and constant correspondent
. . . the cleverest, and most agreeable woman I ever
met, and one of the best:" while she refers also (p. 359) to "all
the energy of her vigorous intellect as a Moral Philosopher."
The practice now so common, on the part of publishers or
authors, of reprinting — in one or more convenient and attrac-
tive volumes, under an author's proper name — series of articles
that originally appeared anonymously in various Magazines or
Reviews — among other advantages has this one — that it makes
public the Names of many Anonymous writers, whose produc-
tions, and whose names deserve equally a better fate than the
mere ephemeral popularity of a monthly or quarterly serial,
whatever be the reputation of the latter. Miss Cobbe's is a
case in point. But, other, even more pertinent, cases might be
cited : — for instance, those of Frank Buckland and Dr. Wynter.
The chapters of which Dr. Wy liter's two volumes of "Fruit
between the Leaves"^ are composed, originally appeared, he
tells us, in such serials as the Edinburgh Review, Good Words,
Pall Afall Gazette, and the Graphic. The same probably is
the case with the various popular Natural History Works by b
Frank Buckland, editor of " Land and Water," in which
Magazine no doubt many of his popular Zoological papers were
first published.
a 2 vols. 8vo., London, 1875: contain chapters on: — (1) Clever Dogs ;
(2) Eccentric Cats ; (3) Rats and their doings ; (4) Were-wolves and
Lycanthropy.
b For instance his "Curiosities of Natural History," of which there are
several editions: — the last being the "People's Edition" in 4 vols., fcap^
8vo., illustrated ; published by Bentley, London, 1S72-4.
244 The Scottish Naturalist.
In November, 1872, there appeared in "Cornhill Magazine"
what seemed to be a " sensation " article, entitled " An Ugly
Dog." It read like a story or fiction. In doubt whether or not
it really was Fiction, or how much of it was Fact, I applied to
the editor for the name and address of the author. As on the
previous occasion of Miss Cobbe's paper in the same Magazine,
my application was promptly and politely attended to ; and
the author of the article himself, Mr. E. C. Grenville Murray,
of No. 163 Rue de Lille, Faubourg St. Germain, Paris — wrote
me in January, 1873, assuring me of the authenticity or
veracity of the whole narrative — the singular mode of life, and
the adventures, of a Blind and Dying Beggar's Dog. I had
asked him whether the story was true — whether the narrative
represented Facts observed by the writer himself. To which his
reply was emphatically and simply " Yes." If I am not much
mistaken, Mr. Murray is, or was in 1873, one of the Paris corres-
pondents of the " New York Herald " : he is a well-known
correspondent of other leading newspapers — English as well as
American ; and is an English Litterateur long resident in Paris,
the author of many brilliant papers, illustrating modern Parisian
life, in "Cornhill."
In the "Field Quarterly Magazine and Review," for Feb-
ruary, August, and November, 1872, there was published a
series of articles, entitled — " Do Animals Think ? " Once more
I applied to the editor to ascertain the name and competency
of the writer, as an observer and describer of Facts. Very
promptly again the editor wrote me as follows : —
" 11 Church Row, Hampstead, London, N.W.
"January 15, 1873.
"I enclose my card. I have the honour to edit the 'Field Quarterly
Magazine,' and have employed a few (to me pleasant) hours in writing the
sketchy articles, entitled — 'Do Animals Think V
"Arthur Nicols, F.R.G.S."
Of date January 30, 1873, he favoured me with a fuller
■communication, containing the following additional infor-
mation : —
"My articles — 'Do Animals Think V — appeared in the
' Field Quarterly Magazine and Review ' in February, August,
and November, 1872, and there are no others in that publica-
tion on the subject. I have seen from time to time articles on
The Scottish Naturalist. 245
this subject in current publications. But they have been, for
the most part, of so worthless a nature that I should not care
to bring them under your notice. Certain writers are just as
ready to credit animals with mental powers, which they do not
possess, as others are to deny them all such faculties whatever.
And both classes have 110 regard for the value of their Facts.
I believe that there are human minds totally incapable of appre-
ciating the evidence of the existence of mental faculties in
animals. The want of sympathy between some human beings (and
animals) is very marked. Such human beings I find also deficient
in sympathy with their own kind. . . . My time is terribly
occupied ; but I will endeavour to give you any help by way
of illustration that I can, if you wish it. Mr. Darwin has done
me the honour to accept some Notes of mine on the habits of
certain Australian species for future use. And I could give
you some results of observation, if I could find time to put
them into form."
In the preface to his series of Papers — Do animals think ? —
Mr. Nicols professes to record only " Facts drawn exclusively
from personal 'observation in Australia I pretend" (he says)
" to give nothing but bare facts within my own knowledge, and
have set them in the plainest language I can find Eveiyone
of the cases, of what I believe to be simple thought in animals,
.... has been observed by myself. And I can only guarantee that
each will be carefully stated from Notes made at the time."
In other words, Mr. Nicols has had much experience of
Bush life and Bush animals in Australia, and is one of those
now numerous Traveller-Naturalists or Naturalist-Travellers,
whose observations are of the highest value as Bases for
Generalisation.
The " Animal World " is a monthly illustrated Folio — the
organ of, and issued by, " The Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals." It was started in 1869 : is now in its 7th
volume, the first having been issued in 1870: has a circulation
of at least 26,000 copies per month: costs 2d. per number, or
2s. 6d. per annual volume : is the avowed advocate of Humanity
to the Lower Animals: and is published by Messrs. Partridge &
Co., London, who are also publishers of a whole series of works
illustrative of animal sagacity. The " Animal World " is in-
tended for readers of all ages and classes and of both sexes.
It contains accordingly a judicious mingling of Verse with
Prose — of the gay with the serious — of anecdote or story with
246 The Scottish Naturalist.
argument. Its numerous engravings are by Harrison Weir
and other well-known artists. It is specially suitable for circu-
lation among teachers and school children ; in school and
popular libraries ; and in general wherever it is desirable to
inculcate feelings, and the practice, of Humanity to Animals.
While many of its contributors and contributions are anonymous ;
or under mere 710ms de plume, others bear the names of the
writers ; and these names include the following that are more
or less known in the world of Science, Letters, or Philanthropy :
— The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol \ Bishop Claughton ;
The Rev. Edmund Gray, who writes in it a series of articles on
"Animal Instinct and Intelligence"; The Rev. F. O. Morris,
B.A. of Nunburnholme Rectory, Hayton, Yorkshire, the author
of a well-known beautifully illustrated "History of British
Birds," in 7 vols. ; &c, &c.
In the number for February 1876 (p. 27), the Editor of the
'; Animal World," Mr Colam, who is so well known, in these
days of Anti-Vivisection outcry, as Secretary of the Royal
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals aforesaid,
announces that " It has always been our study not to publish
UTiauthenticated A7iccdotes" He complains that nevertheless
" a few people disbelieve in our integrity," and he gives a case
in point, in which Fun was literally made — by the periodical
-called " Fun " — of an anecdote headed " Intelligence of a Pig."
" There is no need to maintain secrecy " — says Mr. Colam —
" as to the Name of the witness of the singular conduct of that
clever Pig. . . . The writer of the paragraph was an eye-
witness of the act described, and he is a gentleman and a clergy-
man, whose name shall be forwarded to any inquirer."
I had not myself occasion to call in question the truthfulness
of the recorded feats of this Learned or Clever Pig ; but I had
occasion to make inquiry regarding the accuracy of certain
statements in the " Animal World," by an anonymous writer,
as to the Intelligence of a Pan-ot. Mr. Colam's reply, which
was prompt and satisfactory, was as follows : —
11 Office of " The Animal World," 105 Jermyn Street,
"St. James's, London, S.W., 14th April, 1874.
"The Editor presents his compliments to Dr. Lauder Lindsay, and begs
to say that, having received the consent of the author of 'Reminiscences of
a French Parrot,' he is now enabled to forward name and address of such
writer, which is as follows : —
The Scottish Naturalist. 247
"Miss Knox, 48 Havclock Road, Hastings.
""Miss Knox states that she will have much pleasure in answering any
questions Dr. Lauder Lindsay may wish to ask her.
" The Editor takes this opportunity to thank Dr. Lindsay in advance for
his promise to recommend The Animal World. Nothing is inserted in its
pages unless received from respectable or reliable sources. "
That wonderful, evergreen "Chambers's Journal" — a serial
that was virtually the forerunner or pioneer of all our best cheap
serial literature, and which still maintains, notwithstanding its
age and the competition to which it is subjected, its high
character, continuing its weekly issue from that Edinburgh
Publishing house that has done so much for the spread of
popular literature of a proper kind — abounds in anonymous
articles, of varying value, illustrative of the mental aptitudes —
the character or disposition — the habits or mode of life — of
animals. Here, for instance, are some of them : —
(1) "The Talking Bird;" a most instructive account of a
well-known Edinburgh Parrot : Number for October,
1874.
(2) " Our Coon :" in the Number for March 15, 1873.
(3) "About Dogs :" Number for June 21, 1873.
(4) "Animal Volunteers 5" describing the mental peculiarities
of a number of Regimental Dogs and other Regimental
Animal Pets : Number for April 24, 1875.
(5) "Trap-door Spiders :" Number for March 8, 1873.
(6) "About Spiders :" Number for April 10, 1875.
(7) "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale:" Number for
July 8, 1865.
Some of these papers, for instance No. 5, are written by the
head of the firm of W. &. R. Chambers himself — Dr. William
Chambers — who signs them with his familiar initials, IV. C,
and so vouches for the authenticity of their contained anecdotes.
Writing me on December 23, 1873, Dr. Chambers informs
me that "the writer of the article, 'Our Coon' (No. 2 in the
foregoing list), was Mr. D. Kerr, 34 Regent's Park Road,
London."
Regarding the truthfulness of the remarkable statements
made in No. 1, as to the sensible conversational powers of a
Parrot, I preferred satisfying myself by personal inquiiy, in
Edinburgh, in the summer of 1875. I saw the master of the
animal, a well known Photographer in Princes Street. He in-
248 The Scottish Naturalist.
formed me that the gentleman who "interviewed," for the press
the Parrot and its doings, in other words the writer of the paper
(No. 1) in Chambers's Journal, was a clergyman whose name and
address he gave me. I visited the Mistress of the Bird — the
Photographer's mother — in her Country quarters ; and I saw the
Parrot for myself. From all that I heard and saw, I had no
difficulty in coming to the conclusion, that the clerical writer
had given a faithful account of the Bird's performances ; and
that these Talking feats of the Parrot — a plain looking grey one
— well deserved being placed on record. « I was myself struck
in particular with the following features in the character of what
may conveniently be called the Truefitt Parrot, from the name
of its owners : —
( 1 ) Its apropos remarks are notorious. Instances were given me
by (a) Mrs. Truefitt — the animal's mistress, whose pet it
especially is, who has trained it, and with whom it habitually
lives ; (b) her daughter, Miss Truefitt, an artist in colours ; (c)
her son, Mr. Truefitt, the Photographer aforesaid; and (d) Mr.
Nisbet, who was, at the time of my visit to the country quarters
of the family at Cramond, a lodger in the house, and had his
easel fitted up in the same room occupied by the Bird — the
kitchen. Its appropriate remarks had reference to such common-
place events as dinner; its master's home-coming in the evening;
going to bed of the family; and the entrance of strangers, before
whom it is shy and taciturn, but observant. I was unfortunate
in seeing the Parrot shortly before the dinner hour, and when
he had been taking a forenoon nap ; and for other reasons he
was not, on the occasion of my visit, at all in a demonstrative
mood, disposed to show himself off to advantage, which he can
do, and knows he can do.
(2.) His wonderful Mimicry of the cat, dog, cock, and human
voice, including whistling and singing. There could be no
doubt of the distinctness of his Articulation.
(3.) His successful Deception of the family dog "Jack."
The parrot cheats him constantly by his whistle, which Jack
obeys or answers.
a This gentleman described for instance how the Parrot called his master ;
ordered the servant "with an air of authority ;" made enquiries "in a most
pathetic voice," and requests "in a most affectionate voice," or uttered
exclamations "in a waesome manner;" cajoled, scolded, hurrahed; and ex-
hibited joy unbounded on the appearance of his favourites.
The Scottish Naturalist. 249
(4.) His hearty Laughter at his own Practical Jokes, such as
suddenly biting unwary and admiring strangers.
" Jack," The Truefitt Spaniel, is also a " character " in his
way, exhibiting many of the typical Feats that are performed by
trained intelligent dogs. For instance —
(1.) His patience, obedience, and Self-control — a distinct
knowledge of what is permitted, and what forbidden, and in
that sense of Right and wrong — are illustrated by his sitting on
his hind legs in a begging attitude, with a piece of biscuit on
his nose for any length of time, not eating it till permission is
given, and allowing another bit of biscuit to lie before it within
easy reach, or to be snapped up by other dogs before his face,
without moving or remonstrance.
(2.) His knowledge of Number, or at all events of signs;
barking once if one finger of his master is held up ; twice, if
two ; thrice, if three, and so on — to what limit, however, I
omitted to inquire.
(3.) His recognition of Differences in personality, and his
corresponding very different behaviour to his master and to
strangers.
The "New Moon," for November, 1873, a monthly 4to.
published in Dumfries, contained a short anonymous account
of the doings of "An Eccentric Starling." The editor, Dr.
Gilchrist of Dumfries, to whom I put the usual question
whether, and how far, the Facts recorded were true, replied, of
date November 25, 1873, — "As to the Starling every word is
literally true, as I am ready to swear before a Justice of the
Peace."
A common and instructive feature now-a-days of all the
better classes of serials — newspapers included — is their Reviews
of works of Natural History or Zoology, by competent critics,
whose comments are frequently as valuable as the quoted obser-
vations of the authors criticised. In other words, such Reviews,
which are themselves also anonymous, frequently embody much
valuable original information of a thoroughly trustworthy kind.
This sort of Reviewing is prominent occasionally in Chambers's
Journal — for instance in the notice of Dr. Saxby's " Birds of
Shetland," in the Number for October, 1874; and it is no less
characteristic of the " Daily Telegraph" and other newspapers,
as of the " Quarterly" and other Reviews.
(To be continued. )
250 The Scottish Naturalist.
ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS.
( Continued from p. 2 1 2. )
By the Rev. J. WARDROP.
JESSE of Selborne says : "There is not a faculty of the human
mind of which some evident proofs of its existence may not
be found in dogs." The author of " Rab and his Friends" and
" Our Dogs/' asserts, " I differ from Professor Ferrier in think-
ing that the dog has the reflex eye, and is a very knowing being."
Now, in such men all this is very beautiful. In them it is all
in a sense quite right. In the face of anything that these
standard enthusiasts may find it good to say in filling up their
glowing pictures, one can hardly have the heart either to argue
or to disbelieve. But we protest against the ordinary run of
scientists being allowed any such privilege. They must keep
vigorously to facts and logic. How should Mr. Huxley be
allowed to set down this — " I may add the expression of my
belief, that the attempt to draw a psychical distinction between
the animal world and ourselves is futile, and that even the
highest faculties of feeling and intellect begin to germinate in
lower forms of life f and then in the same breath to define
"ourselves ' as "the only consciously intelligent denizens of
this world !" — (Man's Place, pp. 109-110). Is the presence or
absence of " conscious intelligence " of no account as a dis-
tinction ? Such treatment will not further the solution of our
problem.
Dr. Lauder Lindsay, after a laborious investigation into the
mental manifestations of the animal world, arranged under
twenty-nine headings, and embracing an immense array of facts
and authorities, comes as we have already seen, to the conclu-
sion, that " there is no essential distinction between man and
other animals." I would beg to make the following remarks on
this conclusion, and on the logic by which it is supported.
1. Is there not a one-sidedness in the citation of authorities
for facts and opinions, observable all through the paper ? For
instance, under the difficult heading " Abstraction," we have
cited " a recent reviewer" whose complexion is very apparent
from his words, Milne-Edwards, and Maudsley, who is a con-
stant authority under all the headings; but we have not John
Locke, who first strongly signalized this faculty in the discussion;
nor John Miiller, the most philosophical of physiologists ; nor
The Scottish Natiwalist. 251
Max Mu Her — all of whom give a very different sound from
the chosen three. Again, under the heading " Moral Sense,"
we have Maudsley, Leroy, Menault, Chambers's Encyclopaedia ;
it is needless to repeat the names we might have expected here,
either added, or, better, substituted. 2. The competency for
psychological discussion displayed, is just what is so frequently
and so easily at the command of even the foremost naturalists
and biologists of the day — such as Darwin. The true mental
philosopher has good reason to retort the demand for "experts"
so loudly made by these scientists. I instance what is said
under the heading " Moral Sense," especially in fine. May I
not instance the number of the mental rubrics themselves —
twenty-nine, or at least their co-ordinate arrangement ? 3. The
conclusion of the writer, as a fact, is opposed by many con-
siderations, some of which have been dwelt upon above, and
which go to establish a different view, but which have not had
due or even any attention in the discussion. 4. As an inference,
Dr. Lindsay's conclusion does not exhaust the facts alleged in the
line in which it interprets them. If they can be of force to
establish such a conclusion at all, they will avail to advance us
a good stage further; for (*.) the facts alleged show that
the same kind of mind which is manifested in the higher
animals, is found to be present as far as we can trace down
the series. There is scarcely one of the twenty-nine classes
of mental phenomena that Dr. Lindsay does not find in the
lowest as well as in the highest animal races — in the flea
and ant as well as the dog and elephant. Dr. Carpenter
has minutely observed and described the beautiful architec-
ture of the Foraminifera. If he had been as able to observe
the process of building as he has the finished work, analogy
leaves no doubt but that he would have found that the
foraminiferous speck of protoplasm is as competent to repair
mishaps in its work, to adapt itself to sudden emergencies, to
occurrent difficulties, and in every way to suit its instincts to
circumstances, as is the bee or the beaver. It is one mind that
is at work all through the animal sphere, (u.) If this mind is
shown by the facts to be u of the same nature as that of man" it is
incontestable that they also show that, in the degree of its
powers, it, at many points, surpasses the mind of man ; and
accordingly man comes to play the part of the lower animal to
those brute superiors ; and not only so, but the lower to the
lowest. Dr. Lindsay's premises, if they carry him the length
252 The Scottish Naturalist.
he goes, are sufficient to carry him thus farther. Those who
do not interpret the facts to the identity of the animal and
human mind, are of course not put to difficulties by the in-
stances of greater mental perfection displayed in the animal
world. These instances, in fact, are of themselves sufficient to
discountenance utterly the idea of sameness of nature, while,
in other directions, in the words of Bacon (Advancement
of Learning, Bk. iv. chap. 3), "There are many excel-
lencies of the human soul above the souls of brutes, mani-
fest even to those who philosophise only according to sense.
And wherever so many and such great excellencies are found,
a specific difference should always be made. We do not,
therefore, approve that confused and promiscuous manner of
the philosophers in treating the functions of the soul, as if the
soul of man differed in degree, rather than species, from the
soul of brutes, as the sun differs from the stars, or gold from
metals." Dr. Lindsay's conclusion cannot stand on the premises.
What kind of soul, positively, the animal has, since it specifi-
cally differs from the human, it is hard to say. All we can say
is, man has a soul that is a self or personality. The animal has
a soul that is not a self. We have got a negative position.
But we are without a positive. The abyss remains. The
mystery is unsolved. We may see a little farther, or a little
more clearly into its depths. To search the bottom seems
meanwhile hopeless.
It might have been surmised that we had drawn the line
between matter and mind too low, and been unjust to material
force and its capabilities in supposing them not competent to
evolve the phenomena of the animal world with which we are
dealing. But though we were to draw the line higher, it does
not appear that we could ever be permitted to strike it so high
as that all animal psychosis could be reduced within the range
of material force. There are animal manifestations such, that
we have no analogy, nor evidence or ground of any sort to
permit us to lay at their root aught but a psychical principle — a
soul. There may, however, be souls and souls. One soul
may differ from another soul in kind and quality. And then,
if function is to be allowed to be a chief determinant of biologi-
cal distinctions, must we not fall back, with Geoffroy St.
Hilaire, Isidore St. Hilaire, Goodsir, and Quaterfages, on the
position that human beings, x'a community of persons," consti-
tute a kingdom, distinct from that mere aggregate of sensitive
The Scottish Naturalist. 253
or conscious units that forms the animal kingdom ? (Goodsir
1, 210, 274, 282).
What further is to be done in travailing in the difficult task
of explaining the animal soul is plain enough. We have to
observe; and we have to interpret our observations. We have
to go on just much as we 'have been doing. There is no other
method. Only, it is to be remembered that the field of observa-
tion is not the world of animal action alone ; nor is it that
world first. Unless we enter that territory furnished with
adequate and accurate observations of the world of human
intelligence and action, we shall enter it to no purpose, or only
to blunder. " As the facts of human psychology," says Good-
sir, " are attained by a process of self-examination, it is evident
that we can only investigate comparative psychology by an in-
direct method. Nevertheless, as we can compare the combined
instinctive and rational elements of our own human economy,
so we may, with confidence, conduct our indirect comparative
psychological investigations under the control of our own ex-
perience." It is the same rule that holds elsewhere, that holds
here. We must, if we are to philosophise beyond ourselves at
all, philosophise at least j6w* ourselves outward. Hence, when-
ever we deal with beings of the same mental nature with
ourselves, this rule makes the accurate philosophy of the inves-
tigator's own mind at the same time the accurate philosophy of
the minds which he is investigating. But when we come, in
the application of our rule, to deal with beings that present
mental variation from ourselves, we encounter difficulty from
the conditions and limitations to which the rule is then neces-
sarily subject. Thus is it in the case of animal psychosis.
Nevertheless, it is the application here of the only rule possible
to us anywhere, that conditions the very possibility of a com-
parative psychology. In the direction of this topic, Mr. Douglas
Spalding makes two statements that provoke animadversion.
He says, ■* in its fundamental principles the science of mind must
be the same for all living creatures." (Nature, vii. 229). The
answer is, undoubtedly, provided the mind of all living creatures
is the same. But that is the question that may be to be settled ;
and it will not do to beg it. Mr. Spalding then adds : "farther, if
man, as is now believed, be but the highest, the last, the most
complex product of evolution, a system, professing to be an
analysis and exposition of his mind, yet confessing itself incom-
petent to deal with the necessarily simpler mental processes of
254
The Scottish Naturalist.
lower creatures, must surely feel itself in an uncomfortably ano-
malous position." The answer is, not at all. Even granting
man to be all that is here said of him, it might yet not be the
case that the mental processes of lower creatures would be
more easily dealt with than his more complex ones ; for though
the human abyss were the deeper, yet if you had a line, long
and ready, wherewith to plumb it, it might yield its secret more
readily than the shallower mystery which you were less happily
provided for fathoming.
Thus it is willing, keen, impartial observation of human
nature that lays the foundation of our only hope of ever seeing
to the bottom of the anima brutorum. And, other things being
equal, the best metaphysician — pace the naturalists and physi-
cists— has the best chance of seeing that length first.
( Concluded. )
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BEITISH 00LE0PTERA.
( Continued from p. 226.)
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
8.
10.
A moderately el. species. Very finely punc. Pale
test. Disc of th. dusky. Sut. and 4 lines on e.
(rarely reaching ba. or ap. and gen. interrupted)
dusky or b. i$£ 1. B.N- .
A short globose species. Very finely punc. and spar,
sprinkled with large puncs. H. and th. reddish.
E. very pale test. ; the sut. and 4 lines on each e.
(not reaching ba. or ap., often more or less con-
fluent) b. il/2 1. B.
A dist. str. on each e. close to the sut. is obs. near ap.
This str. runs consp. to ap. Finely pub. and punc.
B. Th. paler. Legs, a fasc. near ba., and some
marks near mar. and ap., of e. test. The continua-
tion on e. of ba. fov. of th. shorter than th. itself.
1 1 F
Very finely punc. B. An. , h. , legs, and 3 fasc. on e.
(not reaching sut. ), test. Continuation on e. of ba.
fov. of th. much longer than the th. itself. A long
novemlineatus
confluens
10
geminus
parallel species.
1. E.8-w-
minutisshmts
II.
12.
Very finely pub. and punc. Pit. Disc, of th. and
gen. some markings on e. obsc. test. Continuation
on e. of ba. fov. of th. much longer than th. itself.
Not a parallel species. 5-6ths 1. E.ES
Narrow, el. species. Less than i/^ 1.
Not as above ......
Spar, and dist. punc. and pub. B. Ba. of an., and
2 lines on each e., yellow. 1 1. E.
nnistriatus
12
granulans
The Scottish Naturalist.
255
*5-
16.
- - very finely punc. and pub. B. Legs, ba. of an. ,
mar. of th., and 4 more or less interrupted lines on
each e., yellow. 1^5 1. E. . .
13. Ap. half of an. entirely dusky or b.
Not as above ......
14. Tar. consp. b. Densely pub. Finely punc. B.
Fern., tib., ba. of an. , and some irreg. fasc. on e.
(not reaching sut. ) consp. yellow. \]/z 1. E. S. I.
- not consp. b. Obs. pub. Spar, and dist. punc.
Pit. Legs, h. , th. , and ba. of an. paler. A yel. line
runs down disc of each e. , forming a large blotch at
ba. and near ap. ; r. -m. yel. 1 1. E.S.I.
Length not less than twice width. Sides moderately
rounded ......
- less than twice width. Sides strongly rounded. Ind.
punc. Test. Disc of th. gen. darker. Disc of e.
with a large b. blotch (often leaving only ba., mar.,
and some spots near ap. , test. ; sometimes in the
form of 5 b. lines). 1^ 1. E.S.I.
Spar, and faintly punc. E. widest in fr. of mid.
Test. A V-shaped mark on h. , some marks on th. ,
and about 7 lines on e. (seldom reaching ba. or ap.
and often confluent), b. 2 1. B.N-
Very like prec. E. widest at or behind mid. H. gen.
without the V-shaped mark. A shorter insect, less
pointed behind, if 1. E.S.I.
1 7. Th. contr. at ba. ; or, its ba. angs. very obt. or
rounded ; or both. .....
Not as above ......
18. E. with a small tooth just before the ap.
E. not as above .....
19. Th. dist. contr. in fr. ; its ba. angs. rounded. Very
finely punc. and pub. Test. Ap. of an., 2 spots
at ba. of th. , 6 lines (more or less confluent) on e. ,
and the tar. , b. U.-s. finely punc. 1% 1. B.N- .
Very like prec. Th. hardly contr. in fr. The b. color
of the lines on e. is gen. more suffused, and there are
gen. 6 consp. large pale blotches on each e. 2^ 1.
Hi. o. !.»•••••
20. Resembles assimilis. The dark marks on th. are on
disc. Th. contr. in fr., rectang. at ba. U.-s.
coarsely punc. I%{ 1. E.c-
Very finely punc. and pub. Th. as wide in fr. as at
ba. ; ba. angs. obt. H. test. Th. test.; ba. and
ap. dusky. E. b., with 6 (often less) test, spots.
Legs and an. test. 2*4 1. E.S.I.
21. B. Sides of h., sides and centre line of th.,
ba. of an., legs (exc. tar.), and some irreg. lines on e.,
test. Varies to unic. test., with back of h. dusky.
ill-2lA 1. S.N- .
flavipes
IS
lepidus
pictus
16
rivalis
Davisi
septentrionalis
18
21
19
20
assimilis
depressus
halensis
duodecim-
[pustulatus
griseo-striatus
256
The Scottish Naturalist.
Strongly pub. Ind. punc. Brown. H. th., an.,
legs, mar. of e. , and 4 more or less dist. lines on
each e., test. 15^ 1. E.S.I.
22. E. simply punc, or with some rows of larger puncs. .
Very finely punc., and spar, sprinkled with large coarse
puncs. Densely pub. R. -brown. Fr. of e. paler.
$ with a smooth keel near ap. of e. A broad spe-
cies. 2%
1. B.*-
An. not
lineatus-
23
latus
24
29
2*
atriceps
longicornis
26
23. Th. and fr. part of h. unif. b. or pit. b.
unit, pale ......
Not as above .....
24. Legs r. or test, (wide species with more or less rounded
sides) ......
B. Legs and an. pit. or b. Fem. and ba. of an.
reddish. Spar, and coarsely punc. Ba. angs. of th.
strongly obt. ; its mar. very faint. E. consp. el.,
parallel, widest behind mid. \\ 1. B.NM-
Resembles prec. ; still more parallel ; less strongly
punc; the th. strongly mar. Fr. legs r. \%\. S.
25. Puncs. on e. fine deep and close
- - - coarse, shallow and spar. B. Legs and ba. of
an. r. Disc of th. gen. almost impunc A short
species ; hardly pub. ; sides little rounded. I % 1.
26. Very spar. pub. H. and th. b. E. dusky, with more
or less of well def. yel. markings at ba. and mars.
Sides strongly rounded. 1^3 1. E. S. I.
Very pub. No well def. markings on e.
27. Less than \% 1.
More than 1^ 1. E. rather long, dark brown, gen.
paler at ba. and mars. Sides moderately rounded.
iy& 1. E. S. I. ! ! .
28. Extremely like prec. Narrower. Color of e. varies
from rather darker to unic test. i%\. E.S.I. ! melanocephalus
Resembles prec. E. shorter, a little more closely punc,
unic. b. Sides more rounded. i}4 I. B.
29. Th. and e. b. An. entirely test. r.
Not as above ......
30. H. more or less reddish. Legs r. Puncs. on disc of
th. very obsc. E. with only obsc traces of rows of
larger puncs. Sides very parallel. Front tib. of
normal form. . . . . . .31
Colored as above. Puncs. on disc of th. fine but
very dist. E. rather closely punc. ; rows of larger
puncs. pretty dist. Sides rounded. Front tib. very
nigrita
lituratus
27
28
planus
disc re t us
32
short and broad. I Vz 1. E. S. I.
A wide insect.
31. E. spar, and rather coarsely punc.
15/ 1 Vs.
E. very spar, and finely punc. Narrower and duller
than the above. i}i 1. E. S. I.
celatus
v 1 da uar i us
monticola
The Scottish Naturalist.
257
33-
34-
35.
Puncs. on e. all well def., and spar. (i. e. spaces be-
tween puncs. much larger than the puncs. ) .
Not as above. ......
Disc, of th. almost or quite impunc. . . .
Entire surface of th. dist. punc, though often more
finely and less thickly on disc.
More than i}£ 1. . , .
Not more than I j^ 1. .
Shining. El. Sides parallel in fr. j£t then much
contr. Finely and spar, punc, with some very fine
puncs. consp. mingled. H. and th. reddish or b.
An., pal., legs, mars, of th. (often), and e. (especi-
ally in fr.), reddish.
1. E.N-
Colored much as prec. , but duller and paler. Broader,
and less contr. behind. Much more strongly punc.
1% 1. B.N- ......
36. Widest part of e. (which are rather parallel) hardly
wider than ba. of th. Dark brown. H. , th. , legs,
and ba. of an., paler. Ap. of an. b. E. strongly
and rather closely punc. An. short and thick. A
rather wide species. 1^3 1. E. S. I.
----(- have gently rounded sides) dist. wider than
ba. of th. Brown. H., th., ba. of an. , and legs, gen.
paler. E. strongly but not closely punc. An.
rather long and slender. ]/§ 1. E.N-
37. E. unif. punc. or with only slight traces of rows of
larger puncs. .....
- each with 2 dist. rows of puncs. larger than the rest.
Pit. b. An., legs, and often h. and mars, of th.,
reddish. Ap. of an. often dark. Not pub. Finely
and spar. punc. A consp. row of puncs. across fr.
of th. <$ shining, 9 dull, and much less spar. punc.
\y% 1. E. S. I.
Broad, flat and parallel. Not very
shining. E. very strongly and rather thickly punc.
R. ; palest about ba. of e. 1 ^ 1. B.
38. Mars, of th. cons, paler than disc.
Narrow, el. , rather strongly punc. Hardly pub. H.
dusky, paler in fr. Th. b. E. dark brown. Legs
and ba. of an. reddish. l}& fc E. S. I. .
Very like prec. ; often paler in color. Rather narrower.
An. longer. E. more dist. contr. at ba. Th. with
dist. rounded sides. Sides of th. often obsc. r.
Rather el. ; sides gently rounded. Very strongly punc.
Hardly pub. Pit. r. ; fr. of h. and sides of th. paler.
i%\. E.S.I. ! .
Th. widest about ba. .....
- - cons, in fr. of ba. Rather el. and flat. E. much
wider than th. Pub. Very closely and finely punc.
39.
40.
33
40
34
37
35
3^
oblongns
obsoletus
obscurus
Scalesianus
3&
memnomus
ferragineus
39
tristis-
neglectus-
Gyllenhalli
41
258
The Scottish Naturalist.
Dark brown. Legs, mars, of th., ba. of an., and
mar. and often fir. part of e., r. U.-s. obsc. r.
41. Side mars, (at least) of th. broadly r. or test.
El. Very conv. Spar. Pub. Strongly and rather
closely punc. H. reddish. Th. b. (mars, some-
times very narrowly r.). E. brown, paler at ba.
and mars. Legs and ba. of an. r. Ap. of an. pit.
Mar. ofth. broad. 2 3 1. B.
El. Rather flat. Pub. Closely and very finely punc.
Colored much as prec. Mar. of th. very narrow.
1% L E. & I.
42. Hi. half (at least) of u.-s. ofth. b. .
- - of u.-s. ofth. for the most part test.
43. El. ; widest behind mid. Very conv. Densely pub.
Strongly and closely punc. , exc. disc of th. which
is almost impunc. H., legs and ba. of an. test.
Th. and ap. of an. b. E. brown. Sides of th. and
ba. of e. paler. 9 often duller and more finelv punc.
\% 1. E. S. I. ! . . . ' . er
Resembles prec. in shape ; flatter, and narrower behind.
Whole surface very much more finely, closely and
evenly punc. H. and th. b. Mars, of th. widely
test. E. brown, widely test, at ba. Legs and ba.
of an. more or less test. 2 1. E.sw-
44. Th. or e. or both (exc. in extreme vars.), with dist.
markings ......
Pale brown. E. and ap. of an. darker. H. -b. blackish.
Disc of th. often a little dusky. EL, narrow, pub.
Thickly and rather strongly punc. A rather well
def. ba. fov. on each side on th. \% 1. B.
45. EL, narrow, very pub. Thickly and very faintly
punc. Th. with no dist. ba. fov. H., legs and ba.
of an. test. Th. pale brown ; disc dusky. E.
blackish ; ba. , mars. , and ap. , more or less marked
with clear yel. (Varies from almost b. with fr. of h.
and sides of th. test, to unif. pale test.) 1^ 1.
E. S. I. ! ! .
Very like prec. Shorter and broader, with more
rounded sides. Darker in color, especially the e.,
which have only the ba. and mars, narrowly pale.
t3 1 "R
It it JJ» ■••••■
Extremely close to palustris. Broader, with more
rounded sides. Less pub. (especially th.), more
shining. A little less faintly punc. Colored much
as palustris, exc. that the pale markings on e. are
not well def. \}i 1 B.N- .
dorsalis
42
rufifrons
umbrosus
43
44
ythrocephalus
marginatus
45
angustatus
palustris
vittula
Fourth family— DYTISCID/E. (9 genera. )
1. Sc. obs.
- well def.
incog)iitus
2
3
The Scottish Naturalist.
259
2. E. sprinkled with large coarse puncs. .
Not as above ......
\. One of the 2 claws of the hi. tar. consp. longer than the
other ......
The claws of about equal length
\. An. short and stout (hardly, if at all, longer than h. and
th.). Body extremely con v. The shorter claw on
hi. tar. cons, more than ^ longer one.
Not as above. ......
5. Th. not dist. punc. .....
- thickly and consp. punc. Ant. tar. of 6 much as in
Hydatkus. E. of ? with consp. hairy furrows.
6. Claws of ant. tar. hardly, if at all, shorter than ap. j.
of ant. tar. Ant. tar. of £ with, at most, moderately
dilated js. .
- - - - consp. shorter than ap. j. of ant. tar. Ant. tar.
of 6 with 1st 3 js. many times wider than 4th.
7. Less than 6 1..
More than 6 1. Ant. tar. of 6 as above (in Hydatkus).
E. of ? gen. with some deep furrows. E. of 6 with
3 rows of consp. puncs. ....
8. The ba. 3 js. in interm. tar. of <J strongly tr.
Not as above . ....
NOTERUS.
Reddish. E. darker. Smooth and shining. E. with
3 irreg. rows of puncs. Breast flat. Js. 5 and 6 in
an. of 6 very tr.j the rest much narrower. i}<(
1. Hi. ......
Very like prec. Larger and paler. E. with irreg.
coarse puncs. not in rows — most puncs. near ap. An
elev. keel on breast. J. 5 in an. of 6 very wide,
6-10 narrower, 1 1 very narrow. 2 1. E. .
Laccophilus.
1. Well def. pale markings across the ba. of e.
U.-s. test. Smooth, shining. H., th., an,
test, brown. E . gen. darker ; along each side mar.
4 greenish test, spots, which are often ind. or obs.
Th. much prod, backw. in mid. of ba. 2 1. E. S. I.
2. Very like prec. The markings dist. and, in addition,
some irreg. ones of same color across ba. of e. Ba.
of th. hardly prod, backw. 2 1. E. S. I. !
Narrower than prec. 2. B. or nearly so. An. , legs,
th. (exc. ba. and fr.), and some markings near ba. and
ap. and on mars, of e., very consp. yel. U.-s.
brown. Ba. of th. hardly prod. I ^3 1. E. s-
COLYM BETES.
I. E. finely wrinkled transversely. Brown. Fr. (and
some marks on disc) of h. , side mar. of th. and e. ,
and gen. the tib. and tar., test. On disc of e. 3
more or less dist. rows of puncs. 7^ !• E. S. I. ! .
and legs,
Noterus
Laccophilus
4
7
Ilybius
5
Acilius
Colymbetes
Hydaticus
8
Dytiscus
Leiopterus
Agabus
clavicornis
sparsus
minutus
hyalinus
variegatus
fuscus
260
The Scottish Naturalist.
Not as above ......
2. E. test, very closely sprinkled with b. (exc. on sut. and
mars. )
,, pal., the fr. legs,
, often r. Narrow.
and fr. of h., test.
El. E. each with
6.
Dull b. An
Mars, of th,
3 ind. rows of puncs. 5 !• E. •
Disc of th. marked with b. .
- - - without b. markings. ....
Test. H. and disc of th. marked with b. E. very
closely sprinkled with b . Legs r. or pit. r. U. -s.
b. A broad fiat species, with strongly rounded sides.
Fr. claws of 6 not lengthened. 5^ 1. E.
- H., and ba. (often) and disc of th., marked with b.
E. sprinkled with b. Legs r. U. -s. b. with test,
or r. markings, or vice versa. Conv. Rather nar-
row. Sides little rounded. Fr. claws of 6
lengthened, one much longer than the other. 5 1. ■ B.
U. -s. (at least principally) b. Fr. claws of 6 length-
ened. ......
Test. Ba. of h. and ba. of th. often dusky or b. E.
sprinkled with b. Legs and u. -s. test. Fr. claws
of 6 gen. very much lengthened. Shaped much as
notaiits. 5 1. E. S. I.
Test. Ba. of h. and ba. of th. b. E. sprinkled with
b. Legs test. U.-s. b. Segments of h.-b. often
mar. with r. Shaped much as notatus. 5 1. B.N- .
Test. Ba. of h. and ba. of th. often b. E. very
closely sprinkled with b. Legs test. U.-s. b.
Segments of h. -b. mar. with test. Breast test, in
mid. A short broad species with rounded sides.
Less than twice as long as wide. 4^ 1. E.F-
Ilybius.
1. E. very finely reticulated ; b. ; with 2 small, often obsc,
pale spots near mar., — 1 about mid., 1 near ap.
- - - -, brassy, with the mar. consp. pale
Not more than 5^ 1. Back of h. with 2 obsc. r. spots
More than 5^ 1. A wide species. E. contr. backw.
from a little behind the mid. Fr. claws of 6 un-
toothed. U. -s. of last seg. in h. -b. of 6 with a long
elev. keel. B.; obsc. brassy. Fr. ofh., 2 spots at
back ofh., mars, of th. and of e., and hi. legs, more
or less obsc. r. Pal., an., and fr. legs, r. 6 1.
H<. o. 1. . . . « • •
E. contr. only from behind the mid. backw. Fr.
claws of 6 untoothed. U.-s. of h.-b. in 6 hardly
keeled ......
- - from the mid. backw. A narrow species. Fr.
claws of 6 each with a tooth in the mid. U.-s. of
last seg. in h.-b. of 6 with a long elev. keel. B.
Mouth, mars, of th. and of e., and hi. legs, obsc. pit.
2.
Grapei
4
5
pulverosus
notatus
6
exoletus
bistriatus
aberratus
2
5
3
ater
The Scottish Naturalist.
261
brown. Pal., an., and fr. legs, r. Some obsc. rows of
puncs. on e. 5 1. B.
4. Brassy b. Rather el. and narrow ; sides little rounded
Mars, of th. and hi. legs obsc. r. brown. Pal., an.
fr. legs and fr. of h. r. 4% 1. B. .
Very like prec. B. (not brassy). Obsc. rows of puncs
on e. 4X 1. E. . ' .
Very like oenescens. More brassy. An. pit. near ap
[Doubtful as. British.]
5. Widest at mid. On the u. -s. the plate on the side of ba
of mid. legs is triangular and broad.
Widest behind mid. On the u. -s. the plate on the side of
the mid. legs is narrow, with its hi. side rounded.
Brassy brown. Pal., an., legs, back of h. , side
mars, of th. and of e., and u.-s., r. -brown. The
pale mar. of e. gen. leaves a dist. pale dash within it,
on the e. behind mid. 5 1. E.
6. Resembles prec. The pale mar. is wider, paler, and
much more consp., not leaving a pale dash within.
On the e. it is (at its widest) about as wide as
diameter of the eye. 4.7^ 1. E. S. I. !
Resembles prec. Wider. The pale mar. of th. and e.
is obsc. and narrow. 5 1. E.
Leiopterus (i species) and Agabus.
1. Surface of e. covered with fine longi. str. (or wrinkles)
which occasionally 'run into one another,
Not as above ......
2. The str. on e. very close and running almost entirely
in a longi. direction. A tooth at ba. of in. claw of fr.
tar. of S • E. with some rather dist. rows of puncs.
Sides rounded. .....
- - - - not very close, and intersected by numerous dist.
tr. str. Shining. Not very narrow. Sides little
rounded. B. ; often with an obsc. pale mark near mar.
of e. behind mid. An. and pal. dullr. Legs pit. A
small tooth at ba. of in. claw of fr. tar. of 6 . Fr.
claws of 6 equal. 4^ 1. B.x-
The str. on e. closer and more dist. longi. than in prec. No
tooth at ba. of in. claw of fr. tar. of 6 . The claws
equal. An el. narrow species ; flat, with parallel
sides. Some obsc. large puncs. on e. hardly form
rows exc. near ba. B. Fr. of h., 2 marks on h., an.,
and pal., r. Legs more or less r. ^H 1. E.
3. A wide species. Ba. of th. sinuate, its hi. angs. ac.
Th. wide. Colored much as prec. 6 brassy, ? dull.
Mars, of e. often obsc. r. 4^ 1. E. S. I. ! !
Very like prec. Narrower, and more pointed behind.
Th. narrower, its ba. dist. narrower than ba. of e. ,
and hardly sinuate ; its ba. angs. slightly obt. 4^
1 S
(To be continued. )
obscurus
cenescens
guttiger
angnstior
fenestratus
fuliijinosus
subauuus
2
4
tarsatus
str'ulatus
bipustulatus
Solieri
262 The Scottish Naturalist.
Notes on the Entomology of Skye.— Last August I paid a visit of a
few days' duration to the isle of Skye, and as the entomology of that wild
but beautiful island is still but little known, perhaps the following notes
on the few insects I observed during my stay will be of interest to readers
of the " Scottish Naturalist."
I arrived at Portree, the capital of Skye, on August 7th, by steamer from
Strone Ferry, and left again on the 12th for Gairloch, so that I only had
six days there, and of these one was consumed by a visit to the celebrated
Quiraing, in the north of the island, some distance from Portree, during
which I had no time for collecting.
I may at once say that, entomologically speaking, the results of my visit were
disappointing, as no novelty, and but one or two rarities, either in Lepidoptera
or Coleoptera, rewarded my search. This, however, I feel sure, is in part
to be accounted for by the fact that the time of my visit (the beginning of
August) is one of the very worst in the whole year for Coleoptera, and not
particularly productive in Lepidoptera. Moreover, the neighbourhood of
Portree, where I had taken up my quarters, is not in itself favourable to an
abundance of insect life, as it is surrounded on all sides, except towards the
sea, by monotonous peat-mosses, covered by heath, sphagnum, sweet-gale,
and other moss-loving plants. Over these you might walk for miles with-
out seeing any but the commonest insects, and but few of them. Portree
too, is too far from any of the higher hills, such as the Cuchullin Hills, in
the south of the island, which attain an elevation of more than 3,000 feet,
to allow of one's working them from that place. I should strongly advise
any entomologist who contemplates visiting Skye, to take up his abode
in this south portion of the island, within a convenient distance from the hills
there, as I believe that species new to the British lists may well occur on
some of the lonely and little visited peaks in that district. A small planta-
tion behind the town of Portree, and the shores of the Cove, on which it is
so pleasantly situated, were my most productive hunting grounds, whilst the
peat-mosses, and some of the hills near Portree afforded me a few other species
of Lepidoptera.
The following are the only ones requiring any special notice ; the others
are merely mentioned in the subjoined list. Argynnis Aglaia occurred on all
the heaths and mosses, but not in abundance. As a rule only single speci-
mens were seen at a time, and these were already well worn. A pair
frequented a small wooded gully on the shores of Portree bay, sailing up and
down in the sun for several hours, then settling on the brambles or other
bushes, and then sailing off again for a few minutes over the adjacent slopes
to reappear again in the accustomed place. Satyrus Semele was also abun-
dant in this locality and the adjoining slopes, being particularly partial to
settling in the bright sun on places where the rock had become exposed, and
broken up into sloping masses of fine gravel. I also saw several specimens
of one of our too common smaller species of Pieris fluttering about the gar-
dens, but unfortunately neglected to see whether they were Napi or Rapa.
Of Noctucr, I got three specimens of Stilbia anomala in good order, one
on the mosses, the other two in the aforesaid plantation behind the town.
Charceas graminis flew over the moors, and I also swept up one larva, which
seems to be Hade7ia pisi. A much worn specimen of Agrotis poiphyrca fell
to my net on the moors, as well as two specimens of Plusia pidc/irina ( V-
aureum) in a bit of wet ground near Portree.
The Scottish Naturalist. 263
Amongst Geometrcc, a few more species occurred. I took one speci-
men of Coremia munitata on the top of a hill near the Storr Rock, at
an elevation of about 1200 feet above the sea. Mothing at dusk along
the hedges, (or their representatives) around Portree, produced a ? albulata,
also one specimen of Larenlia olivata ; whilst beating trunks in the planta-
tion gave me a fair series of Cidaria immanata, including some beautiful
varieties, varying from almost white to nearly black in colour, some inter-
mediate forms being rich brown with broad black transverse bars. The
terminal shoots of Myrica Gale on the mosses I often noticed spun to-
gether, and on opening these, I found, inside many, a Geometrous larva,
in others a Tortrix. These unfortunately nearly all died before reaching
the pupa stage, but the former were, I believe, the larva of Melanippe
hastata ; the latter probably T. vibumana. Anaitis plagiata and Eubolia
mensuraria abounded on the slopes of Portree Bay, flying about in the sun-
shine like butterflies. Scopula lutealis was rather common in damp places,
and a single specimen of S. alpinalis occurred on the same hill as C.
munitata, at the summit. Crambus margaritellus was very common on the
moors I noticed, particularly in the damper places, and a specimen of C.
culmellus occurred on the grassy plateau at the top of the table land of Qui-
raing. Ablabia pratana was as common on the moors as in the other parts of
the Highlands that I have visited, and Tortrix vibumana occurred in similar
places. I may here mention that my Skye specimens of pratana are some-
what smaller than those I have from other parts of Scotland ; indeed, I
was enabled to at once pick out the Skye specimens from my series of the
species by their diminished size. Depressaria costosa and liturella occurred
on the slopes of the Bay with some of the other species before mentioned.
The following is a complete list of all the Lepidoptera I observed during
my stay in Skye, those marked with an a being those that have as yet been
unrecorded for the division of Scotland ("West Ross") to which Skye
belongs, in the " Insecta Scotica " now publishing in this magazine : —
Lepidoptera. — a Argynnis Aglaia ( § ), a Satyrus Semele ( § ), Epinephele
Janira, Ccenonympha Pamphilus, Lycsena Icarus, Pieris sp., Agrotis por-
phyrea, a Stilbia anomala ( § ), tfChareeas graminis ( § ), Hadena pisi,
Plusia pulchrina, Larentia didymata, L. olivata, Emmelesia albulata, Me-
lanthia ocellata, Melanippe fluctuata, M. hastata (?), Coremia munitata,
Camptogramma bilineata, Cidaria immanata, C. testata, Eubolia mensuraria,
Anaitis plagiata, Scopula alpinalis, S. lutealis, Crambus margaritellus,
C. tristellus, C. culmellus, Aphomia sociella, Tortrix vibumana, Lozotsenia
rosana, Peronea favillaceana, Dictyopteryx bergmanniana, Lithographia
Penkleriana, Ablabia pratana, Tinea fuscipunctella, Plutella cruciferarum,
Depressaria costosa, D. liturella.
Coleoptera. — As already stated, I met with but few Coleoptera during my
visit. Those, however, that I did procure are species that, though mostly
common, have not been as yet recorded from this part of Scotland. The
following list includes all the species I found : —
a Nebria brevicollis ( § ), a Loricera pilicornis, a Anchomenus margi-
natus, a Pterostichrus niger Schal., aV. vulgaris L., a P. nigrita ( § ),
a P. diligens, a P. madidus ( § ), a Harpalus latus, a Patrobus assimilis ( § ),
a Trechus obtusus, a Hydroporus umbrosus, a H. obscurus, a H. melano-
( g) This mark is placed after the species indicated (I.e.) as likely to occur in West Ross.
264 The Scottish Naturalist.
cephalus, a Agabus bipustulatus ( § ), a A. congener, Aleochara brevipennis,
■a Tachyporus chrysomelinus ( § ), a Bolitobius pygmaeus, a Quedius fuli-
ginosus, aQ. boops, a Staphylinus erythropterus ( § ), a Ocypus cupreus ( § )>
a Philonthus carbonarius, a Philonthus fimetarius, a Xantholinus linearis
{ 5 ), a~K. distans (1), a Othius melanocephalus, a Anthobium opthalmicum,
Geotrupes stercorarius L., Barynotus maerens, Chrysomela staphyloma. —
W. A. Forbes, 32 Gower Street, London.
Captures of Lepidoptera in Scotland during1 1875.— The following are
the best species which I took in the summer of 1875, *n various parts of
Scotland, chiefly near Edinburgh. : — Erebia viedea, common in the Pass of
Killiecrankie, August 2. Erebia epiphron — common on the slopes of Cam-
Craig, one of the hills near Ben Lawers, on the north side of Loch Tay, at
an elevation of from 1500 to 2,500 feet, July 16, though then rather worn.
I subsequently met with the some species on Ben Nevis, at about 1800
feet up, on August 4, but then in extremely bad condition. Fidonia pinetaria
— a single female of this species, at rest amongst bilbery, at Braemar, July
27. Emmelesia alchemillata — two specimens on the Pentlands, beginning
of July. E. albalata — very common in wet places near Edinburgh, where
Rhinanthus grows, middle of June, in company with Botys fuscalis. E.
ei'icetata — Glen Callater, Braemar, July 28. Eupithecia succenturiala — one
specimen near Pettycur, Fife, in 1874 (omitted in my list of captures — Sc.
Nat. iii. 64 ; in the same list E. helveticata is introduced by mistake). E.
satyrata and nana ta — on the Pentlands, near Redford, June 17. E. sub-
fulvata — near Granton, July 24. Ypsipetes elutata — two specimens of a
beautiful red and white variety, beaten from fir trunks with the ordinary
form, near Braemar, July 30. Coremia viunitata — common on Camcraig
and Ben Lawers, July 15 and 16; also in Skye. Cidaria populata — several
very dark varieties with the forewings unicolorous red-brown, near Brae-
mar. Thyatira Balis — two specimens at sugar on Corstorphine Hills, June
9. Mamestra furva — two specimens bred from pupae found on Arthur's
Seat. I sent what I took to be the larva of this species — as it corresponded
very closely with one that in the preceding year produced furva — to Mr.
Buckler to describe and figure, the larva of furva being one of his deside-
rata. Unfortunately as it grew older, it became clear that it was only
Xylophasia polyodon, and this was proved for certainty when the imago
appeared ; the resemblance of the larvae of these two species has been already
noted by M. Guenee. Plusia interrogationis — Glen Callater, Braemar,
July 28. Scapula alpiualis — common on Ben Lawers and Camcraig : on
the former at an elevation of about 3300 ft. Also on Ben Nevis, and in
Glen Tilt. In this species the 5 is larger than the ?, and duller in colour,
contrary to the general rule in Lepidoptera. Scoparia murana — on stone
walls about Killin, Loch Tay, July 15. Cram bus margaritdlus — common
on Ben Lawers and Camcraig ; also at the foot of Ben Nevis in wet places
amongst rushes. Ephcstia Jicella — one specimen in my rooms at Edinburgh,
July 10. Tortrix icterana — common on grassy banks at the side of the roads
near Morningside, July. Sericoris irriguana — a specimen on Ben Lawers, July
16. Mixodia palustrana — a specimen in the same place as the preceding.
Argyrolepia cnicana — a specimen amongst rushes and thistles on the Pent-
lands, July 4. Plutella Dalella — I took a specimen of this near West
Linton in 1874. Gelechia politella — Arthur's Seat and Morningside, begin-
The Scottish Naturalist 265
ning of July. Acrolepia assectelld ? — I forwarded a specimen of an Acrolepia,
with some other micros, to Mr. Stainton for determination. He returned
it under the above name, with a mark of interrogation, as the specimen
was too worn to be able to be certain about it. A. assectella has not
hitherto been recorded as British, though common on the Continent. Mr.
Stainton tells me it feeds upon leeks, and he thinks it certain to occur here
some day. My specimen was taken on the windows of my rooms in Edin-
burgh, July 14, 1875. — W. A. Forbes.
Food Plants of Gonepteryx rhamni. — In reply to an Editorial note
in the Scottish Naturalist (vol. 3, page 226), I may say I am inclined to
think it is by no means certain that Gonepteryx rhamni has no other food-
plants than the two Buckthorns. Kaltenbach, in his Pflanzenfeinde, men-
tions Medlar and the " Pyrus-tribe," on the authority of De Geer, as food-
plants of the species, and in the absence of the Buckthorns it is possible
that the insect might take to other plants ; but still it would be interesting
to find that the egg had been laid or the larva taken in this country from
any of the trees mentioned by Kaltenbach. — Owen Wilson, Carmarthen.
Sphinx convolvuli in Orkney.— In the autumn of last year Sphinx
■convolvuli was abundant at Swanbister, on the south coast of the Main-
land of Orkney, about half way between Kirkwall and Stromness. The
first I took was on the evening of the 12th August, and I saw several every
night until the 16th, or the morning of the 17th, when I left Orkney for
the south. A week afterwards my niece, Miss Irvine Fortescue, in a letter,
said — "the large moths have been in the garden in numbers every evening
since you left." I caught 10 specimens flying over honeysuckle, and single
Pheasant's-eye Pinks, mostly at the former. They appeared about 8 p.m.,
and ceased flying about nine ; but, after packing up, on the morning of the
17th I went out about I a.m., and heard the "whirr" of the moth. So I
lighted a lantern, and in a few minutes caught four specimens. They were
in fine condition when caught, but got much damaged in transit, as I had
no means of packing them with me. I have no doubt they were bred in
Orkney ; but on what can the larva have fed ? There is no Convolvulus
in Orkney so far as I know, for though Neill gives C. arvensis as an
Orkney plant, no one has found it there since — J. T. BosWELL, Balmuto,
near Kirkcaldy, February, 1876.
Chariclea umbra in Forth District. — I see you do not give this
(Heliothis marginatus ) as in "Forth." I took a specimen here on 22d July
1874. — Id.
Goshawk and other Rare Birds in Aberdeenshire.— Two specimens
■of the goshawk ( Accipiter palumbarius ) were killed, one on the estate of
Firglen, Banffshire, December 23, 1875, the other in the woods of
Hazelhead, near Aberdeen, January 22, 1876; both are females, the
first mentioned being a bird of the second year, the latter that of the first
year. Six specimens of the rough-legged buzzard (Bitteo lagopns) have
come under my notice since December last — four of which were killed in
various parts of Aberdeenshire, and two in Orkney. — Geo. Sim, Aberdeen.
Scoparia basistrigalis and Cochylis Smeathmanniana in Scot-
land.— Amongst some insects brought to me for names by Mr. W. Herd,
I find these two species. They were taken near Perth. I have also taken
them near Dunkeld (in 1872). — F. Buchanan White.
266 The Scottish Naturalist.
Story of a Pigeon.— A gentleman in Alyth, who owns pigeons, made
the following observation in regard to the instinct of a pigeon of the com-
mon blue kind, such as are seen in dovecots all over the country ; but the
pigeon of which the observation is now to be recorded lived in a wooden
dovecot fixed on the wall of a dwelling house. Two pigeons had built
their nest in the top story of the dovecot, and had hatched their youngr
which came out of the egg about the middle of March, 1876. On the 1 6th
day of March a very severe storm of snow and snowdrift set in at dusk. It
must be noticed that the door of the dovecot looked to the north-west from
whence the storm was coming, so that the snow blew right into the portal
where the young pigeons were lying, only a few days old. The storm was
very severe, so much so that it was thought to be the hardest that had
happened for many years ; and the young brood would have no doubt
perished, but for the happy expedient that the father of the young pigeons
adopted. He stood in the doorway with his tail spread out to the storm,
and his wings in a fluttering position, evidently with the intention of stop-
ping the draught, so as to shelter his naked offspring ; and there he stood
for hours with the snow thick upon his back and tail, breaking the intensity
of the cold. But for this the young must have died. And herein we have
a very direct evidence of the truth of the saying that God tempers the wind
to the shorn lamb ; only with this addition, that the story gave evidence of
the high power of instinct, especially when called into exercise by parental
care. — William Japp, Alyth.
Note on Certain Species of Eupithecia.— (1) Eup. oxydata Tr. This
name M. Guenee (the well-known French lepidopterologist) applies to a
specimen taken at Moncreiffe, and of which I have also a specimen, which
I captured in Kirkcudbrightshire. M. Guenee remarks, " Said to be, but
wrongly I think, a simple variety of subfidvata. " The specimen in question
was submitted to the late Mr. Doubleday, who declared that it was a species
unknown to him. Dr. Staudinger, in his " Catalog," places oxydata as an
aberration of subfidvata ; and Doubleday, in the supplement (1873) to ms
"List," also gives oxydata Tr. as a variety of subfidvata, and equivalent to
cogitata Steph. In the "Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of
Edinburgh" (April, 1857), Mr. R. F. Logan states that he has had the
-larvae of subfidvata and cognata at the same time, and has no hesitation in
considering them to be the same species. They fed on the common yarrow.
Oxydata differs from subfulvata by the much more numerous transverse
greyish white lines. The reddish fulvous patch so conspicuous in subful-
vata is reduced to a small reddish patch on the disc, which is also traversed
by the transverse lines. (2) E?ipit/iccia sp. Along with the above-men-
tioned specimen I sent another to M. Guenee, with the provisional name
septentrionata. He says that it does not agree with any in his collection.
It is therefore presumably an undescribed species, but of course it is im-
possible to found a species, in this difficult genus, upon a single individual;
and I therefore in the meantime would merely direct attention to it, in the
hope of more specimens turning up. As I have not yet got the specimen
back from France, I must wait for another opportunity to point out its
peculiarities. It was taken in Rannoch last summer. — F. Buchanan
White.
PHYTOLOGY.
NEW SCOTTISH FUNGI.
JUST a year has passed since we called attention to certain additions to
the Mycological Flora of Scotland included in the " Notices of British
Fungi," published in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History by
Messrs Berkeley & Broome, and now we have again to welcome another
instalment from the pens of the same authors. This, which appears in the
Annals for February, includes about 130 additions to the British list, of
which about 72 are from Scotland. Last year we pointed out that the
district in Scotland from which these species came was comparatively a
small one, and included in five counties. The district examined is still a
small one, though a little more extensive than the previous one. To show,
however, what has been done we extract (by Mr. Berkeley's kind permis-
sion) the references on Scottish Fungi, giving at the same time a few notes
— included within brackets [ ] — on certain of the species.
We would take this opportunity of tendering, in the name of all
students of Scottish Mycology, our thanks to Messrs Berkeley & Broome
for the great kindness they have shown to all of us who have applied to
them for assistance.
1502. Agaricus (Armillaria) robustus, A. & S. ; Fr. Ep. p. 41. Rannoch,
Perthshire, Dr. Buchanan White. Agreeing closely with Krombholz's-
figure. Flesh very firm ; taste and smell exactly that of Polyporus
squamosus.
1503. A. (Tricholoma) loricatus, Fr. Ep. p. 60. In woods. Viscid.
Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Remarkable for the thick coat of the pileus.
1504. A. (Tricholoma) virgatus, Fr. Ep. p. 62 ; Icon. tab. 34, fig. r_
Forres, Rev. J. Keith.
1506. A. (Tricholoma) militaris, Lasch.; Fr. Ep. p. 71. Glamis, Rev.
J. Stevenson.
151 1. A. (Clitocybe) expallens, Fr. Ep. p. 100. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson.
1 5 16. A. (Mycena) aiiranlio-marginatns, Fr. Ep. p. 131 ; Fl. Dan. tab.
1292, fig. 2. Near Perth, Dr. Buchanan 'White, Nov. I, 1875. This is-
a most interesting addition to our list of Fungi. It is admirably figured in
the "Flora Danica," and has a peculiar aspect which separates it from
other species, looking more like a Marasmius than a Mycena. Stem very
brittle, fistulose. Smell strong. Margin striate.
1517. A. (Mycena) excisus, Lasch.; Fr. Ic. tab. 81, fig. 1. Glamis,.
Rev. J. Stevenson.
268 The Scottish Naturalist.
1 5 19. A. (Mycena) metatus, Fr. Ep. p. 142. Forres, Rev. J. Keith.
Wrotham, Kent, Oct. 1875.
1520. A. (Mycena) collariatus, Fi\ Ep. p. 146 ; Ic. tab. 82, fig. 5.
Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Addington, Kent, Oct 1875.
1522. A. (Pleurotus) pulmonarius, Fr. Ep. p. 176. This interesting
species was exhibited at the Aberdeen Fungus Show in 1874, the specimens
exactly according with Paulet's figure, tab. 21.
1525. A. (Inocybe) maritimus, Fr. Ep. p. 229. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson. Menmuir, Rev. M. Anderson. [Common in the Black Wood
of Rannoch. ]
1527. A. (Inocybe) W/iitei, B. & Br. Pileo convexo, primum hemi-
sphaerico, fulvo, margine albo viscidulo, cortina Candida fibrillosa, demum
expanso toto fulvo ; stipite e candido fulvescente, glabrescente, solido ;
lamellis e candidis adnexis. Rannoch, Oct. 1, 1875, -Dr. Buchanan White.
A very curious and beautiful little species, allied to A vatricosus. Stature
that of A. geophyllus. [Here and there in a mixed wood below Craig Var,
about half-a-mile on the road to Pitlochry, from Kinloch-Rannoch. Thei'e
is a possibility that the same species has occurred near Perth.]
1528. A. (Flammula) lupinus, Fr. Ep. p. 246. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson.
1529. A. (Flammula) apicreus, Fr. Ep. p. 249. On rotten trunks.
New Pitsligo, Rev. J. Fergusson. [Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson, Sept. 1874.]
1530. A. (Naucoria) temulentus, Fr. Ep. p. 262. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson.
1532. A. (Naucoria) graminicola, Nees, Syst. f. 186 ; Fr. Ep. p. 265.
Glamis Rev. J. Stevenson. A very rare species, which certainly belongs
to Naucoria, a point still remaining doubtful in the last edition of the
" Epicrisis," but which we are fortunately able to confirm.
1535. A. (Galera) vittceformis, Fr. Ep. p. 269 ; Schasff. tab. 63, figs. 4-6.
Perth, Dr. Buchanan White, Nov. 4, 1875. [On the side of the Durdie
Road, close to Balcraig, 2g miles from Perth.]
1536. A. (Stropharia) captit-medusa;, Fr. Ep. p. 288. Glamis, Rev. J,
Stevenson. A very rare and interesting species, which has occurred again
this year, and was exhibited at the Fungus Show at Perth.
1537. A. (Hypholoma) cascus, Fr. Ep. p. 294. Rannoch, Perthshire,
Dr. Buchanan White. [Craig Var Wood, near Kinloch-Rannoch.]
1538. A. (Psilocybe) chondrodermtts, B. & Br. Pileo campanulato
carnoso, margine appendiculato excepto glaberrimo laevi spadiceo, hie illic
rimoso ; stipite subrequali fistuloso pallidiore, fibrilloso, basi squamuloso ;
lamellis ventricosis affixis secedentibus, margine albo. In pine woods.
Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Pileus I inch across, dark bright brown,
cracked here and there in different directions ; veil woven and jagged ;
stem i\ lines thick above, 3 at the base. Spores '00025 mcn l°ng> half as
much wide, purple-black, almost oblong. Pileus stains the paper yellow.
The species, which is quite distinct, will take its place in the first section of
Psilocybe.
1540. A. (Psathyrella) caliginosus, Jungh. in Linn. v. 5, tab. 6. fig. 13.
Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson.
1 541. Corlinaritis (Phlegmacium) claricolor, Fr. Ep. p. 336. Glamis,
Rev. J. Stevenson.
1542. C. (Phlegmacium) sebaceus, Fr. Ep. p. 337. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson.
The Scottish Naturalist. 269
1545. C. (Inoloma) redimilus, Fr. Ep. p. 363. Glamis, Rev J. Stevenson.
1547. C. (Dermocybe) myrtillinus, Fr. Ep. p. $(&. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson. Rannoch, Dr. Buchanan White.
1548. C. (Dermocybe) venetus, Fr. Fp. p. 374. Rannoch, Perthshire,
Dr. Buchanan White. A small but interesting species, differing in colour
from any species with which we are acquainted.
1550. C. (Telamonia) plumiger, Fr. Ep. p. 377. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson. A single small specimen, densely plumose.
1552. C. (Hydrocybe) detonsus, Fr. Ep. p. 397. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson. Amongst moss in woods. Probably a very common species.
1556. Lactarius squctlidus, Krombh. tab. 4. figs. 23-25. Scotland, 1875.
1557. L. minimus, Smith, in Journ. ofBot. 1873, p. 205. Forres, Rev.
J. Keith.
1560. Hygrophorus sciophauus, Fr. Ep. p. 417. Perth, Dr. Buchanan
White. [Bonhard and Balcraig, near Perth. ] Spores very pale clay-coloured.
There were two forms — one with a darker pileus and the flesh dark, the
other paler, with the flesh also pale. The former only deposited spores ;
it is probable therefore that the pale form was not so fully developed.
Species of Coprinus occasionally occur without a trace of spores.
1561. H. cinereus, Fr. Ep. p. 413 ; Atl. Svamp. tab. 30. Coed Coch,
Mrs. Lloyd Wynne. Great Elm, Somerset, C. E. Broome. Rannoch, Dr.
Buchanan White. Exactly according with the upper figures in the plate
cited above, and surely distinct from H. pratensis. [Very common on the
moor at the east end of Loch Rannoch.]
1564. Russala pectinata, Fr. Ep. p, 449 ; Bull. tab. 409 N, o, P. Glamis,
Rev. J. Stevenson. Smell like that of R. fatens. Pellicle separable.
Exactly resembling the two latter figures of Bulliard, which he refers
rather doubtfully to R. heierophyllo..
1567. Lentinus pidverirtentus, Fr. Ep. p. 482. Agaricus pulverulentus,
Scop. Cam. p. 434. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Tufted, at first infundi-
buliform, then lateral flabelliform, fuliginous, fioccoso-pulverulent, with
little umber particles ; stem elongated, at length smooth ; gills thick,
pallid, deeply decurrent, their edge crenulate but not torn. Pileus 2 inches
across, stem 3 inches high. This seems to be truly the plant of Scopoli.
1568. Polyporus floccopus, Rostk. tab. 13. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson.
Fries remarks that it is a question whether this species is not a form of
Polyporus bmmalis ; but it appears to us quite distinct.
1569. P. (Resupinati) sitbgelatinosas, B. & Br. Orbicularis, margine
elevato, subgelatinoso, albo-tomentoso, nigricante ; poris griseis, parvis,
acie acutis. On dead wood. Rannoch, Dr. Buchanan White. Apparently
parasitic on a decuerent form of P. amorphics. [On a pine stump in the
Black Wood, close to Camachgouran, Oct. 21st, 1875. It grew between
the bark and the wood. ] This singular species forms little pulvinate masses,
with an obtuse raised border, which is at first tomentose and pallid, of a
subgelatinous consistence, and turning black. The pores are of a pale
delicate grey, with an acute even edge, about i-40th of an inch in diameter.
We cannot point out any species to which it is allied.
1572. Hydnum lecvigatum, Swartz ; Fr. Ep. p. 599; Sverig atl. Svamp.
tab. 81. In pine woods. Rannoch, Dr. Buchanan White. A far more
solid species than H. fragile.
1573. Irpex pendidus, Fr. Ep. p. 620. Menmuir, Rev. M. Anderson.
270 The Scottish Naturalist.
Agreeing with the figure of Albertini and Schweinitz. The species varies
greatly ; specimens obtained previously were not in a normal condition.
* Craterelhis lutescens, Fr. Ep. p. 630. Rannoch, Perthshire, Dr.
Buchanan White. The hymenium of a beautiful orange. Sent at the
same time with very characteristic specimens of Cant/iarellus lutescens.
[Cantharellus lutescens is common in the Black Wood, but the Craterelhis
occurred only under one pine tree. Craterelhis sinuosns occurred amongst
birches in Rannoch.]
1575. Thelephora clavularis, Fr. Ep. p. 634. On the ground. Wallington,
Northumberland, C. H. Spencer Perceval. We have lately received from
Dr, White specimens which would be referred to "this species were it not
for the strong foetid scent of T. tolmata.
1576. T. intybacea, Pers. Syn. p. 567. Amongst Teiraphis pellucida.
Burnham, Rev. G. H. Sawyer. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Exactly
answering to Bulliard's figures, tab. 483. figs. 6 &. J, tab. 278, and quite
distinct from T. laciniata.
1578. Siereum vorticosum, Fr. Ep. p. 639. On beech. Menmuir, Rev.
M. Anderson.
1579. S.pini, Fr. Ep. p. 643. On bark of Scotch fir. Glamis, Rev.
J. Stevenson.
1580. S. riifnm, Fr. Ep. p. 644. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Rev. J.
Keith .
1581. Cprticium salicinum, Fr. Ep. p. 647. Forres, Rev. J. Keith.
This is certainly the same with Exidia cinnabarina, A. & C., which has
the curved spores of Exidia . We have not sufficient specimens of the
European form to justify us in separating it from Corticium, to which
genus it can scarcely belong.
1582. C.amoiphum> Fr. Ep.p:648. Onlarch. Perth, Dr. Buchanan White.
[On dead spruce branches lying on the ground — there were larch branches
at the same place but only Peziza calycina was seen on them — in a grove
of silver firs, behind the hamlet of Corsie Hill near Perth. * In the same
grove many interesting fungi have occurred of which I hope to give some
clay a list in the Scottish Naturalist.'] This curious plant is so like large
specimens of Peziza calycina that it is not surprising that the two should
have been confounded, and in consequence the plant figured by Willkomm
under the name is really P. calycina. We were at first inclined to think
that it might be a conidiiferous form of the Peziza in question, analogous to
Cyphdla Currei ; but the structure is such as to make us consider it
autonomous, and probably the type of a new genus ; for it does not agree
well with the characters of Corticium. The substance is white and fleshy,
consisting of rather coarse threads which at the base form a close sclerotioid
network. The hymenium consists of colourless threads and orange coloured
clavate bodies filled with pigment. These at length project beyond the
surface, and produce four globose rough spores, "001 inch in diameter,
which contain an angular body within, which looks like a cystolith. After
a time each spore becomes elliptic, and now measures *ooi2 inch in length,
produces about eight elliptic echinulate sporidia in its cavity, which are
* Since the above was in type I have found Corticium amorplnnn on dead silver fir
branches on Moncreiffe Hill. The peculiar structure of this fungus, as described above
by Messrs. Berkeley & Broome, from specimens gathered in autumn, is equally well
shown by these vernal examples. — F. B. W.
The Scottish Naturalist. 271
from '0004- '0005 inch long — a circumstance without parallel as far as we
know in Hymenomycetes. All these points have been observed by each of
us independently.
1583. C. scrum, Fr. Ep. p. 659. Thelephora sera, Pers. Syn. p. 580.
Epping, Mr. James English. Numerous specimens have been received
from the Rev. J. Stevenson, Rev. M. Anderson, and others from Scotland.
A very curious species, some specimens approaching, if not identical with,
Hyduum papyraceum. The aculei are mostly very distant, either entire or
plumose at the tips, with the interstices, just like the hymenium of a true
Corticium. Sometimes they are radiato-fioccose ; but there are inter-
mediate states.
1584. C. cinnamomeum, Fr. Ep. p. 650. On wood. Glamis, Rev. J.
Stevenson.
1585. C. ferrugineum, P.; Fr. Ep. p. 661. On various decayed veget-
able substances. Wothorpe. Received also from Scotland.
1 5 86. Clavaria Krombholzii, Fr. Ep. p. 669. C. Kunzei, Krombh. tab.
53, figs. 15, 16. On the ground in woods. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson.
{Also at Moncreiffe, near Perth.]
15S9. Typhida translucens, B. & Br. Candida pellucida ; stipite brevi
sursum incrassato ; capitulo irregular! subobovato. On the ground.
Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Minute, pure white, resembling somewhat a
prematurely dried Myxogast, but a true Hymenomycete.
1592. Reticularia olivacea, Fr. Syst. iii. p. 89. On decayed fir. Aboyne,
1870. Named on the authority of Dr. Rostafinski, who considers R.
versicolor synonymous. A small specimen has been gathered by Dr.
Buchanan White near Perth.
1593. Chondrioderma CErstedii, Rtf. Mon. On bark more or less covered
with moss. Jedburgh, R,. Jerdon.
1594. C. niveum, Rtf. Mon. On dead wood. Linlithgow, J. C.
Bauchop.
1595. Badhamia capsidifer (Bull. sub. Sphosrocarpd), Bull. tab. 470. fig.
2. Glamis, Aug. 1874, Rev. J. Stevenson. The spores are rough, whereas
in B. vtricidosa they are smooth. Fries, as far as we can find, does not
•quote Bulliard's figure. The peridia reflect the most beautiful tints of steel-
blue and lilac ; they are densely crowded, as in Bulliard's figure.
1596. Physarum theioteum, Fr. Syst. iii. p. 142. P. virescens, Dittm. ;
Sturm, D. F. tab. 61. On little twigs. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson.
1598. P. nigrum, Fr. On decayed wood. Rev. J. Stevenson. Threads
slender ; spores nearly black, #ooo7 inch in diameter.
1599. Crate j-ium leucostictum, Fr. Syst. iii. p. 152. On dead leaves.
Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson.
1600 Cribraria macrocarpa, Schrad. tab. 2. fig. 3. Glamis, Rev.
J. Stevenson.
1 60 1. C. fulva, var. b. intermedia, Schrad. tab. i. fig. 2. On decayed
wood. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Spores '00035 — '0005 inch in
diameter.
1602. Arcyria Priesii, B. & Br. Gregaria ; peridiis stipitatis, globoso-
ovatis, cinereis ; capillitio ovato-cylindrico sporisque glaucis. On sawdust.
Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. The plant which generally passes for Arcyria
■cinerea, and which is figured in the ' Flora Danica, ' and is common in
exotic as well as British collections, lias not glaucous spores. The speci-
272 The Scottish Naturalist.
mens received above appear to be what Fries intended ; and therefore the
above name is assigned to them. The capillitium is coarser than that of
A. cinerea, and the spores are decidedly blue. Its habit also is different,
the peridia being scattered in A. cinerea.
1605. Lindbladia effnsa, F. Licea effusa, P. & Ehrb. With Cribraria
argillacea. Aboyne, 1 870. Forres, Rev. J. Keith. We have an orginal
specimen from Fries marked as probably belonging to a new genus, before
it was characterised.
1605 bis. Perichcena decipiens, B. & Br. Sporis majoribus minoribusque
lsete aureis. On fir-cones. Perth, Dr. Buchanan White. The external
appearance is just the same as that of P. stiobilina ; but the spores are
bright yellow and of two kinds, the larger "0009- '002 inch long, those of
P. strobilina 'OOi--ooi2 inch long, which is about the size of the smaller
spores of P. decipiens. [In the above-mentioned grove of silver firs, where
also Nos. 15 16, 1582, and 1592 occurred. The Perichcena filled the whole
of one spruce cone.]
1607. Sporidesmium triglochinis, B. & Br. Soris punctiformibus e basi eel-
lulari oriundis ; sporis junioribus obovatis, stipite, brevi sursum incrassato,
dein subglobosis oblique divisis, demum oblongis fenestratis. On Triglochin
palustre. Perth, Dr. Buchanan White, 1 875. Sori bright brown, "006 —
•008 inch in diameter, spores '0003 — '0007. Approaches S. pallidum, B.
& C. ; but that is on fir, and the spores are not composed of globose cells
as in that species. [At Arnbathie, Moor of Durdie near Perth ; not in
Rannoch, as stated in the "Annals."]
1608. Puccinia Molina, Tul. Ann. d. Sc. Nat. Sept. 1854, p. 141. On
Molinia ccendea. Rannoch, Dr. Buchanan White.
* P. caltJuv. On leaves of Ranunculus ficaria with jF.cidium caltJur.
New Pitsligo, Rev. J. Fergusson.
* Trichobasis Cirsii, Lasch., has been found in Perthshire by Dr. Buchanan
White and Dr. Cooke. [On the upper side of leaves of Carduus lanceolalus;
Craig Var, Kinloch Rannoch. Dr. Cooke gives Dupplin Castle as a
locality for the brand spores — Pucinia cirsii. ]
1610. Fusarium Iranslucens, B. & Br. Pellucidum, substipitatum,
margine sub lente leviter ciliato albo-lutescente, sursum umbilicato ; sporis
tenuibus cylindricis. On deal. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson. Forming
little transparent specks about ]/e of a line in diameter. Spores '0003 inch
long. Differs from F. minutuhnn, Cd., in the form of the spores.
1612. F. rhabdophorum, B. & Br. Erumpens, subfulvum, elevatum e
basi orbiculata alba ; sporis rectis rhabdiformibus. On dead sticks.
Forres, Rev. J. Keith. Spores *ooo6 inch long.
16 1 3. Cylindrosporiuni senecionis, ~B. & Br. Crespitulis e floccis flexuosis
gracilibus ; sporis cylindricis e maculis candidis oriundis. On leaves of
Senecio vulgaris. Rannoch, Dr. Buchanan White. Forming white con-
spicuous irregular patches on the leaves.
161 5. Exobasidium 7>accinii, Wor. ; Woronin, Abh. d. naturf. Ges. zu
Freiburg, iv., Fung. Aust de Thumen, No. 322. On leaves of Vaccinium
vilis-idcza and other species. On Rhododendron it forms a thick gall-like
swelling. [On Vaccinium vitis-idiea this is a common species in all the
woods of northern Scotland.]
161 7. Leotia circinans, P.; Fr. Syst. ii. p. 27. On the ground, abun-
dantly. Glamis, Rev. J. Stevenson.
The Scottish Naturalist. 273.
1618. Vibrissca microscopica, B. & Br. Minutissima ; stipite brevi nigro ;
capitulo griseo. On damp fir wood. Rannoch, Dr. Buchanan White.
Scarcely visible without a lens. Stem very short, black ; head grey,
leaving a cup-shaped depression when completely washed off. Sporidia
ejected, filiform. [In the Black Wood, near Camachgouran ; very
rare.]
16 1 9. Peziza (Geopyxis) arcnaria, Osb. ; Fr. Syst. ii. p. 65. On sands
near St. Andrews, Rev. M. Anderson. This very curious species, which
is so brittle that it is difficult to preserve good specimens, forms a cylindri-
cal or forked process penetrating the sand and collecting its particles. The
roots of the Psamma are often attached, and perhaps in some cases have
been mistaken for mycelium .
1624. Hetotium laburni, B. & Br. Breviter stipitatum, cupulis extus
villosis furfuraceis pallidis, margine inflexo ; disco ochraceo lceticolori ;
sporidiis fusiformibus quadrinucleatis. On decorticated branches of Cyiisus
laburnum, or beneath the cuticle, which it seems to throw off. Menmuir,
Rev. M. Anderson. Sporidia "0009 inch long. Mr. Philips, who has
paid great attention to the genus, writes that the only species approaching
it in the fruit is Helotium salicellum, Fr. Karsten has a species, Pezicula
subliciformis, which has sporidia nearly the same size and shape, with
two nuclei, but is otherwise different.
1625. Nectria Keithii, B. & Br. Peritheciis minutis, pallidis, congestis,
furfuraceis, ostiolo distincto ; sporidiis fusiformibus inarticulatis ; conidio-
phoris punctiformibus confluentibus cameo-griseis. On cabbage stalks.
Forres, Rev. J. Keith. Sporidia '0002- '00025 inch long, conidia "0002.
1627. Sphcetia empetrt, Fr. Syst. ii. p. 522. On leaves of Empetrum
nigrum. Sow of Athol, May 1874, Dr. Buchanan White. Asci '002 inch
long ; sporidia pale brown, linear, uniseptate, '0007 inch long.
* Labrella ptarmicce, Desm. ; Fr. El. ii. p. 149. On leaves of Achillea
ptarmiccE. Rannoch, Dr. Buchanan White. These are the first truly
British specimens we have seen.
1630. Rhytisma empetri, B. White. Ambiens, atrum, Iucidum, secundum
longitudinem rugosum. On Empetrum nigrum. Rannoch, [Perthshire,
Inverness-shire, Aberdeenshire, &c] Dr. Buchanan White. Completely
surrounding the stem, shining jet-black, wrinkled longitudinally. The asci
are straight and immature. [In examining specimens which had been kept
in the open air all winter, I find no trace of asci, but abundance of
Sphseropsis-like fruit. This consists of spores, in various stages of develop-
ment, borne upon comparatively stout pedicels. The pedicels are somewhat
unsymmetrical in outline, closely crowded together, and more or less filled
with a granular yellowish endochrome, but otherwise transparent. The
base is yellowish brown. Length of pedicel about 'OOi5-'ooi inch. The
spores are in various stages of development. At first spherical and less in
diameter than the diameter of the pedicel ; then larger, and finally ovate
oblong. They are filled with granular yellowish endochrome in which,
when the spore is nearly mature, may sometimes be seen a clear yellow nucleus.
After the spore has fallen off the endochrome divides, leaving a somewhat
irregular transparent band across the middle of the spore. Length of mature
spore about '00075 inch. This structure of Rhytisma empetrimny be com-
pared with that of R. maximum Fr. , as described by Mr. C. B. Plowright,
in " Grevillea" iv. 28. PI. 53. Compare also Tulasne t. xvi., fig. 4.]
INSECTA SCOTICA,
THE LEPIDOPTEKA OP SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 230.)
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
VENILIA Dup.
macularia L. Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East, g g Tay g Moray o o o
West. Sohvay Clyde goo
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Nearly through-
out. Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. May -June. Larva. August-
September. Food-plant. Low plants.
MACARIA Curt.
notata L. Very local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East, o o Tay [Dee] Moray o o o
West, o o o o o
Lat. 56°3o/-57°3o/. Range in Europe. Central and north-
ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance.— Imago. June. Larva. August- September.
Food-plant. Sallow.
LITURATA CI. Not uncommon. In pine woods.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde g g o '
Lat. 55°-57°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. July. Larva. August- September.
FooD-rLANT. Pine.
The Scottish Naturalist. 275
EPIONB Dup.
apiciaria Schiff. Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay § Moray Suther-
land o o
West. Solway Clyde §00
Lat. 55°-58°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. July- September. Larva. May-
August. Food-plant. Willow, poplar, and alder. Are there 2 broods
in Scotland?
SELENIA Hb.
BILUNARIA Esp. (1794); illunaria Hb. (after 1797). Com-
mon. Agrestal and nemoral. Ascends to 1300 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde 800
Lat. 54°4o'-580. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. April-May. Larva. July, August.
Food-plant. Various trees.
LUNARIA Schiff. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde Argyle g o
Lat. 54°5o/-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central (Finland &c.)
Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. June. Larva. July, August.
Food-plant. Various trees.
TETRALUNARIA Hum. (17 69); illustrarla Hb. (after 1793).
Rare. Nemoral.
Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
Lat. 56°4o/. Range in Europe. Central (Finland, &c.)
Type. Central. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. July, August.
Food-plant. Various trees.
A second brood of each of these three species occurs in England and
elsewhere, but in Scotland it is of very rare occurrence, at least in the
north, if it happens at all.
276 The Scottish Naturalist.
ODONTOPERA Steph.
bidentata CI. Common. Nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. May, June. Larva. August-Octo~
ber. Food-plant. Various trees.
CROCALLIS Tr.
ELINGUARIA L. Common. Nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther-
land o o
West. Solway Clyde 800
Lat. 54°4o'-58°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. September-
June. Food-plant. Sloe, &c.
EUGONIA Hb.
alniaria L. (1758); tiliaria Bkh. (1794). Not very common.
Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed § Tay § Moray o o
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°5o/-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central (Sweden).
Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. August- September. Larva. June.
Food-plant. Birch, oak, alder.
This species must not be confounded with alniaria Esp. (autumnaria
Wernb).
erosaria Bkh. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed o Tay 00000
West, g g o o o
Lat. 55°4o'-56°3o'. Range in Europe. Central (South
Sweden, &c.) Type. Central. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imaqo. August, September. Larva. June.
Food-plant. Oak, birch, &c.
E. quercinaria Hufn. {angularia Bkh.) and fuscantaria Hw. have been re-
ported from the south and west of Scotland, but more evidence is desirable.
( To be continued. )
The Scottish Natiwalist. 277
THE COLEOPTEKA OP SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 232.)
Edited by D. SHARP, M.B.
ELONGATULUS Mull. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
sparshalli Den. Very rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. 00000
PIMETARIUS Thorns. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000
West. 00000
o o
SOAPHIDID^J.
SCAPHISOMA Leach.
BOLETI Panz. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
"Dumfriesshire, Rev. W. Little." Murray Cat.
TRIOHOPTERYGID^E.*
PTERYX Matth.
SUTURALIS Heer. Highland. Rare. Under bark of dead fir.
Distribution — East, o o Tay § Moray 000
West. 00000
TRICHOPTERYX Matth.
THORACICA Walk.
Distribution— East, o Forth 000000
West. Solway 00000
* In the nomenclature of this family I have followed the work recently
published by the Rev. A. Matthews, "Tnchopterygiaillustrataetdescripta."
The distribution of the Scottish species is given chiefly from my own collec-
tion, and I am sorry I can give no information as to the habits of most ot
the species.
278 The Scottish Naturalist.
ATOMARIA De Geer.
Distribution — East. o Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
fascicularis Herbst.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. Solway Clyde
lata Mots. Amongst dead leaves.
Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000
West. Solway 0000
GRANDICOLLIS Mann.
Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000
West. Solway 0000
SERICANS Heer.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway Clyde 00 o
bovina Mots.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay 00000
West. 00000
BREVIPENNIS Er.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
picicornis Mann.
Distribution — East, o Forth o 00000
West. 00000
MONTANDONI All.
Distribution — East. o Forth 000000
West. 00000
variolosus Muls. Rare. In sheep's dung.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
EURYPTILIUM Matth.
saxonicum Gill. Rare. Among bones and hides.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000
West. Solway 0000
The Scottish Naturalist. 279
PTILIUM Matth.
caledonictjm Sharp. Local. Highland. Under bark of
dead Scotch fir.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000
West. 00000
kunzei Bar.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
RUGULOSUM All.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
SPENCEI All.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000
West. Solway 0000
myrmecophiltjm All. In the nests of the wood ant. Very
local.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee Moray 000
West. 00000
ACTIDIUM Matth.
CONCOLOR Sharp. In sand on the banks of rivers. Very
rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000
West. Solway 0000
PTENIDIUM Matth.
punctatum Gyll. Maritime.
Distribution — East. 00 o o 0000
West, o Clyde 000
NITIDUM Heer.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee 0000
West. 00000
FUSCICORNE Er.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. 00000
280 The Scottish Naturalist.
WANKOWTEZII Matth.
Distribution — East, o Forth o o o o o o
West, o o o o o
EVANESCENS Marsh.
Distribution — East, o Forth o o o o o o
West. Solway Clyde o o o
KRAATZI Matth. In nests of Formica rufa.
Distribution — East, o o [Tay] o o o o o
West, o o o o o
This species was described by Mr. Matthews from individuals captured
by Foxcroft in nests of Formica tufa in Scotland; though no special locality
is mentioned, it would probably be in Rannoch.
CORYLOPHID^.
ORTHOPERUS Steph.
BRUNNIPES Gyll. In decaying vegetable matter. Local.
Distribution — East, o Forth o Dee o o o o
West, o o o o o
endomychid.se.
ENDOMYCHUS Payk.
COCCINEUS Lin. Rare. Under bark with cryptogamia.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay o o o o o
West, o o o o o
EROTYLID^E.
TRIPLAX Herbst.
BUSSICA Lin. Rare. In fungi.
Distribution — East. o o Tay o Moray o o o
West, o o o o o
COCCINELLID^.
HIPPODAMIA Muls.
tredecimpunctata Lin. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
( To be continued. )
ZOOLOGY.
ITOTHEK KEMAEKS ON ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS.
By the Rev. J. WARDROP.
ON this subject the following conclusions have already
been reached : — ist, That animal action is not to be
explained simply by the automatism of the material organism —
the mental states taking no part, but standing by as idle spec-
tators of the organic movements. 2nd, That it is to be
explained by the automatic action of the organism, and of an
intelligent principle both. $rd, That the intelligent principle
in animals is not a self-conscious or self-determined or self-
regulated power ; in other words, the animal soul does not
constitute a free personality, and therefore is not of the same
kind with the human soul. Animals are not self-conscious
beings ; and they are not so because they have no self of which
to be conscious. They are not persons as far as evidence goes.
If the question in reference to them were — Persons or things ?
I should certainly go in for things. But that alternative is not
one to be put ; for it prejudices what seems to be the very
point to be settled by the investigation. It supposes persons
or things to make up the totality of existence. But, between
beings that have neither soul nor personality, and beings that
have both, are there not a class that have the one but want the
other — have the soul but want the personality ? Animals seem
to be such midway beings. They are capable of actions which
we can ascribe only to an intelligent soul as their principle.
But that that intelligence is a self-conscious, free, or personal
intelligence is the point at which the evidence in their favour
fails. And I do not see on what a priori or presumptive
ground it could be established anterior to facts in the case, that
282 2 he Scottish Naturalist.
there can be only one kind of intelligent souls among earthly
creatures.
The main point at issue, then, is clear and definite. It
is this — Is the animal soul of the same kind as the human ?
As to the means, or even the possibility, I may say, of pursu-
ing an investigation into the subject, I would wish to emphasize
a point to which I formerly alluded. It is a point on which we
find able writers taking diametrically opposite sides. It refers
to the relation between the special psychology of man and
comparative psychology — which of the two is the basis for the
study of the other. It seems to me that you could not state
the problem of the animal soul in airy workable manner, without
pre-supposing and employing a knowledge of the human soul.
It must be obvious that if it could be stated, it could not be
worked without that knowledge. Action so mysterious as animal
action we can hope to understand only by help of the analogy
of other action, the nature and cause of which is more acces-
sible, i.e., immediately accessible in its inner nature, and that is
our own action. No doubt, if you say the human mind is more
complex than the animal, there is a rule of general method that
might seem to condemn the procedure of beginning as I have
said. " The order of investigation must in all sciences be from
the simple to the complex!" (Cald. Hdb. 3.) "It has come
to be a recognised action in science that the study of the simple
should precede that of the complex " are the opening words of
Dr. Lindsay's paper in the "Journal of Mental Science;" and
he makes " the substitution of a better state of matters," in
reference to our knowledge of the animal and human soul,
conditional on " beginning our studies on mind with its genesis
or rudiments in the simplest forms of animals, tracing its
gradual progress from simplicity to complexity." But clearly
this rule will hold only when the investigator's instruments of
research are equally good for the simple and for the complex.
For if this is not the case, the rule must give place to another
— begin ivhere your instruments and means are most adequate
and facile of application. Besides, going by the rule of the
simplest first in this case, supposes that the physiological method
of search alone is to be followed, not the introspective — a
method which Comte has declared to be imposible. But when
the object of search is mind, it is better to designate at once as
it deserves the proscription of the introspective or psychological
method, and say, such proscription is sheer nonsense. It is
The Scottish Naturalist. 283
suicide, for it makes all investigation impossible. If any one
will choose to look at Maudsley's arguments against the intro-
spective method, he shall find the following summary of them,
given by an able writer, correct — " 1st, Few can use the intro-
spective method. 2nd, Those who can are not agreed as to the
results thereby secured. 377/," Nobody can use it at all." (Cald.,
Hdb. 5,6.) We can see into our own souls by the light of
inward experience, and we must see into them thus in order to
seeing into them or into any other souls in any outward manner.
Formerly I quoted Goodsir, as against Mr. D. Spalding, on this
point. I may now quote G. H. Lewes as against Dr. Lindsay.
In the preface to his " Problems of Life and Mind," Mr. Lewes
says, " Rightly to understand the mental condition of animals,
we must first gain a clear vision of the fundamental processes
in man ; since, obviously, it is only through our knowledge of
the processes in ourselves that we can interpret the manifesta-
tions of similar processes in them." This testimony is the more
emphatic and valuable, that Mr. Lewes had began his work on
the other rule. Those who would think to begin mental studies
with the animal soul, and those who would think to pursue such
studies solely by physiological observation and experimentation,
are both under the same kind of illusion. It is simply impos-
sible and absurd to attempt to investigate either the animal or
human soul without the introspective method by consciousness.
Without the knowledge which that method alone, and from the
first moment of the exercise of self-reflection, has given, no
mode of anatomical or physiological procedure could ever have
revealed the more essential facts, or even the true nature of
any of the phenomena. And the reason why physiologists
think that they are investigating mind without this method is
that this knowledge, gotten only by the instrument supposed to
be discarded and held unconsciously, is unconsciously employed
partly to direct, partly to interpret physiological observation.
In like manner, it is impossible and absurd to think to begin an
investigation of the animal soul immediately and solely in itself
and without a knowledge of man's physical processes. With-
out that knowledge consciously, or unconciously employed, as
the key for the interpretation of animal phenomena, we could
never get so far as to be able to describe these phenomena as
psychical at all. The reason why it is thought that they are
capable of investigation without any self-furnished appliances, is
that that key which the investigator has always carried with
284 The Scottish Naturalist.
him whenever he went abroad from himself to explain anything,
is here too in his hand and employed by him without his
observing that he is doing it.
Equipt, then, for the problem of the animal soul with a com-
petent knowledge of the philosophy of the human mind, the
next point of method is to have the question stated in the form
in which it may go to proof in the manner most favourable for
the reception of evidence and the attainment of a correct find-
ing. On being asked, How can you prove that animals have
not self-consciousness and will, and are not personal in their
mental nature ? one might say, I would prefer not to take up
the subject in the form of that negation at all. I should leave
it to those who hold to the animal soul being the same as ours
to prove their affirmation. The form in which I would prefer
to take up and support the opposite side is this positive one —
that animal phenomena are explainable from other causes than
self-consciousness and will, i.e., automatic causes. That, how-
ever, would unnecessarily narrow the method of proof. Cer-
tainly the question presents itself very naturally, and indeed
very obtrusively, in the form in which it would be thus put
aside. Perhaps the very first facts that would strike a stranger
when he compared the animal kingdom with man, are facts that
would go far to solve the problem in the negative form, that
animals have not self-consciousness or will. In animals, there
is no progressiveness in mental faculties, mental habits, or in
mental products. Their intelligence is not an intelligence that
makes any advance either appreciably great or at all permanent.
This is one of the most obtrusive distinctions between them
and man. Utter fixity and finality characterize them ; onward
movement, expansiveness, and growth, him. But this inherent
power of educability and progressiveness is in man the result
and manifestation of personality, of self-consciousness and will.
Every human soul is shewn to be a home or centre of self-
conscious, self-determined, self-regulating force. Animals failing
to produce the effects must be held to be destitute of the cause.
As they have not put self-consciousness and voluntary power to
use in the only way in which experience tells us they operate,
they must be held to be without such power. It cannot be
said they are hiding their talents in a napkin. We must hold
they have not got the talents till they are seen putting them to
use. How is it that their bounds are fixed, like those of the
sea, that they cannot pass them — that the power of self-culture
The Scottish Naturalist. 285
and of indefinite rise in the scale of mind is denied them, unless
it be that they are not free, independent, self-developing beings
at all?
Also, there must be attended to in this connection, the fact
that animals have certain powers of action and of work far
superior to the human. Dr. Lindsay says, " In certain respects
they are infinitely our superiors. In respect of morals," — he
goes that length, " of disposition, and character, many of them
are," he reiterates, " infinitely our superiors." No one will
deny the fact of superiority — though we might not describe it
exact as superiority in morals and character. Animals can
accomplish works to which man is altogether unequal. But
what does the fact indicate? It points to a conclusion the
opposite of Dr. Lindsay's. It is one of the things that utterly
discountenance the idea of our mind and theirs being alike.
It makes them co-ordinate with inanimate nature. Inanimate
nature is as superior to us as they are, and doubtless in the
same way and for the same reason. Nature and they are one.
Des Cartes, in a passage that Huxley, who makes so much use
of him, does not use, says, " The circumstance that animals do
better than we does not prove that they are endowed with
mind, for it would thence follow that they possessed greater
reason than any of us, and could surpass us in all things ;
whereas, on the contrary, it rather proves that they are destitute
of reason, and that it is nature which acts in them according to
the disposition of their organs ; thus it is that a clock, composed
only of wheels and weights, can number the hours and measure
time more exactly than we with all our skill." (Method, &d,
by Veitch, p. 99.)
As to moral superiority we may go further, and say that
animals are altogether sinless. But it is because they are not
capable of either perceiving or doing either right or wrong.
Neither morality nor immorality can be predicated of them,
except in science gone mad.
It is interesting to notice, in connection with the likeness
to animal action exhibited by man in dreaming or somnam-
bulism, that in these abnormal states men are capable of doing
what, as waking and voluntary agents, they are wholly incap-
able of. If that transient and unconscious and involuntary
power could be brought under control, made the servant of
will, and utilised freely, it would revolutionize our system.
Animal superiority is like that. If it could become the free.
286 The Scottish Naturalist.
self-controlled force of voluntary agents, the human race could
maintain no competition with it. In denying animals self-con-
sciousness and will, and holding that psychosis in them is auto-
matic, we must carefully observe how deep the distinction between
them and man goes in consequence. The difference covers
the whole mental field, and leaves no phenomenon of a
psychical character in the two beings identical. We often speak
as if, up to a certain stage of mental faculty, the two minds
were the same in their manifestations. But this cannot be, if
the above distinction be established. It begins at the begin-
ning of mental action — i.e., at its lowest form of energy, and
passes on all through. Sensation is the first and simplest form
of mental energy ; and we may suppose that it is exactly iden-
tical in man and animals, inasmuch as something which we
can only call by the name of sensation, is common to them.
But it is not identical. Animal sensation and human sensation
are not the same sensation. There is a characteristic that
places them wide apart. In the human form of sensation,
there is always accompanying it the consciousness of the sensa-
tion as mine. Consciousness of sensation as a form of expe-
rience is at the same time consciousness of Personality, or self.
We begin as we end the gradations of our mental power, with
a home-coming consciousness of ourselves. All the mental
force exerted, or states experienced, are known as ours. The
animal does not disengage itself from nature, or stand over
against it, as man does.
In making out the negative position that the animal soul is
not" the same essentially as that of man, other two remarks may
be made. One is in reference to the bodily forms of animals.
According to the fitnesses of things, and the very conditions of
human thinking, these forms for ever prevent us from imagining
that the indwelling souls are of the human type ; otherwise,
Nature has here lost her rule and forgotten the proprieties,
and not merely cast pearls before swine, but put a jewel in
their snout. Another remark is teleological. The purposes
for which animals exist do not seem to raise them above serving
the interests of physical nature, and thus, and otherwise more
directly, ministering to man's self and convenience and neces-
sities. And if the very object of their being bind them to the
world in such a subordinate capacity, why throw away on them
a soul like that of man, which is the breath of the Almighty,
and in virtue of which its possessor is born to rule nature and
The Scoff is Ji Natural 1st. 287
transcend the world, and bear the likeness of and enjoy fellow-
ship with the world's Creator ? There would be an inconceiv-
able incongruity between the endowment and the purpose
which it had to serve, if the animal, with the task only of a
beast of burden, were yet provided with the soul and the
potentialities of a man.
This negative or destructive method of dealing with the
problem seems to be both valid and successful. But the
positive or constructive method, i.e., accounting for animal
phenomena by positive causes, which fall short of self-conscious-
ness and will, is a task incumbent on him who holds the animal
soul to be not the same in kind as man's ; and he need not
fear that task as compared with the task of proving that it is of
the same kind by showing it to be possessed of these powers.
The general result of an investigation conducted for the
solution of the problem in this form is, as we have seen, that
all the psychical phenomena of animals are capable of being
explained by such an intelligent principle as is merely
automatic in its mode of operation. There is a centre of
intelligent force in animals ; but it is not an intelligence self-
conscious, self-determined, and self-regulated.
On this subject I wish here to give the following view. Let
lis distinguish these three classes of phenomena,— first, those
that may be designated under the term Irritability ; second, those
that go to constitute Sensibility or Sensitive Intelligence ; and
third, the phenomena of Volition. The classification is minute
and comprehensive enough to allow the nature and relations of
animal psychosis to appear.
i Under Irritability I include what is called reflex action ;
and I do not see why such action may not fall under that
designation. There is nothing psychical, it is supposed, in the
reflex action of the spinal cord. No feeling, idea, or image,
nor any form of consciousness whatever intervenes. The
ingoing motion excited by external stimulus passes from the
afferent to the efferent system of nerves through the immediate
central connection of the two systems, and the whole movement
is thus confined to the external circle of innervation and is wholly
mechanical. I do not see why the most even of the phenomena
that Carpenter has called sensori-motor or consensual should not
be to a large extent equally ranked under this head. The only
difference is that the external stimulus in that action falls on
the special senses, while in the so-called reflex action it affects
288 The Scottish Naturalist.
the general tactile sense. But then, in the first place, all the
senses are but modifications of touch. In the second place, in
Dr. Carpenter's sensori-motor action, the passage of the ingoing
molecular movement into the outgoing is equally immediate as
in the case of the reflex action. There may be an image in the
eye and a sound, or air-vibrations at least, in the ear ; but it is
not the image taken up as a mental one nor the vibrations of
the air taken up as a mentally perceived sound or tone — it is
neither that causes the outward response. This is caused by
the simple impact — by the touch of the light on the retinal
nervous structures, and the touch of the agitated air on the
terminal bodies of the nerves of the cochlea respectively.
If it were otherwise, if mental elements intervened, they could
intervene only in the shape of sensuous apprehension, imagina-
tion, or emotion, or idea ; and then where would be the
difference between sensori-motor and ideo-motor or emotional
reflection ? What we should on general principles presume is
what the actual parts of the case clearly bear out — that there
are only two fundamentally distinct classes of reflexion, viz.,
that in which mental elements do not intermediate the action,
and that in which they do intermediate it. The one is auto-
matic action of the organism ; the other is automatic action of
the psychical power and of the organism together. Carpenter
himself says sensori-motor action requires the impression on the
sense organ to be felt as a sensation. (Phys. of Mind, p. 82.)
So far as it does it is fundamentally different from excito-motor,
but not fundamentally different from ideo-motor or emotional
reflexion. Des Cartes plainly included sensori-motor action in
the reflex action by which he explained the psychical pheno-
mena of animals. After speaking of movements in us that do
not depend on the mind, such as the action of the heart and
lungs, he goes on — " And when one who falls from a height
throws forward his hands to save his head it does not depend
upon his mind, but takes place merely because the senses being
affected by the present danger some change arises on his brain
which determines the animal spirits to pass thence into the
nerve in such a manner as is required to produce this motion
in the same way as in a machine, and without the mind being
unable to hinder it. Now," he adds, " since we observe this
in ourselves, why should we be so much astonished if the light
reflected from the body of a wolf into the eye of a sheep has
the same force to excite in it the motion of flight." (Cited by
The Scottish Naturalist. 289
Huxley, Fort. Rev. 95, N. S. p. 564.) The whole is regarded
as the automatic action of the organism. Whether, if he had
been acquainted with the automatic action of the mind he
would not have resorted to that as an explanation of some
movements both animal and human, and among them probably-
some which he here mentions, is a question which I should
. feel strongly inclined, from the tenor of his thoughts on this
whole subject, to answer in the affirmative. This matter will
occur in another connection. Meanwhile, though there may
be actions called sensori-motor, that have in them mental
elements, yet there are others that are, through the special sense
tracts though they be, as simply reflex as those through the
tracts of the general sensory system ; and these are, therefore,
equally with the latter, phenomena of irritability. It is to be
observed that the capacity for irritability is not exclusively
animal.
( To be continued. )
ILLUSTRATIONS OP ANIMAL REASON.
( Continued from p. 24.9.)
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S.
IN my two immediately preceding papers, the value of many
anonymous contributions to serial literature, on subjects
connected with Comparative Psychology, has been demonstrated
or estimated.
We have now to estimate the value of anonymous contribu-
tions, on similar topics, to literature of a more permanent and
pretentious kind — of anonymous books, of all sorts and sizes,
treating of Animal Instinct or Intelligence.
We begin with the bulky and expensive Cyclopedias, taking as
their type that, on the whole excellent one, of the Messrs.
Chambers of Edinburgh.* For general purposes it is superior
to the much more ponderous and costly " Encyclopaedia
Britannica," or indeed to any of its many rivals. The articles are
' My remarks have reference to the first edition, of 10 volumes, published
between i860 and 1868, and to such articles as those on the Dog, Vol. III.;
Horse, Vol. V.; Elephant, Vol. IV; Camel and Cat, Vol. II.; Ant and
Bee, Vol. I. ; Spider, Vol. IX. A new or second and revised edition was
issued in 1874.
290 The Scottish Naturalist.
for the most part accurate — some of them being not very brief —
by the best writers in their respective departments of knowledge.
Thus, those on " Mind," " Reason," " Instinct," and allied
subjects are by Professor Bain, of Aberdeen ; those on Human
Insanity by Dr. Browne, of Dumfries, lately Commissioner in
Lunacy for Scotland; and those on Veterinary subjects by
Professor John Gamgee, formerly of the New Veterinary
College, Edinburgh, and Albert Veterinary College, London.
But the Zoological articles appear to constitute a singular
exception to the general rule — that groups of articles are con-
tributed by specialists eminent in their departments. I am
indebted to Dr. Findlater, the Editor of the Encyclopaedia, for
informing me (in a letter dated February, 1873) tnat " tne
greater number of the Zoological articles . . . were written
by the Rev. J. Montgomery, formerly Minister of the Free
Church, Innerleithen," and those upon " a considerable number
of the Lower Forms of Animal Life by the late Dr. Day, at one
time Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in St. Andrews
University." Professor Nicol, of Aberdeen, appears to have
been the immediate Editor of the Zoological department.
Now, not one of the gentlemen above mentioned was or is a
Zoologist proper, and specially qualified thereby for contributing
articles of a kind that will be accepted as of equal value with
those contributed, in their specialities, by Professors Bain or
Gamgee, or by Dr. Browne. In the List of Authors given in
Volume X. (1868) there is, curiously enough, considering the
large proportion of space in the Encyclopaedia occupied by
Zoological articles, no Zoologist proper or professional, unless
Dr. Strethill Wright of Edinburgh, or Mr. Francis, Editor of
" The Field," be so regarded.
This anomaly may possibly have been amended in the new
edition of the Encyclopcedia — that of 1874, the prospectus of
which professes that "its articles are written by those only who
are specially, and in most instances practically, acquainted with
the subjects." But such a supposition or hope is incompatible
with the assurance given us by a well-known Edinburgh book-
seller, that Chambers's Encyclopaedia is stereotyped ; which means
that the defects of the first edition are perpetuated in its suc-
cessors, except in so far as alterations may be embodied in
Supplements or Addenda.
This matter of stereotyping seems to me a serious mistake and
nuisance in all classes of scientific works, bearing in mind how
The Scottish Naturalist. 291
constantly the aspects of science are being altered by new data,
and by new ways of looking at old data. Stereotyping, in such
a series of volumes as those of the " International Scientific
Series," prevents an author, in the various editions through
which most of the said volumes have run, or will run, making-
desirable or necessary corrections, additions, or subtractions.
The result of which is, that an author, in such a series, cannot
be too careful as to what he first prints, seeing that his errors,
of whatever kind, will be perpetuated by stereotype in three
great languages, and in four great literary and scientific coun-
tries. He cannot, therefore, — resisting the pressure put upon
him by impatient publishers, translators, critics, or readers, —
take too much time to mature his opinions or inferences, and
classify the facts upon which his general conclusions are based ;
the more especially if such conclusions are opposed to long-
cherished, popular beliefs.
There is another Encyclopaedia, now being published in
Edinburgh as a rival to that of the Messrs. Chambers — the
" Globe Encyclopaedia." To its Editor I made an application
similar to that which I addressed to Dr. Findlater, as to the
authorship of its Zoological articles. But in this case no notice
was taken of my simple request. The legitimate inferences
from the non-compliance of an Editor in such a case are, either
that he is
(1) Chargeable with business remissness;
(2) Or with personal or official discourtesy ; or that
(3) He is not prepared to give a satisfactory reply : in other
words, that he cannot satisfy inquirers as to the character of his
contributors, of whose talents or qualifications and so forth it is
far too common, in the copious advertisements of such publica-
tions, to make egregious boast.
In certain cases, as in that of Miss Cobbe and the " Quarterly
Review," it proved that the third inference could not have been
justified by the facts ; and in that case, moreover, there was the
intrinsic evidence of the ability of the article and the authen-
ticity of its narrative. But, in other cases, where an Editor
withholds a simple reply to a simple question, the suspicion is
naturally created that the sources, or compilers, of information
are not trustworthy, and cannot afford to have their names made
public. Wherever such a suspicion exists, the works to which the
292 The Scottish Naturalist.
suspicion attaches must be set aside as valueless in a scientific
sense ; for it is incumbent on the student of Comparative
Psychology to make use of no doubtful or doubted facts — to
resort to no dubious sources of information. Hence it is that
I cannot, and do not, myself quote from such a work as the
" Globe Encyclopaedia."
Parenthetically it may be here stated that there is no neces-
sity for recourse to doubtful sources of information anent
Animal Intelligence. Illustrative anecdotes of a perfectly
authentic kind are superabundant, if carefully looked for. But
even these the student would do well to set aside — except as
affording secondary or confirmatory evidence — in favour of
original observation,ai\<X personal reflection on the Facts observed;
and there is scarcely a man, woman, or child so unhappily cir-
cumstanced as not to have ample opportunity, on all hands, for
original first-hand or direct observation of the character and
habits of certain animals.
Besides encyclopaedias proper, there are many works treating
exclusively, in a popular way, of animals and their habits, or
containing articles of this character, that are virtually encyclo-
paedic, and that may, therefore, fitly be reviewed in connection
with the larger works. Such, for instance, are
(1) The Popular Natural Histories of Cassell and other
publishers.
(2) The Percy Anecdotes.
(3) The Treasuries of Maunder and others.
(4) The " Information for the People," and " Miscellany of
Useful and Entertaining Tracts," of Messrs Chambers.
(5) The Natural Histories for the Young, published by
(a) The Religious Tract Society, and the Book Society,
both of London.
(b) The Messrs Nelson, of Edinburgh.
(c) Messrs Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday, of London.
(d) Messrs George Routledge & Sons, London.
(e) Messrs Macmillan & Co., London and Cambridge.
(f) Messrs Chapman & Hall, London.
(g) " Our Dumb Companion Series '; (illustrated) of
Messrs S. W. Partridge & Co., London.
In regard to the " Popular Natural History " of Messrs
Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, London, a handsome work in various
The Scottish Naturalist. 293
editions of 2 or 4 vols., crown 4to., profusely illustrated,"'
the Editor did me the favour to write me as follows : —
" La Belle. Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill,
"London, E.C., November 7, 1873.
" I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 5th inst., which
you were so kind as to address to Messrs Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, upon
the subject of the authorship of " Mammalia " in their Natural History.
They desire me to say in reply that as that work was written by several
gentlemen they will feel obliged if you will be good enough to quote it as
' ' Cassell's Popular Natural History. "
" November 14, 1 873.
I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th inst.; in reply
to which Messrs Cassell, Petter, & Galpin desire me to explain that they
think it possible that you may refer to the statement about monkeys and
smallpox which appeared in the first edition of their Natural History. In
that case, I have to inform you that the statement was afterwards dis-
covered to be erroneous, and was expunged in subsequent editions. The
author of that portion of the Natural History is dead, and they do not feel
that it would be desirable to have his name now published. "
This work, which treats of Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes,
and Insects, is a compilation of matter, including abundant
anecdotes, bearing upon, or illustrative of, the character and
habits of animals. And in so far as the names of works or
authors quoted are given, assuming always that the quotations
are accurate, such a work contains a mine of information. Nor
is the mere fact of its containing an error here or there sufficient
to invalidate the general value of the work ; for, as I shall have
occasion to point out by-and-bye, when treating of publications
by the highest scientific authorities of the present day, absolute
absence of error need not be looked for. Nevertheless it is
always unsatisfactory not to be furnished with the names of the
compilers of, or contributors to, a Natural History of any con-
sequence.
Probably of the same character as the " Popular Natural
History " is the " Wonders of Animal Instinct,"! which con-
stitutes a volume of the " Library of Wonders," published by
the same enterprising firm,! to whom we owe, for instance,
among other admirable works, the " Races of Mankind," by
Dr. Robert Brown.
* The last edition was in 2 vols., 187 1 ; the older editions in 4 vols.
*f* 2nd edition, illustrated, 1874.
X Along with the Zoological contributions to " Cassell's Magazine," an
illustrated weekly, whose articles resemble those of ' ' Chambers's Journal "
and the better class of its rivals.
294 ^ne Scottish Naturahst.
The well-known " Percy Anecdotes," of which many editions
have been issued,* contain a special section of " Anecdotes of
Instinct," consisting of an admirable series of illustrations of
the mental aptitudes of the lower animals. Isolated anecdotes
also occur in the section on " Music." The work professes to
have had, in its compilation, "a scrupulous regard to truth,"
so that the authenticity of the anecdotes of which it is made up
may be apparently relied upon as much as it is safe to trust to
the accuracy of any such published compilations of the too
frequently anonymous records of fact or observation. In certain
cases, satisfactory authorities are cited for the quotations, e.g.,
Wilson, the American ornithologist ; Bishop Heber, of India ;
and Broderip, author of the " Zoological Recreations."
Similar in the character of its quotations to the " Percy
Anecdotes " is a volume published at Halifax in 1839, obviously
for the benefit of youth, entitled the " Wonders of Nature and
Art." It quotes largely from Shaw's " Nature Displayed."
As to Chambers's " Information for the People," Dr. William
Chambers himself informed me (in December, 1873), " I am
sorry I cannot say anything satisfactory as to the writers of the
articles in the 'Information/ the matter being a mixture of old
and new." The articles in question are such as those on the
Horse, Dog, Sheep, Goat, Alpaca, Pigs, Cattle, Rabbits, Cage-
Birds, Poultry, and the Honey-Bee — all in Volume I. of the
illustrated last or new edition of 1873-74. Probably his remark
applies also to such papers in the " Miscellany of Useful and
Entertaining Tracts " as, in
Vol. I.
— of the illustrated old edition of 1845
Anecdotes of Dogs.
II.
Anecdotes of the Horse.
IV.
Ants.
V.
Spiders.
VI.
Anecdotes of the Cat.
VII.
Elephants.
Referring to the new revised edition of 1869-71, Dr. Find-
later informed me (in February, 1873), "As to the articles of
the ' Miscellany ' you specify, they were simply reprinted, with
no material alteration, from the former edition, and I cannot
say who wrote them."
* One of the latest and best is the " Chandos Edition," by Timbs,
in 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1S68.
The Scottish Naturalist. 295
There is a singular variety in the quality of the popular
Zoological articles contained in the publications of the Messrs.
Chambers; and this is not surprising when we consider the
number and variety of the said publications themselves, and
the length of time during which they have been continuously
issued from the well-known warehouse in the old High Street
of Edinburgh. As a rule, the articles in the " Encyclopaedia "
and " Miscellany" are excellent, whoever the authors may have
been or may be. In the " Journal," on the other hand, there
are some signal exceptions to this general rule. For instance,
Dr. William Chambers frankly confesses, in his letter above
quoted, that " the article on Animals in ' Chambers's Journal,'
November 1, was written by an unfortunate being, to whom I
cannot refer. The same was the writer on Dogs." Again, the
article on " Canine Sagacity," in the " Journal " for February
19, 1876, is a typical instance of that serving up of "old
stories," which I have met with in so many modern popular
works on Natural History. I have elsewhere repeatedly read all
the anecdotes there given concerning "Canine Sagacity;" just
as one constantly encounters in print the " Dog of Montargis,"
the " Dog of Corinth," the " Geese of the Roman Capitol," and
other historical animals. The first incident related by the
writer on "Canine Sagacity" — a subject, by the way, terribly
hackneyed — is stated to have happened " some twenty years
ago " — itself a statement calculated to arouse suspicion ; for
the facts so far as, or if, true, can surely be confirmed by more
authentic recent events. In short, all three stories given by our
author are hack or hackneyed, and may be but " stories " after
all — unworthy of credence — no voucher being given for their
authenticity.
Of a very different character are the following contributions
to " Chambers's Journal :" —
(1) " Recent Observations on Ants ;" recounting the results
of the experimental researches of M. Forel, a Swiss
Naturalist : Number for January 1, 1876.
(2) " Curious Phases in Natural History ;" pointing out the
inter-relations of Ants and Aphides : Number for May
6, 1876.
(3) "Cats :" Number for July 3, 1875.
(4) "Swans :" Number for July 17, 1875.
(5) "Partridges :" Number for October r6. 1875.
296 The Scottish Naturalist.
(6) (l Rooks :" Number for February 26, 1876.
(7) " Curious Companionships :" Number for March 1 1,1876.
(8) " Our Feathered Neighbours " — the Cuckoo, Nightjar,
and Corncrake: Number for May 20, 1876.
Whatever may be the varying ability of the contributors on
Zoological subjects to the publications of the Messrs. Chambers,
whatever the intrinsic value of their contributions or the trust-
worthiness of their statements of Fact, it is noteworthy that
neither Dr. Chambers nor Dr. Findlater hesitates to give infor-
mation regarding the said contributors or contributions. In
their dealings with bona-jide inquirers they display at once
business promptitude, official and personal courtesy, and a
perfectly frank and honest statement of Facts. And they have
no reason to be ashamed of giving to the public all the infor-
mation they themselves possess. The result will only serve to
confirm or strengthen public confidence in all the literary under-
takings of the firm they represent ; while no man of sense will
hold them responsible for the occasional shortcomings of authors,
who may very likely disappoint their employers', as well as our,
expectations of their ability or integrity and its results.
Other specimens of anonymous books or papers, of the most
different qualities, kinds, or values, — connected with Com-
parative Psychology — are the following : —
1. Books ; partly intended as schoolprizes, or gifts, to youth
of both sexes; some of which have as their special aim
the inculcation of humanity to animals.
(a) " Paws and Claws : being True Stories of Clever
Creatures, Tame and Wild : " tales namely in-
culcating or calculated to inculcate Kindness to
domestic and other animals. Profusely illustrated
by Harrison Weir and other artists. Probably a
book for children : one of Cassell's publications.
Extra foolscap 4to. 1874.
(b) " Dog Life : Narratives exhibiting Instinct, Intelli-
gence, Fidelity, Sympathy, and Attachment." With
illustrations by Sir Edwin Landseer. Large 8vo.
Seeley, Jackson, & Halliday. 1874.
(c) " Lessons derived from the Animal World." First
Series : Dogs, Horses, Elephants, Birds. Second
Series: Bees, Ants, Spiders. Illustrated. 121110.
1851.
The Scottish Naturalist. 297
(d) " Half-hours with the Animals : Narratives exhibit-
ing Intelligence, Instinct, and Affection." Illustra-
tions after Landseer and others. 8vo. London,
1875.
(e) "The Monsters of the Deep, and Curiosities of
Ocean life ; " and
(/) " Fairy Frisket ; or Peeps at Insect Life," by
A.L.O.E. Both illustrated, post 8vo., and vols, of
Nelson's " British Library."
In June, 1874, the enterprising publishers themselves — the
worthy rivals in Edinburgh of the Messrs. Chambers — favoured
me with the following
" Memorandum from T. Nelson & Sons, Hope Park, Edin-
burgh : —
' ' Nelson's ' British Library ' was originally published about twenty-six
or twenty-seven years ago, and has been out of print for eighteen years
or so."
The date of its first appearance was therefore probably 1847 or
1848. "Nelson's British Library" seems also to have included
a series of illustrated Weekly Tracts, similar in size and subjects
to those of " Chambers's Miscellany." Several of the numbers
treated of the mental endowments of Animals : for instance,
one on "Affection in the Lower Animals."
(g) " The Picture Book of the Sagacity of Animals,"
with 60 plates, by Harrison Weir. Geo. Routledge
& Sons, 1871.
(h) " The Alphabet of Animals, in Rhyme : designed to
impress children with Affection for the Brute Crea-
tion." Illustrated with 25 engravings. An enlarged
and improved edition of a "very popular little
work, formerly published by Mr. J. Groom, of Bir-
mingham, now the property of the Book Society "
of London.
(*) " The Life and Times of Conrad the Squirrel :" a
Story for Children. " Well calculated to make
children take an intelligent and tender interest in
the Lower Animals." Second edition, crown 8vo.
1872.
(k) "A Dog of Flanders and other Stories," by Ouida.
Chapman & Hall, 1872.
298 The Scottish Naturalist.
(/) " Eccentricities of Animals." Messrs. Seeley, 1872.
(m) " Lights and Shadows in a Canine Life ;" being the
Biography of a Dog called " Ugly." The life and
travels of a Scotch terrier — the author being a lady,
according to the reviewers. Simpkin & Marshall,
London, 1872.
Besides Miss Cobbe and Miss Buist, many ladies have written
books — mostly for the young — treating of the Virtues — the
lovable qualities — of our Domestic animals. Such authoresses
include Mary Howitt, Mrs. S. C. Hall, Mrs. Charles Bray, Mrs.
C. L. Balfour, and Miss Eliza Meteyard.
(;/) "Histoire critique de 1' Ame des Betes:" a work
said to be in more than one volume.
(0) " On the Future Existence of the Animal Creation:"
a work said to have been published in Edinburgh
in 187 1, according to the "Animal World " (vol. ii.
p. 106). But reference is probably intended to the
following quaint work of the late Peter Buchan —
" Scriptural and Philosophical Arguments, or
Cogent Proofs from Reason and Revelation,
that Brutes have Souls, and that their Souls are
Immortal ; " published by Lewis Smith, Aberdeen,
1824.
The said Peter Buchan is better known as the author of
" Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland," which,
with others of his works, are now being republished in new
editions by his son. Peter was a native of Peterhead, and
died in 1854 in London, aged 74.
(p) " Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation."
London, i860.
(</) " The Elephant," one of " Knight's Weekly
Volumes," published in London, in or about 1844-5,
by the late well-known publisher and author, Charles
Knight.
(r) " The Knowsley Menagerie : " a description of the
Animals in the collection of former Earls of Derby.
1850.
(s) "The Dog," by " Idstone," 121110. London, 1872.
These Noms de plume are no improvement on the absence
of an author's name ; for there is just as great and no greater
The Scottish Naturalist. 299
difficulty in ascertaining the real authorship of works bearing
such pseudonyms as, or than, in the case of those which are
simply anonymous. The same remark applies to works the
name of whose author is given to us only in the form of initials.
" Stonehenge," the writer of a" series of works comparable with
those of " Idstone," — such as
(/) "The Horse." 1862—
is now known to be J. H.Walsh, F.R.C.S., presently or formerly
Editor of " The Field."
(u) "Maunder's Treasury of Natural History." Last
edition, by Cobbold.
(v) " Captain Wolf, and other Sketches of Animal Bio-
graphy." Seeley, Jackson, & Halliday.
II. Articles in Reviews, Magazines, and other Serials.
(a) " Cruelty to Animals," an excellent, temperate
article, taking a general review of the whole subject.
"Cornhill Magazine," February 1874.
(b) " The Boundary between Man and the Lower
Animals." " Quarterly Journal of Science," January,
i375-
(c) " Animal Depravity." Same Quarterly, October, 1875.
(d) " Dogs and their Diet." " Once a Week," Septem-
ber 30, 187 1.
(e) " The Philosophy of Birds' Nests." Same serial,
June 24, 187 1.
(/) " Ralphos," a Raven. Same serial, October 1 4, 1 87 1.
" Once a Week " is a London illustrated weekly of the
same character as " Chambers's Journal " or " All the Year
Round," — containing, like both, occasional popular articles on
Animal Sagacity.
(g) "Dogs at Home, on Sale, on Show, and in Hos-
pital." " All the Year Round," 1876.
(h) " The Agricultural Ant of Texas." "Science Gossip,"
January, 1868.
(i) " Our Winnie " — (a pet Hare). Same serial, April,
1873.
(k) " The Tasmanian Devil." "Spectator," July 9, 187 1.
(/) " The Indifference of Animals to Speculative Truth."
Same serial, November 26, 1870.
( To be continued. )
300
The Scottish Naturalist.
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BRITISH OOLEOPTERA.
(Continued from p. 261.)
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
4. Th. pit. or b. , or with only an extremely narrow r.
mar. (the width of which is much less than l/z
diameter of eye). Fr. claws of 6 equal.
- test, or brown, or with broad r. or test. mars.
5. E. dull r. ; ba. and mars, still paler. An., pal., legs,
extreme mar. of th., and some marks on h. , reddish.
Rest of body b. Rather short, broad, and conv. 6
shining ; $ dull. E. (especially in 6 ) with numerous
large consp. puncs. forming rows in fr. Surface of
6 spar, and minutely puna, of $ wrinkled. Fr.
claws of <$ simple and equal, but el. 2>H 1- BN-
Brassy b., almost glabrous. An., pal., fr. legs, some
marks on h., and extreme mar. of th., reddish. E.
each with two yel. spots near mar. (the fr. one about
as large as the eye, and often divided), and 3 or 4
rows of puncs. A wide conv. species. Claws of fr.
tar. in 6 equal and simple, but el. 3^ 1. E.
Net as above. Ap. j. of interim tar. cons, longer
than its claw, and a little longer than the prec. 2 js.
together. Gen. 2 r. spots near mar. of each e.
- - -. hardly longer than its claw, and
hardly so long as the prec. 2 js. together. Brassy
b. Pal., an., legs, r.-m. of e., and 2 marks on h., r.
Surface finely wrinkled. Some obsc. rows of puncs.
on e. Not a very wide species. 2>K ^ E. S. I. !
6. A small well def. round fov. on each side of th. near
ba. Not less than 3^ 1. .
This fov. obs. Less than 3^ 1. . . .
7. B. An. , pal. , 2 spots on h. , and (gen. ) 2 spots on e.
near mar., r. Legs pit. or r. Rather narrow,
parallel and flat. Very minutely puna or wrinkled.
E. with some rows of puncs, which do not reach ba.
and are quite irreg. behind. Ant. claws of S equal,
simple, and not el. 3/4-4 1- B. .
Very like prec. The rows of puncs. on e. regular and
well def. in fr. Legs darker. In. claw on ant. tar.
of 6 with a tooth in the mid. 3^ 1. 1>. .
8. Brassy b. Pal., an., legs, 2 >p<>t> on h., 2 spots on e.
near mar., and r.-m. of a, r. or reddish. Conv.
Rather narrow. Finely puna Some rows of dist.
puncs. on a are irreg. in fr. Sides rather rounded.
A sharp tooth at ba. of each claw in ant. tar. of (J .
"1 I',
\ 1 • * * • • • • • • •
5
9
congener
didymus
6
chalconotus
7
S
guttatus
nitidus
unguiculari*
The Scottish Naturalist.
;oi
Very like prec. Less brassy. R.-m. of e. b. Sides
hardly rounded. The rows of puncs. on e. regular
in fr. 3 1. S.
9. Prevailing color of th. dist. T. or test. E. without
sharply def. pale markings, their mar. not paler than
lightest part of disc. ....
Not as above. Surface of e. covered with a dist. but
fine network of wrinkles. ....
.... ... not consp. wrinkled.
so. Test. Hi. z/i of h., 2 marks in mid. of th., some small
well def. lines and blotches closely and irreg. placed
on e. , and the u. -s. , dusky or b. Rather fiat ; not
very wide ; sides rounded. Rows of puncs. on e.
very obsc. $ shining, almost glab. ; 9 dull, wrinkled.
Fr. claws of 6 equal, with an obsc. tooth at ba. 4I.
-. - - - -, ba. and fr. of th., and some obsc. clouds
on e. and on the fern., b. or dusky. Like prec. in
shape. Almost glab. exc. some very obsc. rows of
puncs. In. claw of fr. tar. of c5 wider than outer, and
with a tooth. ^H h B. .
Shining r. -brown, often with obscure darker clouds.
Almost glab. Short, wide, and conv. with rounded
sides. E. with rather dist. rows of puncs. U. -s. b.
The upper surface, an., and pal., nearly or quite
unic. Hi. legs and ant. fern, more or less pit.
Claws of fr. tar. of 6 equal, el., and not dist. toothed.
4I. ES- . . ....
Dull r., more or less clouded with dusky. U.-s. b.
Narrow, el. , and pointed behind. Finely and thickly
punc. E. with regular rows of larger puncs. Fr.
claws of S short, equal, and simple. 2>H *• E.
II. Surface of e. unif. not very shining nor very smoothly
wrinkled. Ba. 3 js. in ant. tar. of 6 strongly dil.
U."S. D. . • • • • •
- - - shining and very smoothly wrinkled in fr. , but
dull and rough near ap. Rows of puncs. obsc. H.
and th. test, more or less clouded with dusky. E.
b. ; mar. and some well def. lines and blotches yel.
An. pal. and legs test. U.-s. dull test. Ant. claws
of 6 short and simple. Color varies. Th. and e.
sometimes b. with a yellow mar.
57*
1. B.
12. Rather narrow, with parallel sides. H. dusky; fr. ^
test. Th. test. ; ba. and fr. darker (rarely b. with
pale mar.). E. dark test, or brown ; mar. yel. An.
pal. and legs test. Rows of puncs. on e. obs. In.
claw of fr. tar. in S short, broad, and with a blunt
tooth in mid. 2>/2 L ^*'
Resembles prec. Broad with rounded sides. Not
more than extreme fr. of h. test. Th. b. ; mar. pale.
ajfinis
10
11
nebulosus
conspersus
b run neus
Leiopterus
ruficollis
12
maculatus
arcticus
;o2
The Scottish Naturalist.
Fr. claws of 6 equal and simple, but very long. Hi.
legs often dusky. 3^ 1. B.
13. E. without well def. puncs. (exc. irreg. rows of large
puncs. ) or sharply def. markings. .
E. thickly and dist. (though finely) punc. , and with
dist. rows of larger puncs. Brassy. Fr. and back of
h., sides of th. and e., an., pal., and legs, r. or
reddish. Not very wide ; sides rounded. Fr.
claws of 6 simple, el. Fr. fern, of 6 set with long
yel. hairs. 3 1. B.
Obs. punc. B. H. , an. , pal. , legs, and sides of th. , r.
E. each with a consp. angulated tr. yel. fasc. near
fr., and a spot behind mid. Some dist. rows of
puncs. on e. Fr. claws of 6 simple, but very el.
Conv. Not very broad. Sides rounded. 3^ 1. E.
14. Very shining. Glab. Rather broad and flat; sides
little rounded. H. b. ; fr. and 2 spots behind pale.
Th. b. with pale mars. E. brown, paler at sides and
in fr. , with some irreg. rows of large puncs. An. ,
pal., and legs, reddish or pit. Fr. claws of 6 el. but
simple. 2/^ 1. E. S. I. .
Resembles prec. Broader and more conv. with more
rounded sides. Very minutely but dist. punc. The
rows of large puncs. more dist. Out. claw of fr. tar.
of <$ much broader than the in
in the mid. } lA 1. EN-
with a strong tooth
Dytiscus.
1. U.-s. (at least partially) test. ....
Rather narrow, el. Finely punc. Coxae of hi. legs
{i.e., a narrow el. plate on u.-s. reaching from breast
backw. to ba. of hi. legs) rounded at hi. ap. B. An.,
pal., fr. of h., and side mars, of th. and of e., test.
Fr. legs and a mark on h. more or less r. Hi. legs
pit. 13 1. E. S. I. .
2. Sc. b. U.-s. entirely test. ....
- yel. U.-s. spotted with b. Coxa; of hi. legs, long,
narrow, and ac. pointed at ap.
3. Coxa; of hi. legs pointed at ap.
round at ap. Dark b.-gr. An., pal., legs, fr
of h., side mars, of th. and of e., and often an obsc
fasc. near ap. of e., test. Fr. and ba. of th. obsc
pale. 16 1. E."-F- .....
4. - - - - obt. pointed at ap. Very like prec. All the
mars, of th. broadly test. 15 1. E. S. I. .
- - - very acutely pointed at ap. Very like prec
Narrower. 15 1. K. i;f-
5. Very like prec. exc. in the points already mentioned
14 I. ■£" .....
Sturmi
femoral^
undulatus
paludosus
uliginosus
punctulatus
3
5
4
dimidiatws
marginalis
circumcinctus
circuniflexu^
The Scottish Naturalist.
3°3
- - -. The test. mars, of th. much wider than in the
other species, the mars, at fr. and ba. being together
as wide as the space between them. E. with numer-
ous fine longi. yel. lines. 12 1. S.I.
Acilius.
Very wide and flat ; sides very round. Closely and
finely punc. Brown b. An., pal., some marks on
h., mars, of th., a line on disc of th. , mar. of e.,
u.-s. of th., fr. 4 legs (exc. part of up. side of ant.
legs), r.-m. of e., some spots on u.-s. of each seg.
(exc. 1st) of h.-b., and ap. part of hi. fern., test.
E. of ? with 2 hairy fov. on th., and 4 on e. "]% 1.
F S T *
I - . ■ . X* • • • • • *
Very like prec. Narrower. On u. -s. all segs of h. -b. ,
marked (more plentifully) with test. Hi. fern. test.
In ? no hairy fov. on th. ; 3rd fov. on e. narrower.
7 1. B. N' .
lapponicui
sulcatus
canaliculatu-
Hydaticus.
1. Not very wide. Widest about mid. of e. U.-s. dusky
or b. Mid. tar. of 6 with 3 strongly dil. js. Very
minutely and closely punc, Avith dist. rows of larger
puncs. ... ...
Wide. Widest behind mid. of e. U.-s. test. Mid.
tar. of 6 little dil. Finely and spar. punc. E. with
obsc. rows of larger puncs. H. and th. test. ; some
marks on h., ba. of h., and ba. and fr. of th., b.
E. test., very thickly sprinkled with b., exc. on
mars. Legs, an., and pal., test. 7 1. E.*-
2. B. Fr. of h. , fr. and side mars, of th. , mar. of e. , pal. ,
an. , and fr. legs, test. 6^ L. E. .
Very like prec. Less closely and evenly punc. Mars,
of th. more widely test. A tr. yel; fasc. near ba. of
e. 6 1. E.
cuiereus
semmiger
transversalis
Fifth Family— GY RINID^E. (2 genera. )
Shining. Last seg. of h.-b. rounded at ap., and flat.
[Legs test. ] .
Dull. Pub. Last seg. of h.-b. el., pointed at ap.
[Legs test.] ......
Gyrinus.
1. U.-s. of h.-b. test, or pale brown
- - - b. R. -m. of th. and e. , and the claws, test, or r.
[Shining b., bl., or gr. Breast and ap. of h.-b. often
reddish. E. with about 11 longi. rows of puncs.] .
- (exc. legs) wholly b. Claws b. (ant. only at ba.)
Otherwise as above. ....
Gyrinus
Orechtochilus
3
6
3°4
The Scottish Naturalist.
2. El. Bluish or bl.-gr. E. unif. p.-s. U.-s. of h.-b.
often dusky at ba. 2 1. E. S. I. .
Wide. Bl. -b. E. with obsc. longi. cop. clouds. E.
with fine rows of puncs. which are obsc. near sut.
3/2 -!■• X-rf« * • • • • •
3. Ints. of e. glab. Puncs. in rows near sut. much finer
than towards mar. .....
Rather broad ; sides rounded. Puncs. in all the rows
about equal, but in each row faint near ap. 2% 1.
Not very wide. Ints. of e. finely punc. Puncs. in
rows near sut. much finer than towards mar. 3 1.
4. Species dist. more than twice as long as wide and with
only moderately rounded sides.
Not (or hardly) twice as long as wide. Sides strongly
rounded. Rows of puncs. on e. variable, but al-
ways fine ; those near sut. dist. the finest. Ap. of
e. rounded. 2^-31. E.S.I. !! .
5. El.; sides nearly parallel. Rows of puncs. on e.
strong, though finer near sut. Ap. of e. strongly
rounded. 373-4 1- EN- ....
Probably var. ofprec. Sides less parallel. Ap. ofe.
less rounded.
2%-VA
■74-Js
1. B.
Apparently resembles bicolor but is wider, with more
rounded sides, and the ap. of e. almost quite straight.
s 1. E.
J 78
Not very broad/ B.-bl. Legs test. E. with regular
rows of strong puncs. between which the ints. are
often slightly conv. Ints. of £ glab. , of 9 punc.
^•/Z 3/2 " -L->* .....
Very like prec. Perhaps a var. Rows of puncs. on
e. finer : those near sut. finer than near mar. 2]^-
-> 1 "R
Orechtochilus.
Narrow. El. Finely punc. B. -brown. Densely pub.
U.-s reddish or test. 2^5 LB..
mmutus
urinato7'
4
Suffriani
coly minis
5
natator
bicolor
distinctus
casptus*
marmus
opacus
villosus
[ydrophilidae
TABLE OF FAMILIES OF PHILHYDRIDA.
1st j. of hi. tar. not longer than the rest — often very
small. [Species occurring in water.]
1st j. of hi. tar. evidently the longest. Tib. with
numerous coarse spines. II. and th. thickly punc.
Species occurring in rotten vegetable matter, sea-
weed, manure, &c. ..... Sphseridiadse
' I have never met with an authentic specimen (British or foreign) of this insect. Types
that I have seen do not answer to description.
The Scottish Naturalist.
3°5
First family— HYDROPHILID.E (17 genera.)
1. An. with at least 7 js. Fr. of clyp. not emarginate
- - only 6 js. Fr. of h. deeply emarginate
2. Th. broader at ba. than in fr. ; its surface without
consp. furrows or ridges. Less than 5 1.
'; More than 0 1.
Not as above .....
3. H. -b. consisting of more than 4 dist. segs.
- - - only 4 dist. segs. [Not more than 1 1. A str
close to sut. in hi. part of e. is obs. in fr. An. 9 j
Pal. short] ....
4. Last j. of pal. longer than pen.
- - - - shorter than pen. An. 9 j.
Last 2 js. of pal. equal. Sut. str. as above (see
Chcetarthria). An. 9 j.
5. Sut. str. as above. More than 2 1. An. 9 j.
- - - -. Less than 2 1. An. 9 j.
- - either absent, or entire. An. S j.
■6. Th. very finely and rather ind. punc. Space between
ins. of mid. and hi. legs flat .
- strongly and roughly punc. Space between ins. of
mid. and hi. legs elev.
7. E. not deeply p. -s. ....
- deeply p. -s. .
"8. Pal. dist. longer than tar. of mid. legs.
- not dist. longer than tar. of mid. legs
9. Ap. j. of pal. not more than ]4. as long as 2nd. Sut
str. as in CJmtarthria. Space between ins. of mid
and hi. legs elev. ....
- - - - more than y2 as long as 2nd. Sut. str. obs
Space between ins. of mid. and hi. legs flat
10. Sc. more than y2 as long as th. An. 9 j.
- hardly \ as long as th. An. 9 j.
11. Last j. of pal. cons, longer than pen. .
Pen. j. of the rather short pal. large and thick. Last
j. much shorter and thinner. An. 9 j.
Pal. cons, shorter than h. and th.
- about as long as h. and th. An. 9 j.
Th. strongly tr. An. 9 j.
- hardly (or not) tr. An. 7 j.
12
*3
Spercheus
3
10
11
4
Chsetarthria
5
9
Enochrus
Hydrobius
6
7
Anacama
Paracymus
8
Berosus
Limnebius
Laccobius
Philhydrus
Helochares
1 1 ydrophilus
Hydrous
12
Ochthebius
13
Hydrama
Helophorus
Hydrochus
Hydrophilus.
Smooth, shining. Pit. b. An., pal., and some fringes
of hair on the legs, more or less r. E. with 4 rows
of puncs. ; a spine at ap. Ap. j. of ant. tar.
of 6 strongly dil. 18 1. E. .
piceus
306
The Scottish Naturalist.
Hydrous.
Very minutely punc, shining. B. or bl.-b. Legs,
an., and (often) fr. legs, more or less reddish. E.
with 4 rows of large puncs. Ap. j. of fr. tar.
of<$dil. 7| 1. E. ..
caraboides
Hydrobius.
A short wide species. B. or brassy b. Legs (more or
less), pal. , and ba. of an. , r. Thickly punc. On e.
io consp. punc. str., which are faint in fr., very deep
behind. An obsc. row of large puncs. on alt. ints.
Very like prec. Longer. Narrower. The punc. str.
on e. are represented by mere rows of puncs. 4 1.
E B.C.
fuscipes-
oblongus
Helochares.
Rather flat. Wide behind. Minutely and thickly
punc. ; more spar, behind. Faint traces of rows of
larger puncs. on e. H. and th. test. E. test.,
more or less dusky on disc. Pal. , legs and an. test.
Extreme ap. of ap. j. of pal. dusky. 2^ 1. E ! .
Very like prec. More unif. test, brown. More of ap.
j. of pal. dusky. Rather strongly and very unif.
punc. 2\ 1. B.
lividus
punctatus-
Philhydrus.
1. H., th. and e. test, (chiefly). Last j. of pal. not consp.
dark. Not less than 2% 1. ...
Not as above. Sut. (especially behind) broadly b., in
dist. contrast to the brownish e. .
Not as either of the prec. groups.-
2. Test. H. (behind), disc, of th. (often), cl. of an., 2nd
j. of pal. , and some obsc. clouds on e. , dusky or b.
Einely and closely punc. , with very obsc. traces of
rows of larger puncs. on e. 2^ 1. E !
Very like prec. Narrower. More shining. Not
quite so finely and thickly punc. CI. of an. lighter.
H. only a little dusky at ba. Pal. unic. test. E.
with the rows of puncs. more dist. 2^. Ec-
3. Rather el. Not very closely punc. H. b. ; 2 pale
spots in fr. Th. test.; dusky about mid. and ba.
E. (exc. sut.) brown. Pal. test.; 2nd and 4th js.
often a little darker. An. brown ; test, at ba.
Fern. b. Tib. lighter. Tar. test, iji 1. E. S. I.
Resembles prec. Rather more thickly punc. H. un-
spotted. Pal. with 1st and 3rd js. dull red ; 2nd
and 4th pit. b. \V2 1. B.
4
testaceus
mantimus-
suturalis
marginellus
The Scottish Naturalist.
Pal. unic. or with only obsc. dull clouds.
Pal. test.; ap. part of last j. (and often 2nd j.) consp.
pit. b. H. b. (often with 2 pale spots in fr.J Th.
dusky ; paler on mars. E. test, or brown ; often
paler near ap. Legs reddish. Rather thickly and
3°7
strongly punc.
in-2i/2
1. E.S.I. !
. melanocephalus
Shining pit. b. Pal., an., tar., and mars, of th. and of
e., yel. or yellowish. A rather short species, strongly
and not very thickly punc. 2 1. E. . . ovalis
Brown. Back of h., and cl. of an., dusky. Strongly
and thickly punc. 2}4 1. B. . . . nigricans
Enochrus.
H. (exc. 2 yel. spots in fr. ), ap. of pal., and u.-s., b.
Th. and e. test. yel. (often with dusky clouds). An.
and legs dusky r. or pit. Rather thickly punc. E.
obsc. p.-s. behind. 2 1/5 1. E. .
bicoloi
Paracymus.
Short and conv. Strongly punc. Shining brassy,
tending to r. on the sides. Legs, and ba. of an. and
of pal., reddish. 1% 1. B.
eeneus.
A N AC/EN A.
Thickly and finely punc. ' B. or pit. b.
H. dusky ; 2 large test, spots in fr. Th. test.; disc
dusky. E. test, with dusky clouds. Legs, and ba.
of an. and of pal., test. Ap. of latter 2, dusky.
Broad and rather conv. Spar. punc. 1 1. E.
( To be continued. )
bipustulat:
PROCEEDINGS OF THE BERWICKSHIRE
NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.
The concluding portion of the volume for 1873-75 of the
" History " of this Club has recently reached our hands, and a
brief notice thereof will not, we think, be without profit to our
readers.
The Club was founded in 1831, has had many distinguished
naturalists on its roll, and now has 257 ordinary members. Its
field of operation is the Borders, in different places of which
the Club holds meetings during the summer. For example,
the meeting-places this year are Dunbar, Selkirk, Norham.
Rothbury, and Dunse.
308 The Scottish Naturalist.
The portion of the volume before us shows that there is no
lack of vitality in the Club. The contents are mostly (as they
should be) of a local character, but are not on that account
devoid of interest or utility to naturalists elsewhere. Rather
their restriction to locality enhances their value.
Amongst the contents we notice the anniversary address of
the President, being a brief sketch of the work of the Club
during the summer of 1875; obituary notices of several
members and others, including a long and interesting account
of the celebrated naturalist, Sir William Jardine; various
valuable papers on local history and antiquities; reports of the
experimental committee (to the Tweed Commissioners) on
Salmonidce; various zoological and botanical papers; and a
variety of other matter, altogether making up this part of the
volume to nearly 200 pages.
To show the* pleasant manner in which some of the subjects
are treated, we extract a few zoological miscellanea, by Mr.
James Hardy, one of the energetic secretaries, to whom the
Club owes so much : —
Fox's Antipathy to Jackdaws. — A Fox which frequented
Siccar Point, in the beginning of May, took umbrage at the
Jackdaws which nestle in the old rabbit holes, on the almost
perpendicular, sea-banks. It had killed two and buried them at
separate spots ; other two it had surprised on the adjacent field,
and left exposed ; while a fifth, after its head had been eaten off,
was hid in a bunch of nettles. They had probably been render-
ing it too conspicuous by pursuing it like a thief, with cries and
chatterings, when going forth to prey, or returning to its den,
as I have often seen them do when a fox appeared among them.
Sheep. — A shepherd informs me that Sheep are very fond of
eating moor-fowl's dung, if they can come at it. This is surely
a perversion of taste.
Bottlenose. — Sometime in October,the newspapers recorded
that a " whale," fourteen feet long, had come ashore at Burn-
mouth, near Berwick. I have ascertained that it was a Round-
headed Porpoise, or Bottlenose (Dclphinus me/as). Droves of
this animal pursue the herring shoals ; and this individual had
got stranded.
K estrel (Fako iinnunculus). — About two pairs breed in the
Pilburn 'Power plantations. Like the Sparrow-hawk, they
build in the old nest, which they clean out in spring. The
The Scottish Naturalist. 309
gamekeeper has seen the Kestrel carry off a small weak pheasant.
Song Thrush and Fieldfares. — On the 25th October last,
Thrushes were numerous along with Blackbirds, under the cover
of withering ferns, in the middle portion of Langleyford vale.
Farther up, among the pretty groves and clumps of birches, be-
low the Hope, many of the Thrushes were congregated into
small flocks, preparatory to migration. When a Sparrow-hawk
passed they flew off in concert, and alighted among the trees in
a body. I afterwards saw another large party flying across the
open waste far up the water. At the same time there were
present other birds of the kind in search of food among the
dense beds of brackens, not connected with those gatherings
which may have been aliens. Keeping in separate companies,
there were also on the open hills many Fieldfares, new arrivals.
I found some fresh killed by hawks. Mr. Hughes wrote me
that about that period large assemblages of Fieldfares frequented
the Cheviot Moors, as if collecting for dispersion elsewhere.
At Oldcambus, December 2, during a frost, the local Thrushes
formed a small scattered flock in a field near a plantation, where
sheep had recently been pasturing ; and for several days numer-
ous Fieldfares and Starlings fed through among them, till a thaw
enabled them to obtain food elsewhere. In former seasons I
have frequently observed, at the close of autumn, Thrushes fly-
ing in flocks on the moors above Redheugh. They took refuge
at night in furze bushes.
Skylark. — In the heavy snowstorm at the close of the year
1875 birds were reduced to great straits for a supply of food.
On Dec. 20, when the workers were picking up some turnips in
a fold for the sheep, a Lark followed them throughout the whole
afternoon. Their legs were wrapped with straw bands, and
want had so tamed it that it began picking at the straw; and
having obtained two or three grains of oats, it evidently expected
more by keeping behind them. When they stood it came up on
their feet, and allowed itself to be stroked. They offered it
crumbs, but it would not have them, but picked up whatever
food the fresh turned-up earth revealed. I am informed that
the Earl of Home's keeper, in 1875, observed a cream-coloured
Lark on Drakemire Moor, but he could never catch a sight of
it afterwards.
Bunting (Embcriza miliaria). — Whatever may be the case
elsewhere, Buntings are seldom seen in North Northumberland
during winter. On March 14th, 1876, I observed one at South
o
10 7 he Scottish Naturalist.
Middleton, in a thorn hedge, associated with Yellow-hammers
and Chaffinches.
Black-Headed Bunting (Embcriza schcsniclus). — A few,
during severe winters, still frequent the stackyards on the
higher farms. Now that the heaths and bogs are drained, this
bird has become extremely scarce. I see that a few in summer
frequent the borders of Coldmartin Loch, near Wooler ; also,
Woolerhaugh, near Earle; and on Doddington Hill, where they
are called " Blackcaps." In June I saw one or two of these
birds at Easington Grange, near Belford.
Chaffinch {Fringilla coelcbs). — July 17th, I observed in the
garden a female Chaffinch chasing a young Blackbird, which
fled chattering in alarm to escape being pecked.
Brambling {Fringilla montifringilld). — Mr. Brotherston re-
marks in a letter — " I believe beech mast is the staple food of
this bird. I have seen them feeding on it in the middle of
April, when there was no difficulty in getting other food. Some
specimens that I obtained at that time had the head nearly
black, the grey ends of the feathers being rubbed off."
Greenfinch ( Coccothraustes chloris). — On the 14th April I
noticed above a whinny bank one either fixing on the site of its
nest, or serenading its partner. It kept hovering in the air with
its gay wings spread out, or sailed round in a circuit ; and then
seated itself qn a bush and uttered spree ! spree ! with apparent
glee. Three days after it continued sailing backwards and for-
wards over this centre of attraction, ejaculating a variety of notes,
as well as its brief, cheery song. About harvest it becomes very
mischievous among early ripening patches of corn ; and is at all
seasons a common bird.
Siskins and Redpoles. — Siskins have been observed some
years to frequent the old alder trees at the Pease Bridge ; and
also those at the sides of the Tower burn, near the Pease Mill.
Mr. Ferguson informs me that the gamekeeper at Dunse Castle
sees Siskins in the plantations there throughout the season ; so
that there is a likelihood of some of them breeding there. Of
date March 8, 1876, Mr. Ferguson thus writes: "The game-
keeper at Dunse Castle tells me that, for several weeks past, he
has seen almost daily during the winter months a flock of from
20 to 30 Siskins — invariably accompanied by a like number of
Redpoles — feeding on the fruit of some alders growing at the
margin of a pretty large pond or "damhead" near his house.
So far as he can judge, the number of males and females seems
The Scottish Naturalist. 311
to be about equal. In the summer season they disappear; but
he has more than once seen a solitary bird in the woods above
Dunse Castle, and he is confident that a few pairs remain all the
year through. If this be so, there can be no doubt that they
breed about the place, although he has never succeeded in
finding a nest. The Redpole is never seen except in winter."
Mr. Brotherston, writing March 14, says: "We have the Siskin
still here ; I got a pair from Peatrig bog on the 9th. They are
to be gotten there every winter." I was told that in January,
1876, among the alders by the Lill burn, on Ilderton Moor, 24
Siskins were shot ; a veiy unnecessary piece of cruelty, in order
to obtain a few specimens to stuff. Redpoles during winter
visit the birch woods near Penmanshiel, to feed on the birch
seeds. They remain only for a short time.
Starling. — Starlings are as plentiful nesting in old decayed
alders on the upper part of Lill burn as in the Back Wood of
Langleyford. There is no one to disturb them in that remote
situation. There was a general scream of alarm when I approached
their seclusion. A shepherd-boy who passing every day was
accustomed to the noise calmly remarked, "Oh ! its just the
way o' them." In that neighbourhood they begin to collect the
young in the tall hedges about June 4th ; and afterwards feed
together in bands, which alight in heaps and spread outwards
like a fan ; this system of flight and dispersion being constantly
repeated. On Sept. 8th I observed a female Starling leisurely
walking along a wall top, and picking up the numerous insects
that had alighted on it, previous to a shower coming on. Cats
kill Starlings but do not eat them.
Jay (Garrulus glandarius). — The Statistical Account of
Cockburnspath and Oldcambus, when the Jay built in Penman-
shiel Wood, is dated 1834. Considerably before that period,
under the direction of gamekeepers, the number of " Jay
Pyots " had become diminished, and the persecution lasted till
all were either trapped or shot. Occasionally, when a boy, I
have seen living birds there; but more frequently they were
suspended like felons to a cross-stick, with a nail through their
heads. There have not been any there for well nigh thirty
years. I was told, a few years since, that there are still a few
Jays in the Whitfield and Press Woods.
Sand Martin (Hirundo riparia). — Mr. S. H. Smith informed
me that he on one occasion took notice of a great commotion
among some Sand Martins near Norham, and found it was
312 The ScottisJt Naturalist.
owing to the presence of a weasel, which was perambulating the
cliff and examining nest after nest.
Wood Pigeon (Columba palundus). — When at Melrose on
May 1 2th, Mr. John Freer mentioned that on the previous day he
had shot six Wood Pigeons as they were returning from some
distance to the woods, and he found in their crops crumpled
leaves and a brown substance. These proved to be beech leaves
and their scaly covering. They had been cropped as the buds
were expanding. On Heddin Braes or Ilderton Hill, a most
retired spot, I found Cushats nesting not 4 feet from the ground
in low thorns, also in alders, and in juniper bushes, and even in
thickets of wild roses. The Chaffinch had also built its nest in
the lowly junipers. On June 5th, when proceeding to feed, they
flew mostly in threes. On the 9th of July, at Penmanshiel, a
band of Wood Pigeons set upon a thriving field of thinned
Swedish Turnips, and stripped the leaves off in three days.
March 1 9th I saw a pair of Cushats in a garden at Wooler, in
full view of the window, cropping the tops of cabbages among
the snow. They have been less numerous than usual this winter.
Mr. John Anderson mentions that, during the winter of 1874, a
white Wood Pigeon was seen among a flock of Cushats at Lint-
law. There was another for two or three years among the woods
on the Marigold hills, where it was a very conspicuous object,
when sitting on the top of a lofty spruce fir, a place it seemed
to delight in. Unfortunately in the spring of 1869 it was shot
by a crowherd.
Qu ail (Coturnix vulgaris). — Recently Mr. Clark informed me
that Quails were not uncommon on Springfield farm, in the parish
of Oldhamstocks, and that they breed there. In the summer
evenings their call-note is a familiar sound coming from the grass
and com fields. Two nests have been cut over while mowing
hay ; there were about twelve eggs in the nest ; and these were
large for the size of the bird, and much resembled those of the
grouse. The birds arrive in May, and the impression is that
their flight is from the north, and that they are passing south-
wards. They fly rapidly, skimming off like a swallow, and
require to be shot at immediately they rise. They are occasionally
shot in the partridge season ; usually after the 7th October
on that farm. This being late several of the Quails may have
then departed. In 1874 five or six birds were shot ; in October
1875, two birds were started in a hedge between Branxton and
Thurston. In the summer one had been heard in a haugh on
The Scottish Naturalist. 313
Cocklaw farm, near Oldhamstocks. Altogether at least ten
have been shot within the last few years on Springfield ; and
during that period they have frequented the place. The fields
there rest on a raised platform j the soil is gravelly and dry, and
lies well to the sun. On the 2nd week of September, 1874, one
of the Dunglass gamekeepers, when shooting partridges, shot a
Quail at Whitburn on the Lammermoors. My friend Mr.
Archibald Hepburn, remarks that the Quail has long been a sum-
mer visitant in East Lothian, about Dirleton. Dr. Turnbull,
"Birds of East Lothian," p. 22, says, "It has frequently been
seen in the parishes of Dirleton and Athelstaneford." Some
years since, during the partridge season, Mr. Henry Collingwood
shot two Quails, in the vicinity of Lilburn Tower.
Dotterel ( Charadrius morinellus). — Dotterels frequent,
although in less numbers than formerly, the heights of most of
the upland farms in the east of Berwickshire, bordering the
moors. Their favourite resort is old leas ploughed up, where
there are clods and stones to protect the glittering beetles that
constitute their favourite food. They arrive about the 6th and
7 th of May; — never before the 5th says one. The flocks are
never large, and the birds at first are easily approached. They
have now become less wary since they are not interfered with.
Dotterels were once numerous at Penmanshiel, on the heights
above Redheugh, Howpark, and Renton Bell. Again, on the
west they frequented Ecklaw Hill, Blackburn Mill, and some of
the high farms around Abbey St. Bathans. About two years
since a small returning party of six or seven appeared in
autumn on Redheugh hill, out of which two brace were shot.
Last season Mr. James Clark shot one on the farm of
Springfield, and has it stuffed. They appear to be scarce near
Belford. Some years since one was shot out of a flock of five
or six at Middleton Hall.
Heron (Ardca cinerea). — Three years ago, on a flat spot
among some dangerously steep rocks, near Siccar Point, a
Heron's nest was come upon. The young ones had been
deserted, after being nearly full grown. The nest was made of
large sticks, and had many fish bones about it. Dr. Charles
Stuart informs me that he has discovered a heronry, with at
least 50 nests, in the Pistol Plantation, Blackadder, situated due
south from the forester's house on the Berwick turnpike.
Redshank ( ' Tot anus calidris ). ■■- A cowardly, suspicious bird.
When alarmed head and neck continue to move up and down
314 The Scottish Naturalist.
while it keeps a listening attitude. If there is no danger
apprehended its agitation quietens down.
Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucos). — The male when singing
carries his wings elevated. On May 25th I saw them seeking
food in pairs, sometimes wading into the streams. If one was
left alone it commenced plaining like a forsaken child. On May
20th I came upon a nest, below a heather bush, on a bank
above the Coldgate Water, in Langleyford vale. It was a
shallow depression, without any structure, among moss and
fescue-grass, and about the size of the nest of a thrush. The
eggs are larger than those of a missel thrush, reddish white,
with brown blotches and dots. The startled bird shuffled along
the ground with its wings spread out, and every white patch on
the tip of its tail feathers displayed ; and it emitted a wheepling
ciy. Then it stood up, and glided away towards the track of
the stream. Next day I came on another nest with four eggs
among gravel beneath a thicket of hazel and thorns. The bird
again spread out its wings, and trailed its fan-shaped tail. There
was more of a nest, which was constructed of leaves, and grass,
and twigs. On April 29th a pair was seen on the Blackadder,
above Greenlaw ; the first for the season.
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus). — There is such a
love of precision in the popular mind that little allowance is
made for seasons and circumstances. About the famous
Pallinsburn Gull, the common opinion is that its return is true
to a day in each year; and that it withdraws in like manner for
good and all at one fixed period. On this subject I have been
favoured with a note from Mr. Askew. " The Gulls," he says,
" usually come here the first week in March, but do not remain
at night for a fortnight or so until the weather is spring-like.
They remain till the young are on the wing, and depart one
by one — all having gone by the middle of July." I learn that
some of the gulls have been shot on Wooler water during the
winter, near Wooler Bridge. On March nth, 1876, I observed
four or five flying backwards and forwards over the water at
Earle Mill; but they never returned during the subsequent
snowy weather."
Hoodie?'. Sparrow Hawk. — Dr. Stuart, of Chimside, writes
Feb. 2 1 st, 1876. "When driving along the Hutton Road the
other day I saw an animal in difficulties in an adjoining field.
Three hooded Crows had surrounded it, stepping up and giving
it a peck in turn. I thought it might be a wounded hare or
The Scottish Naturalist. 315
rabbit. On my approaching the object the crows flew off to a
safe distance, when to my surprise I found a Sparrow-hawk with
its talons grasping a newly killed partridge ; so that the crows
were in the most persistent manner disputing possession of the
game with the hawk, which ' had in turn to deliver up the
coveted tit-bit to myself. I noticed that although the crows
were most anxious for the prize, they did not attack simultane-
ously; but took it in turn to assault the hawk, which most
reluctantly had to beat a retreat."
Hoodie v. Shepherd's Dog. — Mr. John Ferguson writes,
March 8th, 1876: — "When coming from Swinton the other
day, I witnessed a rather amusing exhibition of pugnacity on
the part of a common "Hooded Crow' (Corvus comix), not
far from Mount Pleasant. One of these birds was picking up
some garbage from the road, when a shepherd's dog, which
was passing at the time, halted quite close to it, and surveyed
it for a minute with a puzzled and rather suspicious air.
Whether the dog had never seen a pied crow before, and may
therefore be presumed to have felt a scientific interest in the
individual in question, or whether he had theftuous designs
upon the crow's meal, is uncertain. The bird apparently came
to the latter conclusion, for it speedily put itself in fighting
attitude, and the dog thinking no doubt that in this case dis-
cretion was the better part of valour immediately turned tail
and scampered off. His plucky antagonist watched his retreat
for a moment, and then, with a triumphant croak, took wing
and quickly disappeared."
Cecidomyia Persicariae, L. — The larva, which is found in
the leaves of Polygonum amphibium is orange coloured, and its
presence occasions the margins of the leaves to roll inwards.
Sometimes the roll is on both leaf-margins, and then the leaf
acquires a fantastic twist, and looks as if contorted by a cater-
pillar. There are three or four larvae in each roll. The rolls
are pale green and crimson, making the affected leaves very
conspicuous. I observed it at Turvielaws, Northumberland ;
at the side of the loch in Holy Island in June ; near Tyningham
and Beltonford, East Lothian, July 14th. Mr. Walker, Dip!.
Brit. iii. p. 79, describes the fly from a German source, but it
is questionable if the perfect insect has been observed in
Britain. It is only one line long.
Cecidomyia Till,*:, Schr. ? — This has a gall very different
from the minute mite-gall infesting the leaves. It is oval, round,
316 The Scottish Naturalist.
or oblong, pale green, or purple checked, smooth, of the size of
a pea, or larger, situated on the twigs, chiefly those issuing from
the main stem. The inside is fleshy or fibrous, and is occupied
by colonies of slender orange spindle-shaped maggots, from ten
to twenty in number. The maggot is scarcely a line long,
puckered along the edges, truncate behind, where it is trilobate,
the middle lobe projecting. The mouth is indicated by a
decided black spot ; the two front spiracles are prominent like
a pair of horns ; the underside is roughish. When extracted it
is very lively, rolls about, and leaps repeatedly. The oral hooks
being caught in the anal lobe a circle is produced, which snaps,
and up it springs. I first observed it in Ladykirk Churchyard,
June 28th ; again in the manse garden at Cockburnspath ; and
a few days afterwards in Tynningham Woods. The gall-midge
has not been described.
Sirex Gigas. — An example of this fine insect was captured
at Houndwood by Miss Coulson. It is the second instance for
Berwickshire, and the fourth for the district.
Hornet ( Vespacrabro). — Mr. j. S. Dudgeon writes that when
shooting near Gordon in autumn he noticed a Hornet, of which
he was certain, from his acquaintance with it during a residence
in the south of England. Wallis records it for Northumberland,
but it is singular that it should evade the systematic observation
of modern times.
There are many other notes in the volume which we would
have liked to have extracted, but as we have already trespassed
upon the space which should have been otherwise occupied,
we must refrain.
Additional Localities for Scotch Coleo'ptera..— CyMiudis7>aporaric>ruM
L., Tay ( g )• Pterostichus strenuus Panz., Dee ( g ). Pterostichus vitreus
Dej., Forth ( g ) on the Pentlands at about 1800 ft. Amara fidva Dej.,
Forth ( § ). Hdrpalus talus L., Dee ( g ). Trechus obtnsus Er., Forth ( g ).
Hydroporus melanocephalus Steph., Argyle; Agabus bipustulatus L.,
Argyle ( g ) ; Agabus congener Thunb., Argyle -Ben Nevis. Homaloia ob-
lonqiuscula Sharp, Forth ( g ), moss on Corstorphine Hill. Quedius
(ristis Grav. , Forth, common on Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh. Quedius
semvencua Steph., Forth ( g ), Arthur's Seat. Ocypus olens Mull., Forth
( g ) common on Arthurs Seat. Philonthus debilis, Dee, Braemar. Xantho-
linus linearis ( )1. , Forth, Arthur's Seat : common under stones. Othius melan-
ocephalus Grav., Forth (g) Pentland Hills. W. A. Forces, 32 Gower
Street, London.
PHYTOLOGY,
NOTES ON ORYPTOGAMIC PLANTS.
i. Odaviania Stephensii. Tul. — This species occurs frequently
in a wood near Helensburgh on the Clyde.
2. Hydnanghmi carneum Wallr.- — Subglobose, irregular, and
smooth ; pale brown in colour, cells of same colour, immutable ;
basidia prominent, spores spherical, covered with long spines.
Tulasne Hypogaei, p. 75 to 21, fig. 3. Occurs in the Glasgow
Botanic Gardens, in pots along with the gum trees (Eucalypti).
3. Torula splendens Cooke. — Covering the bark of trees
with dense black velvety patches. Flocci attenuated upwards,
rarely branching ; joints subglobose, compressed, dark brown.
The flocci do not tend to break up. On trees at the foot of
Ben Lomond.*
4. Torula pinophila Ch. — Covering the branches and leaves
of the yew trees at Luss, Loch Lomond, with a minute black
powder.
5. Dothidca sambuci Fr. — This species occurs here and there
on dead branches of Samducus niger at Kilfman, Argyleshire.
This species is new to Britain.
6. Schizothyrium Ptarmtcac Desm. (Ann. des Sci. Nat., xi.,
1849, p. 560). — This plant was gathered by the Rev. M. J.
Berkeley in England, on specimens of Achillea, which were
brought from France, and which were infected with the fungus.
My specimens must be native, however, as they were gathered
in Kilfman, Argyleshire. f
* First found by the Rev. J. Keith at Forres. I saw it last summer on
trees near Loch Rannoch. Tt is doubtful whether it is a true Torula. —
Editor, Sc. Nat.
t See Sc. Nat., iii., p. 273, under Labrella Ptermica.
318 The Scottish Naturalist.
7. Mitrula alba W. G. Sm. — Differs from M. paludosa, in
being white in colour, and in having a globular head and
stuffed stem. Frequent among leaves in water-holes, Ben
Lomond.
8. Peziza rubella Pers. — A minute, soft, and waxy species,
spreading over blocks of decaying wood, Kilfinan.
9. Peziza palustris P. — Very minute. Occurring here and
there on the leaves and stems of a species of Scirpus, on the
hills, Kilfinan, Argyleshire.
10. Macrospora scirpi Fckl. — Found growing on the leaves
of a species of Scirpus at Bowling. This species is new to
Britain.
Besides these fungi, I have to record a new station for
Dica?npia Hookeri, namely, hills above Kilfinan. This plant
was for a long time considered to be the fruit of a lichen. It
is now decided to be a fungus growing upon the thallus of a
lichen. The only other place where I am aware it has been
found is Ben Lawers.
On paying a visit to Ben Lomond this year, I found about
twenty capsules of the moss Leucobryum glaucum. The spot is
in a little gully on the left-hand side of Rowardennan pier. As
far as I am aware, this is the first time it has been found in fruit
in Scotland. — R. H. Paterson, 6 Windsor Place, Glasgow.
Botanical Notes.— Happening to spend an hour or two one day lately
on the Fifeshire bank of the Firth of Tay, about four miles below New-
burgh, I met with one or two plants perhaps worth noting. Raplianus
raphanistriim occurred in its white flowered form, which is common enough
in England, but rarely seen in Scotland. The downy form of Silene injlata,
sometimes called S. pubenda Jord., was as common or commoner than the
glabrous form. Anthemis colula occurred in corn-fields, separated only
by the river (here between one and two miles broad) from Perthshire, in
which county I have never seen this plant. Honkeneja peploidcs was, as
might be expected, common enough on the shore, but on the Perthshire
side it seems (so far as my knowledge goes) very rare, if it occurs at all.
\Vhat appears to be the var. horridus of Carduus arvensis was common
enough on the road sides, and Scirpus Tabermcmoniani at the edge of the
river. — F. Buchanan White.
INSECTA SCOTICA,
THE LEPIDOPTERA OP SCOTLAND.
(Continued from p. 2*j6.)
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
HIMBRA Dup.
pennaria L. Not very common (or overlooked). Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay § Moray o o o
West. Solway Clyde § West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o/. Range in Europe. Central (Sweden,
&c.) Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. September-November. Larva. May,
June. Food-plant. Oak, &c.
AMPHIDASID^
PHIGALIA Dup.
pedaria F. (1787); pilosaria Hb. (after 1793). Not un-
common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Solway Forth Tay Dee 3 ° ° °
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°4o'-57°io/. Range in Europe. Central (Sweden,
&c.) Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. January-March. Larva. May,
June. Food-plant. Oak, &c.
A dark infuscated form occurs with the type in Tay.
* This family should have come before the preceding — Eugoniidse.
320 The Scottish Naturalist.
NYSSIA Dup.
LAPPONARIA B. Very rare. Nemoral.
Distribution — East, o o Tay o o o o o
West, o o o o o
Lat. 56°4o'. Range in Europe. Lapland, Eastern Swit-
zerland (Upper Engadine), and Scotland. Type. Boreal
and alpine. Type in Britain. Scottish.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. March. Larva. Food-
plant.
A single specimen has been reported from Rannoch, and by many is con-
sidered of doubtful authenticity. I think it is probable that some insect
was really captured, but whether the specimen in question belongs to
lapponaria, or whether it was the commoner pomonaria, I am not in a posi-
tion to decide.
Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson records (in Zoologist, 686) the occurrence of larvae,
supposed to be those of Nyssia zonaria, feeding on burdock on the summit
of Ben Beckley, Skye. Perhaps some one who has the opportunity will
try and solve this enigma by finding and rearing the larvae in question.
BISTON Leach.
hirtarius CI. Rare or local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. o o Tay o o o o o
West. o o o o o
Lat. 56°4o'. Range in Europe. Type. Centro-meridional.
Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearange — Imago. April, May. Larva. June-August.
Food-plant. Birch, &c.
AMPHIDASIS Tr.
betularius L. Common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Solway Forth Tay Dee Moray § o o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle § §
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Food-plant. Birch, &c.
The aberration Doubledayaria Mill (nearly entirely black) is not un-
common in some parts of England, but I have no record of its occurrence
in Scotland.
('Jo be ton tinned. )
The Scottish Naturalist. 3 2 r
THE COLEOPTEEA OF SCOTLAND.
( Continued from />. 280.)
Edited by D. SHARP, M.B.
COCCINELLA.
OBLITERATA Lin. Not common. On fir trees
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Dee 0000
West. Solway §000
BIPUNCTATA Lin. Common.
Distribution — East. gggggooo
West. Solway § § o o
UNDECIMPUNCTATA Lin. Common.
Distribution — East. g Forth g § §000
West. Solway §000
SEPTEMPUNCTATA Lin. Common.
Distribution — East. g g g Dee g o o o
West. Solway g o o o
quinquepunctata Lin. Local.
Distribution — East g g Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
HIEROGLYPHICA Lin. Highland, lowland. Amongst heather.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee 0000
West. Solway g o o o
variabilis 111. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
octodecimguttata Lin. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
OBLONGOGUTTATA Lin. Highland, lowland. Common on
fir trees.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
OCELLATA Lin. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee Moray 000
West, g g o o o
QUATUORDECIMGUTTATA Lin. Rather common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o j*
West. Solway g 0 o o Q^
lujiLIBRAR Y -
322 The Scottish Naturalist.
SEXDECIMGUTTATA Lin. Rare. On birches.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway o o o o
duodecimpunctata Lin. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o oooooo
West. Solway o o o o
"Raehills, Rev. W. Little," Murray Cat.
CHILOCORUS Muls.
bipustulatus Lin. Rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth oooooo
West. Solway o o o o
EXOCHOMUS Muls.
quadripustulatus Lin. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed o Tay o Moray o o o
West. Solway o o o o
HYPERASPIS Muls.
reppensis Herbst. Local. Amongst moss in plantations of
larch and fir.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay o Moray o o o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o
LASIA Muls.
GLOBOSA Sch. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
SCYMNUS Muls.
NIGRINUS Kug. Local. On Scotch fir.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
limbatus Steph. Local. Amongst moss.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
discoideus 111. On fir. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth oooooo
West. Solway o o o o
RHIZOBIUS Muls.
litura Fab. Rather scarce. Lowland.
Distribution — East. g Forth oooooo
West. Solway o o o o
The Scottish Naturalist. 323
COCCIDULA Muls.
rufa Herbst. Lowland. Not common.
Distribution— East. § Forth 000000
West. Solway o o o o *
SILPHID.ZB.
CALYPTOMERUS Redt.
dubius Marsh. Not common. Amongst straw in outhouses.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
CLAMBUS Redt.
pubescens Redt. Not common.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
MINUTUS Sturm. Not common.
Distribution — East 00000000
West. Solway 0000
armadillo De Geer. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
AGATHIDIUM Lac.
nigripenne Fab. At the oozing sap of trees. Rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West, o Clyde 000
L^VIGATUM Er. Lowland, highland. Amongst moss.
Common.
Distribution — East § Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway 0000
atrum Payk. Lowland, highland. Not scarce amongst
moss.
Distribution. — East. Tweed Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway. 0000
varians Beck. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution. — East. o Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
rotundatum Gyll. Under bark. Lowland, highland.
Not rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee 0000
West. Solway o o 00
324 The Scottish Naturalist.
convexum Sharp. Lowland, highland. Amongst moss. Rare.
Distribution — East. o o Tay Dee 0000
West. Solway 0000
MARGINATUM Sturm. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. 00 000
NIGRINUM Sturm. Lowland, highland. Under bark. Rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay o Moray 000
West. Solway
rhinoceros Sharp. Highland. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay o Moray 000
West. 00000
LIODES Lac.
HUMERALIS Fab. Lowland, highland. In fungi under bark.
Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee §000
West. Solway Clyde 000
GLABRA Kug. Highland. Under bark of fir. Local.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee Moray 000
West. 00000
castanea Herbst. Highland. Under bark of fir. Local.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee Moray 000
West. 00000
COLENIS Lac.
dentipes Gyll. Lowland. Scarce.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway Clyde 000
CYRTUSA Lac.
MINUTA Ahr. Lowland. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 0000000 o
West. Solway 0000
ANISOTOMA Lac.
CINNAMOMEA Panz. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. 00000
TRIEPKH Schdt. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay 00000
West. 00000
The Scottish Naturalist. 325
PICEA 111. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth Tay 00000
West, o Clyde 000
SILESIACA Kr. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o 00 o Moray 000
West. 00000
DUBIA Kug. Rather common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay § Moray 000
West. Solway §000
OVALis Schdt. Scarce.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. Solway 0000
calcarata Er. Common.
Distribution — East. § Forth § Dee Moray 000
West. Solway § 000
scita Er. Local. Scarce.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
parvula Sahl. Rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
litura Steph. Lowland. Rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth o Dee 0000
West. Solway 0000
HYDNOBIUS Lac.
[perrisi Fair. Doubtful as Scottish.
"Believed to have come from Scotland." Ent. Ann. 1S65 p. 62.
punctatissimus Steph. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. 0000
PUNCTATUS Sturm.
"Scotland." Ent. Ann. 1865 p. 63.
COLON Lac.
viennense Herbst. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 000
West. Solway o
appendiculatum Sahl. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 000
West. Solway o
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
326
The Scottish Naturalist.
o
DENTICULATUM Kr. Very rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o
West. o o o o o
angulare Er. Very rare.
Distribution — East, oooooooo
West. Solway o o o o o
SERRIPES Sahl. Rare.
Distribution — East, oooooooo
West. Solway Clyde o o o
brunneum Lat. Not rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o Moray o o o
West. Solway Clyde o o o
latum Kr. Very rare.
Distribution — East, oooooooo
West, o Clyde o o o
CHOLEVA Lac.
angustata Fab. Rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth o
West, o o o o
cisteloides Froh. Local.
Distribution — East, o Forth o
West, o o o o
spadicea Sturm. Rare.
Distribution — East, o o Tay
West, o o o o
agilis 111. Rare.
Distribution — East.
West.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o o o
o Clyde o
o
o
fusca Panz. In outhouses. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o
West. Solway Clyde
nigricans Spence. Not common.
Distribution — East, o Forth o
West. Solway o
coracina Kell. Not uncommon.
o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Distribution — East. § Forth
West. Solway
o
O
c
Dec Moray o o o
o o o
The Scottish Naturalist. 327
morio Fab. Scarce.
Distribution — East. Tweed 00000000
West. Sohvay Clyde 000
nigrita Er. Scarce.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. 00000
TRISTIS Panz. Lowland, highland. Very common in de-
caying animal and vegetable matter.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee Moray Suther-
land o o
West. Solway Clyde §00
GRANDICOLLIS Er. Local.
Distribution — East. § Forth § Dee 0000
West. Solway Clyde 000
kirbyi Spence. Local.
Distribution — East. § Forth § Dee 00000
West. Solway § 000
longula Kell. Rare. In dead birds.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
West. Solway 0000
chrysomeloides Panz. Not common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee Moray 000
West. Solway §000
watsoni Spence. Not common.
Distribution — East. § Forth § Dee §000
West. Solway §000
fumata Spence. Common.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
velox Spence. Among dead leaves. Not uncommon.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. Solway Clyde o
WILKINI Spence. Not common.
Distribution — East. § Forth 000000
West. Solway g o
anisotomoides Spence. Local. Amongst moss.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000
West. § §000
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
32S The Scottish Naturalist.
sericea Panz. Abundant.
Distribution — East. J Forth § § Moray 000
West. Sohvay §000
LEPTINUS Lac.
testaceus Mull. Very rare. About the nests of Bombi.
Distribution — East, o Forth 000000
Wist, o Clyde 000
NECROPHORUS Lac.
humator Fab. Very common in carcases.
Distribution — East. § Forth § Dee Moray. 000
West. Sohvay §000
RUSPATOR Er. Common in carcases.
Distribution — East. g Forth Tay § g o o o
West. Sohvay g 000
mortuorum Fab. In decaying fungi. Common.
Distribution — East, g g Tay Dee Moray 000
"West. Sohvay g 000
VESPILLO Lin. In carcases. Not common.
Distribution — East, g Forth g g Moray 000
West. Sohvay g o o o
SILPHA Lac.
LITTORALIS Lin. Maritime and riparial. In carcases.
Distribution— East, g g g g Moray 000
West. Sohvay g o 0 o
thoracica Lin. In carcases. Common.
Distribution— East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Sohvay g o o o
RUGOSA Lin. Very abundant in carcases.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dec Moray goo
West. Sohvay go0 °
DISPAR Herbst. Rare. Maritime and riparial. In dead fish.
Distribution — East, o Forth o o Moray 000
o
West.
Sohvay
OOO
0
SINUATA Fab. Rare.
Distribution — East.
0 Forth
0 0
0
0
West.
Sohvay
0 0
0
0
( To be continued. )
ZOOLOGY,
ILLUSTRATIONS OP ANIMAL REASON.
( Continued fro??i p. 2QQ. )
By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.LS.
THERE is a whole series of Natural Histories — by Anony-
mous compilers — that deserve special notice as types
of " Popular" Scientific works. They are mostly intended for
the use of youth of both sexes — more especially of boys — in
the form of Gift-Books, Birthday Presents, or School Prize-:.
They are handsomely got up outside and in ; the bindings are
showy — gorgeous sometimes in gold and colour ; the illustra-
tions are copious — by Harrison Weir, T. W. Wood, and other
adepts in the representation of Animal life ; they are printed
on good paper and in a good type ; while their price — fre-
quently as much as 5s. or 7s. 6d. — is sufficient to purchase
scientific works of the very best kind — for instance, the volumes
of the " International Scientific Series," the cost of none of
which exceeds five shillings.
Illustrations of such Anonymous Popular Natural Histories
are to be found in " Beeton's Boy's Own Library," published
by Ward, Lock, and Tyler, of London. Of one of the most
recently published volumes of the said " Library " it appears
desirable to make the following remarks ; regarding it simply
as a fair type of a very popular, large, and important class of
publications. The volume in question is entitled, u Wild Ani-
mals in Freedom and Captivity," with "illustrations by Harrison
Weir, T. W. Wood, and other artists, — principally from Draw-
ings made in the Zoological Gardens, Regents Park, " London
(demy 8vo). Though no date is given on the title-page — a com-
mon defect of such " popular" publications — the book appears
to have been issued during the present year, and to have been
quite new when, a few months ago, I found it figuring conspicu-
330 The Scottish Naturalist.
ously in the shops of those Edinburgh booksellers who specially-
lay themselves out for the sale of School Prizes. Beyond the
facts that the compiler confesses himself (p. 259) to being a
Forfarshire man, and that he appears to be as familiar with
Edinburgh and its vicinity as with London and its suburbs,
there is no clue to the discovery of the name or occupation of
the author. Nor is any author's name given on the title-page
or elsewhere.
Notwithstanding its handsome binding, good paper and type,
and many excellent wood engravings, there are certain evidences
of careless " getting up " for sale, that are probably not chargeable,
however, against the compiler. For instance, at p. 254 there
are two pictures — exact duplicates — of the Aye-aye, facing each
other. Now there is always ground for suspicion as to the
originality or freshness of an illustrated work, when we find the
same engravings doing duty more than once, or the same illus-
trations appearing that have appeared elsewhere — perhaps re-
peatedly ; and nothing short of gross carelessness can be in-
ferred when the same drawing is reproduced on an opposite
page !
This, however, is a bagatelle compared with the faults of the
letterpress. An Embarras des richesses may be held to account
for the confusion of the printer in arranging his plates. But
the same excuse can scarcely be made for our critical friend,
the compiler. For he professes to be highly critical and dis-
criminating ; pointing out to ingenuous youth the metaphysical
or other pitfalls from which his acumen is supposed" to save
them.
In his preface (p. ix.) he takes the very unnecessary trouble
of assuring us that " pains have been taken to assert nothing as
a Fact which is as yet merely matter of Surmise" It would
have been well had he confined himself to proven Fact, and
omitted matters of Surmise ; for so frequently do we find the
phrase " It is said"* prefixed to his anecdotes, that it is impos-
sible to distinguish the Fact from the Fiction, or from that, at
least, which remains to be proven Fact. He himself ridicules
(p. 329) the use of the saving clause " it is said," — in connection
with the publication by others of what he denounces as " absurd
notions" — " to be ascribed to the love of the marvellous" —
* Such a phrase is tantamount to a confession of non-authenticity, or
doubtful authenticity, of the facts recorded in the narratives to which it is
prefaced.
The Scottish Naturalist. 331
contained in " several modern works of considerable standing."
Did our critic never hear of "Satan reproving Sin? " His critical
faculty, however, is so keen and so tender, that he thrusts forth
from the category of Fact everything that he regards as Incredi-
ble— oblivious of what is itself a well-known Fact, that —
" Truth is always strange,
Stranger than fiction." ....
The volume of the "International Scientific Series" — by
Professor Bernstein, of Halle — on " The Five Senses of Man,"
has for its motto Goethe's saying, that " Man must persist in
believing that the Inconceivable is Coficeivable, or he will never
make a Discoverer." Our compiler, on the other hand, holds
that what he, with his obviously limited knowledge and erro-
neous preconceptions, considers improbable 7nust be untrue. He
professes to " select only those incidents which bear upon their
face the Stamp of Truth." His ideas of what is, or constitutes,
the " Stamp of Truth," and of Untruth, are, however, peculiar ;
and the whole book is vitiated by the author's own assump-
tions and preconceptions.
In reviewing the works of others he — unwittingly — expresses
various opinions that have the most apposite application to his
own book. Thus he speaks of " people who are evidently in-
nocent of the faculty of testing Evidence," and who " keep alive
purposeless discussions as to whether animals are guided by
Reason or Instinct, most of the disputants being incapable of
judging how far acts, which are merely Instinctive, may approach
or surpass the Lower Reasoning faculties" (preface, p. ix). Un-
fortunately all that the author says in propria persona leads to
the conclusion that he himself is one of these incompetent dis-
putants ! Here is another most pertinent remark of his, that
might form an appropriate motto to his own book : " Works
on Natural History are studded with stories and assertions
which are destitute of Truth and Probability — as the slightest
consideration would show. Yet we have them repeated again
and again ; and what is worse, the Habit or Incident, which to
the original narrator was a mere Report or Conjecture, is given
as an ascertained Fact, by some careless successor" (p. 297).
In illustration he quotes three " Stories — . . which have
a place in a recent work on Natural History of considerable
magnitude and importance" — as incredible — as mere " travellers'
tales" — that have found their way into "ambitious books on
332 The Scottish Naturalist.
Natural History, but which no reasonable man, with any know-
ledge of the subject on which he was writing, would be induced
to receive" (preface, p. vi.) One of the stories that stagger his
credulity relates to a sagacious Donkey, that not only opened
a certain gate, but " cautiously shut it after him:" it also re-
fastened various other doors or gates. In another case, he
laughs at the idea of a man making a bargain with a Donkey,
to the effect that the latter was to keep to a given path in a
garden ; ridicules the notion of the animal reflecting on the
" circumstances which led to the discovery of his offence" — in-
truding, against orders, on certain flower-beds ; and scouts the
suggestion of an Ass — quadrupedal at least — profiting by its
own reflections, so as to endeavour to hide the evidences of his
guilt, by scraping the earth over his footmarks the next time
he walked on forbidden ground. Our critic goes the length of
asserting that man, experienced in the ways of animals, " never
saw or heard of an animal who had the wit to hide the Evi-
dences of its own Wrong-doing."
Now, there are many perfectly well-authenticated instances,
both of—
(i.) Horses, donkeys, cows, monkeys or apes, and other ani-
mals opening and shutting doors or gates.
(2.) Cats, dogs, and other animals hiding, or endeavouring
to hide, the Evidences of guilt or crime ; distinguishing
readily what is forbidden from what is permitted ; and
when they do what they know to be forbidden, trying
to frustrate detection of their felt disobedience or dis-
regard of a master's order or wish.
(3.) Dogs, horses, mules, cows, monkeys or apes, elephants,
and other animals being parties to Bargains with man ;
having a very distinct appreciation of the nature of the
work man calls upon them to perform ; reflecting on the
causes of failure or detection ; and profiting by Ex-
perience.
I have notes innumerable in illustration of all these mental
qualities or aptitudes ; but this is neither the proper time nor
place to introduce them.
The author of " Wild Animals in Freedom and Captivity" is
therefore greatly in error when he says, for instance, " The con-
jecture that the Ass reflected on the cause which led to the
discovery of his Fault is as wonderfully absurd as that he at-
tempted to remove the Traces of his Misdoing" (preface, p. ix).
The Scottish Naturalist. 333
The absurdity, if there be any, certainly attaches itself to the
compiler, and neither to the donkey nor the historian of his
exploits. In truth, Incredulity regarding the truthfulness of such
incidents is usually in proportion to a man's ignorance of the
habits of animals and of the science of Comparative Psychology.
The man of cultivated intelligence and of generous sympathy
with all classes of his fellow-creatures, who has devoted much
time and trouble to the observation of animal character, be-
comes credulous of assertions concerning their mental or moral
capacities to a degree that ignorant, unsympathetic men cannot
appreciate — simply because these students of Comparative
Psychology havc^ verified abundantly, by means of their own
senses and reason, the correctness of the adage that represents
Truth as " stranger than Fiction." The credulity of the Com-
parative Psychologist merely leads him, however, to regard an
incident as possible or probable ; not to accept it as a Fact
until he is furnished with proper Evidence. Caution and
Credulity co-exist in his highly trained mind ; and both of them
are necessary — the one checking or supplementing the other —
to the proper prosecution of his studies.
The whole subject of so-called Incredible — but yet true —
Stories of Animal Intelligence is so interesting and important
that I hope fully to discuss it on some future occasion.
Our author obviously regards himself as more than a match
for the great Evolutionists of these times — Darwin, Huxley,
Wallace, Spencer. He has no hesitation in ascribing all the
feats, tricks, or performances of other animals than man to
Instinct or Automatism ; and yet, as if " convinced against his
will," he makes occasional, most unfortunate and perplexing use
of the term Intelligence. For instance, with delicious incon-
sistency in a professed scientific critic — even on the very same
page (p. 310), he makes use of the following contradictory ex-
pressions : " There is no animal so low in the scale of Intelli-
gence* as to be unable to provide for its own safety;" and "The
Instinct in animals is unerring in the use of means for self-
preservation" ! What is the relation of Instinct to Intelligence
is evidently a puzzle to him — as it has for ages been a problem
to other philosophers — genuine or would-be. And, like so many
others, he appears to have cut the Gordian knot, simply by the
lazy, stupid, old practice of calling all Intelligence in other animals
* He also describes the Chinchilla as "very low in the scale as regards
Intelligence" (p. 334).
334 The Scottish Naturalist.
than man, Instinct. The extraordinary ideas of Instinct and
Intelligence broached by the compiler of "Wild Animals" are
worthy of the attention of the Rev. James Wardrop for the
next instalment of his "Animal Psychosis;" and the notice of
both writers may be profitably directed to the following
works : —
(i.) " Man and Beast, here and hereafter," by the Rev. J.
G. Wood, M.A., F.L.S., the writer of many a well-known
book of Popular Natural History.
(2.) " The Reasoning Power in Animals," by another English
clergyman — the Rev. J. S. Watson, M.A.
(3.) " The History of .the Conflict between Science and Re-
ligion," by Professor Draper of New York ; and
(4.) " The Study of Sociology," by Herbert Spencer : the
two latter works constituting volumes of the " Interna-
tional Scientific Series."
(5.) The latest work on Insects, by Maurice Girard, Paris,
1873-6 ; which devotes a section to their " Instinct and
Intelligence"
Here are samples of the kind of Errors i?i Comparative Psy-
chology that are now being taught to boys of 16 or 18, in our
Academies or High Schools, by Popular Naturalists and their
publishers : —
" The lower animals, left to themselves, are but living Me-
chanisms, and move in their appointed courses with as little
Deviation as the ball which is impelled from a gun" (p. 345).
" What faculties they have that resemble those of man, are
Imitative, and are always purely Mechanical. If they have
any notion or thought of Results, they are incapable of pro-
ducing them, if the merely mechanical effort, to be successful,
necessitates the lowest effort of the Reasoning brain" (p. 219,
speaking of the Quadrumana).
" The Reasoning faculty allows its possessor too much free-
dom of action to enable him to act with such unerring Saga-
city"* (p. 90).
" The Tricks which a Domestic Animal can be taught, and
the Knowledge and Cunning it may acquire from Observation
are no more Evidence that it is guided by Reason than the
knowledge possessed by the most ignorant man, that if he slips
* His illustration here is a Dog finding its way home — an exceptional
case. He fails to explain how "unerring sagacity" should lead to the
infinitely more numerous instances of its losing its way!
The Scottish Naturalist. 335
over a precipice he will fall to the bottom, can be accepted as
a proof that he is thoroughly acquainted with the Laws of
Gravity " (Preface, p. ix.)
It would be difficult to talk greater nonsense or display
crasser ignorance ; and yet these are but average specimens of
the absurdities that are propagated in hosts of books — -treating
of the "Instinct" of the lower animals — that emanate from the
" popular " pen and press.
But our critical friend does not confine his peculiar
statements to metaphysical disquisition on Instinct, in con-
trast with Reason. He commits sins of omission, in so far
as he gives no Scientific Names of the animals, whose charac-
teristics are described ; so that the proper identification of
many of the species and genera is impossible. For, what is
the " Colocolo" of Guiana, — apparently some kind of Wild-
Cat (p. 56) ? or the "Tupaia ferrugineous" (p. 305)?
He speaks of" Reagh-mehl" instead of " Berg-mehl," and de-
scribes it as made up of " Animalculae," whereas it is Diatoma-
ceous. Obviously the compiler has much need to study what Dr.
Carpenter says on the subject in his well-known Manual of the
Microscope, or what is stated more shortly in Chambers's Ency-
clopaedia concerning " Mountain Meal." He classes what he calls
the " Asse or Caama" among the Foxes (p. 120) ; while it is —
according to Chambers's Encyclopaedia^-an Antelope (Antilope
caama), the familiar Hartebeest of the Dutch colonists. He
describes Hares as " Lepindae," meaning, no doubt, " Lepo-
ridae" (pp. 350 and 360); and he says, "The genus Capri are" so
and so (p. 44). There is a beautiful and famous island of that
name in the Bay of Naples — an island that, with its " blue
grotto," I visited only a few months ago. But there is no such
genus of quadruped, so far as I am aware. No doubt charity
might suggest our transferring all such blunders to the shoul-
ders of the Printer, — who has always sins enough of his own to
answer for, however. But a straw or a feather shows how the
wind blows ; and such blemishes in a professedly Zoological
work give rise to a suspicion at least of its writer's competence
as a Zoological author.
On the whole, " Beeton's Boy's Own Library " volume on
" Wild Animals " is a curious melange of —
(1.) Useless "old stories," hackneyed and unauthenticated,
that have been perpetually quoted for the last half-
century.
336 The Scottish Natwalist.
(2.) Useless extracts from not very modern works that are
not reliable.
(3.) Useful quotations from other more modern works of
Travel or Natural History ; the titles and dates of pub-
lication, however, never being satisfactorily given.
(4.) Useful records of original and interesting personal
observation in Scotland on the one hand, and in the
Zoological Gardens of London on the other.
And this personal Experience leads its Author to make admis-
sions that are singularly incompatible with his "unerring" instinct
ideas — unless, to be sure, we are to regard the sense of Fun or
Humour as itself an " unerring " instinct, and " mechanical."
" Close observers," he here says — and he is right — "cannot fail
to be struck by the development of the Humorous in certain
classes of animals, which have been for a considerable time in
confinement " (preface p. ix) : though all that " confinement "
has to do with such development is that it permits of its notice
by unobservant man. " There is as much genuine Fun to be
got out of a visit to the Zoological Gardens as out of a visit to
a dozen of one's most amusing Human friends" (p. x). Having
only a tew weeks ago paid two special visits to the Gardens in
question,! I can quite endorse the writer's opinion ; and I
rejoice that there are some points on which I can cordially
agree with him. Nevertheless, it does not follow that animals,
which are capable of inspiring a sense of Fun in man, them-
selves possess such a sense. Not a few animals, however, are
not only full of Fun themselves, but can produce it in, or com-
municate it to, man; they are arrant "wags" or practical jokers,
enjoying their own jokes, pranks, or play, quite as much as
human on-lookers can do.
My general conclusions as to the value of Am mymous writings
on Animal Instinct and Intelligence are as follows : —
(1.) That many of them are by perfectly competent authors
— experienced both in observation and narrative ; in
which case, however, there is no good reason for
+ So far as I know, or have seen, these Gardens are the best in the
world, as concerns the collection of animals, and the provision made for
their comfort and exhibition ; and I say so after having visited the Zoologi-
cal Gardens of Florence, Brussels, Berlin, Dresden, Paris, and other con-
tinental cities ; as well as those of Dublin and of Edinburgh,— the latter
unfortunately long since defunct.
The Scottish Naturalist. 337
the authors not appending their Names to their pro-
ductions.
(2.) That a larger number are the work of mere literary or
scientific Hacks, who do not observe for themselves,
and are careless in narrative, — their object being at-
tractive, remunerative, " popular " writing, not accuracy
of statement or information.
(3.) That, as regards records of common virtues or qualities,
— such as Fidelity, Courage, Natural Affection, and so
forth — it will not repay the student to ascertain whether
the narratives are true or the reverse ; inasmuch as per-
fectly authentic, recorded instances of such mental or
moral qualities are superabundant, and their trustworthi-
ness may be verified at any time, in any place, and by
any person. Such qualities, in other words, are indubi-
table and undisputed.
(4.) But all records of incidents bearing on the possession of
the Higher mental faculties — such for instance as the
Religious Feeling or the Moral Sense, or the various
qualities that form their essence, basis, or constituents —
are well worthy of the student's attention ; and it may
repay his time and trouble to institute inquiry as to the
authorship of the narratives and truth of the Facts.
(5.) As a rule, all Anonymous works or contributions should
be considered worthless, as bases for scientific gener-
alisation, so long as they remain Anonymous. In the
absence of any proper guarantee of the accuracy of the
statements they contain, it is safe to regard such state-
ments— of apparent Facts — as at least " Not Proven."
The late Dr. Pouchet of Rouen, in the preface to his well-
known work on the "Universe" (3d English edition, of 1876,)
remarks : "If a work is not worthy of having the Author's
Name, it is not fit to see the light . . . When an author
consents to publish, it is because he believes his work to be
useful, and therefore he ought not to be afraid of placing his
Name upon it."
( To be continued. )
Note on the Woodcock.— A Woodcock's {Scolopax nisticold) nest was
found here in a plantation this spring by the keeper. The young were
safely hatched. A considerable number of Woodcocks visited this district
last autumn, after having apparently almost deserted it ; formerly they were
very common. — W. D. Robinson Douglas, B.A., F.L.S., Orchardton,
Castle-Douglas. August, 187b.
338
The Scottish Naturalist.
OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OF BRITISH 00LE0PTERA.
(Continued from p. 261.)
By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A.
Owing to my somewhat sudden departure for the Sandwich Islands, I
shall be obliged to suspend the issue of these papers at the close of the
Philhydrida, and shall even have to entrust to others the work of correcting
the proofs in this the concluding part — a difficult task I fear.
July, 1876. ThOxMas Blackburn.
2. B. Side mars, of th. and of e. and ba. of an. and of pal.
test. Legs reddish. Broad and very conv. Tar.
stout. \%\. E.S.I!! .
H. b. (often with 2 small pale spots in fir.) Th.
dusky, paler at sides. E. pit. or brown. Legs and
ba. of an. and of pal. brown. Ap. of latter 2 dusky.
Rather narrow. Tar. thin. 1 M 1. E.S.I!
Tar. thin. \% 1.
Laccobius.
Broad, round and conv. Dist. and rather thickly
punc. H. b. ; 2 pale spots in fr. Th. b. ; side
mars, irreg. test. E. test, clouded with dusky lines
and spots. Legs, pal. and ba. of an. test. CI. of
an. dusky. The puncs. on e. are confused, only
here and there forming irreg. rows.
Very like prec. Not quite so broad.
e. form regular rows throughout.
Berosus.
i^L
E.S.I!
The puncs. on
\VX 1. E.S.I!
1. Ap. ofe. simple. Ints. ofe. pretty unif. punc.
- - - -. Finely punc. E. deeply p.-s. ; 3d and 5th
ints. with some large consp. puncs. among the
fine ones. H. brassy gr. Th. dull test. ; 2 obsc.
met. lines down mid. E. dirty test., with some
dusky clouds. Pal., legs, and an., dull test. 2^
1 F
■km J— '• ••••••
- - - each with 2 spines. Test, or brown, more or less
dusky. Finely punc. E. p. -s. ; the ints. very flat,
finely punc. ; some consp. large puncs. on 3d and
5th ints. 2% 1. E.sc- ....
2. very conv. Strongly punc. E. deeply p.-s. Ints.
rather conv. ; each with one or 2 very irreg. rows of
puncs. H. brassy. Th. brassy; test, on mars. E.
brown, with some dusky clouds. Pal. (exc. extreme
ap. ), an., and legs yel.
2X
1,
I . ■ ■ - 1 • ■ •
Rather finely punc. E. gently p.-s. Ints. flat, each with
3 or 4 very irreg. rows of puncs. H. brassy or gr.
limbata
variabilis
nignceps
minutus
signaticollis
spinosus
luridus
The Scottish Naturalist.
339
Th. test., with a met. cloud on disc. E. test, with
some dusky clouds. Legs., pal., and an., yel. Ap.
of pal. often dusky.
2X
1 E!
LlMNEBIUS.
1. Not less than I 1. E. b. or pit. b., not closely punc.
Pen. j. of pal. not much thicker than ap. j. .
- - - -. E. dull brown, minutely and closely punc.
Pen. j. of pal. abruptly and consp. thicker than ap.
j. H. and th. dusky, sides of th. pale. An., pal.,
and legs test. I y& 1. E. .
Less than I 1. .
2. B. or pit. b. Sides of th. and of e. (more or less) pale.
An., pal., and legs, dusky, or reddish. Rather a
narrow el. species, strongly narrowed behind. E.
spar, and rather dist. punc. Tib. of 6 strongly
bent and dil. <J i^ 1. $ I 1. E.S.I!
Very like ? of prec. Dist. shorter, broader, and less
narrowed behind. Th. less contr. in fr. Punctua-
tion not close, but varying somewhat *n intensity.
1 1* -L>. O. X, • • • • •
3. Shining b. Obsc. and not closely punc. Not broad ;
narrowed behind. Mars, of th., ap. ofe., the pal.,
and legs, reddish. ^ 1. B.
- -. Without dist. puncs. Not broad ; narrowed
behind. Sides of th., and ap. of e., pale. Ba.
part of pal., and the legs, reddish. Ap. j. of pal.
pit.
1. E.*-
Ch^etarthria.
Very conv. aud strongly rounded. Very faintly punc.
Shining b. Sides of th., and sides and ap. ofe.,
pale. Legs reddish. % 1. B.
Spercheus.
Roughly punc. Some elev. ridges on e., especially
behind. A broad rounded species. Test, brown,
spotted or clouded with dusky. Legs pal. , and ba.
of an., reddish. CI. of an. dusky. 3X h E.s- .
Helophorus. t
I. Deep. b. E. uneven, with consp. polished tubercles on
affinis
papposus
3
truncatellus
marginalis *
Steph.
nitidus
picmus
seminulum
emarginatus
*This species being omitted in Dr. Sharp's Catalogue, I append the
author's name. Stephens' description is, I think, sufficient to identify the
insect ; I know no other to which it would apply.
+ Several species in this genus have been determined as British since the
publication of Dr. Sharp's Catalogue. They were introduced by Mr. Rye
and myself in the E. M. M. of July, 1876. I have appended the author's
name to the descriptions of these.
34Q
The Scottish Naturalist.
Scarborough
the 2nd, 4th, and 6th ints. 1% L
and Manchester .....
Not as above. A short punc. str., or row of puncs.,
at ba. of e., between 1st and 2nd str.
- - -. The str. unif. at ba. ....
*. Alt. ints. of e., and a ridge beside the short str., elev.
into sharp high keels. ....
- - - - at most gently conv. ....
3. Broad. H. and th. test. r. E. test. yel. Pal., an.
and legs reddish. E. more or less spotted with b.
H. and th. gran. Mars, of th. elev. and serr.
irreg.
2^1
dusky,
in str.
furrows and
B.
Th. with 6
of e. not so
4. H.
Surface of th. with numerous
ridges. E. very strongly p. -s.
Resembles prec. Narrower. H.
less irreg. longi. ridges. Puncs.
large. i|l. B.
and th. cop. or gr., closely and consp. granulose.
Th. with a welldef. furrow in the centre, and two on
each side, besides an irreg. furrow along the side
mars. The mar. furrow is not well def. and is of
uneven width. The sides of the th. are rounded in
fr. and contr. behind the mid., making the th.
appear cordate. An., pal., legs, and e., test. E.
with some b. marks. Behind the ba. the e. are
transversely impressed ; they are p.-s., and the ints.
are gently conv., the alt. ints. most so. The r.-m.
of the e. is narrow. The fr. tib. have a fringe of
bristles on their ex. mar., in which several bristles
are very consp. larger than the rest. The 2nd
(longest) j. of the hi. tar. is less than twice as long
as the 3rd. The ap. of the last seg. of the h. -b. is
minutely serrated on theu.-s. 3-3K *• E.S.I. .
Very like prec. Smaller and often darker in colour. Th.
with sides less rounded in fr. and less contr. behind,
its surface less closely granulose. E. with the tr.
impression less dist. The alt. ints. of the e. are not
dist. more elev. than the rest. Hi. tar. with 2nd j.
about twice as long as 3rd. The fringe on the fr.
tib. is nearly unif., and the ap. of the last seg. of
h.-b. is smooth.
2^-3 L
E.I.
Resembles aqiiatictts. Mar. furrow on th. wide consp.
and unif. (as wide as ints. of str. on e. ) Sides of th.
gently and unif. contr. backw. from in fr. of mid.
Alt. ints. ofe. consp. elev. R.-m. of e. wide, (the
space beyond the last str. being as wide as the prec.
ints.) z]/z 1. E.8C- ....
Spaces between the furrows on th. dist. gran. .
These spaces not dist. gran., shining; the furrows nearly
tuberculitus
2
5
3
4
rugosus
nubilus
aquaticus
aequalis
Thorns.
intermedius
6
The Scottish Naturalist.
34i
straight. H. shining, faintly gran. E. deeply p. -s. ;
ints- conv. H. and th. cop. E. dark test. Legs,
an. and pal. pale test. Ap. of tr. and of pal. dusky.
il/3 1. E.s
6. Int. between 1st and 2nd punc. stn on e. not dist.
narrower in fr. than the puncs. in those str.
H. and th. cop. E. test, with some b. spots. An.
and pal. dusky. Legs test. Ap. j. of pal. short
and thick. E. very strongly p. -s. ; the puncs. in 1st
and 2nd str. in fr. broader than the space between
those str. Ints. (especially between 2nd and 3rd
str.) much elev. 1% 1. B.N-
7. The longi. furrow at the ba. of the h. widens forwards,
towards its junction with the bent furrow that runs tr.
across the h. .....
- - - is narrow and of even width. H. and th. brassy.
E. brown, with darker marks. An. , pal. , and legs
test. Sides of th. regularly rounded. Interm.
furrows on th. gently bent. E. strongly p. -s. ; the
puncs. in the str. large and not close. Ints. (especially
2nd, 4th, and 6th) narrow and elev. Sides of e.
strongly dil. ; the space beyond the last str. about
as wide as prec. ints. Pal. long. iyi 1. S.I.
8. Ap. j. of pal. el., and blunt atap., widest infr. of mid.,
not much thicker than prec, j.
- - - - short, pointed at ap. , widest at or behind mid. ,
cons, thicker than prec. j., gen. dusky brown. H.
and th. cop. or gr. E. dusky or test. , with b. marks.
Pal. gen. dusky. Legs test. Interm. furrows on th.
angulated. E. strongly p. -s. ; the puncs. in the str.
large and not close. Ints. rather wide, and not flat,
the alt. ints. rather dist. elev. A rather broad
species. 1^ 1. E.S.I!! .
9. H. and th. cop or gr. E. test, or brown, gen. with
some b. marks. .....
Narrrow, el. E. strongly p. -s. ; the puncs. in the str.
large and not close. Ints. little elev. H. and th.
cop. or gr. E. brassy brown, each with some rather
obs. round pale spots. Pal., legs, ba. of an., and
ap. of e., test. 1^ 1. E.
10. Mar. furrow on th. not sharply def . and not of unif.
width. ......
- - - -, sharply def. , and (unif. ) wide. H. and th. gr.
E. very pale test. , with a few dark marks . Pal. ,
an., and legs, test. Ints. of e. dist. conv. 2^ 1.
Ew.w.
. ......
11. Ints. of e. quite flat, each with a single well def. row
of fine puncs. H. and th. cop. or gr. An., pal.,
nanus
arvermcus
8
strigifrons
Thorns.
granularis
10
dorsalis
II
Mulsant
342
The Scottish Naturalist.
p.-s. ;
il£-iz
and legs, test. E. test, with b. marks. E.
the puncs. in the str. close and not large
- - gently conv. H. and th. dull brassy. E. brassy
or brassy brown. An. , pal. and legs test. ; b. half
of fern, dusky. Central fov. of th. with a dist. pit
in fr. E. p. -s. ; the puncs. in the str. close and
not large. A narrow el. species. Th. not conv.
J%\. S.I. ......
- - - -. H. and th. dull brassy. E. obsc. brassy
test. An. , pal. , and legs, test. Th. somewhat conv.
longi. E. p.-s. ; the puncs. in the str. large and
not close. i^$ 1. B. . . . ,
- - narrow and elev. H. and th. cop. or gr. E.
test, with some b. marks. An., pal., and legs, test.
Interm. furrows on th. only slightly bent. E. p.-s. ;
the puncs. in the str. close and not large. A narrow
species ; pointed behind. \]/% 1. I.
Coloured much as ceneipennis, but less
brassy. Th. conv. longi. E. not dil. behind mid.,
p.-s. ; the puncs. in the str. strong and not very
close. Th. as wide as the e. Ap. j. of pal. some-
times b. i}i 1. E.s- ....
Hydrochus.
1. Some of the mts. of e. strongly elev.
The ints. hardly elev. E. fully twice as long as to-
gether wide, with rows of large puncs. H. and th.
strongly punc. Surface of th. uneven. Brassy or
gr. Legs pal. and an. more or less r. I ^ 1. B.
2. Sut. and alt. ints. regularly elev.
- - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th ints. of e. elev. : 2nd
and 4th only in fr. , 3rd only behind. Th. with 5
deep fov. Otherwise resembles angustatus. I ^$ 1.
3. E. consp. less than twice as long as together wide ;
widest behind mid. ; with rows of strong puncs.
H. and th. strongly punc. Th. with 5 consp. fov.
B. Tib., tar., an. and pal. often pit. r. \% 1. E.*- S.
Very like prec. E. parallel, quite twice as long as to-
gether wide. \yz 1. E.F
OCHTHEBIUS.
I. The 5th int. of e. not consp. elev.. . . .
Brassy or gr. Legs r. Th. contr. behind ; with some
furrows. E. strongly p.-s. ; 5th and 7th ints. consp.
elev. A wide species ; sides strongly rounded. 1 1.
Bi
griseus
planicollis
Thorns.
aeneipenms
brevicollis
Thorns.
laticollis
Thorns.
angustatus
3
elongatus
brevis
carinatus
exsculptus
The Scottish Naturalist.
343
2. E. p. -s., or with very regular rows of puncs.
Narrow, el. Shining brassy. Leg, an. and pal.
Densely pub. H. and th. hid. punc, with some
furrows . E. coarsely punc. , the puncs not in rows
Ba. angs. ofth. transparent. i£l. E.I.°
3. Less than %\. .
Not less than %\. . .
4. E. coarsely p. -s. ; the ints. not wider than the puncs.
Brassy b. Mars, of th. and ap. of e. often paler
Legs r. Pal. pit. or r. Th. with some tr. furrowSj
contr. behind, punc. ; its hi. angs. transparent. E
with rows of fine puncs. in faint str. f 1. E. c !
5. Dull. Th. strongly contr. behind, not very tr., thickly
punc. , dil. on sides, with a central channel and 4
fov. Pit. Legs brown. % 1. E. s c
Shining. Th. hardly contr. behind, very tr. , not dist.
punc. dil. on sides with 2 tr. furrows. Brassy b.
Legs, pal. and an. dark brown. \ 1. E.sc
6. Th. not dist. punc. . . .
- dist. and strongly punc . (with a dist. central channel).
7. El. Brassy brown. H. and th. greenish. An., pal.,
legs and gen. mars, and ap. of e. test. Th. not
much contr. behind, its hi. angs. transparent ; with-
out a central channel ; with 2 tr. fov. E. p. -s. 1 1.
B c
Brassy. Legs pal. and an. r. Th. not much contr.
behind, with a central channel and some dist. fov. ;
its hi. angs. transparent. E. pub. , with rows of fine
puncs. y% 1. E.c
8. Th. not dist. contr. behind. ....
- dist. contr. behind. .....
9. Th. very strongly furrowed, its sides widely dil. E. with
rows of large puncs. in faint str. Pit. r. H. and
th. often darker than e. Legs r. An. and pal.
dusky. Sides of th. often obsc. r. I 1. E. S. I. .
Resembles prec. Shorter and wider. E. more strongly
str. Sides (at least) of th. broadly and consp. r.
E. often r. -brown. An. and pal. r. yi 1. E. S.
10. Rather el. Th. with a deep furrow on each side, its
hi. angs. transparent. E. p. -s. ; the str. almost
deep on the sides ; ints. wrinkled. Pit. brass, or
greenish. Legs and ba. of an. and of pal. r. Ap.
of e. often test. 1 1. E.S.I.
Th. with 2 tr. furrows, and a deep fov. in fr. on each
side, its. hi. angs. transparent. E. with rows of
fine puncs. obs. on sides. H. and th. gr. , the latter
with pale mars. E. test., palest at ap. An., pal.,
and legs test. I 1. E.B
punctatus
4
6
5
margipallens
Poweri
exaratus
7
8
mannus
aeratus
9
10
bicolon
rufimarginatus
pygmseus
anms
344
The Scottish Naturalist.
2.
Hydr^ena.
I. E. each with about 10 well def. rows of puncs.
- - - only about 6 well def. raws of puncs ; the puncs.
near mar. not forming rows.
E. with rows of fine puncs. ; ints. not sharply elev. Th.
dist. tr. .....
Narrow el. D. with rows of very large deep puncs. ;
the ints. very narrow and sharply ridged. Th. not
dist. tr. , thickly and unif. puna H. dusky ; th.
dusky pale at fr. and ba. E. dull test. Legs, pal. ,
and an. , test. I 1. B. .
Less than I 1. .
Not less than I 1.
Short, broad ; e. almost twice as wide as th. Th. thickly
puna on sides, more spar, on disc. B. or pit. E.
often brown. Pal., an., and legs, test. $L B.N
Narrow el. ; e. dist. less than twice as wide as th.
Th. thickly and unif. puna H. b. Th. dusky, fr.
and ba. test. E. pale. Pal. , an. , and legs pale.
V 1. E.N .
Not very narrow ; e. dist. less than twice as wide as th.
Th. thickly puna ; often a little less so on disc. H.
dusky. Th. dusky, often paler at fr. and ba. E.
pit. or brown.
E.S.L!
Pal., an., and legs, pale, \y% 1.
Very like prec. Gen. of a paler color. Consp. longer,
narrower, and more parallel. E. very little wider
than th. ; more than twice as long astogether wide.
ij^l. E.S.L . . ."
6. The rows of puncs. on e. reach the ba.
are dist. only on disc. Th. puna , gently
tr. H. dusky. Th. dusky, fr. and ba. test. E.
test, brown ; sut. pit. Pal., an., and legs, test.
7/& 1. B.N .
7- Ap. j. of pal. with a consp. blunt tooth on in. side.
Legs of 6 simple. Th. gently tr., thickly puna exa
on disc. E. rather parallel, hardly wider than th.
Shining brown. H. and (often) disc, of th. darker.
Pal., an., arid legs, test. ^ 1. B.N
- - - - simple. Fern, of <J thickened. Hi. tib. of 6
with a bunch of hairs. Th. not tr., with a very
deep fov. on each side, puna thickly on sides, spar.
on disc. E. very parallel, toothed at ap. \l/i 1.
B *
Legs of <J simple. Th. tr., much narrowed
behind, spar, puna on disc, hardly puna on sides, e.
(with rounded sides) cons, wider than th. Mars.
6
3
testacea
4
5
nigrita
palustris
riparia
angustata
pulchella
atricapilla
gracilis
The Scottish Naturalist
345
pygmsea
Cyclonotum
Sphaeridium
Megasternum
Cryptopleurum
Cercyon
orbiculare
of e. strongly dil. R. -brown. H. pit. An., pal.,
and legs, test. ^ 1. B.N .
Second Family— SPH^ERIDIAD^. (5 genera)
1. More than i^fl. A str. close to the sut. exists only in
the hi. part of e.
Not more than l$£ L Sutural str. not as above. [An.
9 j. Sc. much shorter and narrower than cl. of an.]
2. An. 9 j. Sc. shorter but (at ba.) wider than cl. of an.
Very conv. strongly and unif. but not very closely
punc. ......
- only 8 j. Sc. narrower but not shorter than cl. of
an. ; not very conv. Finely and closely punc. e.
very obsc. str. .
3. Outer edge of fr. tib. pretty regularly rounded off towards
tit!). •••••••
with a large and consp. notch near ap. Space
between mid. legs flat. ....
4. E. deeply p. -s. with strongly conv. ints. Space between
mid. legs flat. .....
Not as above. Space between mid. legs forming an
elev. ridge. .....
Cyclonotum,
Shining b. Legs, pal. and an. r. or pit. 1^ 1. B. !
Sph^ridium.
h. Ap. of e. broadly and consp. test.
Unif. punc. B. Legs, and (often) some obsc. marks
near ba. and ap. of e., r. Side mars, of th. and of
e. more or less test. Hi. angs. of th. test. 2)/& 1.
-[->• m a • • • • • •
2. E. with some rows of puncs. larger than the rest. B.
Side mars, of th. and of e. (narrowly) ap. of e. (very
broadly) and the legs, test. A large spot near ba.
of e. (gen. ) r. Hi. angs. of th. ac. 2]/3 1. E. ! . bipustulatum
Very like prec. E. unif. punc. Colors gen. brighter.
Th. rectang. at ba. 3 1. E.S.I.!! ,
Cercyon.
1. Ba. of th. without a consp. fov. in the centre .
- - - with a consp. fov. in centre. Pit. b. Legs, ap.
of e. and (often) disc, of e., more or less r. E.
strongly p. -s. Ints. thickly punc. and conv. behind.
A wide conv. species with rounded sides ; narrowed
behind, if 1. E.S.I. !
2. Th. (across ba. ) depressed backw. and e. (across fr.)
depressed forw. , so as to form a tr. furrow where
they meet. Rather broad conv., little contr. behind.
E. strongly p. -s. ; ints. thickly punc. , more or less
conv. behind. Pit. b. Pal., ba. of an., tar., and
marginatum
scarabaoides
haemorrhoidale
ap.
of e., r. or test. \% 1. B
hacmorrhoum
346
The Scottish Naturalist.
Not as above. Ints. of e. strongly punc. in fr. , only
very obsc. behind. A rather narrow species. E.
finely p. -s. H. and th. b. E. b. pit. or r., with
paler ap. Legs r. Pal. pit. § 1. B. !
.... ... pretty thickly, unif. and quite dist. punc.
.... ... spar, and not very dist. punc. [short, very
conv. species, with rounded sides.]
Ba. of th. not mar. Moi-e than ^ 1. Pal. b. or pit. b. *
, Not as above. ....
Side mar. of th. carried delicately round the ba. H.,
th. (exc. side mars.), cl. of an., ap. j. of pal., sut.,
a large spot about centre of sut., and the u.-s., b.
Rest of the insect test, or pale. E. strongly p.-s. ;
ints. thickly and dist. punc. ij^L 6.! ,
Ba. of th. not mar. Ba. of pal. and of an. pale ; ap.
of both b. H., th., and e., deep b. Sides of th.
pale. Sides and ap. of e. consp. test. Legs r. A
moderately broad species with sides dist. rounded.
pygmaeum
3
12
4
6
unipunctatum
l% 1.
B.
B. or pit. Legs
s. ; ints. finely and
E. p. -s. ; ints. strongly punc.
Moderately wide species.
Short, and very broad and conv
and ap. of e. r. E. finely p.
thickly punc. i£ 1. B. .
Mar. of e. emarginate near ap. , so that the ap. appears
prod. E. finely p.-s. ; ints. finely and thickly punc.
Widest in fr. of mid., narrowed behind. H. and th.
b. E. pit. : ap. and some obsc. marks near ba. r.
Legs reddish. \% — 1/2\. E.S.I.!!
Resembles flavipes in shape and punctuation. E. test.
or r. with a large b. triangular blotch at ba. of sut.
E.S.I
aquatieum
5
obsoletum
flayipes
i#L
it
melanocephalum
alum
6. El. species, not very conv., with rather parallel sides,
and the e. not wider in fr. of mid. than at mid.
Not as above. . . . .
7. The punc. str. on e. are faint near mars, and obsc. near
ap .. • • . • • .
E. strongly p.-s., very deeply behind. Ints. finely and
not closely punc, elev. behind. H. and cl. of an.
dusky. Th. pit. or r. E. vary from dull r. with
test. ap. to b. with test ap. In some specimens
the e. are test, with dusky clouds ; in others b. with
pale mars, and spots. Ap. always test. Legs and
7
9
8
pal. test, or dusky r. I
if 1.
8. Shining pit. b. Mars, of th. and e. (gen. ) pale. Ap.
of e. test. cl. of an dusky. Pal., legs, and rest of
an. r. E. finely p.-s. ; ints. finely and spar. punc.
I M 1. E. S.c
littorale
depressum
*In some specimens of littorale and depressum (which occur in sea-weed)
the pal. are pit. r. They might possibly be confused with this group.
The Scottish Naturalist.
H. th. (exc. mars., which are often pale), and cl. of
an. dusky. Pal. , e. and rest of an. test. Legs pit.
r. E. finely p.-s; ints. very finely and spar. punc.
i£l. B.!
9. Elev. space between mid. legs oval, not very narrow,
and separated from the elev. space behind it. Str.
of e. strong and deep near ap.
el. , narrow and joined to the elev. space be-
hind it. E. with rows of puncs.. in str. which are
faint to ap. Ints. strongly but not closely punc.
Broad. Sides rounded. B. Pal. and legs and ap.
of e. r. 1 1. B. ! . . . .
10. Less than 1% \.
Broad. Contr. behind. Consp. widest in fr. of mid. of
e. Str. on e. faint in fr., deep behind ; ints. thickly
and strongly punc. H., and th. (exc. mars.), b. or
pit. b. E. pit. ; ap. and (gen. ) some marks near ba.
r. An., pal., legs, and mars, of th. test, or r. \l/2
1. L_.. O* X* • • • • •
11. Rather narrow and el. Very conv. E. p.-s. ; ints.
strongly and thickly punc. H. and th. b. ; side
mars, of th. often paler. E. pit. b. ; its side mars.,
sut., and ap. test. An., pal., and legs test. % 1.
Short, broad and fiat. E. strongly p.-s. ; ints. very
finely and closely punc. H. dusky. Th. pit. or r. ;
gen. palest on sides. E. test. obsc. clouded with
12.
13-
fuscous. An. .
1. B.
pal., and legs test, or r. yA
E. unic. or only very ind. paler near ap. Space be-
tween mid. legs oval. ....
Space between mid. legs el. and narrow. E. finely
p. -s. , the str. deeper near ap. ; ints. not shining and
only very obs. punc. H., th. and e. b. or. pit. b.,
exc. ap. of e. which is test. An. pal. and legs more
or less r. 4 1. B. .
Very like prec. E. more shining. The puncs. in the
str. on e. wider apart. The 2nd j. of the pal. is
more thickened, f 1. E. . . , ,
Very like the 2 prec. Pal. with 2nd j. much
thickened. E. not shining ; puncs. in str. close.
Differs from prec. 2 in being less contr. behind, and
having the punc. str. on e. obs. near ap.
J-** o« X* • • • • #
1*1.
Megasternum.
Short and conv. ; sides rounded. Shining. E. with
rows of puncs. , which are confused near ap. ; ints.
finely and not closely punc. B., pit. or r. An.,
pal., and legs r. 3^1. E.S.I. ! .
347
quisquilium
10
male
11
laterale
terminatum
mgnceps
13
lugubre
granarium
minutum
boletophagum
348 The Scottish Naturalist.
Cryptopleurum.
Broad ; much contr. behind. E. strongly p. -s. ; inst.
elev. and strongly punc. H, and th. pit. Pal. and
an. pit. b. or pit. r. E. pit. or r. ; ap. always r.
I 1. B. ! . . . . . atomarium
Velvet Scoters in Scotland in summer.— On the 16th June, when
driving from Bunessan to Salen in Mull, Mr. J. J. Dalgleish and I saw
two Velvet Scoters swimming on Loch Scriedan close to shore. They were
male and female, and evidently paired birds. A large flock of Scoters has
also frequented St. Andrews Bay all summer ; I saw them there at the end
end of April, and I have just been informed that they are still in the Bay,
and may be seen almost every day from the back of the Club House or from
Gillespie Terrace. Are these barren birds, immature birds not breeding,
or what? In July, immense flocks of Scoters are to be seen in the White
Sea, and also in the Petchora Gulf in Northern Russia, strong on wing, and
apparently mostly, if not entirely, adult birds. Mr. Robert Gray has also
lately informed me that he has seen a large flock of Scoters frequenting the
Firth of Forth in the same way. Perhaps Mr. Walker may have observed
these ducks in St. Andrews Bay, and will be willing to give us his ideas
upon the subject. I am not aware whether or not they appear in St.
Andrews Bay regularly in this manner, but I do not remember having seen
records anywhere, and I think their presence somewhat unaccountable.
— J. A. Harvie Brown, Dunipace House, Larbert.
The Tunny {Scomber thynnus Linn. ) — A specimen of the above was taken
off Newtonhill, Kincardineshire, on 17th August last. It weighed six pounds,
was two feet two inches long ; its greatest depth was five inches, and
greatest thickness three inches. The colour above the lateral line was a
dark blue, through which ran convoluted stripes of shining silvery white ;
below the lateral line, silvery white. The colouring matter of this fish is
differently placed from that of any other species with which I am acquainted,
it being in the dermal covering, which passes over the scales, being thus
outside the true skin, whereas other fishes have the colouring pigment within
the true skin. The flesh of this species is of a dark red colour, and when
cooked, of a gross, tough consistancy, reminding one of an old grouse
cock — dry, and of little taste. It is interesting to note the differences in
the figures of this fish as given by various authors. As an instance, take
those of Yarrell and Couch. Judging of the two from the specimen now
noted, the figure-given by Yarrell is in every way superior to that of Couch,
a superiority all the more to be wondered at, considering the difference in
time of publication of the two works. In Couch's figure the first dorsal
fin differs in form completely from my specimen, so much so, that one
would at first be inclined to doubt its being intended to represent the
species named above. On the other hand, Yarrell's figure is an exact
representation of it. Again, the markings above and below the lateral
line, caused by the disposition of the scales on these parts, are clearly and
correctly represented in Yarrell's figure, but have received no notice in
that of Couch. As above indicated, the specimen referred to is now in my
possession, and may be seen by those interested in matters icthyological. —
George Sim, Aberdeen, September 1876.
SKU
■C^US^"«riW!^S^XT"Tttffi^8g""~*^^
H
^^^»r;«^sr .»
3H ^JP^SlB^SwWvBH^BBWiJ
PHYTOLOGY,
NOTES 01 A BOTANICAL EXOUKSION TO LOOH OLUNIE,
PEETHSHIEE.
LOCH CLUNIE has had for many years a kind of vague
botanical reputation, founded chiefly, perhaps, on the
occurrence there of Callitriche autumnalis, and of other plants,
some of which were introduced by the Rev. Mr. M'Ritchie,
minister of the parish about the beginning of this century, who
seems to have taken considerable interest in the local botany.
Since his time Clunie has been visited by several distinguished
botanists — amongst others, I believe, by the celebrated Robert
Brown. Just a year ago, however, Clunie was the scene of
what, I think, may be called an amazing discovery — amazing,
that is to say, when it is considered how many botanical col-
lectors have visited the place without finding the plant — viz.,
that of Naias flexilis, by Messrs. Sturrock and Robb of Rattray.
As a British plant, Naias was only previously known to occur
in one lake in Ireland, where Professor Oliver discovered it
about twenty years ago. That it has been introduced either
intentionally or accidentally into Loch Clunie, I do not think
there is the slightest reason to imagine.
Having only once previously paid a botanical visit to Loch
Clunie, and that of scarcely one hour's duration, I have, of
course, been very desirous since the discovery of Naias of
paying a more lengthy visit to this loch, and of seeing this
rare plant in its own home. Accordingly, I arranged with
some botanical friends that we should explore Clunie on 2nd
September. So on that day we met, at Blairgowrie, the Rev.
W. Herdman and Mr. A. Sturrock, who had kindly promised
to pilot us ; and I now offer to the readers of the Scottish
Naturalist a short account of our expedition.
Soon after leaving Blairgowrie, our attention was directed to
a small quarry, now abandoned, in the middle of a field.
This quarry was first opened not many years ago, and contains
a small pool of water. In this pool about three or four years
350 The Scottish Naturalist.
ago Typha latifolia appeared, and now fills the whole pool.
Whence it came no one knows. It is a rare plant in Perth-
shire— the nearest locality being Loch Clunie, about six miles
distant. In this quarry it grows most luxuriantly — many of
the plants being ten feet high. In this quarry I found a few
specimens of Trickobasis cirsii, Lasch — a fungus only added to
the British list last year (vide Sc. Nat. III., p. 272).
The chief plants of interest observed before reaching Clunie
were Lythium salicaria (a rare species in Perthshire), in a
marsh near Marlee, Lepidium Smithii, Anchusa sempervirensy
and Malva moschata.
On arriving at the loch, we were met by Mr. Duff, the
superintendent of Low Airlie's property in this district, who
had kindly prepared a boat for us.
Loch Clunie is a beautiful little lake, with undulated banks
richly wooded and cultivated, beyond which rise the rocky,
wooded, and heather-covered slopes of the Grampians. Near
one side of the lake is a small wooded island, on which is the
old castle of Clunie, not now inhabited, but still in good repair —
a reputed birthplace of the " Admirable Crichton."
The first plant that attracted us on reaching the shores of
the loch was a large bed of Callit?iche autumnalis in good
fruit. This f star-wort, besides being one of the rarer species of
the genus, is also, in a living state, one of the handsomest —
the rich, glossy, dark green foliage showing to great advantage
through two or three feet of water. At about thirty feet from
the shore, and about at a depth of six feet we found the special
object of our search — Naias fiexilis — growing also in large
beds, and forming, as we subsequently saw, in many parts of
the lake the chief vegetation.
The Naias seems to prefer water of from five to twelve feet
in depth ; whether it grew in deeper water we had no means
of ascertaining. Its foliage is of rather a paler green than the
above mentioned Callitriche. We found the female plant
alone (which is the only form that has been found in Ireland),
and saw abundance of fruit. Probably the male plant would
also reward a careful search. After duly admiring the beauti-
ful Naiad, we next proceeded to investigate the rest of the
aquatic flora.
Growing in dense masses, in water of four or five feet, was
Fotamogeton lidcropJiyllus, whose brown foliage was in strong
contrast to that of the Naias and Callitriche. The majority of
The Scottish Naturalist. 351
plants of this were barren, and had no floating leaves ; but in
a shallow part of the lake we found both fruit and floating
leaves. One of the commonest pond weeds was P. obtusifolius,
often two feet or more in length, and very graceful, with its
brown and green foliage. It was flowering and fruiting freely.
Much less common, and much resembling the last on a smaller
scale, was P. pusillus, also with plenty flowers and fruit. Still
rarer, and only found in a barren state, was P. crispus, with its
beautiful dark-green and crisped leaves. Though not seen
commonly in Loch Clunie, it is by no means a scarce Perth-
shire plant. In deeper water, but reaching the surface, and
growing in beds by itself, was P. perfoliatus, many feet in length.
It also was abundantly in fruit. Then, likewise fruiting freely,
and with long stems, was P. natans; while in another part of the
lake we found P. proelongus, growing in large beds in deepish
water. The upper leaves in many of the fruiting specimens
were shortly petioled, subcoriaceous, and almost floating, a
state of the plant of which I can find no mention. Finally, a
great part of the north-west corner of the lake was occupied by
beds of what I think is a form of P. lucens, but not altogether
agreeing with the description of that plant. It accords well
enough with the var. acuminatus Schum. in its acuminate leaves
and long peduncles, but the margins of the leaves appear to be
entire and not serrulate. Many of the plants had floating
leaves.
Of the Batrachian Ranunculi, two or perhaps three species
were found. One was remarkable for having flowers fully
expanded a foot or more below the surface of the water, which
did not appear to have increased in depth since the plants
came into flower. Another had floating leaves, but no sub-
merged ones, which perhaps, however, had decayed, as it is one
of the species which should have capillary leaves. I will not,
however, attempt to determine the species we found till I have
had an opportunity of examining them more carefully.
Littorella lacustris of course formed a green turf in many
parts, but appeared not to fruit ; along with it was Subularia
aauatica, with abundance of pods. Where the water was
shallower, Lobelia Dorimanna grew, the plants being more
scattered, and not forming a continuous bed like Littorella.
Another species of Callitrichc, with distant, long, narrow leaves,
was also found, but as there was no fruit, it is difhcuit to say
to what species it ought to be referred.
352 The Scottish Naturalist.
Growing singly in muddy places, an Isoetes was seen, but on
examination proved to be only lacustris, instead of the hoped-
for echinospora.
Elatine hexandra grew in little patches here and there, and
amongst Nuphar the pale green leaves of a Sparganium tried
in vain to reach the surface. Failing by a long way to do so,
the plants refused to flower, but appeared from the character
of the leaves to belong to S. minimum. A few plants of Utri-
cularia were fished up, but to what species they belong puzzles
me to say. It is certainly not intermedia, and besides being
too stout for minor, has the segments of the leaves furnished
with spines. Possibly it may be vulgaris, but it is much less
robust than that plant. In Perthshire I have met with at least
three species of Utriculai'ia, viz., minor, which is not very un-
common, but which I have only once found in flower ; inter-
media, which is much scarcer, and of which I have not found
the flowers ; and a third species (also not found in flower, and
hence difficult to refer to its proper position) much stouter than
minor, and with spiny teeth on the segments of its leaves.
This species is less (usually very much) robust than lowland
vulgaris and inhabits small lochs and pools on the hills, often
at an elevation of about 2000 feet, Loch Clunie being the lowest
situation in which I have seen it. I have not seen typical
vulgaris, nor indeed any species but minor (and in one locality
intermedia), in lowland Perthshire.
In the Journal of Botany for May, 1876 (p. 142), Mr. F. M.
Webb has an article "on Utricular ia neglect a, Lehman ; and on
U. Bremii Heer, as a British Plant," in which he arrives at the
conclusion that U. Bremii (which was described from Switzer-
land) h'as been found in the Moss of Inshoch, Nairnshire, and
in Loch Spynie, in Moray. Referring to this plant, Dr J. T.
Boswell, in the " Botanical Exchange Club Report for 1876,"
impresses on botanists visiting Moray the desirability of search-
ing for the Loch Spynie plant. I cannot say whether our
plant has any connection with U. Bremii, but it is desirable
that attention should be called to it, in hope that some one may
find flowers.
Taken as a whole, the great feature of Loch Clunie is
the richness and variety of its aquatic vegetation. The
margins of the loch are occupied with great beds of Phragmites,
Scirpus lacustris, Equisetum pf //via tile, Ny/nplnca alba var.
mi?ior, Nuphar lutca, AlenyaJithes, Polygon urn amphibium, &c,
The Scottish Naturalist. 353
all growing most luxuriantly. In a marsh near the loch are to
be found Ranunculus lingua, Typha latifolia and Butomus
(if not now extinct) ; but it is very doubtful whether all of
these have not been introduced.
It is probable that other Potamogetons, besides the eight
mentioned above, grow in the loch, and will yet be found.
F. Buchanan White.
Rumex conspersus (Hartm.) on Tweedside.— I suspect that this
interesting dock will be more plentiful, and more widely spread than is
generally supposed, as there are comparatively few botanists who pay the
attention to this family that it deserves. Within the last four years three
new ones have been added to the British Flora, viz., R. maximus Schreb.,
R. mpestris Le Gal. , and R. sylvestris WaUr. , besides some other varieties
of R. obtusifolius and crispus. In the beginning of August last, in company
with Mr. F. M. Webb, I first got acquainted with R. conspersus in a living
state. It was growing plentifully on Tweedside, near Roxburgh Barnes,
on a gravelly place liable to be flooded every time the river rose three or
four feet. The other docks growing along with it were — R. obtusifolius,
aquaticus, crispus, pratensis, and viridis. I have since observed it, both
higher up and lower down the river than Barnes, both in gravelly and
, grassy places, but always near the river side. Unlike most plants in an
uncultivated state, the docks appear to hybridize somewhat freely, as both
R. conspersus and R. pratensis are considered by some of the highest
authorities to be hybrids ; and from what I have seen of these two in this
neighbourhood, I believe that such is the case. The reputed parents of
R. conspersus are R. obtusifolius and R. aquaticus ; some of the plants
inclining to one parent, and some to the other. The prevailing form,
which is exactly similar to specimens that I received through the Exchange
Club last year, which were gathered by Dr. Boswell at Cowdenbeath, Fife,
and Crook of Devon, Kinross, is easily known by its habit at a distance.
•It is more erect and rather taller than obtusifolius, but there are others
which it is difficult to say what they are until close to them, being much
closer and more compact than the usual form. Some specimens have a
good deal the appearance of R. crispus var. subcordatus Warren., a plant
which, if I understand it rightly, is more common than the type on Tweed-
side. The period when conspersus is in flower comes also between
aquaticus and obtusifolius, the first-named being earliest, and obtusifolius
latest. Although R. conspersus has been known in this country for some
time, it is scarcely noticed in any of the Floras. In the 6th Ed. of " Bab-
ington's Manaul," all we find about it is — " R. conspersus (Hartm. ?), which
has membranous netted broadly cordate toothed enlarged petals, is found by
Dr. Arnott in Kinross-shire ;" and the Students' Flora has the following
under R. acutus L. — " R. conspersus Hartm. which has more crisped leaves,
otherwise agrees with this ; it was found in Kinross-shire by Dr. Walker
Arnott, who suspected it to be a hybrid between R. obtusifolius and
354 The Scottish Naturalist.
aquaticus." Now that it has been found in such widely-separated localities
as Kinross, Fife, and Roxburgh, it deserves a place in the British Flora.
R. praiensis is common in this district wherever crispus and obtusifolius
grow near each other. Like conspersus it also varies, sometimes approach-
ing one parent, sometimes the other. Unlike hybrids generally, these two
docks are fertile, as Dr. Boswell has raised them from seed. Both have
one characteristic in common — viz., very few of the fruit coming to per-
fection, while in their parents it is the opposite, as nearly every one gets
fully developed.
It may be worth mentioning here, that on some plants of S. aquaticus,
may be found a few of the enlarged petals bearing small tubercles, the
absence of which being considered a characteristic of that species. — Andrew
Brotherston, Kelso.
Carex aquatilis var. Watsoni Syme.— Along the whole course of
the Tweed with which I am acquainted — from its mouth to Caddonfoot in
Selkirkshire — this is, in many parts, the commonest sedge, occurring in
long narrow beds close to the edge of the river. The farthest up that I
have seen it is between Yair Bridge and Caddonfoot. in Selkirk ; but, if
looked for, I have no doubt that it will be found higher up. It grows in
great plenty at Makerstoun in Roxburghshire. I have seen it also in both
the counties of Berwick and Northumberland (Cheviot-land), which extends
the comital census of this plant — as given in the last (7th) edition of the
" London Catalogue " — from five to nine. It is very probable that its range
will be yet extended, as it has frequently been confounded with C. acuta, from
which it may be distinguished by the leaves being involute at the margin,
those of acuta being revolute — best seen when dry. In the latter (C. acuta)
the fruit is veined, in Watsoni it is without veins. Watsoni has obtuse
glumes, while those of acuta are longer and acute. By noticing the above
characters, these two are easily separated. — Andrew Brotherston, Kelso.
NOTES.
We have received the circular of a new Botanical Exchange Society
situated at Buda-Pesth. The subscription is 4s. Botanists desirous of
obtaining European plants, especially of the East, may be glad to know
of this Society, and may learn further particulars by writing to M. Richter
Sajos ("Hungary, Budapest, Erzherzogin Marie Valerie Gasse, No. I ").
The second Annual Conference of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland
took place on Sept. 26-29U-1, at Killin. From the scarcity of fungi, it was
determined that there should be no public show this year, so the time not
occupied by the business meeting was devoted to excursions. Altogether
a very successful and pleasant meeting was held. We shall give a longer
report in our next.
GEOLOGY,
THE EARN VALLEY:
An "Ancient" and "Modern''' Level of the River Earn.
By F. SMITH F. G. S. E.
IN the Scottish Naturalist for 1874 will be found a paper on
the " Earn Valley " in two parts, accompanied by a map
and a plate of sections. This paper treated of the River Earn,
and certain deposits that form a lower and a higher " haugh,"
that were declared to be the newest geological formation
in the valley, and to be entirely the work of the river. Rivers
are common things, and haughs are so frequently found in the
valleys through which they run, that they are considered to be
somewhat elementary in their construction, and the mere
supernumeraries of strata looking for a place in the geological
system, and therefore a little beneath the notice of the
matured observer. And yet, curiously enough, it does not
seem to be a settled question as to whether the higher haughs
were formed by the rivers in their present position or no.
When this subject (after making new observations) was
placed before the Geological Society of Edinburgh, this question
arose in discussion ; and it was then kindly explained to me
by David Milne Home, Esq., LL.D., who occcupied the chair,
that it was the generally received opinion that the higher haugh
simply denoted a higher flooding power of the river, and that no
alteration in the level of the stream had taken place ; and
advised me to prosecute further examinations, as it was an
interesting question that had been for a long time unsettled.
I had most distinctly and unhesitatingly spoken of the
a?icient and modern levels of the stream, and had been led by
the most unbiased observations so naturally to do this, that
the question on this head took me altogether by surprise. I
have unfortunately had no opportunity of exploring the valley
towards its upper end, as I had hoped this summer to do, but,,
so far as the portion of valley considered in the Scottish
Naturalist is concerned, I will endeavour to show why I so
356 The Scottish Naturalist.
decidedly spoke of an "ancient" and the present or "modern"
level of the channel of the river.
There are only two sides to this question. On the one, there
is a necessity for a much larger quantity of water to have been
constantly coming down the valley; or, the river, being much
what it now is in volume, was once on a time at a higher level
than it at present occupies. Let us consider the aspect of the
first proposition, viz., that of a vastly greater body of water
coming down the valley. Such a body of water is not a mere
hypothesis, for the melting of the last of the glaciers probably
let loose a superabundance of water quite sufficient to submerge
both the lower and the higher haughs. But did this water come
down in the guise of a river as gentle in its operations as is the
present river Earn? We should rather, if the high haugh is the
work of such an erratic, ice-supplied stream, look for pebbles
and boulders to be scattered in its clays and sands in an eccen-
tric manner. This is, however, not at all the case ; no ice-
borne fragment occurs in its bed, or, allowing certain stones to
be ice-borne, they have been re-arranged since they were dropped
by travelling fragments of icebergs ; indeed if coarseness of
material be an indication of anything whatever, there is greater
coarseness in the deposits of the lower, than of the upper haugh.
The glaciers may have melted so gradually, that no indication
of ice was conveyed down the valley, but such a slow melting
would not have supplied the enormously larger body of water.
And if the receding glaciers did not yield the floods, where was
the extra watershed ? One can hardly assume that the rain-fall
was so much greater when the Earn was first a river, than it is
now. The difference in the height of modern floods of the
Earn, and those necessary for the formation of the higher haugh,
is not less than 26 feet, and is possibly greater. Were this pre-
sumed higher state of flood in the Earn valley again to come
about, it would no doubt soon raise the surface of the lower
haugh to the height of that of the higher ; and then we should
have a river-deposit, from the bottom of the stream to the top
of the haugh, 40 feet at least in thickness, and this deposit
undoubtedly would exhibit a fluviatile construction through-
out its entire thickness (see nature of this in former paper, com-
mencing on pp. 264 and 314, vol. II. Scottish Naturalist);
and, therefore, supposing our higher haugh to have been
originally thus deposited, it also should exhibit a similar
arrangement of coarse pebbles and sands at its very bottom,
The Scottish Naturalist. 357
and variable sands and clays towards its upper part.
But by turning to the plate of sections, p. 264, Vol. II., it
will be seen that the coarse sands and pebbles of the higher
haugh do not coincide with the position of similar beds in the
lower haugh, but are found to rest upon a bed of well-stratified
red and blue clay bands, that may be seen (within the great
curve immediately below " Mailer " on the map that also
accompanies p. 264, Vol. II.) boldly standing up twelve feet
above low-water mark, and therefore occupying exactly the
same position with regard to the present river that the coarse
accumulations of the loiuer haugh do. How then were the
beds of the upper haugh placed in their present position ? Is
it to be assumed that when the waters were first let loose from
their icy bondage, they first cut a channel through the boulder
material and clays that filled the lowland to the present chan-
nel's depth, and after sweeping the red and blue clay deposits
clean of all purely glacial debris, supplied their place with
purely fluviatile pebble beds, and sands, and clays ; which must
have been first rolled and ground in the channel below, and by
some phenomenon that is now not to be found, lifted over the
cliffs, first the big pebble beds, and then the gravel and sand,
and finally, the clays, or brick-earths, at the top. There is no
evidence in the upper beds of the heterogeneous scattering
incidental to such powerful floodings, but they bear in their
mode of deposition, in their well-rolled pebbles, carefully
grouped into extensive beds, in the lines and angles, conform-
able and unconformable, synclinal and anticlinal, that are met
with in every foot of the gravels and sands, an evidence,
not to be mistaken, of constant running water — not of a whole
deluge, but of a stream not more significant than that of the
river Earn; sorting and arranging, and re-assorting and re-
arranging for an enormous period of time (historically speaking),
and winding and twisting from side to side of the valley, pulling
down and building up, and making all fair and level again, just
as the river Earn is now wandering about, pulling down and
reconstructing the lower haugh (see former paper) when clays
predominated where sands now obtain, when a wider flat was
at the mercy of the stream, whose efforts were not opposed by
civilised man. That ancient river flowed along what is now
the top of the red and blue clay deposit, i.e., some 16 or 20
feet higher than the bottom of the present stream ; and it there
has left its autobiography, that like an old edition is lying upon
358 The Scottish Naturalist.
the shelf whilst a newer is being proceeded with. The newer
edition differs from the old only in the fact that it is made up
of coarser materials, the natural result of the thousands of years'
sortings to which they have been subjected. Countless millions
of tons of the finer sediment have been conveyed to the German
Ocean, and by this quantity the floor of the valley has been
lowered ; and by this same river action the whole of the high
haugh may be reduced to a level with the lower haugh, and
even to lower still, geographical conditions remaining as they
now exist.
The May, a stream that enters the valley above Forteviot,
has distributed an immense layer of pebbles upon the top of
the lower haugh.. This pebble bed is therefore higher in
position than the pebble beds proper to the lower haugh.
This is a natural consequence upon the May descending from
the flanks of the Ochils upon the alluvial flat. This stream
was without doubt at a higher level, for a bed of pebbles
similar to that that it is now placing upon the lower level is
found on the top of the higher, 20 feet at least above the
present bed. While this small stream has thus reduced its
level, has the Earn bed remained stationary? There has been
again, either the enormous reduction in the volume of the
Earn, or it has reduced its bed in the exact proportion of that
of the May. It is the natural province of rivers to scoop out
all yielding material, and to carry it away. The Earn valley is
filled with detrital matter, most of which was in the valley
before the present river ran ; and the river is still at least in
many places working into the primaeval clays.
There is a band of peat in the high haugh forming a zone
that possibly represents the mean height of the ancient river.
The very presence of the peat would seem to suggest, that
even low water mark was not much beneath its zone. Here
once more we have the necessity for the swollen state of the
Earn to have been constantly maintained for a very long period.
Such an exceptional condition of the river is hardly likely to
have been so constant, but if we more naturally place our
stream at a higher level, it has but to reduce its bed one
foot in a thousand years or less, and there is ample time for
all that it has done to have been accomplished.
To conceive that any river can wear and tear away its
surroundings, and come down annually, laden with mountain
masses in a pulverised condition, and thus act for thousands of
The Scottish Naturalist. 359
years, and yet maintain its original level, is to believe that
" matter does not exist except in the imagination." The high
banks in the Almond valley, and in the wonderful valley of
the Tay, testify to the denuding power of water. Men can
conceive much more easily the. power of a steam-engine than
the power of a river. For this we are not culpable ; we are
only weak in our humanity, appreciating only those things that
are immediately of human origin, or of special utility, — with
these we come and with these we go ; the river was old when
the first snort of the engine was heard, and it will still be
creeping along the valley long after the last of the iron wheels
has rusted again to its earth. A long, long chapter is this of
the rivers, full of hard lines and blank pages that would tax
the short life, but for poems that breathe from the whole in
reward for the toil that it gives.
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.
"Gambles of a Naturalist in Egypt and other Countries."
By G. J. H. Gurney, jun., F.Z.S. London : Jarrold & Sons.
The title of this work -would imply that it was rather beyond the field to
which the Scottish Naturalist is restricted ; but, as it includes notes and
remarks on British birds, it may fairly claim the attention of any orni-
thologist (if such there be) who restricts his studies to the birds of Britain.
For example, at p. 58, Vol. II., of this magazine is mentioned the occurrence
of an eagle-owl in Perthshire, of which Mr. Gurney says in the work under
review that it "had come from the stock of Mr. Fountaine, the noted
breeder of these birds, and had been purposely set at liberty on an estate
in that country " (p. 253). To the ornithologist who spends a winter in
Egypt, this work will be of great utility, while all may read it with
pleasure and profit.
" Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow, Vol. II,
Part 2." Glasgow : Published by the Society.
As usual, this volume is well got up, with good type and paper, and
contains many articles of interest. Of actual proceedings there are 180
pages, containing reports of the meetings from October, 187 1, to April,
1875. Surely a flourishing Society like this might publish a yearly volume
or part, or at least not allow such a long interval (upwards of a year) to
elapse between the publication of the part and the date of the last meeting
reported. Some of the papers, too, to judge from their titles, might have
been given at greater length with advantage — little more than their titles
appearing. The Part contains papers in many branches of natural history,
the majority of them, we are glad to see, relating to the district, or at least
to Scotland. Amongst others may be noticed articles on Ornithology by
Messrs. Angus, R. Gray, J. Lumsden. Bateson, Harvie Brown, &c. ; on
Insects, by Messrs. King, Chapman, Cameron, and Prof. Young ; on
Geology and Palaeontology, by Prof. Young, Messrs. J. Young, Coutts,
&c. There are three plates, illustrating a paper on "New Species of
Glauconome from Carboniferous Limestone Strata of the West of Scot-
land," by Prof. J. Young and Mr. J. Young.
INSECTA SCOT I C A,
THE LEPIDOPTEKA OP SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 276.)
Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.
GEOMETRID.E.
GEOMETRA L. ; Boisd.
papilionaria L. Not uncommon. Nemoral. Ascends to
upwards of 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Solway Forth Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. August-June.
Food-Plant. Birch, Alder, &c.
PSEUDOTERPNA H.S.
PRUINATA Hufn. (1767); cythisaria Schiff. (1776). Local
Amongst broom.
Distribution — East. 8 8 Tay 00000
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°4o'-56°3o/. Range in Europe. Central and south-
eastern. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance. — Imago. July. Larva. August-June..
Food-plant. Broom.
IODIS Hubn.
lactearia L. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. 8 000000 o
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°4o'-56°. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance— Imago. June, July. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Food-plant. Birch.
Hemiihea thymiaria was reported from Tay by the late Mr. Dale, who
told me, however, that he had made a mistake.
The Scottish Naturalist. 361
ZONOSOMATIDJE.
ZONOSOMA Led.
(EPHYRA Dup. ?)
PENDULARIA CI. Common. Nemoral. Ascends to upwards
of 1400 feet.
Distribution — East, g § Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o/. Range in Europe. Central and nor-
thern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August, September.
Food-plant. Birch.
porata F. Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000
West. [Solway] Clyde 000
Lat. [55°]-56°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and south-
ern. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August, September.
Food-plant. Oak.
PUNCTARIA L. Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. 8 8 Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 56°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central and south-
ern. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August, September.
Food-plant. Oak.
The above three species are, I think, only single-brooded in Scotland.
Z. triliniaria has been reported from Clyde, but requires to be verified.
ACIDALIID.E.
TIMANDRA Dup.
amata L. (1758); amataria L. (1761). Not common.
Distribution — East. 8 8 Tay o [Moray] 000
West. 8 8 ° ° °
Lat. 56°3o'-[^7°4o/.] Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. English.
Time oe Appearance. — Imago. June, July. Larva. September.
Food-plant. Dock and other low plants.
362 2 he Scottish Natiwalist.
ACIDALIA Tr.
INORNATA Hw. Not common, or overlooked. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. § § lay § Moray 000
West. 80880
Lat. 56°3o/-97°4o'. Range in Europe. Central (Finland,
&c.) Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. May. Food-
plant. Low plants and willow.
From its similarity to aversata (from which it may be distinguished by
its fainter markings and the absence of the black spots at the base of the
fringes) this is probably frequently overlooked.
aversata L. Abundant. Agrestal and nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § 00
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Apearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. April, May.
Food- plant. Low plants.
According to Dr. Staudinger, the typical form is the banded one
(lividata Gn. ), but the common form is the one with a broad central band
(ab. spoliata Stdg. ). The latter is our common form.
FUMATA Stph. Locally common. Ericetal. Ascends to
1500 feet.
Distribution — East, o 8 Tay Dee Moray §00
West. 8 Clyde Argyle West-Ross 8
Lat. 55°-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Northern (Germany,.
Alps, &c), Type. Septentrional and alpine. Type in
Britain. Scottish.
Time of Appearange — Imago. June, July. Larva. ? Food-
plant. Heather.
remutata Hb. Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. 8 8 Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 8 8°
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. ? Food-
plant. ?
immumata L. Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. o 0000000
West. Solway 0000
The Scottish Naturalist. 363
Lat. 54°5o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern.
Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. Eng-
lish.
Time op Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. ■? Food-
plant. ?
SUBSERICEATA Hw. Local. Pascual.
Distribution — East. 00 000000
West. Sol way 00000
Lat. 54°4o' Range in Europe. Britain, France, Germany,
&c. ' Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. ? Food-
plant. ?
VIRGULARIA Hb. \ inca?iaria Hb. (non L.). Local. Hor-
tensal and agrestal.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay 00000
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°5o'-56°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and
southern. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June-August. Larva. ? Food-
plant. ?
TRIGEMINATA Hw. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000
West. Clyde 0000
Lat. 55°3o°-56'. Range in Europe. Central (or south-
central). Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain.
English.
Time of Appearance— Imago. July. Larva. ? Food-
plant. ?
bisetata Hufn. Common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde § West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4°/-57°5°/- Range in Europe. Central (Finland;
Sweden? &c). Type. Central. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance— Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May.
Food-plant. Dandelion &c.
364 The Scottish Naturalist.
dimidiata Hufn. (1769); scutulata Bkh. (1794). Local. Ne-
moral.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay § Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central (Finland).
Type. Central. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. July. Larva. August-June.
Food-plant. Umbelliferae, &c.
There are probably several more Acidalice in Scotland, but the above are
all that at present my information enables me to include with certainty
in this list. The following have been reported, but I have not seen examples: —
emarginaria (in Solway), osseata and promutata in Clyde.
OABERID^E.
CABERA Tr.
PUS aria L. Abundant. Nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § § o
West. Solway Clyde § West-Ross §
Lat. 54°4o'-57-5o/. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. September.
Food-plant. Birch and other trees.
rotundaria Hw. Rare. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
Lat. 56°3o'. Range in Europe. Britain and Germany.
Type. Occidental ? Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May. Larva. September. Food-
plant. Birch.
By some considered to be a form of the last species. I have a
specimen from Tay, which seems to be rotundaria.
exanthemata Sc Common. Nemoral. Ascends to
1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Solway Forth Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross g
Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. September.
Food-plant. Sallow, &c.
The Scottish Naturalist. 365
ZERENID^J.
ABRAXAS Leach.
GROSSULARIATA L. Locally common. Hortensal, &c.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde § West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. September-
June. Food-plant. Currant, Sloe, &c. ; more rare on Sedum Telephium
and Cotyledon.
SYLVATA Sc. (1763); ulmata F. (1775). Local. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o 00 o
West. Solway 0000
Lat. 55°-56.° Range in Europe. Central (Sweden, &c.)
Type. Central. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. September. Food-
plant. Elm.
LOMASPILIS Hubn.
MARGINATA L. Common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § o o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross §
Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May-July. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Food-plant. Sallow.
FIDONIID^J.
SCODIONA Boisd.
belgaria Hb. Not common. Ericetal. Ascends to about
1800 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §
Orkney o
West. Solway Clyde Argyle § o
Lat. 55°-59°io/. Range in Europe. West-central. Type.
Occidento-central. Type in Britain. British.
366 The Scottish Naturalist.
Time of Appearance— Imago. — June. Larva. August-May. Food-
plant. Heather.
Rather a variable species in Britain. The Scottish form seems to be
the var. favillacearia Hb., but some of my southern English examples
appertain, I think, to the ab. (var. ) albidaria Stdg. ; north English ones
are the same as the Scottish.
HALIA Dup.
wavaria L. Common. Hortensal. Ascends to 1200 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross o
Lat. 54°4o/-57°-4o/. Range in Europe. Central and
northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. May, June. Food-
plant. Currant and gooseberry.
STRENIA Dup.
CLATHRATA L. Not common. Ericetal.
Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000
West. Solway § o o o
Lat. 55°-56°. Range in Europe. Nearly throughout.
Type. European. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. September-
May. Food-plant. Medicago &c.
PANAGRA Gn.
petraria Hb. Local. Amongst bracken.
Distribution — East. § § Tay 00000
West. Solway Clyde 000
Lat. 54°4o'-56°3o/ Range in Europe. Central. Type.
Central. Type in Britain. English.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. June, July.
Food-plant. Bracken (Pteris).
NUMERIA Dup.
ptjlveraria L. Not common. Nemoral.
Distribution — East. 8008 Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 8 West-Ross o
Lat. 5°5o'-47°4o. Range in Europe. Central and nor-
thern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance— Imago. May, June. Larva. July. Food-
plant. Sallow.
The Scottish Naturalist. 367
BUPALUS Leach.
piniaria L. Common. Pinetal. Ascends to 1400 feet.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §00
West. Solway Clyde § West Ross o
Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Central and nor-
thern. Type. Central-septentrional. Type in Britain.
British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May-July. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Food- plant. Scots-fir.
Scottish examples have the pale markings of the wings pure white, the
majority of south English ones have the same parts decidedly yellow.
Moreover, I think the English race is rather larger, especially the $ insects,
which are also more highly coloured than the Scottish ones. As the white
marked is, I believe, the typical form, I would suggest the name var. {et ob.}
flavescens for the southern form.
FIDONIA Tr.
LIMBARIA F. (1775); conspicuata Schiff. (1776). Not com-
mon. Amongst broom.
Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
Lat. 56°3o'-56°4o'. Range in Europe. Britain, Belgium,
Germany, France, Switzerland &c. Type. Occidento-
central. Type in Britain. British?
Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Food-plant. Broom.
atomaria L. Ericetal. Ascends to 2000 feet
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 3
Orkney §
West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross
Hebrides.
Lat. 54°4o'-59°io\ Range in Europe. Nearly throughout
Type. European. Type in Britain. British.
Time of Appearance — Imago. May-July. Larva. August, Sep-
tember. Food-plant. Heather &c .
CARBONARIA CI. Very local. Ericetal. From 1000 to
1600 feet or upwards.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee § § o o
West, o o § [West-Ross] o
Lat. 56°4o'-57°. Range in Europe. Alps and northern.
Type. Alpine and septentrional. Type in Britain.
Scottish.
Time of Appearance — Imago. April, May. Larva. July.
OOD'PLANT. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. Will eat birch and sallow?
( To be continued. )
368
The Scottish Naturalist.
THE COLEOPTEKA OF SCOTLAND.
( Continued from p. 328.)
Edited by D. SHARP, M.B.
HISTERIDiE.
HISTER Er.
o
o
o
o
o
o
§ Moray 000
o
o
[unicolor L.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000
West. 00000
Recorded by Murray as occasional, and by Mac Gillivray from Aberdeen,
but I have never seen a Scottish specimen.
CADAVERINUS E.H. Rare.
Distribution — East. g
West. Solway
SUCCICOla Th. Lowland, highland. Common in decaying
vegetable matter.
Distribution — East. g 3 Tay
West. Solway §
NEGLECTUS Germ. Occasional.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay
West. Solway
CARBONARius E.H. Scarce.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Distribution — East. §
o
o
Distribution — East.
West. Solway
purpurascens Payk. Rare. Lowland. In sandy places.
g g g Moray 000
West, g Clyde 000
MARGINATUS Er. Very rare. Lowland.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
[duodecimstriattjs Schr. Doubtful as Scottish.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. 00000
"Raehills, Rev. W. Little." Murray Cat.
BIMACULATUS Lin. Rare. Lowland.
Forth g g g
West. Solway Clyde o o
Distribution — East, g
o
o
The Scottish Naturalist.
DENDROPHILUS Er.
[PUNCTATUS Hbst. Doubtful as Scottish.
Distribution — East. o o o o o
West. o o o o o
" Under bark of trees at Cramond." Murray Cat.
PYGM^3US Lin. Very local in nests of Formica rufa.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee § o
West. o o o o o
369
0
MYRMETES Th.
PICEUS Pk. Very local. In nests of Formica rufa.
Distribution — East. 000 Dee o o
West. 00000
GNATHONCUS Th.
ROTUNDATUS 111. Rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth 0000
West, o Clyde 000
SAPRINUS Er.
Lowland.
g Forth
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Moray o o
o o
NITIDULUS Payk. Local. Lowland.
Distribution — East. § Forth
West. Solway §
jeneus Fab. Local
Distribution — East
West. Solway
MARITIMUS Steph. Very rare. Maritime.
Distribution — East, o Forth 0000
West. 00000
ONTHOPHILUS Er.
STRIATUS F. Common in vegetable refuse and dung.
Distribution — East, o Forth 8 8 8°
West. Solway 8 ° ° °
o
ABR^IUS Er.
GLOBOSUS E.H. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth o
West. 0000
Dee
o
,370 The Scottish Naturalist.
ACRITUS Er.
[mindtus Payk. Doubtful as Scottish.
Distribution — East. o o oooooo
West. o o o o o
I think I saw this species near Edinburgh, and the species recorded in
Murray's Catalogue, under the name of Abrczns nigricomis, as found at
Raehills, would probably be this species.
PHALACRID.E.
PHALACRUS Er.
corruscus Payk. Local.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
SUBSTRIATUS Gyll. Rare. Lowland.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o o o
West. Solway o o o o
OLIBRUS Er.
CORTiCALis Panz. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth oooooo
West, o o o o o
-2ENEUS Fab.
Distribution — East. Tweed g oooooo
West. g g o o o
Recorded by Murray as generally distributed, but the only spot where
I can recollect to have seen the species was in the Cheviot district.
NITIDULID^J.
CERCUS Er.
PEDICULARIUS Lin. Very rare.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth oooooo
West, o o o o o
[bipustulatus Payk.
Distribution — East oooooooo
West, o o o o o
Recorded by Murray as "occasional," but I do not know of its occur
rence.
The Scottish Naturalist. 37 *
BRACHYPTERUS Er.
PUBESCENS Er. Rare.
Distribution— East. g § 000000
West. Solway 00000
TJRTICLE Fab. Abundant on nettles in flower.
Distribution— East. § § Tay g Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
[CARPOPHILUS Er.
Jhemipterus Lin. Not an indigenous species.
Distribution — East. 0000000 o
West. 00000
" Edinburgh, a single specimen introduced from abroad." Murray Cat.
[quadrisignatus Er. Not an indigenous species.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. 00000
" Edinburgh, in a box of figs from Smyrna." Murray Cat.
EPUR^EA Er.
DIFFUSA Bris. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
A single specimen found in fungus on an oak stump at Eccles. D. S.
.ESTIVA Lin. Common.
Distribution — East, g Forth g Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
MELINA Er. Rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
SILACEA Hbst. Very rare. Highland. At sap of birch trees.
Distribution — East. o o Tay Dee 0000
West. 00000
variegata Hbst. Very rare. Highland. In fungus.
Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000
West. 00000
IMMTJNDA Er. Very rare. Highland. At sap of birches.
Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000
West. 00000
372 The Scottish Naturalist.
DBLETA Er. Local. In fungus.
Distribution — East. § Forth
0 o o
West. g g
0 0 o
NBGLECTA Heer. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o o
o Moray
West, o o o
o o
o
o o
OBSOLETA Fab. Common under bark and in fungus. Low-
land and highland.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway g o o o
ANGUSTATA Ev. Very rare. Highland. In the burrows of
Xyloterus /meatus in Scots fir.
Distribution — East, o o Tay o o o o o
West, o o o o o
pusilla Hbst. Common. Under the bark of Scots fir.
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway g o o o
OBLONGA Hbst. Very rare. Under bark of Scots fir.
Distribution — East. Tweed o o Dee o o o o
West. o o o o o
florea Er. Not common. On the flowers of mountain ash.
Distribution — East, g g g Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway g o o o
MELANOCEPHALA Marsh. Very rare.
Distribution — East, o Forth o o Moray o o o
West, o o o o o
LIMBATA Fab. Very rare.
Distribution — East, oooooooo
West. Solway o o o o
Found in flood refuse at Kelton, below Dumfries, by Mr. Lennon.
NITIDULA Er.
bipustulata Fab. Common in carcases. Lowland, highland.
Distribution — East, g g g Dee Moray o o o
West. Solway g o o o
The Scottish Naturalist. 373
SORONIA Er.
punctatissima 111. Local. At trees infested by Cossus.
Distribution — East. Tweed § Tay Dee Moray 000
West, o 00 o o
GRISEA Lin. Scarce.
Distribution — East, g Forth § § Moray o o
West. Solway §000
i OMOSITA Er.
DEPRESSA Lin. Local. In carcases. Lowland, highland.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway 0000
COLON Lin. Common. In carcases and old bones.
Distribution — East. §000 Moray 000
West. Solway §000
DISCOIDEA Fab. Scarce. In carcases and bones.
Distribution — East. 88888000
West. Solway §000
THALYCRA Er.
SERICEA Sturm. Very rare.
Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000
West. 00000
MBLIGETHBS Er.
rufipes Gyll. Occasional.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. 00000
This species is perhaps not uncommon, but no localities are recorded for it.
LUMBARIS Sturm. Rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
^ENEUS Fab. Very common on flowers of Crucifera.
Distribution — East. §000 Moray Sutherland
Orkney o
West. Solway Clyde 808
viridescens Fab. Very common. With the preceding species.
Distribution — East. 8088 Moray 0 o
West. Solway Clyde 000
374
The Scottish Naturalist.
SUBRUGOSUS Gyll. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o
West. Solway
VIDUATUS Sturm.
Distribution — East.
West.
o
o
o
o
Solway
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Not uncommon about Thornhill.
UMBROSUS Sturm.
Distribution — East. o o o o o
West. Solway o o o
SENICULUS Er. In flowers of Echium vulgare.
Distribution — East. § Forth o o o
West. § § o o o
PICIPES Sturm. Not uncommon.
Distribution — East. g Forth
West. Solway §
DISTINCTUS Sturm. Rare.
Distribution — East. § Forth
West. g g o
erythropus Gyll. Local.
Distribution. — East, g Forth o o o
West. g Clyde o o o
EXILIS Sturm. Very rare.
Distribution — East. o o o
West. Solway o
POCADIUS Er.
o o
o
Local,
o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
ferrugineus Fab. Rare. In fungi, especially puff balls.
Moray o o o
West. 2 2 o o o
Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g g
CYCHRAMUS Er.
luteus Fab. In fungi.
Distribution — East. g g o
West. Solway Clyde
fungicola Heer. In fungi.
Distribution — East. o o o o
West. Solway o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Moray
o o
The Scottish Naturalist. 375
BYTURUS Latr.
TOMENTOSUS Fab. Common on the flowers of raspberry and
mountain ash.
Distribution — East. § Forth Tay g Moray o o o
West. Solway § 000
IPS Er.
quadripunctata Hbst. Scarce.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee 0000
West. Solway Clyde 000
quadripustulata Fab. Common under bark of Scots fir.
Lowland, highland.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
FERRUGINEUS Fab. Under bark of Scots fir. Not un-
common.
Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
RHIZOPHAGUS Er.
DEPRESSUS Fab. Common under bark of Scots fir.
Distribution — East g g Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
FERRUGINEUS Payk. Common under bark of fir.
Distribution — East, g g Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway g o o o
PERFORATUS Er. Rare. Amongst old wood.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
parallelocollis Gyll. Rare.
Distribution — East. 00000000
West. Solway 0000
DISPAR Payk. Very common under bark of conifers and sap
trees. Highland and lowland.
Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray 000
West. Solway Clyde 000
bipustulatus Fab. Common under bark.
Distribution — East g Forth Tay Dee g o o o
West. Solway g o o o
376 The Scottish Naturalist.
TROGOSITIDJE.
TROGOSITA Er.
[MAURITANICA Lin. Not indigenous.
Distribution — East, o o o o o o
West, o o o o o
Found in the town of Edinburgh.
THYMALUS Er.
LIMBATUS Fab. Very rare. Under bark.
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee o o
West, o o o o o
COLYDIIDjE.
SARROTRIUM Er.
CLAVICORNE Lin. Maritime. Local.
Distribution — East, o Forth o o o o
West, o o o o o
DITOMA Er.
[crenata Hbst. Doubtful as Scottish.
Distribution — East. o Forth? o o o o
West. o o o o o
"Duddingstone and south of Scotland." Ent. Edin.
CERYLON Er.
HISTEROIDES Fab. Local. Under bark,
Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee § °
West, o o o o o
angustatum Er, Rare. Under bark.
Distribution — East, o o Tay o o o
West, o o o o o
deplanatum Gyll. Rare. Under bark.
Distribution — East, o o Tay o o i
West, o o o o o
( To be continued. )
End of Volume III.
No. XVIT.
JANUARY, 1875.
Vol. III.
" Times glory is
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light.
TH E
SCOTTISH NATURAL
Edited by F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.
CONTEXTS.
Zoology-
Illustrations of Animal Reason, — Dr. Lauder Lindsay, F.R.S.E.,
F.L.S., -
Addition to the List of Shetland Coleoptera, — Rev. T. Blackburn,
B.A., and C. E. Lilley,
Ivory Gulls at Aberdeen, — G. Sim, - -
Lycaena Artaxerxes,— H. O. Forbes,
Insecta Scotica — Addenda, — A. Kelly and J. Boswell Syme, LL.D.,
f.l.s., -:■-".;
Food- Plant of Plusia interrogationis, — A. Kelly, ....
Lepidopterological Notes, — Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, Bart.,
Outline Descriptions of British Beetles, — Rev. T. Blackburn, B.A.,
Phytology—
Notes of an Excursion to Breadalbane, — Colonel Drummond-Hay
C.M.Z.S., and Dr. Buchanan White, F.L. S.,
New Scottish Plants, ---.------
Variety of Melampyrum sylvaticum L., — F. Buchanan White,
Anthriscus ahortivus lord. — Id., - -
New British Fungus, — Rev. J. KEITH, M.A.,
Id.,— F. Buchanan White. M.D., F.L. S.,
Kobresia caricina in Argyleshire, — Id., ......
The Botanical Locality Record Club, -------
Edible Wild Fruits of Scotland, — Editor,
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland, — F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L. S.,
The Coleoptera of Scotland, — D. Sharp, M.B. ....
Title-page, Preface, and Index to Volume II.
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street.
London : E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C.
Paris: E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
O
CD
SAMUEL COWAN AND CO , STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
In preparation, and will be published s hotly,
Volume I. of
THE FLORA OF PERTHSHIRE.
Price to Subscribers, 3s 6d.
N. B. — After the Subscription List is complete the price will be increased.
Since no complete list of the plants of the large and varied county of Perth
has ever been published, the Perthshire Society of Natural Science has
engaged its botanical members to prepare a " Flora of Perthshire."
In this work it is intended to show the distribution of each plant through-
out the county, giving, in regard to the rarer plants, detailed information
regarding their especial localities, and, when possible, the dates (in some
cases upwards of 200 years ago) of their first discovery in the county.
For the benefit of less advanced botanists, a Synopsis of the Perthshire
Flora (ie., short botanical characters of each plant) will be given. As
such information is of much interest, especial attention will be directed to
the Lowland and Gaelic names and uses of plants; and a variety of other
interesting matter will serve, it is hoped, to make the "Flora of Perth
shire " useful to the scientific botanist, and, at the same time, not devoid of
attraction to the "general reader."
The Publication Committee of the Society also hope to be enabled to
give a few illustrations of notable Perthshire trees, &c.
Persons intending to subscribe, should send their names, without delays to
the Editor,
Dr. BUCHANAN WHITE, F.LS.,
PERTH,
Who will gladly receive any information regarding Perthshire plants.
All communications to be addressed to the Editor, Dr. Buchanan
White, Perth.
Subscriptions to the Scottish Naturalist for 1875 (4s* » Post ^ree> payable
in advance), are now due. Single numbers, is. 2d. Annual Subscription
not paid in advance, not including postage, 4s. 6d.
Orders to be sent to Mr. A. T. Scott, Clydesdale Bank, Perth.
This Circular should have formed part of, as an Appen-
dix to, the last (or January) number oi the "Scottish
Naturalist ;" but was inadvertently omitted by the
Binder.
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
BUILDINGS EXTENSION SCHEME.
FUNDS REQUIRED
Are estimated at £150,000. Of this sum ,£70,000 has already been
privately subscribed: ^£30,000 is still required by private
subscription; while £50,000 is expected, as a grant from Govern-
ment, when £100,000 shall have been obtained from private sources.
OBJECT FOR WEIGH THE FUNDS ARE
REQUIRED
Is generally to place the University of Edinburgh on a par with
other Universities in Scotland (especially that of Glasgow), and Eng-
land (for instance, the Owens College, Manchester), and to adapt
it to the growing requirements of the age, by the
1. Establishment of a separate MEDICAL SCHOOL in the
vicinity of the New General Hospital.
2. Adaptation of existing Building to the present or prospective
necessities of the Faculties of ARTS, LAW and DIVINITY.
3. Erection of a UNIVERSITY HALL for general purposes,
such as Graduation examinations and ceremonials, or Rectorial ad-
dresses.
4. Accommodation for Professors at present without class-
rooms.
5. Provision of —
LABORATORIES in the departments of Chemistry,
Anatomy, Physiology, Physics, and Engineering.
MUSEUMS in the departments of Anatomy, Zoology,
Geology, Pathology, Materia Medica, and Natural
Philosophy.
CLASS LIBRARIES.
6. Extension of the GENERAL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY.
7. Renovation of the exterior of present Building; with
8. Alteration of its interior to adapt it to new and increasing
needs.
GROUNDS OP APPEAL.
1. That the University of Edinburgh is a National Institution,
aad the present scheme, therefore, one of National importance.
Not only does the University of Edinburgh attract the largest number
of students (about 2000 annually) of any Scottish University —
these students coming from all parts of Scotland; but its
Medical School is still by far the most important in the three king-
doms, drawing its pupils not from Scotland merely, but from England,
Ireland, all the British Colonies, the United States, India, Japan,
China, and many other foreign countries.
2. That it is eminently a popular University — a College for the
People, in a sense which does not apply to the aristocratic Univer-
sities of Oxford and Cambridge.
3. That the University of Edinburgh is far behind other Univer-
sities of more modern construction, at home and abroad, as regards
the completeness of its arrangements for tuition, in the depart-
ments especially of the Natural and Experimental Sciences —
in other words, for Practical Science Teaching.
4. That of late years several new Chairs have been created, and
others are likely to be added in the course of years; while even for
old established Professorships there is at present Inadequate ac-
commodation.
5. That the University of Edinburgh has long suffered from
pecuniary difficulties. It has not, and never had, any of the rich
Endowments possessed by the sister Universities of Oxford and Cam-
bridge.. Its whole history, on the contrary, has been one of struggle
against want of funds. Even the present Building has never for this
reason — want of funds — been completed.
6. Other Universities are making, or have made, munificent
expenditure on the extension or improvement of their Buildings : other
cities have erected, or contemplate the erection of, costly new College
Edifices. By the time it is finished, Glasgow will have spent at
least ^"450,000 on its new University. At present a single London
merchant (Mr. Holloway, who has already, moreover, expended
;£i 00,000 on another equally useful public institution,) is arranging to
build, near that city, and at his own expense, a College for Ladies,
the estimated cost of which is ^£150,000. Oxford lately spent
;£i 20,000 on a Museum and attached Laboratories: while the Uni-
versities of Berlin and Bonn have devoted, in each case, a sum of
about .£30,000 to the construction of Chemical Laboratories alone.
Dundee contemplates building, at a cost of £"150,000, a College to
be affiliated to the ancient University of St. Andrews. Yorkshire
has just established a College of Science at Leeds; and the Northern
Counties of England have recently opened another at Newcastle.
ADVOCACY OF THE SCHEME
Includes —
1. Speeches at a Public Meeting in Edinburgh in April, 1874,
by
The Duke of Buccleuch.
The Lord Justice-General, Chancellor of the University.
Dr. Lyon Playfair, M.P. for the University.
Duncan M 'Laren, Esq. , senior M. P. for the City.
James Cowan, Esq. , junior M. P. for the City, and lately Lord Provost thereof.
Charles Cowan, Esq. of Loganhouse, formerly M. P. for the City.
Lord Curriehill, one of the Judges of the Court of Session.
The Right Rev. Dr. Cotterill, Bishop of Edinburgh.
Mr. Campbell Swinton of Kimmerghame.
Rev. Dr. Taylor, Secretary of the Education Board for Scotland.
Rev. Dr. Macgregor of Edinburgh.
2. The support, by handsome Subscriptions, of
Many of the Nobility of Scotland, including two Dukes, two Marquises,
five Earls, ten Baronets, and six Knights.
Most, or all, of the Judges of the Court of Session.
The Rector of the University, Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, of Keir and
Pollok.
The Principal of the University, Sir Alexander Grant.
The Professors of the University.
Many of the leading non-titled landowners of the east of Scotland.
Many of the leading representatives of the professions of Medicine, Law, and
Divinity in Edinburgh, and throughout Scotland.
Several present or former Scottish Members of Parliament.
Many of the Sheriffs of Counties in Scotland.
The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and the Provosts of several other towns in
Scotland.
Certain Public Bodies in Edinburgh, such as the Royal College of Physicians,
Royal Medical Society, and the Merchant Company.
Many of the leading Merchants of Edinburgh, such as those representing the
Publishing, Printing, and Bookselling Trades. ,
3. Leading and other articles in the Press, not only of. Edin-
burgh, but of the Provinces: such as an article on "University
Development in Scotland," in the Perthshire Constitutional m No-
vember, 1874.
TO WHOM APPEAL IS MADE.
To all who, either abroad or at home, are interested in —
i. The Educational eminence and prosperity of Edinburgh.
2. The maintenance of the fame of its University, and especially
of its Schools of Medicine and the Sciences.
3. The promotion of the Higher Education in Scotland.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
From Perth City and County already amount to ^2142 13s; but a
single Dundee merchant — the late Sir David Baxter of Kilmaron —
contributed nearly ten times as much— viz., ^£20,000.
The most convenient mode of remitting Subscriptions — which
may be spread in instalments over four years, if preferred — is by the
medium of the Union Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh, or any of
its Branches or Agencies.
W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D.,
One of the Honorary Local Secretaries.
PERTH, January, 1875.
Change of Publishers.
On the i st of evety Month, 32 pp. 8vo. , zoith at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L.S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F.L. S., Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions for 1875 (I2s> Post free, in the United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. Ranken & Co., Drury House, St. Mary de-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1874 (price iOs
6d, bound in cloth); also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST :
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— Rev. C. J. S. BETHUNE, Trinity College School, Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE Z00L0GIE
PARAIT UNE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOIS.
et forme chaque an nee tin fort volume in Sto. de 500 pages el 30 planches environ.
23 francs par an (£0 18s 6d, post free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 par M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de travaux inedits
sur toutes les brandies de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street. W.C , London; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle his, 23 rue
de la Monnaie, Paris.
On the 1st of each month, Price Sixpence.
A Monthly Record of CRYPTOGAMIC BOTANY and its 1. Herat me.
Edited by M. C. Cooke, M.A.
Assisted by some of the most eminent British Cryptogamists.
Subscription in advance. — Five Shi/lings per annum.
London and Edinburgh: Williams & Norgate.
On the 1 si of every month, Price Sixpence, 24 pp. Svo.,
THE ENTOMOLOGISTS MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. W. DOUGLAS; R. M' J '..! CIII.A X, P./.S, Sec. Put. Soc. ;
E. C. RYE, and II. /: Sl.l/X'POX, P.A'.S., &>c.
Tlii-. Magazine was coin 1 d in [8O4, and its pages are principal!) devoted
tn information respecting British Entomology.
London: John Van Voorst, 1 Paternoster Rom*, E.C.
N.Bj -The volumes commence with the June number in each year, Sub-
scriptions (6s per vol., post free), should be forwarded to the Edito.'s at the
above address.
±
No. XVIII.
APRIL, 1875.
Vol. III.
" Time's glory is
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light.
TH E
SCOTTISH NATURALIST
Edited by F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
!uj{ L I
C O N TEXT S.
Geology—
On Clays containing Ophiolepis gracilis, etc., near St. Andrews,
Robert Walker, F.G.S.E.,
Auriferous Quartzites of Scotland,- — Dr. Lauder Lindsay, F. R. S.E.,
Zoology-
Illustrations of Animal Reason (continued), — Id., -
Captures of Lepidoptera near Edinburgh in 1874, — W. A. Forbes,
Hadena glauca in Tweed, — A. Kelly, .--...
Little Gull,— G. Sim,
Outline Descriptions of British Coleoptera {continued), — Rev. Thos.
Blackburn, B.A., -
Phytology—
Edible Wild Fruits of Scotland,- — F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
Recently described Scottish Fungi, ---....
A Scottish Cryptogamic Society and Fungus Show, -- - - -
Potamogeton polygonifolius, yar. linearis, — A. Brotherston, -
Ulleriore, -,---------
Correction — Pyrola minor (altitude) and Anthriscus abortivus,
Bryological Notes, — Rev. J. Fergusson, M.A., - - - - -
Botanico-geology, -'.-.:-.--- -
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland,— F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.,
The Coleoptera of Scotland, — D. Sharp, M.B. - - --. -
If]/ Page
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street.
London: E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C.
Paris : E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
4i
46
57
64
64
64
65
73
77
78
79
79
79
80
80
81
§5
SAMUEL COWAN AND CO., STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
c-f-
In preparation, and will be published shortly ^
Volume I. of
THE FLORA OF PERTHSHIRE.
Price to Subscribers, 3s 6d.
N. B. — After the Subscription List is complete the price will be increased.
Since no complete list of the plants of the large and varied county of Perth
has ever been published, the Perthshire Society of Natural Science has
engaged its botanical members to prepare a " Flora of Perthshire."
In this work it is intended to show the distribution of each plant through-
out the county, giving, in regard to the rarer plants, detailed information
regarding their especial localities, and, when possible, the dates (in some
cases upwards of 200 years ago) of their first discovery in the county.
For the benefit of less advanced botanists, a Synopsis of the Perthshire
Flora {i.e., short botanical characters of each plant) will be given. As
such information is of much interest, especial attention will be directed to
the Lowland and Gaelic names and uses of plants ; and a variety of other
interesting matter will serve, it is hoped, to make the "Flora of Perth-
shire " useful to the scientific botanist, and, at the same time, not devoid of
attraction to the "general reader."
The Publication Committee of the Society also hope to be enabled to
give a few illustrations of notable Perthshire trees, &c.
Persons intending to subscribe, should send their names, without delay, to
the Editor,
Dr. BUCHANAN WHITE, F.L.S.,
PERTH,
Who will gladly receive any information regarding Perthshire plants.
All communications to be addressed to the Editor, Dr. Buchanan
White, Perth (or, after May 15, Rannoch, Perthshire).
Subscriptions to the Scottish Naturalist for 1875 (4s., post free, payable
in advance), are now due. Single numbers, is. 2d. Annual Subscription
not paid in advance, not including postage, 4s. 6d.
Orders to be sent to Mr. A. T. SCOTT, Clydesdale Bank, Perth.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE ZOOLOGIE
PARAIT UXE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOIS.
tt forme chaque annee un fort volume in 8vo. dejoo pages et 30 planches environ.
23 francs par an (£0 18s 6d, post free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 par M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de travaux inedits
sur toutes les branches de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street, W.C., London; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle fils, 23 rue
de la Monnaie, Paris.
WANTED, well blown and well authenticated BRITISH BIRDS' EGGS.
Send lists, with desiderata in British Lepidoptera, or lowest cash price,
to W. H. Harwood, io Crouch Street, Colchester.
FOR SALE, a CABINET of INSECTS (British and Foreign) and EGGS
of British Birds. The Insects are chiefly British, and include rare Scottish
species. The collection of Eggs includes almost all the British species. For par-
ticulars and price apply to "Entomologist," care of the Editor.
Change of Publishers.
On the ist of every Month, 32 pp. 8vo., with at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F. L. S. , Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions for 1875 (I2s> Post free> m tne United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. Ranken & Co., Drury House, St. Mary-le-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1874 (price iOs
6d, bound in cloth); also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST:
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— Rev. C. J. S. BETHUNE, Trinity College School, Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
On the ist of each month, Price Sixpence.
GREYILLEA:
A Monthly Record of CRYPTOGAMJC BOTANY and its Literature.
Edited by M. C. COOK-E, M.A.
Assisted by some of the most eminent British Cryptogamists.
Subscription in advance.— Five Shillings per an man.
London and Edinburgh: WILLIAMS & NORGATE.
On the ist of every month, /'rice Sixpence, 2./ pp. Svo.,
THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. IV. DOUGLAS; R. M'LACHLAN, F.L.S., Sec. Ent. Soc. ;
' /■:. C. RYE, and H. T. STAINTON, R.R.S., {
This Magazine was commenced in 1864, and its pages are principal!) devoted
to information respecting British Entomology*
London: JOHN Van Voorst, i Paternoster Row, E.C.
N.B.— -The volumes 1 nee with the June number in each year, Sub-
I, should be forwarded to the Editors at the
No. XIX.
JULY, 1875.
; Time's glory is
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light.
THE
Vol. III.
UJ(U B
SCOTTISH natural:
4*ASfc;
Edited by P. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
CONTENTS.
Zoology— Page
Animal Psychosis, — Rev. J. Wardrop, 89
Illustrations of Animal Reason (continued), — Dr. Lauder Lindsay,
F.R.S.E., F.L.S., 96
Outline Descriptions of British Coleoptera (continued), — Rev. Thos.
Blackburn, B.A., - . - - - . - - - - 105
Turtle Dove in Aberdeenshire, — G. Sim, - - - - - - 112
Aromia moschata, — A. Buchan Hepburn, 112
Geology—
The Earn Valley (Third Paper). The Dron Beds and Dunning Borings,
— F. Smith, 113
Phytology—
Remarks upon "Notes of an Excursion to Breadalbane, " — Professor
Balfour, F.R. S., 122
On some varieties of the Primrose found in Fifeshire, — C. Howie, - 123
Dicranum montanum in Scotland, — Rev. J. FERGUSSON, M.A., - - 125
Ulleriore, — Rev. G. Gordon, LL.D., 127
Peziza Stevensoni, ..--.-....127
The Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, - - - - - - 127
Various Notes, - 128
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland,— F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L. S., 129
The Coleoptera of Scotland, — D. Sharp, M.B. .... ^
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street.
London: E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C
Paris: E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
CD
•
•
O
o
o
P-.
o
02
cd"1
go
CD
tzr*
SAMUEL COWAN AND CO., STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
Communications intended for the October number must be sent not later than
August 15th, as that number (containing the latest news of the Fungus Show) will
be published about the middle of September.
All communications to be addressed to the Editor, Dr. Buchanan White,
Rannoch, Perthshire.
Subscriptions to the Scottish Naturalist for 1875 (4s., post free, payable in
advance), were due in January last. Single numbers, is. 2d. Annual Subscription
not paid in advance, not including postage, 4s. 6d.
Orders to be sent to Mr. A. T. Scott, Clydesdale Bank, Perth.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE Z00L0GIE
PARAIT UNE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOIS.
et forme chaque annce un fort volume in Svo. de 300 pages el 30 planches environ.
23 francs par an (^0 18s 6d, post free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 par M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de travaux inedits
sur toutes les branches de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street, W. C. , London ; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle fils, 23 me
de la Monnaie, Paris.
On the 1st of evety Month, 32 pp. Svo. , with at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L.S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F.L. S., Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions for 1875 (I2S> ^ free> m tne United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. Ranken & Co., Drury House, St. Mary-le-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1874 (price 16s
6d, bound in cloth); also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST:
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— Rev. C. J. S. BETH UNE, Trinity College School, Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
On the 1st of every month, Price Sixpence, 24 pp. Svo.,
THE ENTOMOLOGISTS MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. W. DOUGLAS; R. JIPLACIIIAX, F.L.S., Sec. Put. Soc. ;
E. C. RYE, and H. T. STALNPON, P.R.S., &c.
This Magazine was commenced in 1864, and it^ pages are principall} devoted
to information respecting British Entomology.
London: John Van Voorst, i Paternoster Row, E.C.
N.B. — The volumes commence with the June number in each year. Sub-
scriptions (6s per vol., post free), should be forwarded to the Editors, at the
above addr<
FUNGUS SHOW
AND
(Emttena of (Erpptogamix §otmxiBts,
AT PERTH,
September 2Qth & 30th, and October ist, 1873.
The CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND will hold
its FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE at PERTH, on
September 29th and 30th, and October ist, 1875.
President — Sir T. Moxcreiffe, of Moncreiffe, Bart., President of the Perthshire
Society of Natural Science.
Vice-President — Geo. Dickie, M.D., F.L.S., Professor of Botany, University of
Aberdeen.
Secretary — F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L. S., Editor of Scottish Naturalist.
Treasurer — Rev. J. Stevenson, M.A., Glamis, Forfarshire.
Members of Council —
Rev. T- Fergusson, M.A., Fem, near Brechin, Forfarshire.
Rev. M. Anderson, M.A., Menmuir, Forfarshire (or after July, St.
Andrews, Fife).
Rev. J. Keith, M.A., Forres.
J. Roy, Secretary of the Natural History Society, Aberdeen.
Colonel Drummond Hay, C.M.Z. S., of Seggieden, Perthshire.
G. Ogilvie, M.D., Professor of Institutes of Medicine, University of
Aberdeen.
C. Howie, Secretary of the Largo Naturalists' Field Club, Largo, Fife.
The following arrangements have been made : —
Wednesday, Sept. 29th. Field-Excursions. Localities will be inti-
mated hereafter.
Thursday, Sept. jot/i. Arrangement and examination of specimens.
Business Meeting. Fungus Dinner.
Friday, Oct. ist. Show of Fungi and other Cryptogamic Plants
in the City Hall, Perth.
Detailed arrangements icill be announced hereafter.
NOTICE TO EXHIBITORS.
F The Society requests the co-operation of every one interested, in
obtaining specimens of mushrooms, toadstools, and other fungi, ferns,
mosses, lichens, and other cryptogamic plants, for exhibition; and
requests the attention of intending contributors to the following
points : —
i. Fungi may be found in all sorts of places, fields or woods, moors
or mountains, on the ground or on trees ; and every kind, how-
ever common they may appear to be, will be acceptable. Fresh,
undecayed specimens should be selected, and gathered not more
than three or four days before the Show. Each should be
wrapped up in a piece of paper, and packed with straw, moss,
or bracken, in a box or hamper.
2. Ferns must be sent either growing in pots or as dried specimens.
Mosses, lichens, &c, may be sent either fresh or dried.
All fungi, &c, intended for exhibition must be delivered (ad-
dressed to the care of the " Keeper of the City Hall, Perth,'')
not later than 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30th. Ferns in pots
must be delivered between 8 and 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 1st.
5. With each consignment for exhibition must be sent a card stating
by whom the specimens are sent and from what district, and
whether the exhibitor wishes the specimens to be returned to
him after the Show.
6. To the inside of the lid of each hamper or box sent (when the
sender wishes these to be returned to him) must be affixed a
label with the name and address of the sender. In cases where
no such label is sent, the Society will not be responsible for the
safe return of the hamper or box.
NOTICE TO VISITORS,
Botanists in distant localities who purpose attending the Confer-
ence are requested to give early intimation of their intention, in order
to facilitate arrangements.
For the benefit of visitors from nearer localities, it is hoped that
the railway companies will issue tickets at reduced fare
Further information may lie obtained on application to the General
Secretary,
Dr. BUCHANAN "WHITE, Rannoch, Perthshire;
or the Local Secretary,
Mr. J. YOUNG, C.E., Tay Street, Perth ;
or to any member of the Council or Local Committee.
No. XX.
OCTOBER, 1875.
Vol. III.
" Time's glory is ZV, ^ o8 ^/J
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to llgf^z/\P \\
THE
(LIBRARY
^
vC^V>
SCOTTISH NATURALIST
Edited by F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
CONTENT S.
Zoology— PasG
Illustrations of Animal Reason (continued), — Dr. Lauder Lindsay,
F.R.S.E., F.L.S., 137
Animal Psychosis, — Rev. J. Wardrop, ------ 149
On the Grey Seal (Halichcerus grypus) on the East Coast of Scotland, —
R. Walker, F.G.S.E., - - 154
Captures of Helicidas at Pitlochry, Perthshire,— H. Coates. - - 160
Helix caperata, — Id., -160
New British Moth,— F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S., - - 160
Outline Descriptions of British Coleoptera (continued), — Rev. THOS.
Blackburn, B.A., - - - 161
Geology—
The Origin of Soils,— F. Smith, 169
Gold in Scotland,— W. Lauder Lindsay, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S., 177
Phytology—
Note on Merulius lachiymans, — Rev. J. Stevenson, M. A., - - 178
New British Fungi,— F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S. , - 178
The Fundus Show, .-.-------178
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland,— F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S., 180
The Coleoptera of Scotland,— D. Sharp, M.B., .... 183
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street.
London: E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C
Paris : E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
SAMUEL COWAN AND CO., STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
o
CD
ZQ
P-«
20
cd
bd
hd
CD
Communications intended for the January number must be sent not later than
December ioth.
All communications to be addressed to the Editor, Dr. Buchanan White,
Perth.
Subscriptions to the Scottish Naturalist for 1875 (4s* » Post ^ree» payable in
advance), were due in January last. Single numbers, is. 2d. Annual Subscription
not paid in advance, not including postage, 4s. 6d.
Orders to be sent to Mr. A. T. Scott, Clydesdale Bank, Perth.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE Z00L0GIE
PARAIT UNE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOIS.
et forme chaque annee un fort volume in 8vo. de 300 pages et 30 planches environ*
23 francs par an (£0 18s 6d, post free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 par M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de travaux inedits
sur toutes les branches de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street, W. C. , London ; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle fils, 23 rue
de la Monnaie, Paris.
On the 1st of ez>e>y Month, 32 pp. 8vo. , wUh at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L.S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F.LS., Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions for 1875 (I2s> Post free> m tne United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. Ran ken & Co., Drury House, St. Mary-le-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1874 (price 16s
6d, bound in cloth); also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST:
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— Rev. G. J. S. BETHUNE, Trinity College School, Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
On the 1st of every month, Price Sixpence, 34 pp. Svo.,
THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. W. DOUGLAS; R. Ml LAC II LAX, F.I.S., Sec. Ent. Soc. ;
E. C. RYE, and H. T. STAIN IV X, E.R.S., &c.
This Magazine was commenced in 1864, and its pages are principall) devoted
to information respecting British Entomology.
London: John Van Voorst, i Paternoster Row, E.C.
N. B. — The volumes commence with the June number in each year. Sub-
scriptions (6s per vol , DOTt free), should be forwarded to the Editors at the
above address.
THE EARN VALLEY (Third Paper)— Correction.— Page 118, line 5 from
top. For "Mid- Lothian" read "the Middle Lomond Hill."
Price Fourpence per Months or Four Shillings per Annum, post free.
THE NATURALIST:
Journal of the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society,
AND
GENERAL FIELD CLUB RECORD.
NEW SERIES.
Edited by CHAS. P. HOBKIRK & GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S.
Containing Original Articles, Notes, Reports of Societies, Correspondence,
Exchange, &c.
HUDDERSF1ELD : B. BROWN.
FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE
OF THE
CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND.
PKOO-BAMMB.
WEDNESDAY, 29th SEPTEMBER.
FIELD EXCURSIONS.
i. To Moncreiffe. Conducted by Sir T. Moncreiffe, Bart. Pro-
ceed by train leaving Perth at 9.35 a.m. to Bridge of Earn Station,
when a Guide will meet the Party.
2. To Scone Woods. Conducted by Colonel Drummond Hay and
Dr. Buchanan White. Meet in the Rooms of the Perthshire Society
of Natural Science, St. Ann's Lane, at 10 a.m.
3. Dupplin. Information may be had from the Secretary.
IV. B. — Every Member of the Excursion Parties should bring a basket and some
old newspapers with him.
THURSDAY, 30th SEPTEMBER.
10 a.m. Meet in the City Hall to arrange and examine specimens.
2.30 p.m. Annual Meeting of the Cryptogamic Society of Scot-
land, in the Committee Room of the City Hall. Papers — M. C.
Cooke, LL.D. ; Rev. J. Stevenson, M.A. ; and Rev. J. Fergusson —
will be read.
7 p.m. Dinner in the Salutation Hotel. Sir T. Moncreiffe, of
Moncreiffe, Bart., President of the Society, in the chair.
N.B. — Edible Fungi will be well represented at the dinner.
FRIDAY, 1ST OCTOBER.
GRAND EXHIBITION OF CRYPTOGAMIC PLANTS IN THE
CITY HALL.
HOURS AND PRICES OF ADMISSION.
12 to 3 p.m., - One Shilling.
3 to 5 p.m., - Sixpence.
7-30 to 10 p.m., Threepence.
Tickets for the Dinner, Price 5s. 6d., may be had, not later
than Tuesday, 28th September, from the Local Secretary, Mr. J.
Young, C.E. ; from Mr. Wood, Bookseller. George Street and High
Street; Mr. Richardson, Bookseller, (ieorge Street; Mrs. Baton
and Mr. Stewart, Booksellers, St. John Street, or at the Hotel.
Tickets for the Exhibition may also be had from the above-
mentioned Booksellers.
Member* of the J\ S, X. -s'. are Associates for the time ^eingofthe Cryptogamic
Secietyy and are at liberty to at.'ei I inuna! Meeting, and Dinner,
ami /• introduce friends.
No. XXI. JANUARY, 1876.
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to .
JLufuBRAHY
&«
THE X/s»,
SCOTTISH NATURALIST
Edited by P. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
CONTEXTS.
Phytology— Page
Notes on Ergot, — A. Stephen Wilson, F.C.S.S., .... 185
On Rare or Probable Scottish Fungi, — M. C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D., - 190
Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, ..... . 196
Naias flexilis in Perthshire, — A. Sturrock, 198
New Scottish Fungi, 199
Bryological Notes, — Rev. J. FERGUSSON, M.A., F.C.S.S., - - 203
Manual of Bryology, — Id., ........ 203
Zoology-
Animal Psychosis (continued), — Rev. J. Wardrop, .... 204
Illustrations of Animal Reason (continued), — Dr. Lauder Lindsay,
F.R.S.E., F.L. S., .... -l . . - 212
Common Swallow, — A. Murdoch ....... 218
Outline Descriptions of British Coieoptera (continued), — Rev. Thos.
Blackburn, B.A., - 219
Gonepteryx rhamni in Fifeshire, — Owen Wilson, F. L. S. , - - - 226
Various Notes, - ...... 226
«
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland, — F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L. S., 227
The Coieoptera of Scotland, — D. Sharp, M.B., ..... 231
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street.
London: E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C.
Paris: E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
SAMUEL CoWAN AND CO., STRATHMoRE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
To our Friends.
TTUVE years have come and gone since the
First Number of our Magazine was pub-
lished. Thanks to the kind support it has met
with, and to the careful management of our
friend, Mr. Scott, it has during that period
been self-supporting (we had almost written,
contrary to our expectation !)
From what we have heard, however, from
various friends, we think that " The SCOTTISH
NATURALIST" is not so well known as (they say)
it deserves to be, and that many would be glad
to become Subscribers if it was brought under
their notice.
We need not point out the advantage an in-
creased Circulation of the Magazine would be
to the present Subscribers, but we would ask
every one of them to try and secure one other
Subscriber. We are sure that they have only to
try, to succeed.
Trusting, then, that all our kind friends will do
their best to help us, we beg to wish them heartily
A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
NOTICE.
Subscriptions to the "Scottish Naturalist" for 1876 (4s., post
free, payable in advance), are now due. Single numbers,
Is. 2d. Annual Subscription not paid in advance, not in-
cluding postage, 4s. 6d.
Orders to be sent to Mr. A. T. SCOTT, Clydesdale Bank,
Perth.
Communications intended for the April number must be sent not later than
March ioth.
All communications to be addressed to the Editor, Dr. Buchanan White,
Perth.
Price Fonrpence per Month, or Four Shillings per Annum, post free.
THE NATURALIST :
Journal of the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society,
AND
GENERAL FIELD CLUB RECORD.
NEW SERIES.
Edited by CHAS. P. HOBKIRK & GEO. T. PORRITT, P.L.S.
Containing Original Articles Notes, Reports of Societies, Correspondence,
Exchange, &c.
HUDDERSFIELD : B. BROWN.
c
RYPTOGAMIC MICROSCOPICAL SLIDES.— Slides of various Cryp-
,togamic Plants will be carefully prepared by J. E. Viye.
Subscribers may obtain the above from the1 Rev. J. E. VlZE, Forden Vicarage,
Welshpool, on forwarding Post Office Order for 21/ for 24 Slides, and 6d. for Post-
age and Box. They can have their own specimens of Ferns, Fungi, Lichens, Mosses,
&c, prepared, if desired.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE Z00L0GIE
JPARAIT UNE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOIS.
et forme chaque annee un fort volume in Svo. de 300 pages et 30 planches environ.
23 francs par an (£0 18s 6d, post free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 par M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de trayaux inedits
sur toutes les branches de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street, W.C., London; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle tils, 23 rue
de la Monnaie, Paris.
On the 1st of eveiy Month, 32 pp. Svo. , with at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L.S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F.L. S., Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions for 1875 (12s, post free, in the United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. R.ANKEN & Co., Drury House, St. Mary-le-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1874 (price iOs
6d, bound in cloth); also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST:
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— Rev. C. J. S. BETHUNE, Trinity College School, Tort
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
Un the 1st of eveiy month, Price Sixpetu ., -'-///• &v> ■■
THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. W. DOUGLAS; A'. M> i .iCIII.l. \\ F.L.S., Sec. Ent. Sec.
E. C. RYE, and II. T. STAIN TON, F.R.S., &c.
This Magazine ommenced in 1S04, and its pages are principal!.} devoted
to information n '■ itish Entomology.
London . John Van Voorst, i Paternoster Row, E.G.
N.15. — The volumes commence with the June number in each year. Sub-
scriptions (6s 1 si vi ree), should be forwarded to the Editojs, at the
above address.
No. XXII.
APRIL, 1876.
' ' Timers glory is
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light."}
Vol. III.
•<&\C
o>
THE
051,
.lO*^
&
IujI L I B R A R If
SCOTTISH NATURALIST
Edited by P. Buchanan White, M.D., P.L.S.
Thos
CONTENTS.
Zoology—
On the Distribution of the Common Jay in Scotland, — J. Lumsden,
Jun., F.Z.S., - -
Illustrations of Animal Reason (continued), — Dr. Lauder Lindsay
F. R. S.E. , F.L. S., -
Animal Psychosis (concluded), — Rev. J. Wardrop,
Outline Descriptions of British Coleoptera (continued), — Rev.
Blackburn, B.A.,
Notes on the Entomology of Skye, — W. A. Forbes, -
Captures of Lepidoptera in Scotland during 1875, — -^•»
Food-plants of Gonepteryx rhamni, — Owen Wilson, F.L.S.,
Sphinx convolvuli in Orkney, — J. T. Boswell, LL.D., F.L.S.,
Chariclea umbra in Forth District, — Id., - - - .
Goshawk and other Rare Birds, — George Sim, •
Scoparia basistrigalis and Cochylis Smeathmanniana in Scotland,
Buchanan White, F.L. S.,
Story of a Pigeon, — William Japp, -----
Notes on Certain Species of Eupithecia, — Dr. Buchanan White,
Phytology—
New Scottish Fungi,
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland, — F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
The Coleoptera of Scotland, — D. Sharp, M.B., -
— Dr
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street.
London : E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C.
Paris : E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
Page
233
241
250
254
262
264
265
265
265
265
265
266
266
267
274
277
A
SAMUEL COWAN AND CO., STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
NOTICE.
Subscribers are requested to notice that ALL communications
must in future be addressed to DR. BUCHANAN WHITE,
PERTH.
Those who have not yet paid their Subscriptions are requested
to forward them without delay.
Subscriptions to the "Scottish Naturalist" for 1876 (4s., post
free, payable in advance), were due in January last. Single
numbers, Is. 2d. Annual Subscription not paid in advance,
not including postage, 4s. 6d. Stamps cannot be received in
payment.
Orders to be sent to the EDITOR.
Communications intended for the July number must be sent
not later than June 10th.
WANTED to Purchase, No. II. of Vol. I., SCOTTISH NATURALIST,
by J. A. Harvie Brown, Dunipace House, Larbert.
Price Fourpence per Month, or Four Shillings per Annum, post free.
THE NATURALIST:
Journal of the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society,
AND
GENERAL FIELD CLUB RECORD.
NEW SERIES.
Edited by CHAS. P. HOBKIRK & GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S.
Containing Original Articles, Notes, Reports of Societies, Correspondence,
Exchange, &c.
HUDDERSFIELD : B. BROWN.
c
RYPTOGAMIC MICROSCOPICAL SLIDES.— Slides of various Cryp-
togamic Plants will be carefully prepared by J. E. Viye.
Subscribers may obtain the above from the Rev. J. E. Vize, Ford en Vicarage,
Welshpool, on forwarding Post Office Order for 21/ for 24 Slides, and 6d. for Post-
age and Box. They can have their own specimens of Ferns, Fungi, Lichens, Mosses,
&c. , prepared, if desired.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE Z00L0GIE
PARAIT UXE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOIS.
et forme chaqne annee tin fort volume in 8vo. de 500 pages et 30 planches environ.
23 francs par an (£0 18s 6d, post free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 par M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de travaux inedits
sur toutes les branches de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street, W.C., London; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle fils, 23 rue
de la Monnaie, Paris.
On the 1st of evety Month, 32 pp. 8vo. , with at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L.S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F. L. S. , Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions fo' 1876 (12s, post free, in the United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. Ranken & Co., Drury House, St. Mary-le-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1875 (price 16s
6d, bound in cloth); also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST:
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— Rev. C. J. S. BETHUNE, Trinity College School, Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
On the 1 si ofeveiy month, Price Sixpence, 24pp. Svo.,
THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. W. DOUGLAS; R. M'LACHLAN, F.L.S., Sec. Ent. Soc. ;
E. C. RYE, and H. T. STAINTON, F.R.S., <5rV.
This Magazine was commenced in 1864, and its pages are principally devoted
to information respecting British Entomology.
London : John Van Voorst, i Paternoster Row, E.C.
N.B. — The volumes commence with the June number in each year. Sub-
scriptions (6s per vol , port free), should be forwarded to the Editors, at the
above address.
No. XXIII. JULY, 1876. Vol. III.
" Time's glory is
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to ligi
[ujILIBRA
THE X^-
SCOTTISH NATURALIST
Edited by F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
CONTEXT S.
Zoology— Page
Farther Remarks on Animal Psychosis, — Rev. J. Wardrop, - - 281
Illustrations of Animal Reason (continued), — Dr. Lauder Lindsay,
F.R.S.E., F.L.S., - 289
Outline Descriptions of British Coleoptera (continued), — Rev. Thos.
Blackburn, B.A., 300
Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' P ielr.1 Club (Review ), - 307
Additional Localities for Scotch Coleoptera, — W. A. Forbes, - - 316
Phytologry—
Notes on Cryptogamic Plants, — R. H. Paterson, - - - - 317
Notes on Certain Plants, — Dr. Buchanan- "White, - - - - 318
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland, -*-F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S., 319
The Coleoptera of Scotland,— D. Sharp, M.B., - - - 321
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street.
London: E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C.
Paris: E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
SAMUEL COWAN AND CO., STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
NOTICE.
Subscribers are requested to notice that ALL communications
must in future be addressed to DR. BUCHANAN WHITE,
PERTH.
Those who have not yet paid their Subscriptions are requested
to forward them without delay.
Subscriptions to the "Scottish Naturalist" for 1876 (4s., post
free, payable in advance), were due in January last. Single
numbers, Is. 2d. Annual Subscription not paid in advance,
not including postage, 4s. 6d. Stamps cannot be received in
payment.
Orders to be sent to the EDITOR.
Communications intended for the August number must be
sent not later than 1st September.
EXCHANGE.
Probable Duplicates — Auroraria, Rubricata, Taeniata, Pusillata, Sparsata, Sexa-
lata, Sagittata, Grisearia, Hellmanni, Fibrosa, Sulphuralis, Venustuta, Flexula,
Nemoralis, Pandalis. Desiderata — Togata, Lapidata, Pyrophila, Sobrina, Me-
Ianopa, Cordigera, Decrepitalis, Gracilalis, Parali.s, Ericellus. Local Tortrices
and Tinea: required. — Dr. Gill. 9 Cambridge Terrace, Regent's Park, London.
WANTED to Purchase, Copies of Nos. I. and II. of Vol. I. of the
SCOTTISH NA TUP A LIST. Apply to the Editor.
In the Press, and shortly will be Published,
RAMBLES of a NATURALIST in Egypt and other Countries. By J. H.
Gurnev, Jun. Demy 8vo., price 7s. 6d. London: Jarrokl & Sons, 3
Paternoster Buildings ; and London Street, Norwich. Orders taken by Mr.
Porter, 6 Tenterden Street, Hanover Square, London, W. ; or by Messrs. [arrold.
Price Fourpeiice per Mouth, or Four Shillings per Annum, post free.
THE NATURALIST:
Journal of the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society,
AND
GENERAL FIELD CLUB RECORD.
NEW SERIES.
Edited by CHAS. P. HOBKIRK & GEO. T. PORRITT, P.L.S.
Containing Original Articles, Notes, Reports of Societies, Correspondence,
Exchange, &c.
HUDDERSFIELD : B. BROWN.
c
RYPTOGAMIC MICROSCOPICAL SLIDES.— Slides of various Cry*-
TOG AM I C Plants will be carefully prepared by J. E. Vize.
Subscribers may obtain the above from the Rev. J. E. Vize, Forden Vicarage,
Welshpool, on forwarding Post Office Order for 21/ for 24 Slides, and 6d. for Post-
age and Box. They can have their own specimens of Fems, Fungi, Lichens, Mosses,
&C, prepared, if desired.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE Z00L0GIE
PARAIT UXE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOIS.
et forme cJiaqne an nee tin fort volume in 8vo. de 300 pages el 30 planches environ.
23 francs par an (£0 18s 6d, post free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 par M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de travaux inedits
sur toutes les branches de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street, W. C. , London ; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle fils, 23 rue
de la Monnaie, Paris.
On the 1st of eveiy Month, 32 pp. Svo., loith at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L.S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F.L. S., Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions for 1876 (12s, post free, in the United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. Ran KEN & Co., Drury House, St. Mary-le-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1875 (price IOs
6d, bound in cloth) ; also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST:
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— -Rev. C. J. S. BETH UN E, Trinity College School, Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
On the ist of eve) y month, Price Sixpence, 24 pp. Svo.,
THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. W. DOUGLAS; R. M'LACI/LAX, F.L.S., Sec, Ent. Soc. :
E. C. RYE, and H. T. STAINTOX, E.R.S., &>c.
Thir> Magazine was commenced in 1864, and its pages are principally devoted
to information respecting British Entomology.
London: John Van Voorst, i Paternoster Row, E.C.
X.Li. — The volumes commence with the June number in each year. Sub-
scriptions (6s per vol , post free), should be forwarded to the Editors, at the
above address.
No. XXIV. OCTOBER, 1876. Vol. III.
11 TitnJs glory is
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light."
THE
SCOTTISH NATURALIST
Edited by P. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S.
CONTENTS.
Zoology— Page
Illustrations of Animal Reason (continued), — Dr. Lauder Lindsay,
F.R.S.E., F.L.S., 329
Note on the Woodcock, — W. D. Robinson-Douglas, B. A., F.C. S., &c, 337
Outline Descriptions of British Coleoptera (continued), — Rev. Thos.
Blackburn, B.A., 338
Velvet Scoters in Scotland in Summer,— J. A. Harvie Brown, - 348
The Tunny (Scomber thinnu s Linn.) — George Sim, - - - 348
Phytology—
Notes of a Botanical Excursion to Loch Clunie, Perthshire, — Dr.
Buchanan White, 349
Rumex conspersus (Hartm.) on Tweedside,— Andrew Brotherston, 354
Carex aquatilis var. Watsoni Syme, — Id., 354
Notes, 353
Geology—
The Earn Valley : an "Ancient " and " Modern" Level of the River
Earn,— F. Smith, F.G.S.E., 355
Notices of New Books-
Rambles of a Naturalist in Egypt and other Countries, by G. J. H.
Gurney, Jun., F.Z.S., 359
Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow, Vol. II. Part 2, 359
Insecta Scotica—
The Lepidoptera of Scotland,— F. Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S., 360
The Coleoptera of Scotland,— D. Sharp, M.B., .... 368
PERTH:
Perthshire Society of Natural Science.
Edinburgh : MacLachlan & Stewart, South Bridge.
London : E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C.
Paris : E. Deyrolle, 23 Rue de la Monnaie.
SAMUEL COWAN AND CO., STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS, PERTH.
NOTICE.
Subscribers are requested to notice that ALL communications
must in future be addressed to DR. BUCHANAN WHITE,
PERTH.
Those who have not yet paid their Subscriptions are requested
to forward them without delay.
Subscriptions to the "Scottish Naturalist" for 1876 (4s., post
free, payable in advance), were due in January last. Single
numbers, Is. 2d. Annual Subscription not paid in advance,
not including postage, 4s. 6d. Stamps cannot be received in
payment.
Orders to be sent to the EDITOR.
Communications intended for the January number must be
sent not later than 1st December.
NOTE.— The Index and Title Page to Volume III. will ap-
pear in the number for January 1877.
Price Fourpencc per Month y or Four Shillings per Annum, post free.
THE NATURALIST:
Journal of the 'West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society,
AND
GENERAL FIELD CLUB RECORD.
NEW SERIES.
Edited by CHAS. P. HOBKIRK & GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S.
Containing Original Articles, Notes, Reports of Societies, Correspondence,
Exchange, &c.
HUDDERSFIELD : B. BROWN.
CRYPTOGAMIC MICROSCOPICAL SLIDES.— Slides of various Cryp-
togam ic Plants will be carefully prepared by J. E. Vize.
Subscribers may obtain the above from the Rev. J. E. Vize, Forden Vicarage,
Welshpool, on forwarding Post Office Order for 21/ for 24 Slides, and 6d. for Post-
age and Box. They can have their own specimens of Ferns, Fungi, Lichens, Mosses,
&c., prepared, if desired.
REVUE ET MAGASIN DE Z00L0GIE
PARAIT UNE LIVRAISON CHAQUE MOTS.
// forme chaque annee un fort volume in Svo. de joo pages et 30 planches environ.
23 francs par an (£0 18s 6d, pest free).
Ce recueil fonde en 1831 r5ar M. Guerin Menevill est toujours sous la direction
scientifique de ce celebre auteur. II contient un grand nombre de travaux inedits
sur toutes les branches de la zoologie, et des comptes-rendus des ouvrages nouveaux
ayant trait a cette science.
Les abonnements pour 1' Angleterre doivent etre adresse a. Mr. Boucard, 55 Great
Russell Street, W.C., London; pour les autres pays, chez Deyrolle fils, 23 rue
de la Monnaie, Paris.
On the 1st of every Month, 32 pp. Svo. , with at least one Plate,
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY— British and Foreign.
Edited by Henry Trimen, M.B., F.L.S., British Museum, assisted by
J. G. Baker, F.L. S., Royal Herbarium, Kew.
Subscriptions for 1876 (12s, post free, in the United Kingdom) payable in
advance to the Publishers, Messrs. Ranken & Co. , Drury House, St. Mary-le-
Strand, London, W.C., of whom may be obtained the volume for 1875 (price 16s
6d, bound in cloth); also covers for the volume (price is) and back numbers.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST :
A Monthly Publication on Insects, issued by the
Entomological Society of Canada.
Subscription: Five Shillings stg. for volume of 12 numbers, free of postage.
Address— Rev. C. J. S. BETHUNE, Trinity College School, Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
On the ist of every month, Price Sixpence, 24 pp. Svo.,
THE ENTOMOLOGISTS MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
Conducted by J. W. DOUGLAS; R. M'LACHLAN, F.L.S., Sec. Ent. Soc. ;
E. C. RYE, and H. T. ST A IA TON, F.R.S., &c.
This Magazine was commenced in 1864, and its pages are principally devoted
to information respecting British Entomology.
London : John Van Voorst, i Paternoster Row, E. C.
N.B. — The volumes commence with the June number in each year. Sub-
scriptions (6s per vol , poet free), should be forwarded to the Editors, at the
above address.
TO NATUEALISTS AND OTHEES.
As I am at present working at the Hemiptera of the world, I should be very
much obliged for specimens from any part. For the benefit of those who may
kindly wish to help, I give a few hints on the collection and preservation of this
neglected order of insects. Hemiptera (which include the various insects popu-
larly known as Plant-bugs, Tree- hoppers, Cicadas, Fireflies, Aphides, &c.,)
resemble in general appearance Beetles, but have more membranous upper wings
(or wing cases), and are usually of softer consistence, besides having their mouth
provided with a rostrum, or proboscis, instead of jaws. In size Hemiptera vary
from an inch or more to less than one line in length. In colour they are also
variable, some being exceedingly brilliant, others very obscurely coloured. They
inhabit trees, shrubs, and low plants ; some run about on the damp margins of
streams and lakes, some inhabit the surface of the water, and others swim in the
water or crawl on the mud below. A few live under the dead bark of trees, and
are usually flat and dull coloured. The best mode of catching those on trees and
shrubs is by shaking the branches over an inverted umbrella ; those that are
found on or under low plants (grass or other herbage) may be collected by sweep-
ing the herbage witha.net (which can easily be. made out of a ring — 12-18 inches
in diameter — of stout wire, attached to a stick, and having a bag of canvas sewn
on to it). They may also be found by searching on flowers and leaves. Those at
the margin of the water may be founcTby searching ; those on and in the water
by using a net similar to the sweeping one, but with canvass open enough to allow
the water, but not the insects, to pass through. Rather shallow, still water,
among weeds, or in open places among weeds, are the best situatidhs. Many
species fly into houses at night, attracted by the lights. In habits these insects
are variable : some move slowly, others run or fly with celerity, and others (tree-
hoppers, &c.,) jump with great activity. As many species closely resemble each
other, it is desirable that all specimens met with should be secured. It is also
desirable that small species as well as large ones should be collected, as it is
among the former that most undescribed forms may be expected. To kill and
preserve these insects all that is necessary is that on capture they are put in a
bottle filled with spirits of wine (rum, whisky, &c, will do). Care must be taken,
however, that the bottle is kept filled with fluid, otherwise the specimens will be
shaken about and broken. So in transit great care must be taken to guard against
the evaporation of the spirit. The bottles, if not filled to the top with specimens,
should have the empty space filled with crumpled pieces of paper, then filled with
spirit, and tightly corked— all the bottles may then be packed into a larger one,
or jar, also filled with alcohol, and tightly corked.
In return for any specimens (few as well as many) kindly sent to me 1 shall be
happy (if wished) to return named specimens, or to give in return named British
Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, or Flowering plants ; or in certain cases
I shall be glad to buy specimens.
Communications may be addressed to
Dr. BUCHANAN WHITE,
Perth,
Scotland.
MBL WHOI LIBRARY
h ifisa a
BINDER
!»*%
«r -W*v-
*k£
*£■
i^ .w*Sk
•^: zxjkJf-
:&***t
, #Vvc-
>-*'
4"
*^"
♦"^
*
i
***>- -
*»■*
- J
••
A~
> < y
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11