?JM£«S «%, ^•JfTSP^. ^»««^ !*STS1 THE Stottislt Hatoralist .A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF NATURAL SCIENCE EDITED BY J. W. H. TRAIL, A.M., M.D., F PROFESSOR OK BOTANY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. VOLUME II.— NEW SERIES. (VOLUME VIII. FROM THE BEGINNING.) PERTH: S. COWAN & CO., PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS 1885-1886. S. Cowan & Co., Strathmore Printing Works, Perth. CONTENTS TO INDEX. PAGE INDEX OF ARTICLES, V INDEX TO CONTRIBUTORS, ... XV 32138 INDEX OF ARTICLES Aberdeen, Boreus Hyemalis at, Aberdeen, British Association's Meeting in, Aberdeen Natural History Society, Excursions, Meetings, Transactions, Aberdeen, Zoological Notes from, Additions to Flora of Dumfries and Galloway, ... Additions to Fungi of East of Scotland, see Fungi, Additional Records of Plants from Scotland, Addresses to East of Scotland Union, Presidential, Age of the Highlands, Algae, British Marine, Algae from Berwick-on-Tweed, Algae, New to Scotland, Algae, Notices of Articles on, ... 39, 89, 90, 140, : Algae of Snow and Ice, Alpine Botanical Club, Notice of Excursion of, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Articles in, Annelides, Notice of Articles on, Antiquities and Folklore, Notices of Articles on, 36, 38, Association, Report of Meeting in Aberdeen of British, ... Page 237 135 *35> 132 136 10 69 279, 309 I95> 344 131 " 258 39, 272 29, 258, 272, 333 71, 272, 333j 335 122 89 142 142 88, 137, 270, 273 237 Banffshire Field Club, Meetings of, ... ... ... 88 Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Excursions, Meetings, and Transactions, ... ... 39, 272 Betula, Possible New Scotch, ... ... ... ... 26S Bibliography of Land and Freshwater Mollusca of East of Scotland, 218 Biological Classification, The Scientific method in (Terminology), 2, 58, ic6 Biology, Relationship of Palaeontology to, ... ... 108, 160 vi INDEX. Page Birds, Notices of Articles on, io, 38, 89, 92, 269, 270, 272, 275, 307, 308, 334, 336 Birds of East of Scotland, ... ... ... ... .. 355 Boreus Hyemalis near Aberdeen, ... ... ... ... 9 Boreus Hyemalis in Berwickshire and near Killin, ... ... 64 Botanical Notes, ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 Botanical Record Club, Report for 1883, Notice of, ... ... 143 Botanical Work of George Don of Forfar (concluded), ... ... 12 Braemar, Excursion in 1886 of East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies, ... ... ... ... ... 339 Braithwaite's British Moss- Flora, Part 8, Notice of, ... ... 42 British Association, Meeting of B. A. in Aberdeen in 1885, ... 237 British Carex, New, ... ... ... ... ... 26 British Cladonise, Notes on, ... ... ... ... 11S British Cryptogamic Botany, New Works on, ... ... ... 42,336 British Fauna and Flora, Works on, (see Reviews), British Fungi, Forthcoming Works on, ... ... ... 43 British Marine Algae, ... ... ... ... ... 258 British Submarine Vaucheriae, some Remarks on, ... ... 3S2 Bryological Notes from Glendevon and Strathearn, ... ... 77 Campbell, John Francis, Obituary of, ... ... ... 241 Cameron's British Phytophagous Hymenoptera, Vol. II., Review of, 115 Cameron, Nathaniel, M.D., Obituary of, ... ... ... 145 Carex, Forms new to Scotland, ... ... ... ... 77, 268 Carex salina var Kattegattensis from Caithness, ... ... 26, 68 Cerastium lati folium Auct Angl., ... ... ... ... 331 Characeae, Scotch Records for 1884, ... ... ... 142 Cladoniae, Notes on British, ... ... ... ... 118 Classification, The Scientific Method in Biological (Terminology), 2, 58, 106 Clouston, Rev. Charles, LL.D., Obituary of, ... ... ... 49 Coleoptera, Notices of Articles on Scotch, ... 42, 93, 143, 179, 276 Cooke's British Desmidiese, ... ... ... ... 336 Cooke's Illustrations of British Fungi (Hymenomycetes), ... 43 Croall, Alexander, Obituary of, ... ... ... ... 97? 148 Crustacea, Notices of Articles on Scotch, ... ... 94. 136, 334, 336 Cryptogamic Botany, New Works on, ... ... 42, 43, 336 Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, Meetings of, ... ... 34, 269 Crystalline Rocks of the Scottish Highlands, ... ... ... 27 Cynipidae that form Galls on Oaks, List of Scottish, ... ... 300 Davidson's Logic of Definition, Review of, ... ... ... 1 3+ INDEX. vii Page Davidson, Thomas, LL.D., F.R.S., Obituary of, ... ... 241 Dicranum, On certain Mosses of the Genus, ... ... ... 254 Diptera, List of New Scotch Species, ... ... ... 276 Dollar Literary and Scientific Society, Meetings of, ... ... 37» 88 Don, Botanical Work of George Don of Forfar, ... ... 12 Dredging Trip to Arran, ... ... ... ... ••• 5 Dumfries and Galloway, N. H. and Antiquarian Society, Meetings of, 136, 269 Dumfries-shire and Galloway, Recent Additions to the Flora of, ... 69 Dundee Naturalists' Society, Meetings of, ... ... ... 137 East of Scotland, Presidential Addresses (1885, 1886), ... Birds, Report on, Excursion to Braemar in 1886, Fungi, Report on, for 1885, Mollusca, Bibliography of Land and Fresh Water, Mosses, Notes on, East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies Meetings, 34, 139 Edinburgh Botanical Society, Meetings and Transactions, Edinburgh Geological Society, Meeting, Edward Thomas, A.L.S., Obituary of, Eigg, Geology of the Island of, Elginshire, Reptiliferous Sandstones of, Entomologist, Articles in, Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Articles in, ... 41, 142, Faroe Islands and Iceland, Plants of, not known as British, ... 65, 116 Fauna and Flora of Snow and Ice, ... ... ... ... 122 Field Club, Aims of a Naturalists' ... ... ... ... 50 Fishes near Aberdeen, ... ... ... ... ... 10 Fishes and Fishing, Articles on, ... ... ... 92, 94, 333, 334 Flora and Fauna of Snow and Ice, ... ... ... ... 122 Flora of Dumfries-shire and Galloway, Recent Additions to, ... 69 Flora of Scotland, Additional Records to, 20, 26, 08-79, 1 18-130, 180- 186, 233, 235, 251-268, 271, 279, 309-332 Flowering Plants, New Scottish, ... ... ... ... 180 Folklore and Antiquities, Articles on, ... ... 36, 38, 88 Forms of Carex New to Scotland, ... ... ... ... 77,268 Fraser, Donald M., A.M. M.D., Obituary of ... ... ... 146 Fresh-water Mollusca, Bibliography of Land and, ... ... 218 Fungi, Articles on, 35, 38, 91, 92, 136, 138, 142, 272, 277 Fungi, New Works on British, ... ... ... 42, 43, 336 x9ij 044 355 339 224 218 38i 193, 337 89, 140 37 292 80 86 93 ii 94 179, 276 viii INDEX. Page Fungi, New Species and Varieties, ... ... 75, 1S9, 225, 266, 327 Fungi, New to Scotland, 20, 71, 75, 91, 92, 127, 186, 225, 264, 277, 327 Fungi of East of Scotland, Report on, for 1885, ... ... 224 Fungus, A Neglected Scotch, ... ... ... ... 332 Gall-midge, A new, ... ... ... ... ... 250 Galloway and Dumfries-shire, Recent Additions to the Flora of, ... 69 Galls on Oaks, List of Scottish Cynipidse that form, ... ... 300 Galls, Scottish Oak, ... ... ... ... ... 39, 302 Geikie's Outlines of Geology, Review of, ... ... ... 27S Geological Magazine, Articles in, ... ... ... ... 277 Geology, Articles on Scotch, 36, 38, Z^>, 238, 239, 271, 273, 277, 278, 333 Geology of the Island of Eigg, ... ... ... ... 80 Gilchrist, James, M.D., Obituary of, ", ... ... ... 242 Glasgow Geological Society, Publications of, ... ... ... 273 Glasgow Natural History Society, Publications of, ... ... 334 Glendevon and Strathearn, Bryological Notes from, ... ... 77 Grevillea, Articles in, ... ... ... ... ... 91, 277 Grove's Synopsis of the Bacteria and Yeast Fungi, Review of, ... 43 Hebrides, Myurium Hebridarum and other Mosses in the, ... 1S2 Hemiptera, Article on Scotch, ... ... ... ... 142 Hepaticce, Notices of New Scotch, ... ... ... ... 91,335 Herbarium, Notes from Herbarium of Perthshire N. H. Museum, 320 Highlands, Age of the, ... ... ... ... ... 131 Highlands, Crystalline Rocks of the Scottish, ... ... ... 27 Hobkirk's Synopsis of British Mosses, Ed. II. ; Review of, ... 42 Hymenoptera, Notices of Articles on, ... 39, 41, 42, 179, 276, 334, 335 Ice and Snow, Flora and Fauna of, ... ... ... ... 122 Iceland and Faroe Islands, Plants not known as British from, ... 65, 116 Insects, Notices of Articles on Scotch, 42, 93, 142, 143, 179, 250, 273, 276, 300 Inverness Field Club, Excursions and Meetings of, ... ... 89, 270 Journals, Notices of Articles on Scotland in, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ... ... 142 Entomologist, ... ... ... ... ... 93, 94 Entomologists' Monthly Magazine, ... ... 41, 142, 276 Geological Magazine, ... ... ... ... 277 Grevillea, ... ... .., ... ... 91, 277 INDEX. ix Page Journal of Botany, ... ... • •• ••• 9l> r42 Journal of Conchology, ... ... ... ••• 92, 275 Journal of Scottish Meteorological Society, ... ... 94 Science Gossip, ... ... ... ••• ••• 92> 277 Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, ... ... ••• 94 Zoologist, ... ... ... ... ••• 92, 275 Laidlay, John Watson, Obituary of, ... ... ••• ••• 243 Land and Fresh- water Mollusca of East of Scotland, Bibliography of, 218 Lepidoptera, Notices of Articles on Scotch, ... 42> 93> 94, I42> x79, 27& Lepidoptera of the Shetland Islands, ... ... ••• ••• 105,244 Lichens, List of, from Kelso, ... ••• ••• ••• 35 Lichens, New forms of Cladonise, ... ... ••• ••• II° Local Museums, on, ... ... ••• ••• ••• 23I Local Naturalists' Societies, Work of, ... • • • • • • 9° Lycena Chryseis reported from Culter near Aberdeen, . . ••• :42 Mammals, Notices of Articles on Scotch, 37, 39, 9°, 92, 277, 333- 334 Marine Algae, British, ... ... •■• ••• ••• 25^ Marine Zoology, Notices of Articles on Scotch, 3°, l3$, *42, 239, 24© Meetings of Societies, Aberdeen Natural History Society, ... ... •■• I35» 332 Banffshire Field Club, ... ... ••• ••• 88 Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, British Association at Aberdeen, Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, Dollar Literary and Scientific Society, Dumfries and Galloway Nat. Hist, and Antiq. Society, Dundee Naturalists' Society, East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies, 34, 1 Edinburgh Botanical Society, Edinburgh Geological Society, Inverness Field Club, Montrose Scientific and Field Club, Northern Literary and Scientific Societies at Nairn, Perthshire Society of Natural Science, ... 37, Meteorology, Notices of Articles on, ... 38, 39, 89, 94, 140, 271, 334 Method in Biological Classification, The Scientific (Terminology), 2, 58, 106 Midge, New Gall, ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 Mollusca from Caithness, List of, ... ... ... ... 92 Mollusca of East of Scotland, Bibliography of Land and Fresh-water, 218 39 237 34> 269 37 •, 88 13°, 269 137 39, 193, 337 89 37 89, 270 89 35 -9> 141, 271 x INDEX. Page Mollusca, Notices of Articles on Scotch, 39, 40, 62, 90, 92, 209, 271, 275, 334, 335, 336 Montrose Scientific and Field Club, Meetings of, ... ... 89 Mosses from the Hebrides, Myurium Hebridarum and other, ... 182 Mosses from Scotland, New, ... ... ... ... 233 Mosses, Notices of Articles on Scotch, ... ... 35, 273, 336 Mosses of the Genus Dicranum, On certain, ... ... ... 254 Mosses of the North of Scotland, Notes on, ... ... ... 381 Museum, Notes from the Herbarium of the Perthshire S. N. S., ... 141, 320 Museums, On Local, ... ... ... ... ... 231 Museums, on Provincial, ... ... ... ... ... 153 Mussel, Stray Notes on the Pearl Mussel, ... ... ... 62,113 Mycologia Scotica, (Supplement), ... 20, 71, 127, 186, 235, 264, 327 Myurium Hebridarum and other Mosses from the Hebrides, ... 1S2 Nairn, Meeting of Northern Literary and Scientific Societies at. ... 35 Natural History Museum, Notes from the Herbarium of the Perthshire, 320 Naturalisation of Plants, On the, ... ... ... ... 11 Naturalists' Societies, On the Work of Local, ... ... ... 98 Neglected Scotch Fungus, ... ... ... ... ... 332 New Gall-Midge, ... ... ... ... ... 250 New Scotch Betula, Possible, ... ... ... ... 268 New Scottish Flowering Plants, ... ... ... ... 180 New Sphseropsideoe from Scotland, ... ... ... ... 75 New Species and Varieties of Fungi, ... ... 75, 189, 225, 266, 327 Insects, ... ... ... ... 165, 244, 250 Lichens, ... ... ... ... ... 118 Mosses, ... ... ... ... 79, 233, 254 Phanerogams, ... ... ... ... ... 765 324 New Records for Scotland. (See New Species and Varieties, and also) Algae, 39, 258, 272, 333 Coleoptera, ... ... ... 42,93,143,179,276 Diptera, ... ... ... ... ... 276 Flowering Plants or Phanerogams, 26, 68, 69, 77, 79, 130, 180, 251, 268, 271, 279, 309, 320 Fungi, 20, 35, 71, 75, 9»> 92, 127, 142, 186, 225 264, 277, 327, 332 Hepaticze, ... ... ... ... ... 91, 335 Hymenoptera, ... ... 39, 41, 179, 300, 302, 334, 335, 336 Lepidoptera, ... ... 42, 93, 94, 142, 165, 179, 244, 276 Lichens, ... ... ... ... ... 35, 118 Mollusca, ... ... ... ... 90,92,275 INDEX. xi Page Mosses, ... ... ... 35, 182, 233, 273, 336 Trichoptera, ... ... 42, 45, 93, 95, 143, 179, 276, 336 Northern Literary and Scientific Societies' Meeting at Nairn, ... 35 Notes, Botanical, ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 Notes from Aberdeen, Zoological, ... ... ... ... 10 Notes from Glen Devon and Strathearn, ... ... ... 77 Notes from Herbarium of Perthshire Nat. Hist. Museum, ... 320 Notes on British Cladoniae, ... ... ... ... ... 118 Notes on Scottish Plants, ... ... ... ... ... 76 Oak-galls, Notices of Articles on, Oak-galls, Scottish, Oaks, List of Scottish Cynipidae that form Galls on, Obituaries of Members of Societies noticed, Obituaries of, Cameron, Nathaniel, A.M., M.D. ... Campbell, John Francis, Clouston, Rev. Charles, LL.D., Croall, Alexander, Davidson, Thomas, LL.D., F.R.S., Edward, Thomas, Fraser, Donald Manson, A.M., M.D., Gilchrist, James, M.D. , Laidlay, John Watson, Ogilvie Forbes, Prof. George, M.D., Peach, Charles William, ... Sturrock, Abram., Ogilvie Forbes, Prof. George, M.D., Obituary of, Ornithology of the East of Scotland, Report on, Owl, Tengmalm's, Palaeontology to Biology, The Relationship of, Peach, Charles William, A.L.S., Obituary of, Pead Mussel, Stray Notes on, Perthshire Nat. Hist. Museum, Notes from the Herbarium of, Perthshire, Occurrence of Red-shouldered Starling in Rannoch, Perthshire Society of Natural Science, Excursions, Meetings, ... ... ... ... 37, Publications, Plants from Scotland, Additional Records of, ... Plants, New Scottish Flowering, ••• 39 5 335 302 300 38, 140 , 272 H5 241 49 ... 97 ■ 148 241 292 146 242 243 299 ■• 243: , 289 298 299 355 308 .. 108, 160 •• 243, 289 .. 62, 113 320 307 40, 274 >9, 141, 271 • 39, 274 ■■ 279, 309 180 xii INDEX. Page Plants New to Scotland, (see Neiv Records for Scotland)^ Plants, Notes on Scottish, Plants of West Ross, Plants, On the Naturalisation of, Possible, New Scotch Betula, Potato Sclerotiet, Provincial Museums, On, Proceedings and Transactions of Scottish Societies, Aberdeen Natural History, Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies, 139 Edinburgh Botanical, Glasgow Geological, Glasgow Natural History, Perthshire Society of Natural Science, Rannoch, Red-shouldered Starling in, Readers, to Our, Records of Plants from Scotland, Additional, ... Red-shouldered Starling in Rannoch, Relationship of Palaeontology to Biology, Reptiliferous Sandstones of Elginshire, Reports on Fauna and Flora, (See East of Scotland), Reviews, Botanical Record Club, Report for 1883, Braithwaite's British Moss Flora, Part VIII. , Cameron's British Phytophagous Hymenoptera, Vol. II Cooke's British Desmidiese, Cooke's Illustrations of British Fungi (Hymenomycetes) Geikie's Outlines of Geology, Grove's Synopsis of the Bacteria and Yeast Fungi, Hobkirk's Synopsis of British Mosses, Ed. II., Smith's Diseases of Field and Garden Crops, Somerville's List of British Marine Mollusca, Stevenson's British Fungi, Hymenomycetes, ... Traill's Algse of the Firth of Forth, Wood's Our Insect Enemies, Rocks of the Scottish Highlands, Crystalline, ... Sandstones of Elginshire, Reptiliferous, Schoenus ferrugineus in Perthshire, Science Gossip, Articles in, ... Scientific Method in Biological Classification (Terminology), 251 11 26S 184 153 136 ■ 38: , 272 h 193: 337 140 27S 334 39: 274 307 1 279, 3°9 307 108, 100 86 143 -M ., "5 336 1 43 278 43 42 43 279 330 "5 279 27 86 130 92, 277 2,58, 106 INDEX. xiii Page Sclerotiet, The Potato, ... ... ... ... ... 184 Scotch Betula, Possible New, ... ... ... ... 268 Scotch Fungus, A Neglected, ... ... ... ... 332 Scotch Plant, Sparganium neglectum as a Probable, ... ... 130,314 Scotica, Mycologia, Supplement, ... 20, 71, 127, 186, 235, 264, 327 Scotland, Additional Records of Plants from, ... ... ... 279,309 Carex Salina, var Kattegattensis in, ... ... 26, 68 Forms of Carex New to, ... ... ... ... 268 New Species and Varieties (see under New), New Sphceropsideos from, ... ... ... 75 Reports on Fauna and Flora (See East of Scotland), ... Trichoptera of, ... ... ... ... ... 45,9^ Scottish Cynipidae that form Galls on Oaks, List of, ... ... 300 Flowering Plants, New, ... ... ... ... 180 Highlands, Age of the, ... ... .. ... 131 Crystalline Rocks of the, ... ... ... ... 27 Oakgalls, ... ... .. ... ... 302 Shetland Islands, Lepidoptera of, ... ... ... 93, 165, 244 Smith's Diseases of Field and Garden Crops, Notice of, ... 43 Snow and Ice, Fauna and Flora of, ... ... ... ... 122 Societies, (see Meetings and Proceedings), Societies, On the Work of Local Naturalists', ... ... ... 98 Societies, Provincial Museums in Relation to Scientific, ... ... 153 Somerville's, List of British Marine Mollusca, Notice of, ... 279 Sparganium neglectum Beeby as a probable Scotch Plant, ... 1 30, 314 Sphseropsideae from Scotland, New, ... ... ... ... 75 Sprats of Tay and Forth, Better Utilisation of, ... ... 216 Starling in Rannoch, Red-shouldered, ... ... ... 307 Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, 1884, Articles in, ... ... 94 Stevenson's British Fungi, Hymenomycetes, Notice of, .. ... 336 Strathearn and Glendevon, Bryological Notes from, ... ... 77 Stray Notes on the Pearl Mussel, ... ... ... ... 62,113 Sturrock Abram, Obituary of, ... ... ... ... 298 Tengmalm's Owl in Aberdeenshire, ... ... ... ... 3°8 Terminology, The Scientific Method in Biological Classification, 2, 58, 106 Trichoptera, Notices of Articles on, ... 42, 93, 136, 143, 179, 276, 335, 336 Trichoptera of Scotland, ... ... ... ... ... 45j 95 Union of Naturalists' Societies, (see East of Scotland Union), Utilisation of the Sprats of Tay and Forth, ... ... ... 216 xiv INDEX. Page Varieties New to Scotland, (see under New), ... Vaucherise, Some Kemarks on British Submarine, ... .. 382 Viola tricolor, subsp. Curtisii near Aberdeen, ... ... ... 79 West Ross, Plants of, ... ... ... ... ... 251 Willow, supposed new British, {Salix spuria), ... ... ... 274 Work of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies, On the 244 Zoological Notes from Aberdeen, ... .. ... ... 10 Zoologist, Articles in, ... ... ... ... ... 92,275 INDEX TO CONTRIBUTORS. Page Babington, Prof. Charles C, F.R.S., ... ... ... n, 231, 268 Bennett, Arthur, F.L.S., ... 26, 65, 68, 116, 180, 268, 279, 309, 331 Cameron, Peter, Coates, Henry, Coles, Frederick, Davidson, Rev. Wm. L., Druce, George C, F.L.S., Drummond Hay, Col. H. M., Durham, James, F.G.S. Editor is responsible for all unsigned articles, Farquharson, Mrs. M., Geikie, Arch., F.R.S., Geikie, Prof. James, F.R.S., Gibson, Robert J. H., M.A., Grove, W. B., B.A., Hardy, James, Henderson, J. R., M.B., Hoffmann, August, {Translation), Holmes, E. M., F.L.S., Howden, James, M.D., Japp, William, F.S.A., King, James J., 300 218 69 2, 58, 106 2, 26, 69 ,76 ». 307, 355 80 381 27 *95 108, 160 332 64 5 165, 244 258 50 62, 113 45> 64 . 95 xvi INDEX. Page Lap worth, Prof. Charles, L.L.D., ... ... ... ... 131 Martin, W., ... ... ... ... ... ... 77 Morton, Kenneth J., and J.J. King, ... ... ... ... 45)95 Nordstedt, Prof. O., ... ... ... ... ... 382 Roy, John, ... ... ... ... ... ... 122 Sim, George, (Aberdeen), ... ... .. ... ... 10 Sim, George, (Fyvie), ... ... ... ... ... 308 Stevenson, Rev. John, ... ... .. ... ... 20, 71 Stevenson, Rev. John, and Prof. J. W. H. Trail, 127, 186, 235, 264, 327 Stirton, James, M.D., F.L.S., ... ... ... 118, 182, 233, 254 Trail, Prof. James W. H., A.M.,M.D., F.L.S., 9, 75, 79, 127, 130, 153, 186, 224, 235, 250, 264, 302, 327, 344 White, F. Buchanan, M.D., F.L.S., ... ... 98, 130, 216, 320,339 Wilson, A. Stephen, ... ... ... ... ... 184 THE Editor wishes to take the occasion offered bythecommence- ment of a new volume of the Scottish Naturalist to thank very sincerely the friends that have assisted him with contributions since he undertook the editorship ; and he ventures to hope that equally kind assistance will be extended to him in the future. It has been his wish to render the Magazine acceptable to the subscribers by the value of the original articles in their bearing on the progress of biology and other scientific studies in Scotland, and also to supply a resume of such articles as have been published in other magazines in so far as they tend in this direction. The transactions and proceedings of Scottish scientific societies, both at their meetings and in their publications, have been reported when it was in his power to do so ; and he has to thank the secretaries of several societies for their courtesy in sending reports of their meetings, while regretting that he has not been able to obtain the necessary information in regard to too many others. The secre- taries of all Scottish scientific societies would greatly facilitate the carrying out of this programme by forwarding to the Editor regular brief reports of the subjects discussed in their meetings. It is hardly needful to point out how desirable it is that each society should be aware of what is being done in all the others ; nor is it needful to dwell at length on the suitability of the Scottish Naturalist to supply such information. This Magazine occupies a position not filled by any other in Scotland, and the societies are requested to give it their support, and to render it, as far as can be done, a bond of union among them. In the case of such societies as do not print their transactions, there are, doubtless, not seldom papers deserving of a wider circu- lation and more durable form than is secured to them by being read in the societies ; and to such papers the pages of the Scottish Naturalist will be gladly opened. Articles of a more popular nature, when bearing on the subjects admitted as within the scope of the Magazine will also be welcomed. If it meets the wishes of the supporters of the Magazine a space 2 The Scottish Naturalist. will be given for notes and queries relating to any branch of Natural Science in Scotland ; and information will be given, as far as possible, to those in quest of it. The Editor would take this opportunity of stating that it is his desire to obtain information from all parts of Scotland concerning the occurrence of plant diseases, whatever the cause ; and that he will therefore be much obliged for any records, especially if accom- panied by specimens of the affected plants, and also for specimens alone if they bear a note of the locality and of the degree of pre- valence of the form of disease. The importance of the inquiry into the conditions and causes of disease in plants is becoming suffi- ciently appreciated to induce him to hope that this help will be given him by those that find themselves able to do so. 'HE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION. By Rev. WILLIAM L. DAVIDSON. II. TERMINOLOGY. NEXT in importance to the handling of the group-characters with a view to definition, comes the matter of Scientific Terminology. In its full extent, this subject raises many ques- tions ; but, as we are considering it here solely in connection with Classification, we need not do more than occupy ourselves with the three great rules that play the main part in Scientific Naming. I. The first of these rules is this : — That there shall be a dis- tinct name for every separate or distinct thing ; in other words, that in every department of scientific knowledge the descriptive terminology shall have a copiousness adequate to the needs of that department. Now, when we consider that the Natural History Sciences are growing sciences, that research in them is being constantly pushed forward and new discoveries are being steadily made, it is evident that biological terminology cannot remain in a fossilized state. It must change as our knowledge of facts changes, keeping pace with the new revelations that from year to year surprise us. And this much must be frankly admitted, that in the case of interesting and striking discoveries, more especially when such would prove a good diagnostic character, both the botanist and the zoologist are ever ready with a corresponding terminology. Thus, when the fertilization of plants became a subject of absorbing interest in botany, and so much fresh light was thrown upon it by the obser- The Scottish Naturalist. 3 vations and experiments of Darwin and others — there was no lack of resource in finding technical names appropriate to the various fertilizing processes. Under this impulse, self-fertilization and cross-fertilization have become respectively "autogamy" and "allo- gamy ; " flowers that owe their fertilization to the wind are " ane- mophilous," and those that are dependent upon insects are "ento- mophilous;" while that species of self-fertilization which appears in such plants as the Dog-violet, and which consists in small, usually uncoloured, self-fertilized flowers appearing on the same plant sub- sequently to those that are cross-fertilized, is known as " cleisto- gamy." As, moreover, it is a point of particular significance for fertilization whether the stamens and the pistil do or do not reach maturity at the same time, it becomes of much importance to note the peculiarities of plants in this respect. Hence the intro- duction ot such words as " proterandrous " and " proterogynous," the one to indicate that the stamens come first to maturity, and the other that the pistil is the first to mature. Hence also the word " dichogamous," to signify that stamens and pistil attain maturity together. So, research has shewn that plants which under a less exact system of naming passed as Parasites are^ many of them, no such thing ; while parasitism itself has forms and degrees. And so, the distinction has been introduced between parasites, epiphytes and saprophytes — thereby enriching the language and aiding clear- ness and exactness of views. So, when botanists have come to see that pathology in the vegetable kingdom is something worthy of minute attention, that the study of monstrosities in plants is capable of advancing our knowledge of plant-processes and plant-structure to a wonderful degree — when, in short, they have awakened to the fact that mon- strosities are to them very much what abnormal and diseased organs in animals are to the physiologist, or diseased nervous functions in the human being to the psychologist — the need has become felt for a distinctive name for this particular study, and the want seems to be supplied by Professor Asa Gray's word " teratology." I need not dwell on the richness of botanical language as ex- pressive of the various structures and organs of plants — as when we find the terms combined with enchyma applied to plant-tissue almost legion (parenchyma, inenchyma, prosenchyma, angienchy- ma, pleurenchyma, trachenchyma, &c), or when we meet with such a list of distinctive words ending in carp, as to leave nothing 4 The Scottish Naturalist. to be desired (pericarp, epicarp, exocarp, mesocarp, sarcocarp, eudocarp, cremocarp, mericarp, &c). There certainly is no lack here, but rather superabundance or excess. All this is true ; and yet botanical terminology has its weak points. It fails often where minute and seemingly unimportant differences have to be reckoned with ; and poverty of names is frequently conspicuous in the presentation of group-characters. Thus, counting one thing with another, there is a considerable number of stamen-appendages among flowers, and the variety of current names for such appendages is also considerable ; but it would not be difficult to mention several of those structures that are not definitely represented by a name. Again, the generic word "nectary" is made to do duty in a variety of situations where specific words ought certainly to be employed. So, the termin- ology is inadequate when dealing with modes of carpel-union,. But, perhaps, the most obtrusive deficiency is felt when colours and forms have to be described. Begin with forms. Copious though the terminology may at first sight appear, it is found, when put to the test, to be by no means sufficient — as any one knows who has had to identify leaves (for instance) or perianths from the book-description. And the cause of the deficiency is not far to seek, when it is observed that two of the main sources of form-terminology are these — (i) re- semblance to well-known common objects (the cross, the strap, the helmet, the lip, the salver ; hence such words as cruciform, ligulate, galeate, labiate, hypocrateriform) ; (2) the typical form of a genus or an order (hence rosaceous, liliaceous, orchidaceous, &c). The looseness of this is very manifest. For, in the case of analogical names, it is taken for granted that the name-giving object is always of one and the same shape; whereas the truth is that in the majority of instances the shapes are varied. For example, the cross, the strap, the salver, no one of these is of one form, and one only : there are many kinds of crosses, many different forms of straps, several sorts of .salvers, and so forth. Then, as to the second source of names, it assumes that the generic or the ordinal form is uniform and constant ; which, of course, is not the case. Here, then, is one sphere where reform is called for in botan- ical naming. Nor ought reform to be insuperable when we re- member what has been done in the direction of form-naming in Mineralogy, and what indeed has sometimes been accomplished by the unscientific under the pressure of necessity. {To be continued.) ZOOLOGY. A DREDGING TRIP TO ARRAN. By J. R. HENDERSON, M.B. ON a clear evening in July last the writer, accompanied by some scientific friends, steamed out of a Glasgow ship- building yard on board the Scottish Marine Station's yacht " Medusa." Our destination was Lamlash Bay, and we went with the object in view of a few days dredging along the picturesque shores of Arran. After an uneventful journey down the sewage-polluted Clyde Dumbarton was reached, and the night was spent under shelter of its castled rock. On the following morning a start was again made ; but, owing to the " Medusa" running aground on a sand- bank during the ebb, we were reluctantly forced to prolong our stay and wait the turn of the tide. However, in a short time, the yacht was again under way, and after a delightful sail past the beautiful Clyde watering-places, and round the south end of Bute, the blue peaks of Arran hove in sight. Late in the afternoon we rounded Holy Island, and anchored in Lamlash Bay opposite the village. For a long time this has been a happy hunting ground of naturalists ; and certain it is that there are few areas of similar ex- tent in Britain, which the modern dredge " with its iron edge and mystical triangle," has more assiduously scraped. The admirable shelter offered by the Holy Island opposite probably has a marked influence on the extreme richness of animal life present. Many names could be cited, but we will be content with simply mentioning those of Landsborough, Norman, and Herdman, who have specially worked up the invertebrate fauna of the bay. Dr. Landsborough, in his interesting " Excursions to Arran," written at a time when the island was less visited and known than now, gives very full lists, especially of the Mollusca and of the marine 6 J he Scottish Naturalist. Algae. The Rev. A. M. Norman, in papers on the Clyde Mollusca in the Zoologist 1 85 7-60, records many Arran species* and Prof. W. A. Herdman, in the. Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, has made extensive additions to the records of invertebrate animals. Perhaps, the most complete list, how- ever, is that of Dr. Miles, in Bryce's " Geology of Arran and Clydesdale" (fourth ed. 1872), and in this the work of previous observers is also taken into account. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in reconnoitring the village, and preparing for the following day's work ; but in the evening we steamed across the bay towards the middle of the Holy Isle, and had a haul of the dredge in about twenty fathoms of water. When the contents had been spread out, many interest- ing forms quite unknown in our east coast experience lay before us. Among the shelly debris were many writhing Ophiuroids, and a few specimens of the curious Crinoid — Comatula rosacea. Sea urchins were also present, as the large Echinus esculentus, and its smaller purple-tipped relative E. miliaris ; while here and there were various star-fishes, despairingly throwing out their worm-like tube feet. Of this last class there were many examples of the pretty scarlet Porania pulvillus, a good deal of whose sleek and rounded outline, is due to the presence of water, as we found that gentle pressure forced it out in fine jets, leaving poor Porania in a depressed and dejected looking state. The Crustacea were also represented by straggling spider crabs, as Inachus dorsettensis, and Stenorhynchus phalangium, while ordinary crabs scuttled away in all directions ; but there were also a few more unusual forms, especially the rough backed Eurynonic aspera, which appears tc be not unfrequent in the bay, as we dredged a good many specimens, subsequently, and also two species of Edalia, — E. tuberosa, and E. twnefacta — the latter bearing on its carapace a somewhat fanciful resemblance to a human face. The Mollusca were well re- presented, one of the most interesting being Trochus millegranusr which was afterwards found abundantly, along with T. magus.t and T. tumidus, also Pecten tigrinus, and the var. coslata, Aporrhais pes- pelecani, and Scaphander lignarius. We were reluctantly forced to cease work for the day, and by the time we had reached our anchorage, darkness was setting in, and the village was indicated only by a row of lights, while the rugged peaks of Goatfell were no longer visible. The sea lay before us smooth as glass, and the The Scottish Naturalist. 7 stillness of the evening was alone broken by the weird curlew's cry along the shore. Next morning at sunrise, the writer accompanied by a botanical friend, started for a walk along the rocky coast beyond Clachland Point. The tide was favourable, and a good many interesting Algae, and invertebrates, were found ; in particular, we noticed colonies of the pretty anemone Sagartia bellis, in rock pools, living near high water mark, also many specimens of Trochus umbili- catus, which appeared to be the characteristic Trochus in this locality. After our return to the yacht, a start was made about nine o'clock for the north end of the bay, between the Holy Isle and Clachland Point, and the dredge was put down in about ten fathoms of water. On its being emptied on deck, it was found to be almost full of the coral-like alga (Jlfelobesia calcared) which affords shelter to many marine animals, but more especially Mollusca. Single valves of Lima hians were very numerous, and not a few living specimens were obtained enclosed in their Melobesia "nest ; " and one or two of a rarer and more delicate species (Lima Loscombii) were also got. Of other Mollusca, there were examples of Cardium 7iorvegicum, C. fasciatum, C. nodosum, Emarginula fissura, Punc- turella noacliina, Pecten maximus, P. striatus and a single quite recent valve of the rare P. testae, also Venus fasciata, V. ovata, and single valves of V. casina. Of Crustacea there were many examples of the hermit crab Pagurus Prideauxii, which we subsequently found common all over the aiea, in all cases associated with the pretty spotted anemone Adamsia pallia fa living on the outside of its protecting shell. We again got Comatula rosacea, and in addition Astropecten irregularis, Luidia Savignii, and several large specimens of the prickly Asterias glacialis. After the search, which lasted no little time, had ended, our course lay along the outside of the Holy Isle, off the north end of which the trawl was put overboard in about twenty fathoms of water; and the yacht proceeded at a slow rate for about half an hour. When the contents were drawn on deck, very few fish were present, though many other interesting animals came up ; as a fine living specimen of Terebratula caput- serpentis, also Trophon barvicensis, and one or two shells of Isocar- dia cor, perfect and fresh, but without the animal. Two starfishes were obtained, viz., several examples of Palmipes placenta, and one of Cribella rosea ; and there were many 8 The Scottish Naturalist. fine specimens of the large cup-shaped sponge Isodictya infundi- buliformis. Of Zoophytes there were, among others, Tubu- laria indivisa, T. coronata, and Cellepora ramulosa. L ur last haul for the day was taken several miles off Whiting Bay in sixty fathoms of water, the greatest depth we reached during our trip. The trawl came up nearly filled with mud and several large stones, and on these we found many interesting parasites, as the curious Brachiopod Crania anomala, of which there were many speci- mens, and also a few zoophytes, among which we recognised Tubulipora serpens, Diastopora patina, Stomatopora granulata, and »S. dilatans. We also found examples of the urchin Brissus ly?'ifer, single valves of Pecten septemradiatus, and a well preserved valve of P. islandicus, an upper tertiary fossil. A few common soles, lemon soles, and flounders, flapped about, and many sped, mens of Nephrops norvegicus lay helpless in the mud. A slight storm now set in and forced us to cease operations for the day ; and we returned to Lamlash with good appetites, and pleased with our day's work. Next morning we confined ourselves to the area in the north end of the bay, which we had previously gone over, and were re- warded by finding a number of new things, especially Mollusca, of which the following maybe enumerated — Circe minima, Tellina dona- ana, Trichotropis boreal is, and Eulimapolita. Only a single star-fish was got which we had not previously taken, viz., Solaster endeca. Of Zoophytes there were a few specimens of Plumularia pimiata, which appears to be one of the commonest in the bay ; and we found a few little crabs (Portunus pusillus). A sample of the nulli- pore sand was kept for examination, and was afterwards found to be very rich in Foraminifera and minute shells, as Pisssoae, Odostomiae, Eulima distoria, E. bilineatq, Caecum glabrum, various species of Utriculus and Philine, etc. Of Algae we noticed numer- ous specimens of Ponnemaisonia asparagoides, in fine fruit, and a few small plants oi Poly siphonia parasitica, adhering to old oyster shells. As we had arranged to be in Rothesay on the same day, we left Lam lash Bay in the forenoon, and proceeded along the coast by way of Brodick Bay, where the dredge was put down for the last time in about twenty-three fathoms water, on a muddy bottom. Here again we were rewarded by some new finds, prominent among which was a large specimen of the fine Zoophyte — Aglaophenia The Scottish Naturalist. 9 myriophyllum, crowded with its peculiar reproductive capsules, and 3. cluster of the rare Camp a nut aria gigantea, growing on a dead shell of Aporrhais pes-pelecani, also the Molluscs Astarte sulcata, and Solecurtus antiquatus. During our three days trip the surface fauna had not been neglected, as one of the party attended to the tow-nets, and also to one sunk a few fathoms down. He was chiefly on the outlook ior fish ova ; but though not very successful in his special search, many other interesting things were got in abundance, such as the disputed organism Peridiuium, many Diatoms, Plcuro- brachiae, Copepods, and other small Crustaceans, Medusoid gono- phores, larvae of Echinoderms, and Molluscs, etc. On the whole the Mollusca and Echinodermata appear to be the strong groups in the fauna of Lamlash Bay ; what seemed to us a feature is the relative scarcity of Zoophytes (though the list of species is a pretty full one), compared with such a district as the Firth of Forth, where, on the oyster banks, many specimens are obtained in every haul of the dredge. By the time we reached Rothesay late in the afternoon, the ele- ments were raging fiercely overhead, and a smart thunder storm attended by a heavy downpour of rain set in; however as any port is proverbially acceptable in a storm, the writer found a very pleas- ant one in a friend's house at Innellan, where he turned up a few hours later, thoroughly drenched, sunburnt, and hardly recognis- able, yet pleased withal with the result of the dredging trip to Lamlash Bay. Scottish M arine Station, Granton. Boreus hyemalis L., near Aberdeen* — Of this curious insect I took two males and one female in the beginning of the month of November last on a mossy wall-top within a mile or two of Aberdeen. They agree in every respect with the description in M'Lachlan's Monograph of British Neuroptera- Plampennia {Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1868, p. 218-20), and males have the ventral valve as described on p. 219, not as in B. Westzvoodii Hagen. I was able also to confirm the saltatorial habits and the mode of pairing mentioned in the above account. I am not aware of any previous record of this species from Scotland. JAMES W. H. TRAIL. 10 The Scottish Naturalist. ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM ABERDEEN.— A specimen of Leach's Petrel, Thalassidtoma Leachii Audubon, was caught at Girdleness lighthouse on the night of August 19th. This is by no means a common species on the east coast of Scotland. In a letter from Mr. John A. Harvie Brown relative to this species of bird, he says that it was found "by Mr. Swinburne in North Rona in the summer of 1883, and breeding there abundantly. Previous to that St. Kilda was the only locality known." In the latter locality it was first discovered by Mr. Bullock in 1818. I am not aware of its previous occurrence in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen. Its stomach contained an oily matter. The Bergylt, Sebastes Norvegicus, Cuv. Four examples of this fish were caught by a steam trawler on August 16th, 1884, three of which came into my hands. This is not a common species in this district ; it has however occurred at various places along the east coast from Berwick to Lossiemouth. Although this species has been observed at various places around the British Isles little seems to be known of its habits, hence we find such statements as the following. Couch says " The young are produced in June. . . . It is even supposed on good evidence that they proceed from the mother alive." The statement is repeated by Day in his recently published work on British Fishes. From the examinations of the specimens now referred to, I am able to state that the young do not " proceed from the mother alive," two of my specimens having roe and the other milt, as in other oviparous fishes, and all about two-thirds developed. This would point to about the months of October or November as the period when the spawn is deposited. The Thrasher. Alopias vulpes. Bonap. An example of this species was caught at Fraserburgh on August 30th 1884. It measured 14 feet 8 inches in length : this is the only occurrence of the species on the Aberdeenshire coast that I know of. Crested Blenny, Garetophus Ascanii, Walbaum. On September 13th, 1884. I found a small specimen of this interesting little fish on board a steam trawl vessel. It is of very rare occurrence here. It is recorded by the late Dr.. Dyce as having been taken at Muchalls, Kincardineshire, in 1862, and on his authority it appears in my printed list of the fishes of the district. The Rainbow Wrasse, Con's julis, Giinther. One of this species was caught at Fraserburgh on September 17th, 1884, and was sent to Dr. Nichol- son, Professor of Natural History in Aberdeen University, in whose keeping the fish now is. Unfortunately the specimen had been disembowelled before being sent to him, thereby preventing its being ascertained what its food may have been. This is the first instance of its occurrence in Aberdeenshire waters. According to Day it ranges " From the south coast of England to the Azores and Canary Islands, likewise extending through the Mediterranean, where it is very common." Angel Fish, Rhina squatina. A specimen was brought to land on Nov- ember 1 6th, by one of our local trawlers. This is the second specimen I have seen in these parts. The stomach contained the remains offish. Geo. Sim, Aberdeen. IliPlli n lt&!i^i£!!> - "*«?• ,, ' i ^^pBB^ql KSjSsfl^Siws^: ^fe^-sE^^^Jfw vs B^yeV^iXaSj^ •■~^'--.\ .. < . 0^~-*jfffim\u4b$u f^m^^CwfJJ^i /y^l^ltSi^T W>^%g8f/ ' \J*Ok JB PHYTOLOGY. ON THE NATURALIZATION OF PLANTS. By Prof. C. C. BABINGTON, M.A., F.R.S. A PERUSAL of the Editor's interesting paper, entitled " List of casuals and introduced plants " (page 243), has again turned my attention to the naturalization of so many plants in- cluded in our Flora. It seems to me that we usually make rather too much of it, and are inclined to include many plants having a real claim to be considered as natives, or at least thoroughly naturalized. We consider a man as a real Englishman or Scotch- man if his ancestors have been for a few generations established here as their home. We are all in fact naturalized although we call ourselves natives. Similarly of the plants. There is probably not one of them which did not come at some early period from some other country : some at a very early date (far sooner than we did), and others at various later times. I consider all plants which hold their own, and increase by seed, to have a fair claim to be enumer- ated in our lists. They are truly naturalized — e.g., Veronica Bux- baumii which was introduced as a new garden annual early in the present century, and is now universally distributed. Such a plant as Anacharis Alsinastrum presents much difficulty. It is also universally distributed, but it is not known ever to have produced seeds in Europe ; or as I am informed in America to the east of the Alegany Mountains (Asa Gray). Lycium barbarum again pre- sents some difficulty. As a rule it does not increase by seed (which is probably rarely perfected), but near Cromer in Norfolk it does seed abundantly, and is being sown about the country by the agency probably of birds. According to my rule, therefore, it is a naturalized plant there ; although usually only a casual, or, as Hooker calls it, a " cottage ornament." I do not allow " spread- ing by stolons " as conferring any claim to admission as a natura- 12 The Scottish Naturalist. lized plant. There is no doubt that plants introduced by farmers, gardeners, or manufacturers, do, as it is called, establish them- selves ; but then it is usually only for a time, and that often a short time : they are simply casuals, and have no right in our lists. There are many plants which are now only found upon cultivated ground (i.e., ground from which the natural herbage lias been removed), which may possibly, or even probably, have been introduced at some very distant period, but which now we cannot, and, as I think, ought not, to distinguish from those of so much earlier arrival in Britain, which we justly call natives. In deference to the ideas of the late Mr. Watson I have marked most of the Poppies as "possibly introduced." They are not usually observed off cultivated land, but they may sometimes be found on bare spots which have not been subjected to cultivation. It is most interesting to trace, as far as we can, the time and manner of introduction. Where did the Poppies come from? They surely preceded cultivation somewhere. But that is a very distant time ; for even in Britain cultivation of corn preceded the Christian Era. THE BOTANICAL WORK OF GEORGE DON OP FORFAR. By G. C. DRUCE, F.L.S. ( Continued from page 26 1 . ) Fourthly — Plants which there is less probability of our again finding, but which still may be sought for with a chance of success. These are : — Ranunculus alpestris. Arabis eiliata. Silene alpestris. Arenaria fastigiata. Stellaria scapigera. Potentilla intermedia. Saxifraga pedatifida. Eriophorum capiiatum. Thleum Michelii. There are others which, if correctly reported by him, probably from drainage or cultivation, have been extirpated. Such are : — C rep is pulchra. Eriophorum alpinum. Calamagrosiis stricta. The Scottish Naturalist. 13 Fifthly — Some probable mistakes of identification. Such may be : — Saxifraga muscoides. Sanguisorba media. Centaurea intybacea. Salix hast at a. Hieracium amplexicaule, unless Don may have found the latter on old buildings, such as Clova Castle, which Arnott records it from. Tussilago alpina, is not absolutely impossible to have occurred ; nor is Hieracium cerinthoides, although very great doubts exist as to their claims to be native. Potentilla tridentata seems to be very unreliable, if its geo- graphical distribution be looked at ; but it must be remembered that our knowledge of the geographical distribution of plants is somewhat empirical ; that the place has never probably been searched at the early date on which Don says he found it, and again that his statement is precise. Time would not be wasted if an especial search were made for this in the early spring. One must also bear in mind that Don went in no beaten track,, and was indefatigable in his exertions ; and one must also remem- ber how extremely local some of our native species are. Here it will be well for me to state my belief that Don often gave a general rather than a particular locality for plants, because he was a florist, and sold these rare alpines, and some amount of professional jealousy was felt by him against other florists, some of whom had attempted to rob him of the credit of his discoveries. In a day-book of his, now in the possession of Mr. Knox, frequent entries of alpines, such as Veronica alpina^ Lychnis alpinar &c, are made. We now have the pleasanter duty of enumerating the more important of Don's undisputed discoveries, which amply bear out the remarks of Sir James E. Smith in regard to his " scientific merits and ardent zeal." Oaltha radicans, Forst. (Scot. Nat., 1884, p. 128). Oochlearia Groenlandica, Sm., discovered in August, 1807, in Clova and on Lochnagar. Lychnis alpina, L., found on rocks near the summit of Clova mountains in 1795. Sagina saxatilis, Wimm. (S. Linnaet, Presl.), from various mountains in Perth and Forfarshires. 14 The Scottish Naturalist. Oxytropis campestris, L., found on a rock in Glen Dole, in Clova, in 1812. Rosa Doniana, Woods (variety of R. involuta, Sm.), distin- guished by Don from its habit, before it was characterised by systematists. Saxifraga platypetala, Sm. (S. hypnoides, L. var., sponhemica, Gmel.), in the Clova mountains. Mulgedium alpinum, L. (Lactuca alpina, Benth.) Don must have the honour of adding to our flora this handsome species ; for though he himself refers to an earlier record, the plant referred to in it was clearly an error, Cichorium intybus having been mistaken for this plant. Myosotis repens, Don, was first discriminated as a British plant by Don ; and Laniium intermedium, Fries, was another of his discoveries. Salix nigricans, Sm. var., rupestris, Sm., and Salix lanata, L., were both discovered by Don, though Drummond is generally credited with the latter. Polygonatum verticillatum, All, is mentioned in the Flora Scotica as discovered by Mr. Bruce, but it was first found by Don, as he claims in a letter to Winch, and as is correctly stated by Withering. Juncus balticus, Willd, is generally said to have been dis- covered by Drummond on the sands of Barrie, but in Don's herbarium are specimens gathered long before. Luzula arcuata, D.C., was added by him to the British flora from the tops of the Cairngorm mountains. Eriophorum alpinum, L. (Fasc, No. 26), found in 1791 near Forfar, by Don ; was destroyed during his lifetime, by drainage. Carex rariflora, Sm., is another of his discoveries (in 1807), from the Clova mountains ; as was also Carex vaginata, Tausch, m 1802. Alopecurus alpinus, Sm., was discovered by him on the high tableland of Lochnagar. Calamagrostis Stricta, Nutt, (Deyeuxia neglecta, Kunth), dis- covered in 1S07 in the White Mire, near Forfar, is said to have been destroyed by drainage ; but it may yet be found about Restennet or Rescobie. Aira laevigata, Sm. (Deschampsia azspitosa^ Beauv, subsp., alpina, R. & S.), was first found in Britain by Don, in 1808, The Scottish Naturalist. 15 on the Clova mountains, and he pointed out to Sir J. E. Smith its differences from cozspitosa. {Linn. Trans, x. p. 330). Avena alpina, Sm. (A. pratensis L. var., alpina, Sm.), was found by Don on the summits of the Clova mountains. He says that it produces a great quantity of foliage. Equisetum variegatum, Sm., discovered by Don on the sands of Barrie, still exists there. George Don was also among the earliest recorders of the follow- ing species as British plants, or as new to Scotland when discovered by him ; or he added new localities to those previously known for them : — Dianthus Armeria, near Forfar ; Silene noctiflora, Angus coast ; S. nutans ; Lychnis viscaria, var. alba, Airlie Castle ; Sagina apetala and S. maritima ; Ccrastium tetrandrum and C. latifoliitm, Ben Lomond ; C. alpinum, Ben Lawers ; Vicia Lathy roides ; Ulex nanus (Gallti), Pentland Hills ; Rosa Sabini, Clova Mountains; Rubus suberectus ; Spiraea salicifolia ; Circcea inter- media, Forfar ; Saxifraga rivularis, Clova Mountains ; Ribes pet- rceum, Airlie Castle ; Galium pusillum. lower rocks of Clova ; G. Witheringii, near Forfar ; Valeriana Pyrenaica ; Erigeron alpinus ; Ant he mis tinctoria, Forfar ; Senecio sylvaticus, var. lividus ; Crepis succisafolia, near Forfar ; Hieracium dubium ; H. aurantiacinn, Banff; Campanula persicifolia, near Cullen ; Erythr&a lit/or alis, Brodie ; Myosoth alpestris, Ben Lawers ; Asperugo procumbens, Auchmithie and Westland ; Lysimachia thyrsiflora, near Rescobie ; Veronica alpina, Perth, Angus, and Aberdeen ; V. saxatihs, Ben Lawers ; Bartsia alpina, Maol Ghyrdy ; Teucrium Chamaidrys, old walls at Balgavies and at the House of Kelly ; Polygonum minus, near Forfar ; Rumex palustris, marshes, near Forfar ; Salix nigri- cans, var. Andersonia7ia ; S. Lapponum, vars. arenaria and glauca; and S. arbuscuta, all found in Clova ; Goodyera repcns ; Allium carinatum, banks of the Isla ; Juncus filiformis ; J. biglumh, Ben Lawers ; J. castaneus ; J. obtusijlorus ; J. acutiflorus ; J. lamfiro- carpus ; Luzula Forsteri ; near Forfar, in fir wood ; Potamogeton hcterophyllus ; Scirpus Tabermcemontani, Angus coast; Blysmus rufus, sands of Barrie; Carex divisa (Fasc, No. 196), Montrose; C. pauciflora ; C. incurva, Sands of Barrie; C. capillaris ; C. filiformis, Moss of Restennet ; C. laevigata; C.pulla; Phleum alpinum, Ben Lawers and Lochnagar ; P. a?'enarium, Sands of Barrie ; Poa cassia and P. glauca, from Clova ; Glyaria distans and Festuca loliacea, Huds., Angus coast ; F. gigantea, var. triflora ; Bromus secalinus, B. raccmosus, and B. tectorum ; Lepturus filiformis, Aberlady; Hordeum inaritimum, Angus coast ; 1 6 The Scottish Naturalist. Woodsia hyperborea, Clova ; Lycopodium annqiinumi Clova ; and Isoetes lacustris. It seems needless to remind the reader in more than a few words that of these plants several are not indigenous, and some are not even naturalised. Don also recorded numerous additions to the mosses of Scot- land. The foregoing list will show in a truer light Don's work and ability, which was recognised, if not rewarded, by his contempor- aries, many of whom again and again testify to his love of science and his untiring labour, Sir J. Smith, Sir Joseph Banks, Mr. Knapp, in his Grasses, Dr. Neill, Sir W. Hooker, being notable examples. The Linnean Society created him an associate. Mr. Gardiner, in his Flora of Forfar, frequently pays tribute to his memory, and evidently places full confidence in his truthfulness^ nor was his character attacked till Dr. Arnott, in his British Flora, began a series of charges of bad faith, of false recording, of gross mistakes, &c. In looking through Hooker's Flora Scotica, it is rather amusing, after reading Arnott's tirades against Don, to see his own records for Scotland. Of these, I shall just quote a few, which may be compared with some of Don's work. Arnott gives no sign of the plant being other than natural to the locality. Polemonium coeruleum, Arniston woods. Actcea spicata, Cliesh. Mecanopsis cambrica. Hyoscyamus niger, Firth of Forth. Itnaria Cymbalaria. Hieracium amplexicaule, Cliesh Castle. Anchusa sempervirens, Craigmillar. Sedum dasyphyllum, Colinton woods. Euphorbia eyparissias, Clinton woods. He also gives Arabis Turrita for Cliesh Castle, a plant having no more right to a place in our Flora than the Laburnum or Lilac. Mr. Arnott is also responsible for recording Stratiotcs as if a native of Forfar Loch, although he ought to have known that Don expressly states that he planted it there in 1792. Compared with these records, Don's belief in the native origin of Valeriana Pyrenaica and Carum Carui may be pardoned. In looking over Don's fasciculi, one cannot help being assured of his The Scottish Naturalist. iy straightforwardness. Many of his records even of the reputed dis- coveries are very minute; to several plants, such as Draba aizoides, and Scncbiera didy?na, he states that, not being able to obtain wild specimens, he sends some from his garden. Dr. Arnott, though in some respects an excellent botanist, was not well qualified for preparing an English Flora. He evidently considered plants could be diagnosed with all the precision of a chemical formula, and never mastered the elementary idea of the extreme variability of animate nature and its excessive proneness to change, so that split species or intermediate forms receive at his hands most cavalier treatment, or are summarily dismissed from notice as hybrids. He can see no specific difference be- tween Ranunculus tripartitus and R. aquatilis, or between R. hederaceiis and R. Lenormandi^ except the larger flowers, which " may be caused by the heat of the condensed water which flows into the canal where it grows." Upon this arbitrary botanist Don exercised a most morbid influence, so that no suggestion of dis- honesty or bad faith seemed strong enough to apply to him, for it is not only that he charged Don with making mistakes — mistakes that arc most egregious blunders — but that he asserts that no credence can be given to his statements, because he intentionally misled, either by making false records, or sowing plants, or by distributing plants from his garden as if they had been gathered wild. I will admit that Don had little knowledge of geographical distribution or histology ; but he had fully developed a naturalist's keenness of eye, a scientific love of classification which showed itself, not by faggotting plants together in an arbitrary manner in order to conceal his want of knowledge of their extreme variability, but by noticing minute differences ; and he often was enabled to differentiate varieties, which, unimportant as they may be to the arm chair botanist, may and often do prove of material service to the agriculturist or gardener. Above all, Don possessed that divine fire (often absent from the endowed professor) which kept him unwearied at labour ; plodding, it may be, over the spongy morass, or breasting the high and solitary moorland ; or anon climbing with all a fowler's zeal up the high rocky crags of that lovely district of Clova, itself not the least of his discoveries. Too independent in opinion to curry favour with the wealthy, and too fond of science — that hard mistress, in some respects, to the B 1 8 The Scottish Naturalist. poor — to make himself rich by application to business, Don, like Dick, is an instance — and there are many in the working classes — of a life devoted to one idea ; heroes, yet receiving no reward, except such reward as earnest work in itself gives. Yet despite the apparent failure of such lives, they stand out in marked con- trast to the insipidities, the mediocrities, or the merely fashionable crowd. In such cases, with such lives, any errors, so long as they are only errors, should be tenderly dealt with. Some of us at least who have trodden over the same lovely district, and who have gathered in the identical localities many of the rich treasures Don has made known, can feel some gratitude for his labour and respect for his memory and life. A short memoir of George Don appeared in vol. hi. of the Bota7iical Gazette, by Patrick Neill, LL.D., of Canonmills, treasurer of the fund raised for Don's widow, which gives some interesting information. Don's early education was limited to the reading, writing, and arithmetic taught at the parish school. He had a natural turn for mechanics, and acquired a taste for reading and observation. Even from his boyish days he delighted in noticing the minute characters of such birds, insects, and plants as came within his reach. He was apprenticed to a clockmaker in the town of Dun- blane, and here formed his first hortus siccus, consisting of all the phsenogamous and cryptogamous plants which he could cull in the neighbourhood. When he became a journeyman he removed to Glasgow, and here he generally worked five days a week at his business, and in this space of time finished the making of a clock; the remainder of the week was spent in botanizing if the weather permitted. Occasionally he stole an additional day or two and penetrated into the Highlands as far as Ben Lomond, or even Ben Lawers, in search of alpine plants, adding several unexpected varieties to the lists known to Mr. Lightfoot or to his guide, the excellent Dr. Stuart of Luss. Having himself saved a very small sum of money, and married a young woman (see Mr. Knox's paper), who had also saved a little money, he went to Forfar and procured a lease for 99 years of a small bit of ground from Charles Gray, Esq. of Carse, at a trifling rent, but on condition of his building a cottage of certain dimensions within a given period. There he spent four years necessarily in a very frugal and penurious style. The chief part The Scottish Naturalist. 19 of the ground was occupied by a small garden, the vegetables being sold to such inhabitants of Forfar as chose to send for them. A portion which bordered on the loch of Forfar was laid out as a botanic garden of hardy herbaceous plants, arranged according to the Linnsean classes and orders ; and to these, it is believed, he gave more of his time and attention than to the more vulgar but more profitable cultivated sorts. "When," says Dr. Neill, "on a pedestrian excursion along the •east coast of Scotland it occurred to me that Forfar ought to be visited for its remarkable botanic garden and its owner, whose fame was familiar to me, owing to my intimacy with his regular correspondent, Mr. John Mackay of the Leith Walk Nurseries. On reaching Forfar towards evening, I soon found Don's garden, and entering, inquired of a very rough-looking person with a spade in his hand, whom I took for a workman, whether Mr. Don was at home. The answer was, ' Why, sir, I am all that you will get for him.' Having apologized in the best manner I could, I stated that when I left home I did not anticipate a visit to Forfar else I could have brought a note of introduction from Mr. John Mackay. Don pointed to my botanical box and immediately said, * That is introduction enough for me.' . . Next morning at six he con- ducted me to Restennet Moss, where I had the great satisfaction of procuring a living patch of Eriophorum alpinum, and a number of fine specimens for drying. The Moss was at this time partially drained, for the sake of a rich deposit of marl, but at one end there was still sufficient marsh for the growth of Cladium Mariscus and Erioph. angustifolium, and of course for the rare E. alpinum, which grew on the drier or firmer part of the Moss. Mr. Don remarked that in a few years the plant would disappear, which, I understand, has accordingly happened. " The situation of curator at the Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh, having become vacant, Mr. Don was strongly recommended to Professor Rutherford by the late Mr. Brodie of Brodie, and his recommendations were backed by Sir J. E, Smith, who was well aware of his merits as a practical botanist, from having published in his English Botany several of Don's Scottish discoveries. He was accordingly appointed, and removed to Edinburgh with his family, leaving his garden in care of his father, who resided on the spot, and who was himself a great cultivator of flowers for amusement, and followed the trade of a currier, first in Dundee 20 The Scottish Naturalist. (where George must have been born) and afterwards in Forfar. " Mr. Don had not had experience in the cultivation of stove plants, and, it must be confessed, did not shine in that depart- ment At the same time, there can be no doubt that as a botanist he greatly excelled the professor, who was an accomplished chemist but had little turn for botany. It thus happened that there soon arose a want of cordiality between the parties, and Mr. Don contemplated a return to his favourite spot of ground at Forfar. " During his residence in Edinburgh he attended nearly all the medical classes, with the view of ultimately following that pro- fession. On his return to Forfar he added a nursery to the botanic garden, but it was unprofitable, in consequence of the ground being bad and labour expensive. He formed an extensive collection of plants, principally hardy, as well as a considerable herbarium, chiefly of British plants, making numerous excursions to the mountains, at the same time following his profession of a country surgeon, which he had qualified himself for in Edinburgh. Had he thrown up botany he would have done well in his new profession, for he was very successful at first ; but his business ultimately dwindled in consequence of his being continually out of the way when wanted, in search of new discoveries — a pursuit ill-adapted for a poor man with a large family." MYCOLOGIA SCOTICA-Supplement. By Rev. J. STEVENSON. {Continued from S. N., 1884, /. 183.) 3005. Agaricus (Armillaria) bulbiger A. S. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 40. Pileus fleshy, convex, then expanded, obtuse, even margin, as well as the stuffed equal marginato- bulbous stem pallid fibrillose ; ring oblique, fugacious ; gills emarginate, pallid. The Scottish Naturalist. 21 Very distinct from its bulb. Pileus pale reddish-yellow, rufescent, pallid, at first covered with fibrils, then naked, soft. Gills at length of the same colour as the pileus, distant. In pine wood. Rare. Sep. East. — — — — Moray — West. _____ Rothiemurchus. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. * A. (Clitocybe) cerussatus Fr. var. difformis Schum. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. S6. Caespitose, often gigantic. Pileus undulato-lobed ; stem curt, longitudinally wrinkled ; gills at length pallid. It varies with the pileus, at first sprinkled with flocci, 2-7 in. broad in the same cluster, and the stem of the larger specimens 1 in. thick and long. Roxburgh. Rev. David Paul. 3006. A. (Clitocybe) vermicularis. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 98. Pileus slightly fleshy, umbilicate, then reflexed, infundi- buliform, repand, even, smooth, moist, becoming pale ; stem hollow, soon compressed, smooth, shining, and, as well as the decurrent very crowded thin gills, white. Somewhat fragile ; pileus of a beautiful red or flesh- colour, then tan (almost hygrophanous), most frequently undulato-lobed. In fir wood. Sep. East. — — — — Moray — West. — — — — Chapelton wood, Forres. Rev. Dr. Keith. Europe. * A. fusipes Bull. var. oedematopus Schaeff. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 112. Somewhat caespitose. Pileus conical, then become plane, date-brown-fuscous, and, as well as the stout ventricose fibrillose stem, pulverulent ; gills pallid. On decorticated beech, Glamis. J. S. 3007. A. (Pleurotus) spongiosus Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 167. C. Hbk. No. in. 22 The Scottish Naturalist. On dead wood. Oct. East. Tweed — — — — West. — — — — Roxburgh. Rev. David Paul. England. Europe. 3008. A. (Pleurotus) lig-natilis Fr. Hym. Eicr. p. 169. C. Hbk. No. 116. On beech trunk. Nov. East. Tweed — — — — — West. — — — — Roxburgh. Rev. David Paul. England. Europe. 3009. A. (Clitopilus) undatus Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 199. C. Hbk. No. 269. On grassy banks. Aug. — Oct. East. — — — — Moray — West. — — — — Rothiemurchus. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. 3010. A. (Nolanea) mammosus Linn. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 207. Pileus somewhat membranaceous, conico-campanulate, papillate, striate, smooth, fuscous, silky-isabelline when dry ; stem fistulose, rigid, polished, smooth, white-mealy at the apex ; gills adfixed, separating, somewhat crowded, grey. Odour peculiar. Stem elongated, shining, fragile, somewhat thickened at the apex. It varies with the gills rose-colour. On grassy ground. Aug. East. Tweed — — — Moray — West. — — — — Roxburgh. Rev. David Paul. Rothiemurchus. Rev. S. Keith. England. Europe. 3011. A. (Pholiota) aureus Mattusch. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 214. Pileus fleshy, hemispherical then expanded, obtuse, somewhat velvety, pulverulent or obsoletely squamulose, The Scottish Naturalist. 23 golden-tawny ; stem stuffed, somewhat equal, even, and, as well as the adnexed ventricose gills, paler. Very handsome, flesh comparatively thin, soft, white then becoming yellow. It sheds its spores very plenti- fully, hence the distant ring and the apex of the stem are pulverulent. It has occurred with the soil glued together by the mycelium in the form of a ball at the base. Ring varying wide, radiato-striate and veined. On the ground. Sep. East. ,' — — — — — — West. Solway — — Dumfries Fungus Show, Sep., 1883. Europe. The typical plant, which has not been found hitherto in Britain, is a much handsomer plant than A. Vahlii, richer in colour, and velvety on the pileus. 3012. A. (Pholiota) heteroclitus Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 220. C. Hbk. No. 295. On trunk. East. _________ West. — Clyde — Cadder Wilderness. Mr. T. King. England. Europe. 3013. A. (Pholiota subluteus Fl. Dan. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 224. Pileus fleshy, thin, flattened, umbonate, squamulose, striate at the margin when moist ; stem stuffed, smooth, yellow, thickened at the base, ring spreading; gills de- current, crowded, cinnamon. Somewhat caespitose, 3m., pileus yellow, with darker scales. On grassy ground. Oct. East. Tweed — — — — — West. — — — — Faldon side. Rev. David Paul and William B. Boyd. Europe. 3014. A. (Inocybe) hirsutus Lasch. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 227. Grevillea Vol. VIII. /. 76. 24 The Scottish Naturalist. In mixed wood. Sep. — Oct. East. — — Tay — — — West. — — — — Glamis, Hunter's Hill. J. S. England. Europe. 3015. A. (Inocybe) asterosporus Quel. Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. Vol XXVI. p. 50. Bull. Soc. Rouen, PI. II. f. 6. Stem stuffed, firm, bulbous, furnished with a separ- able cuticle, reddish, pubescent, with brown striae. Pileus convex, umbonate (m. 03 — 5), cracked, bistre ; odour mouldy. Gills emarginate, ventricose, thin, whitish bistre, then cinnamon. Spores globose (mm. 012), stellate-spinulose, brown. On grassy ground in woods. Aug. — Sep. East. — — Tay — Moray — West. _____ Glamis. J. S. Rothiemurchus. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. Very similar to A. rimosus, for a form of which it might be easily mistaken without examination of the spores, which are stellate. S016. A. (Hebeloma) glutinosus Lindgr. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 238. Pileus fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, viscous with tenacious gluten, sprinkled with superficial white squa?nules, yellow-white, discoid; stem stuffed, somewhat bulbous, white-squamulose, and mealy at the apex, furnished with a cortina ; gills sinuato-adnexed, crowded, light yellow, then clay-cinnamon. Stem firm, at length ferruginous internally. Pileus slimy in wet weather, 3 in. broad. Odour mild. On the ground among leaves &c, Sep. — Nov. Mast. Tweed — Tay — — — Glamis. J. S. Roxburgh. Rev. David Paul. England. Europe. 3017. A. (Galera) minutus Quel. III. p. 10 t. 1 f. 5. B. 6* Br. No. 1656.* Chamois-bistre, tender, quickly withered by a breath. The Scottish Naturalist. 25 Stem somewhat capillary (1 cent), smooth, tawny, shining, base webbed-spreading and white. Pileus cam- panulate (2-3 millim.), membranaceous, striate. Gills adnato-arcuate, as broad as long, moderately crowded, yellowish, then clay-coloured with the edge whitish, spores pruniform (mm. 006), ochrey. Among moss. Sep. East. Tay West. — — — Glamis. J. S. England. Europe. * A. (Crepidotus) alveolus Larch. S. My col. Scot. No. 358. Roxburgh. Rev. David Paul. 3018, , A. (Psalliota) echinatus Roth, Berk. Out. p. 167. Among ferns. East. Tweed — — West. — — — . Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 275. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 282. Oct. Faldonside, Melrose. William B. Boyd and Rev. David Paul. England. Europe. 3019. A (Hypholoma) pyrotrichus Holmsk. Fr. Hym. Eur p. 293. Pileus somewhat fleshy, conical then hemispherical, obtuse, densely clothed with somewhat adpressed tawny fibrils, which are here and there squamulose-fasciculate, fiery-taiuny, flesh and cortina tawny ; stem hollow, fibrillose, becoming tawny ; gills adnate, pallid, then becoming brown. Very striking, caespitose. Stem fibrous-soft, often slightly squarrose-scaly. In mixed wood. Sep. — Oct. East. — Tay — — — West. — — — — Glamis. J. S. England. Europe. ( To be continued.') 26 The Scottish Naturalist. A NEW BKITISH OAEEX PROM CAITHNESS. We have just received from Mr. A. Bennett, information of the discovery of Carex kalina, B. sattegaiensis, Fr. Mr. Bennett's article will appear in full in the next number of this Magazine, but the discovery is of such interest as to call for the earliest possible publication. The species was found by Mr. Grant, of Wick, on sand banks beside Wick river, and specimens were for- warded by him to Mr. Bennett under the name " C. riparia (?) ,r The type is known from northern Europe, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland, the form kattegatcnsis has been found in Norway and in the south of Sweden. BOTANICAL NOTE Allium carinatum, L., in Dumfries and Kirkcndbrightsliires. — Mr. F. R_ Coles, Tongland, Kirkcudbright, has sent me specimens of this Allium from the coast of Kirkcudbright opposite St. Mary's Isle, when he describes it as grow- ing "at the edge of the shingle among Rubus, Ulex,and Sarotbamnus in broken roughish ground, with no trace of any planted shrubs near ; there are cottages near, but inquiries of the cottars as to the plant elicited remarks tending to make one think they supposed it a slight evidence of insanity that they should grow so trivial a plant. Other inquiries from Lord Selkirk's head gardener failed to show the plant as known by him on St. Mary's Isle." Mr. Watson sent me specimens also "From a sandy roadside at Closeburn, Dumfries, where it grew among whin." These localities seem to point to the plant being well established, but it increases so rapidly from a single head bulbil that much suspicion must always be thrown on the species as a possible native. In my garden it increases with at least ten times the rapidity of A. oleraeeum. Calamagrostis lanceolata, Roth., in Kirkcudbrightshire. — Mr. J. M 'Andrew of New Galloway has sent me a specimen of this species gathered "at Kenmore, Holms, an extensive flat of alluvial land at the mouth of the River Ken, and at the north end of Loch Ken, used only for hay. This flat is flooded several times in the year. In this flat are several lagoons, generally bordered by bushes, and Calamagrostis was growing at the damp side of one of these lagoons among willow bushes. " This description of its place of growth is just as it grows in Norfolk and Cambridgeshires, when I have seen it cut with the reed grasses for coarse hay. It has been reported from Pennycuik,. Edinburgh; but Dr. Syme suggests its being "planted," in English Botany,, 3rd ed. In "Topographical Botany," 2nd ed., it is admitted as a native as far north as Cheviotland — Cumberland and Edinburgh being suggested as errors, and confusion with C. Epigejos being suggested in some cases. ARTHUR BENNETT. On Scottish Carices. — On Cairn of Daimh in Glen Shee, East Perth, I gathered a sedge which seemed intermediate between Carex panicea and C vaginata. Mr. Arthur Bennett says that it comes very near to C. Pelia. Carex rupestris L. I gathered in Glen Shiel, West Ross. Oxford, $th November, 18S4. G. C. DRUCE. G E 0 L .0 G Y, THE CRYSTALLINE KOCKS OP THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS. In the last volume of this Magazine we have had occasion (pp. 48 and 140) to report the publication of papers dealing with the important and most interesting problem of the age of the crystal- line rocks of the Scottish Highlands. This problem is reawaken- ing in the attention of geologists, but is only a new phase of a controversy that in past years was carried on between Sir Roderick Murchison on the one hand, and the late Professor Nicol of Aber- deen University on the other. The great name of the former geologist procured a general acceptance of his views ; so that for many years they held undis- puted sway, though never yielded to by his opponent, who had personally examined the disputed area. But within the past year or two, interest has again centred itself on the north-west of Scotland, as containing the key to the problem of the age of the Highlands ; and Drs. Lapworth and Callaway have done good service in recalling to the notice of British geologists that the generally accepted view rests on an insufficient basis. In 1883 a party from the Scottish Geological Survey was stationed in Suther- landshire, with instructions to map the Durness district carefully. The results arrived at by them have led to a reversal of Murchi- son's conclusions, and we take this occasion of vindicating in some measure the reputation of one esteemed by all that studied under him, and to draw attention to the acceptance in the main of Pro- fessor Nicol's conclusions even by the Geological Survey, by reprinting from Nature (Nov. 13, 1884) the following article by A. Geikie, F. R. S., the Director of the Survey. The article is of so great value that our readers will be pleased to have it in a magazine, devoted, as this is, to recording advances in Natural Science in all branches in Scotland. — (Ed., Scot. Nat.) The article is as follows : 28 The Scottish Naturalist. "The Crystalline Rocks of the Scottish Highlands."— Ever since the discovery of Silurian fossils in the rocks of north-west Sutherland, it has been recognised that in that region lies the key to the structure of the Scottish Highlands. Ac- cordingly, when in the progress of the Geological Survey, the mapping of the Highlands had to be undertaken, I determined that a detailed survey of the Sutherland ground on the scale of six inches to a mile should be made as a basis for the work. In the summer of last year, a surveying party under the charge of Mr. B. M. Peach, was stationed there with instructions to begin by mapping the Durness basin. This duty was satisfactorily ac- complished before the end of the season. The Silurian series of Durness was ascertained to be about 2000 feet thick, and to con- sist of numerous successive zones, which were traced on the six- inch map, and discriminated in such a way as to be recognisable should they be found to occur in the more complicated region of the east. With this necessary ground-work well established, the Eriboll tract was attacked this summer by Messrs. Peach and Home. I had never myself had an opportunity of studying the Eriboll section, which, from the days of Macculloch down to the present time, have been such fruitful subjects of discussion. It was a special instruction to the officers now intrusted with the detailed survey of the region to divest themselves of any prepos- sessions in favour of published views, and to map the actual facts in entire disregard of theory. By the close of this last season the structure of the Eriboll area had likewise been traced on the six-inch maps, and I then went north to inspect the work. From time to time during the summer, reports had been made to me of the progress of the survey, but though from the published descrip- tions of that tract, I was aware that its structure must be singularly complicated, and although apprised of the conclusions to which the surveyors, step by step, and almost against their will had been driven, I was hardly prepared for the extraordinary ge- ological structure which the ground itself presented, or for the great change in the interpretation of the sections as given by Mur- chison. No one cursorily visiting the ground, could form any notion of its extraordinary complication, which could be satisfactorily un- ravelled only by patient detailed mapping such as had never yet been bestowed upon it. With every desire to follow the interpre- The Scottish Naturalist. 29 tation of my late chief, I criticised minutely each detail of the work upon the ground ; but I found the evidence altogether over- whelming against the upward succession which Murchison believed to exist in Eriboll, from the base of the Silurian strata into an upper comformable series of schists and gneisses. The nature of this evidence will be best understood from the subjoined report (which will be found in Nature) which at my request Messrs. Peach and Home have prepared. As the question of the succession of the rocks in the north-west Highlands is still under discussion, I think it right to take the earliest opportunity of making this public dec- laration. It would require more space than can be given in these pages, to do justice to the views of those geologists, from Nicol downwards, by whom Murchison's sections have been criticised, and to show how far the conclusions to which the Geological Sur- vey have been led have been anticipated. When the official me- moirs are published, full reference will be given to the work of previous observers, to which, therefore, no further allusion is made at present. The most remarkable features in the Eriboll area are the pro- digious terrestrial displacements, to which there is certainly no parallel in Britain. Beginning with gentle foldings of the rocks, we trace these becoming increasingly steeper on their western fronts, until they are disrupted and the eastern limb is pushed westwards. By a system of reversed faults, a group of strata is made to cover a great breadth of ground and actually to overlie higher members of the same series. The most extraordinary dis- locations, however, are those to which, for distinction, we have given the name of Thrust-planes, they are strictly reversed faults, but with so low a hade that the rocks on their up-throw side have been, as it were, pushed horizontally forward. The distance to which this horizontal displacement has reached is almost incredible. In Durness, for example, the overlying schists have certainly been thrust backwards across all the other rocks for at least ten miles. In fact, these thrust-planes, but for the clear evidence of such sec- tions as those of Eriboll, could not be distinguished from ordinary stratification-planes, like which they have been plicated, faulted, and denuded. Here and there, as the result of denudation, a por- tion of one of them appears capping a hill-top. One almost refuses to believe that the little out-lier on the summit does not lie normally on the rocks below it, but on a nearly horizontal fault 30 The Scottish Naturalist. by which it has been moved into its place. Masses of the Arch- sean gneiss have thus been thrust up through the younger rocks, and pushed far over their edges. When a geologist finds vertical beds of gneiss overlying gently inclined sheets of fossiliferous quartzite, shale, and limestone, he may be excused if he begins to wonder whether he himself is not really standing on his head. The general trend of all these foldings and ruptures is from north-north-east to south-south-west, and the steep westward fronts of the folds show that the terrestrial movement came from east- south-east. Corroborative evidence that this was the direction of the movement is furnished by a series of remarkable internal rear- rangements that have been superinduced upon the rocks. Through- out the whole region, in almost every mass of rock, altogether ir- respective of its lithological characters and its structure, striated planes may be noticed which are approximately parallel with the thrust-planes, and are covered with a fine parallel lineation, run- ning in a west-north-west and east-south-east direction. These surfaces have evidently been produced by shearing. Again, many of the rocks near the thrust-planes, and for a long way above them are marked by a peculiar streaked structure, which reminds one of the fluxion-lines of an eruptive rock. The coarse pegmatites in the gneiss, for example, as they come within the influence of the shearing, have had their flesh-coloured felspar and milky quartz crushed and drawn out into fine parallel laminae till they assume the aspect of a rhyolite in which fluxion-structure has been excep- tionally well developed. The gneiss itself coming into the same powerful mill, has acquired a new schistosity parallel with the shearing-planes. Hornblende rock has been converted into horn- blende schist. Moreover, new minerals have, like-wise made their appearance along the new divisional planes, and in many cases their longer axes are ranged in the same dominant direction from east-south-east to west-north-west. Murchison believed that the Silurian quartzites and limestones of Eriboll pass up under, and are quite conformably overlain by this upper gneiss. It is quite true that they are so overlain ; but the overlying rocks, instead of having been regularly deposited on them, have been pushed over them. What then, are these overly- ing rocks ? Though they have undergone such intense alteration during the process by which they were moved into their present position that their original characters have been in great measure The Scottish Naturalist. 31 effaced, lenticular bands occur in them which can certainly be recognised. Some of these bands are unquestionably parts of the Archaean gneiss ; others are Silurian quartzite, and in one case we can detect a large mass of the Upper Durness limestone. Traced eastwards, however, the crystalline characters become more and more pronounced until we cannot tell, at least from examination in the field, what the rocks may originally have been. They are now fine flaggy micaceous gneisses and mica-schists, which cer- tainly could not have been developed out of any such Archaean gneiss as is now visible to the west. Whether they consist in part of higher members of the Silurian series in a metamorphic condi- tion remains to be seen. The occurrence of a band of crystalline limestone and calcareous schist, which has been traced for many miles above the great thrust-plane, certainly suggests that it repre- sents the upper part of the calcareous Durness series attenuated and altered by the intense shearing which all the rocks have under- gone. This much at least is certain, that the schistose series above the thrust-plane is partly made up of Silurian strata, and has received its present dip and foliation since Silurian times. Having satisfied myself that Murchison's explanation of the order of sequence could not be established in Eriboll, I was desir- ous to see again, in the new light now obtained, some of the Ross- shire sections for the description of which I am responsible. Had these sections been planned for the purpose of deception they could not have been more skilfully devised. The parallelism of dip and strike, between the Silurian strata and the overlying schists is so complete as to prove the most intimate relationship between them ; and no one coming first to this ground would suspect that what appears to be a normal stratigraphical sequence is not really so. But the clear coast-sections of Eriboll, where every disloca- tion is laid bare, have now taught me that I have been mistaken, for the parallelism in question is not due to conformable deposi- tion. The same kind of evidence of upthrust and metamorphosis that these coast-sections reveal, can be traced southwards for a distance of more than ninety miles. The task of unravelling the geological structure of these southern regions will be much facili- tated by the remarkable persistence of the Sutherland Silurian zones, some of which, with their characteristic features and fossils, are as well marked above Loch Carron as they are at Loch Eriboll. In South-western Ross-shire, the platform on which the Silurian 32 The Scottish Naturalist. rocks rest is a thick mass of Cambrian red sandstone. In the great upthrow, it is this sandstone platform which has there been pushed over the limestones and quartzites. On the west side of Loch Keeshorn, the red sandstones, in their normal unaltered form, rise up into the colossal pyramids of Applecross ; but on the east side, where, at a distance of little more than a mile, they over- lie the limestones, they bear so indurated an aspect that they have naturally been classed with the quartzose members of the Silurian series. Traced eastwards they present increasing evidence of in- tense shearing ; fluxion-structure makes its appearance in them, with a development of mica along the divisional planes, until they pass into frilled micaceous schist, in which, however, the original clastic grains are still recognisable. They finally shade upwards into green schists and fine gneiss which merge into coarse gneiss with pegmatite. The short space within which ordinary red fel- spathic sandstone and arkose acquire the characters of true schists, is of some importance in regard to the change from the unaltered Silurian strata of the Southern Uplands into the metamorphic con- dition of the Highland phyllites, grits, &c. Obviously the question of chief importance in connection with the structure now ascertained to characterise the north-west High- lands relates to metamorphism. That there is no longer any evi- deir-j of a regular conformable passage from fossiliferous Silurian quartzites, shales, and limestones, upwards into crystalline schists, which were supposed to be metamorphosed Silurian sediments, must be frankly admitted. But in exchange for this abandoned belief, we are presented with startling new evidence of regional metamorphism on a colossal scale, and are initiated some way into the processes whereby it has been produced. From the remarkably constant relation between the dip of the Silurian strata and the inclination of their reversed faults, no mat- ter into what various positions the two structures may have been thrown, it is tolerably clear that these dislocations took place before the strata had been seriously disturbed. The persistent parallelism of the faults and of the prevailing north-easterly strike of the rocks indicates that the faulting and tilting were parts of one continuous process. The same dominant north-easterly strike extends across the whole Highlands, and also over the Silurian tracts of Southern Scotland and of the North of England. There is reason to regard it in all these regions as probably due to one The Scott is J i Naturalist. 33 great series of terrestrial movements. These must have occurred some time between an early part of the Silurian period and that portion of the Old Red Sandstone period represented by the breccias and conglomerates of the Highlands. In the Central and Eastern Highlands, the slates, phyllites, grits, quartzites, and lime- stones, which, along the southern border, are scarcely more altered than their probable equivalents among the Silurian Uplands, had been greatly plicated, and had assumed a more or less crystalline structure. But when these changes were brought about, there lay to the north-west a solid ridge of Archaean gneiss and Cambrian sandstone which offered strong resistance to the plication. The thrust from the eastward against this ridge must have been of the most gigantic kind, for huge slices, hundreds of feet in thickness, were shorn off from the quartzites, limestones, red sandstone, and gneiss, and were pushed for miles to the westward. During this process, all the rocks driven forward by it had their original struc- ture more or less completely effaced. New planes, generally par- allel with the surfaces of movement, were developed in them, and along these new planes a re-arrangement and re-crystallisation of mineral constituents took place, resulting in the production of crystalline schists. This metamorphism certainly occurred after early Silurian times, for Cambrian and Lower Silurian strata, as well as Archaean rocks, have been involved in it. It is obvious that into the problems of Highland geology, always admittedly obscure, a fresh element of difficulty is intro- duced. At the same time the aid furnished by a minute study of the southern sections is so great that we may hope to attack these problems with more success than has hitherto seemed probable. The work, too, is not of a kind to be attempted in a few hasty scampers over the ground. It will require patient detailed map- ping. But when the great base-lines have once been accurately traced, the difficulties will doubtless begin to diminish, and, like the pieces of a puzzle, the various segments of the Highlands will then be found to arrange themselves in their proper places. ARCH. GEIKIE. 34 The Scott is Ji Naturalist. MEETINGS AND PKOCEEDINQS OF SCOTTISH SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. Note. — Accounts of meetings during the month preceding the date of issue of any number of this Magazine are too late for that number, but will appear in the next. THE CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND held its tenth annual conference at Kelso on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of September last, under the prasidency of William B. Boyd, Esq. of Faldonside. It had been determined that there should not be a public show of fungi at this meeting; and, fortunately so, as the supply of the larger fungi was altogether insufficient to furnish an exhibition. With the exception of some districts in the west of Scotland, the year has been a barren one. Excursions were made on the three days, to Bowmont Forest, Stichill, and Springwood Park. The beauty of the scenery and unclouded sunshine helped to mitigate the dis- appointment which the absence of fungi created. The meeting was, on the whole, a most enjoyable one. If fungi were absent, old friends were present, and new interests were awakened, and at the close of the conference the mem- bers parted with another green spot for memory to recall. In his annual address the President gave a clear and exhaustive account of the progress and results of botanical research in the Border counties of Scot- land. He traced minutely the labours of Johnston and Jerdon, and gave ample evidence that since their time botanical study has been prosecuted with zeal and success by the members of the Berwickshire Naturalsts' Club. When Johnston's " Flora of Berwick-upon-Tweed" was published in 1829-31, little attention had been paid to Cryptogamic botany ; but great advances were made by Jerdon, whose valuable lists of the fungi of the district are contained in the "Transactions of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club." The study of ferns and mosses has hitherto attracted the chief notice of the Border Crypto- gamists. The President referred specially to a list of mosses, drawn up by Mr. Hardy in 1868, which contains 267 species. The address, which was a valu- able contribution to the history of local research, was listened to throughout with the greatest interest, and a hearty vote of thanks was awarded to the President. Additions to Mycologia Scotica were laid upon the table. The following figures will serve to show that Scottish Mycologists have not been idle in recent years. In 1S79 (when Mycologia Sco/icawas published) there were 2154 species recorded for Scotland. During the last five years 891 species have been added to the list, so that the species recorded for Scotland now amount to 3045. Between the publication of Cook's Handbook in 187 1, and the pub- lication of Mycologia Scotica in 1879, 192 species were recorded from Scotland as new to the British Flora. During the last five years 66 species have been added, so that species new to the British Flora reported from Scotland now number 258. Between the same dates — 1871 and 1879 — 107 new species were recorded for Scotland. Duiing the last five years 17 species have been added, so that species from Scotland new to the Cryptogamic Flora now number 124. The Scottish Naturalist. 35 It has frequently been our experience that in seasons when the commoner fungi were less abundant, greater rarities were met with. This may possibly be owing to attention being more concentrated on the few ; but during the excursions at Kelso, we were denied this consolation. The only fungus which is worthy of being specially recorded is Agaric2ts areolatus, Kl. It was found by the President at Faldonside on the day previous to the meeting, and was again met with at Springwood Park. It has not been gathered, so far as we are aware, since it was discovered by Klotsch, more than half a century ago, in the Botanic Garden in Glasgow. Lichenology proved the more fruitful field, as the following species, identified by Dr. Stirton, will serve to show : — Cladonia pungens Flk. ; C. digilata L. and F. bra "c hy 'tes Ach. ; C. macilenta Ehrh.; C. sylvalica L. ; Ramali?ia sub- farinacea Nyl. ; Platysma saepincola Ehrh. ; P. glancum L. ; Peltigera poly dactyla Hffm.; Slictina scrobiculata Scop.; Parmelia physodes L. ; P. con spersa Ehrh., and P. isidiata Anzi.; P. incitrva Pess. ; P. saxatilis L., and var. omphalodes L.; Physcia pulverulenta Schreb. ; P. aquila Ach. ; Squa- maria crassct Huds. ; Lecanora fuscata Schrad. ; L. ferruginea Huds. ; L. re- cedens Tayt.; Lecidea fumosa Ach.; L. tfli^inosa Schrad.; L. stellulaln Tayl.; Opegrapha atra Pers. ; O. saxicola Ach. ; Verrucaria Maura WhJnb. It is worthy of note that Physcia aquila was met with about twenty miles from the sea-shore, to which it is usually confined. The following mosses are worthy of mention : — Plcrogonium gracile, Hypnum crista-castrensis, and Torttila papulosa. JOINT MEETING OP LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AT NAIRN. — The annual meeting of Societies in the north of Scotland was held in 1884 hi Nairn, by invitation-of the Nairn Literary Institute, on Friday and Saturday, 24th and 25th July, and was attended by representatives of the following Associations : — Aberdeen Natural History Society, Alford Field Club, Caithness Field Club, Edinburgh Geological Society, Edinburgh Naturalists' Field Club, Elgin and Morayshire Literary and Scientific Associa- tion, Inverness Gaelic Society, Inverness Literary Society, Inverness Scientific Society and Field Club, Keith Field Club, Kirkcaldy Naturalists' Society, and Ross-shire Philosophical Society. On Friday afternoon the guests were received in the Nairn Museum by the President and other members of the Nairn Literary Society, and Mr. George Bain called their attention to various objects of interest. Of these the chief were the Brodie cabinet of minerals and a fine collection of Old Red Sandstone fossil fishes from Lethenbar and the Clune, in Nairnshire, collected by Mr. Stables, and presented by the Earl of Cawdor to the Museum. The Brodie cabinet had as its nucleus a collection of minerals made in the beginning of this century in Greenland by the well-known Danish mineralogist Giesecke. This collection was sent to Copenhagen in a Danish vessel which. was captured by a British cruiser during the war between Britain and Den- mark. The collection was sold in Edinburgh along with the rest of the cargo as a prize, and was bought by Colonel Imrie, by whom it was presented to Lord Gray. He presented it to the late Duchess of Gordon, who added largely to it, and bequeathed it to the late Brodie of Brodie, who made a gift of it to the Nairn Museum. Among other valuable minerals it contains two which were very rare when the collection was made in Greenland— viz,, Cryolite and 36 The Scottish Naturalist. Sodalite. Ilerr Giesecke applied for the restoration of his collection, but was unable to recover them. In compensation he was made Professor of Geology in the University of Dublin. A meeting was held in the evening for the reading of papers. After a short address by Major Fraser, the President of the Nairn Literary Institute, the following papers were read : — The Botany of Croy> by Rev. Mr. Fraser. The district of Croy lies chiefly in the basin of the Nairn river, between 100 and 300 feet above the sea- level, with the higher grounds to the north and to the south, the highest point in it being Ben Buidh-mor, 1797 feet in height. The area is about ten miles, long, and from three to six miles wide. Its whole surface consists of boulder clay, gravel, and sand, with some peat, and rests on sandstone or gneiss- Three small lochs occur in the area, but are not known to present any aquatic plants of special interest. Mr. Fraser submitted a list of the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Croy (360 species), which is printed in full in a pamphlet report of the proceedings. It will doubtless yet be added to considerably in the more difficult groups, but forms a good commencement to the working out of the local flora. We note, as local or rare in the north-east of Scotland : — ■ Trollins Europaeus, Papaver Argemone, P. Rhoeas, Sisymbrium Sophia, Stellaria nemorum, Arenaria trinervia, Geranium lucidum, Potentilla reptans, Peplis- Porlula, Senecio viscosus, Hypochoeris glabra, Monotropa Hypopitys, Polygonum Bislorta, Rhynehospora alba. Cup-Marked Stones, by Dr. Grigor, Nairn, gave an account of the numerous markings in stones in Nairnshire, in which county they are specially common ; and the author mentioned the explanations for their origin that have been suggested, and the superstitions attached to them in Nairnshire. Rev. W„ Grigor, Pitsligo, followed with a paper on Children's Games ; and Rev. Dr. Joass with one on The Bronzes of Sutherland, illustrated by the exhibition of specimens of various weapons, ornaments, and other articles from Suther- land and other parts of Scotland. The next paper, entitled, The Geology of Nairnshire, was written by Mr- John Home of II. M. Geological Survey, and was of much interest; but a summary would fail to give any but a very imperfect idea of this paper. Mr. William Docherty, Thurso, gave some notes on Marine Zoology, as the result of his personal experiences with an aquarium. Mr. Milne, King, Edward, concluded the meeting with a paper on Nitrate of Soda. The members immediately thereafter were entertained to supper by the Nairn Literary Institute, and passed a very enjoyable evening. On Saturday an excursion occupied the day fully. About ninetygentlemen and a few ladies started, and all went well with the party, the weather (that most im- portant factor in a day's enjoyment out of doors in Scotland) having been all that could be wished. The route chosen was full of interest, alike antiquarian and historical in connection with the downfall of the Stuart cause at Culloden,. artistic from its natural beauty, and scientific. Among the places of most interest visited were Cawdor woods and burn, the old Kirk of Barivan, and the curious old castle of Cawdor, with its traditions of old times. Here they were hospi- tably received by Lord Cawdor. Beside the road to Clava was seen a con- glomerate boulder, named Tomriach. This is one of the largest in Scotland The Scottish Naturalist. 37 and measures 25 feet in height, 35 feet in length, 92 feet round, and is estimated to weigh 570 tons. At Cantraybruich, about 500 feet above the sea-level, is a bed of blue clay containing numerous Arctic shells. At Clava the cairns and stone circles were visited. There are many circles in the strath. Luncheon was taken on Culloden Moor, and the various landmarks of the battle were pointed out and the incidents described by the Rev. Mr. Fraser of Croy. During the return journey the beauty of the scenery was much admired, especially at Holme Bridge. A visit to Kilravock Castle concluded a most pleasant and successful excursion. On their return to Nairn the party broke Aip in time to allow the return of the strangers to their various destinations. DOLLAR LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY— This Society was omitted in our lists of Scottish Scientific Societies ; but we are glad to have the opportunity afforded us of correcting the omission and of reporting its pro- ceedings. The Society meets monthly, and in the course of the present session two meetings have been held, at the first of which Mr. Carmichael lectured upon the theories of the beautiful, and made use of natural objects to illustrate his views. At the next meeting Professor Struthers, of Aberdeen University, lectured on The Relation of Man to the Higher Animals in the light thrown upon that relationship by the theory of evolution. The lecturer gave a resume of the gounds on which evolutionists believe that a genetic relationship exists between the various species of animals, dwelling specially upon the ex- istence of abnormal and of rudimentary structures in the human body, and on inferences to be drawn from these. Both lectures were much appreciated. EDINBURGH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY (Saturday, 14th June, 1884).— The Society visited, under the leadership of the Rev. E. Kennedy of Largo, the coast line from Cat's Craig to Largo. The party first proceeded to the mouth of the Cockle Burn, and examined some very interesting sections of sand and gravel, old sea-beaches and basaltic columns. Passing towards Largo a splendid upheaval of the edge of the Carboniferous strata was observed, .and, together with a considerable mass of coal fossils, proved most interesting. After examining several boulders the party walked up the Keil's Den Burn to sections of shale and sandstone where some fossils were obtained. They afterwards visited the Blindwells Quarry, where is a mass of basalt intruded into the Carboniferous Limestones and shales, and thereafter returned to Edinburgh. PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE (November 13, 18S4). — Numerous donations to the Museum in all branches of Natural History were announced, those to the Perthshire collections being of especial value. The President, Dr. F. Buchanan White, read a paper entitled Museum Notes I. Perthshire Mammalia, It is the wish of the Society to supplement the collections contained in their excellent Museum with a series of papers that will show the principles on which it has been arranged, and also the deficiencies in the collections that are in need of being supplemented. Dr. White's paper is the first of this series, the mammals having been selected alike because of the 38 The Scottish Naturalist. more general interest in them, and because of deficiencies in the collections that require to be filled. We learn from the paper that there are 33 or 34 species of mammals indigenous to Perthshire. The article will appear in the next part of the Proceedings of the Society in extenso* PROCEEDINGS OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB — This old and well-known Society has recently published its volume for the year 1883-84 which, as usual, forms a good octavo volume, being Vol. X_ pt. II., pp. 225-424, with 14 plates. As in past years the subjects embrace wide range, including several articles on archfeological topics, on meteorology, &c, in addition to those that come more naturally under review in this maga- zine. We may at once state that the quality of the articles is not inferior to those in the earlier volumes of the series, and continue to merit for the Club the high estimation in which it is held. We now pass to a brief notice of the contents. Mr. Hardy gives the usual excellent report of the meetings, but to this we shall afterwards return. The [articles fall into several groups. Obituary notices are given of four members of the Club that have died within the year, these being — Rev. John Orr, of Berwick ; Robert Crossman, of Cheswick and Holy Island ; Rev. John W. Dunn, of Workworth ; and Dr. James Robson Scott, of Ashtrees. Professor Duns contributes an obituary notice of William Stevenson (died at Paisley in 1882), for many years an earnest student of the meteorology and of the geology of the South of Scotland. Dr. H. S. Anderson follows with a brief sketch of the career of the renowned traveller, Mungo Park. Mr. Hardy shows the same energy and research in archaeology that have already made him so well-known in biology, and writes (1) on an Urn near Luffhess, (with 1 plate) ; (2) Ednam Hospital ; 3, On a Spoon at Mousin and Notice of Mousin; 4, On the Cross at Crosshall ; 5, On a Flint Scraper from Gullane Links ; and, 6, Notes on Yarrow; besides a paper, along with Miss S. Dand, on Incised Rocks at Morwick (with 4 plates of figures). The other articles on Archaeology are Black Dyke and British Camps, by James Tait ; Flint Implements in Ccquetdale (2 plates), and Dagger found at Rothbury, by*D. D. Dixon ; Names of the Fame Islands, &c, by Mr. R. Carr-Ellison ; and Notes on British and other Coins (1 plate), by Miss Russell. Meteorology may be said to be represented by Hailstorm near Jedburgh, by J. Scott-Dudgeon ; Injury to Firs by a Snowstorm, by M. T. Culley ; Effects of Storm of 14th October,: 1881, on Plantations; and Meteoro- logical Notices. Lower Carboniferous Entomostraca (1 plate), by T. R. Jones, F.R.S., is the only strictly Geological paper. In it several new forms are described. Zoology is represented by papers on Birds — viz., Herons and Border Heronies, and Titlark Feeding Young Cuckoo, by James Smail ; Cygnus Bewickii (from Shaws), with Notes on Anatomical Characteristics 1 plate), by Dr. T. Anderson ; and Ornithological Notes, by George Bolam, containing much that will interest ornithologists Botany figures with only three papers. These are Carex divisa in Holy Island, by the Rev/ J. Farquharson ; Fungi from Roxburgh, by Rev. D. The Scottish Naturalist. 39 Paul, which enumerates several rarities among the larger fungi of "Tweed." They will be noticed in the supplement to Mycologia Scotica. Notes on the Marine Algee of Berwick-on-Tweed, by Edward A, L. Butters (4 plates) enumerates and describes 17 species of seaweeds not pre- viously found in the district, several of the species being figured on the accom- panying plates. The additions are — Sphcerozyga Carmichcelii, Spirulina tena- issima, Oscillatoria littoralis, O. subtdiformis, O. nigroviridis, 0. insignia. Lyngbya fermginea, Rivularia alra Roth., var. ccmfluens, Hormospora ramosa, Cladophora flavescens, Vaucheria velulina. Fucus vesiciclosus, var, B. subcosta- tus, Diclyosiphon hippuroides, Sphacelarla ccespitzila, Cruoria ad/iaerens, Melo- besia Lenormandi, M. coralline?. Of these species several are quite common in the district, though previously overlooked. We shall now return to the excursions, the report of which occupies 45 PaSes> but which must be noticed very briefly here. Five excursions were made in 1883 — viz., to Kelso and Eccles on 30th May, to Holy Island on 27th June, to Aberlady on 25th July, to St. Mary's Loch on 29th August, and one to Woolerand Cheviot in September. The first, second, and fourth of these were well attended, and were favoured with fine weather ; the other two were made under unfavourable skies, and were consequently ill- attended. Several plants of interest were picked up on Holy Island, but we can hardly claim this as a Scotch locality. We note Cakile rugosa, found on the Castle Rock, reported as new to Britain ; but it has often been found before as an escape. Some account of the ponds at Gosford, and of the waterfowl preserved on them, as also of the shrubberies, begins the report on the Aberlady excursion. Trifolium fragifemm, gathered on the coast west of the Peffer, and a great abundance of larvae of Euchelia Jacobcece on the links at Gullane, were the most noteworthy finds. PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE.— Vol. I. Part 4.— 1883-84.— This recently published part well sustains the reputation already gained by the Society for the quality of the papers brought before it ; but as we have had occasion during the past year to refer to most of the articles in our reports of the meetings of the Society, we shall here confine ourselves to the titles of the papers, and must leave those desirous of a fuller knowledge of their contents to obtain it from this source, or, still better, from the Proceedings themselves. The papers are — " On the Occurrence in Perthshire of Bones of the Red Deer in a Subfossil Condition," by Dr. F. Buchanan White; "Some Results of the Challenger Expedition {Pelagic Hemiptera), also by him ; " Dimorphism in Oak Call-Makers and in their Galls," by Professor J. W. H. Trail ; "Account of the Conversazione on the Opening of the new Perth Museum on 20th, 21st, and 22nd December ; " "Hedgehog's Nest" and "Seasonal Phenomena," and "Notes," by Dr. F. B. White ; " The Life-History of a Garden Snail," by Henry Coates ; on speci- mens of Carex tistulata and Triiicum alpinum Don, from Don's Her- barium, labelled as from Ben Lawers ; notes on varieties of Helix nemoralis, from Perthshire, by Henry Coates ; " Evolution and some things said regard- ing it," by Rev. Dr. Milroy ; the President's (Col. Drummond Hay) Address, dealing with the objects and needs of the Society's Museum ; " How an Insect Flies," by S. T. Ellison, illustrated with diagrams ; " Fruit Culture and some of the Hindrances to its more General Cultivation, "(by Dr. Robertson. During the* 40 The Scottish Naturalist. past summer the Society made several excursions, which were well attended, and were productive of a good deal of information in regard to the Perthshire fauna and flora. Space will not permit us to report these at length, but we cannot omit mention of some of the more important finds. On May ioth, at Craighall, Solomon's Seal {Polygonatum verticil! ahem) and Toothwort {Lathrcea squamarid) and Helix lamellata (not previously known from this part of Perthshire) were met with. On May 22nd, in Kincardine Glen, Neottia nidus-avis, Caltha palustris, var. Gutrangerii, Epilobium angustifolium var. brachycarpum, Anodus Donianus, and other interesting plants were found. In the excursions to Aberfeldy, Castle Menzies, and Weem (May 31st), to Abercairny (June 14th), and to Ben Chonzie, near the head of Glen Turret (June 28th), though various local or rare plants and insects were found none need be specified here. On August 9th, the Banks of the Tay near Meikleour were visited, and the excursion was very successful. Beside the Isla were found a curious variety of Carex aquaiilis, Nasturtium pa lustre, and what seems to be Rumex crispus var. trigranulatus ; and the river was Spongilla fluviatilis, not previously found in Perthshire. Beside the Tay Lysimachia uummularia was plentiful, and so also was Carex vesicaria, a very local plant in Scotland north of the Forth. Ruuiex Hydrolapathum and Typha latifolia were seen in a marsh near Tay farm. Astragalus glycyphylhis grows on the bank of the Tay ; and in an old bed of the river near Delvine Polygonum minus reaches what is believed to be its most northerly station in Britain. In one of the backwaters of the Tay, near the [same place, Subularia aquatica was discovered, and so also was Peplis Portula. On September 20th the last excursion of the season, to Longforgan and In- vergovvrie, gave the opportunity of examining, among other places, quarries near Kingoodie. In these were found Ranuncidus covfusus, Senecio viscosus, Rumex crispus, var. trigranulatus, &c, among other noteworthy plants, and of molluscs Helix aspersa (local and rare in Perthshire), several forms of H. nemo rails and //. hispida. In conclusion, we venture, though without special permission, to quote from the report of the excursion to Ben Chonzie verses written for the occasion by the Bard (Mr. John Young, C.E.) of the Perthshire Mountain Club, and read on the cairn at the^summit, "Salix herbacea fioreat " is the motto of the Club, which includes in its membership only those that have ascended a Perthshire mountain of at least 3000 feet in height, and that have therefore been in the regions where Salix herbacea is the representative, though the smallest, of British shrubs. Once more at Flora's high behest Our band has come from east and west, To scale the mountain's rugged crest, Salix herbacea fioreat ! With rapture sparkles every eye ; The Ben towers upwards to the sky ; On yonder crags our pathways lie ; Salix herbacea fioreat ! Dull are the blossoms here below, Up there they shine with brighter glow, Where blooms the Gentian of the snow. Salix herbacea fioreat ! The Scottish Natural ist. 41 The Alpine Speedwell's glorious blue, The mossy Campion's rose-red hue, Azalea and Mountain Meadow-Rue, Salix herbacea floreat ! Adown the dark cliffs mossy side The sea-green Rose-root's scattered wide ; The Holly ferns in crannies hide, Salix herbacea floreat ! " Upon the mountain ledges green," The Saxifrage's purple sheen In many a splendid patch is seen, Salix herbacea floreat ! And thou, blest Linne's own dear flower, Dwelling now in some woodland bower, Now where the Alpine summits tower, Salix herbacea floreat ! Up, brothers, up, scale ye the height ! He who ascends is in the right ! Below 'tis dark, above 'tis light ! Salix herbacea floreat ! The master issues his command, *' Leave far below the Lotus land ! Around the cairn take your stand ! " Salix herbacea floreat ! At last around the stones so gray, From whence the master holds his sway. The pilgrim band their footsteps stay, Salix herbacea floreat ! " Fill up the quaigh with mountain-dew ! Hand to each brother old and new, And bid him say in accents true, ' Salix herbacea floreat ! '" The master calls upon his men To fill the quaigh up once again, " To all friends round Lawers' mighty Ben ! Salix herbacea floreat ! *' Fill, quaighman, fill up as before ! We drink to those who are no more, Who climbed the hills with us of yore ! Salix herbacea floreat ! " SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. ENTOMOLOGISTS' MONTHLY MAGAZINE (1884, July).)— Notes on Tenthredinidae, by P. Cameron {Nemattis Fletcheri sp. n. described, and male said to have been caught at Thornhill, near Dumfries) ; Notes on ,|2 The Scottish Naturalist. British Tortrices, by Chas. G. Barrett {contd.) ; Hydroptila femoralis Eaton in Scotland, by J. J- King (near Port-Glasgow). {AuouslfjSotes on British Tortrices, C. G. B. {September) Note on the British Species of Laccobius, by D. Sharp, M.B., states as Scottish four species {E. sinuatus Motsch, alutaceus Th., minutus Auct,, and bipunctatus Th. ,) and gives their distinguishing characters ; Eupithecia togata in Roxburghshire, by A. Elliot ; Adicella fllicornis Pict., an addition to British Trichoptera (in Lanarkshire), by Kenneth J. Morton ; Trichoptera from Unst, by R. M'Lachlan {Limnophiliis sparsus, Stenophylax latipennis, S. concentricus, and Pleclrocnemla conspersa, all small and dark; The Nitidulidse of Great Britain, by the Rev. W. W. Fowler (with descriptions), mentions as from Scotland Epurcea silacea Er., E. oblonga Herbst.' {October) E. deleta Er. E. parvuta Sturm., E. immunda Er., E. variegata Herbst. , E. obsoleta Fab., E. pusilla Er., Micrnriila melanocephala Er., besides certain species common throughout Britain ; On Parthenogenesis in the Tenthredinidae, by P. Cameron, records 13 species of sawflies in which the author had proved its occurrence. {November) Notes on the Larva, &c, of Asynarchus ccen- osus curt., by Kenneth J . Morton ; Notes on British Tortrices, by C. G. Barrett, states that original specimens of reputed Scottish Retinia duplana are really small dark R. turionella ; Notes on the Tortrices of Rannoch, by A. Ff. Jones; Penthina Staintoniana a Scotch form of P. Sauciana., by A. Ff. Jones. {December) The Nitidulidae of Great Britain, by W. W. F., enumerates as Scotch Omoslta depressa and Thalyera sericea, besides others generally distributed ; Revision of the British species of Sphecodes Latr., by E. Saunders, F.L.S., mentions 6". subauadratus from Dumfries;. On a Small Collection of Trichoptera from Unst, North Shetland, by R. M'Lachlan, F.R.S. (includes Phrygan a varia F., Limnophilus auricula C., L. griseus L., L. sparsus C., Stenophylax latipennis C., S. concentricus Zett., Mesophylax impunctatus M'Lach. var. Zetlandicus (var. nov. ) Halesus radiatus C., Drusus annulattis Steph., Oecetis ochracea Q.^Plectroc- nemia conspersa C., Polycentropus flavomaculatus Pict. ? Small size and dark colour are dominant features of the Shetland Trichoptera, just as among the Lepidoptera. NEW WOKKS ON BKITISH CRYPTOGrAMIC BOTANY. Since our last notice (in July) several additions have been made to the literature of this branch, in continuation of works already in progress, and in re-issue of works already known favourably to specialists. Though none deals with the Cryptogams of Scotland peculiarly, yet all contain too much of interest to Scotch botanists to allow of their being passed in silence. , Braithwaite's British Moss-Plora has reached its eighth part (Tortulacese) ; the new part fully sustains the reputation of the others. Hobkirk's Synopsis of British Mosses has just appeared in a second edition. The book has been favourabiy known to bryologists since its first appearance several years ago, as the most convenient recent small work on these plants ; and the appreciation in which it is held has been proved by the fact that for some time it has been quite out of print. Space will not permit us to say more in this place than that this edition has been thoroughly revised b the author, and has been brought up to date in the information required in The Scottish Naturalist. 43 a handbook such as it is designed to be. The arrangement and classification have been entirely revised, and have been altered so as to bring them into accordance with the arrangement proposed by Jaeger in his Adumbratio Muscorum, as seeming the most natural and convenient, besides which, with a few alterations, it nearly coincides that of the " London Catalogue of British Mosses, second edition." For many of the rarer species Scottish localities are given. Dr. M. C. Cooke has completed his British Fresh-Water Algae ; parts IX. and X. have appeared, including Scyionemece, Calotrichece, Rhodophyc&c, and the index. Wherever possible, coloured illustrations have been supplied Desmids and Diatoms have not been included ; but, even excluding these, th work is a large and handsome one. and must prove essential to all that occupy themselves with British Fresh-Water Alga?. Cooke's Illustrations of British Fungi (Hymenomycetes) has reached its 26th part ; and in Grroillea the re-issue of descriptions of the species figured in the Illustrations, is being continued. A Synopsis of the Bacteria and Yeast Fungi, by W. B. Grove, B.A., is a re -issue, with additions, of a series of papers that appeared in Science Gossip, and is founded in part on Die Pike, by Winter in the new edition of Rabenhorst's Kryptogcunenflora. The book treats well of a group of minute organisms now believed to be of the utmost importance because of their influence on human economy, but that are even yet but little accessible to study by any but specialists, on account both of their extremely minute size, and of the literature upon them being scattered and not readily accessible to English readers. The latter difficulty is in a very great measure removed by this work, which ought to give a great stimulus to the investigation of these minute or ganisms among us. The various forms are illustrated by woodcuts. Diseases of Field and Garden Crops (chiefly such as are caused by Fungi), by Worthington G. Smith, F.L.S., is the title of a small manual by a well-known mycologist on a most important subject. We shall give a longer notice of it in this Magazine. rOKTHCOMING WOEKS ON BEITISH PUNGI. In no branch of Botany has the advance been more remarkable of late years than in the study of Fungi, nor has the interest been confined to a few workers only in any one country ; for in all European lands, and in North America, ardent students of this group of plants have arisen. Nor is this wide-spread in- terest to be wondered at when we bethink ourselves of the value of investigations into these plants alike to the student of pure science, seeking to discover the laws of vegetable life under their simplest conditions that he may the more clearly comprehend these laws in their application to the higher types, or desirous of ascertaining the grounds on which classification should be based to be natural ; to the physician in his efforts to lessen the sum of human diseases; the economist who looks to the injury done by fungi to human welfare by 44 The ScotiisJi Naturalist. damage inflicted to our possessions animate and inanimate ; and lastly, of the interest to every one in the effort to penetrate in some degree into the mysteries of nature, mysteries that even yet meet the inquirer on every side in this line of research. But be the ground of investigation what it may, the result is that of late years very rapid progress has been made in adding to what was formerly known concerning Fungi. This information is very widely scattered in works and journals in many languages ; and the labour of keeping abreast of the advance is too great to be accomplished by any one worker for the whole domain of Mycology. Hence it is more and more felt to be necessary for specialists to devote their attention to comparatively limited groups, so far as a critical knowledge of species is concerned, while retaining a sufficient acquaintance with the science in general to guard against falling into the errors to which too limited a view renders the student liable. In future, therefore, we need not again look for such a textbook on Fungi as Cooke's Handbook of British Fungi, unless, indeed, taken up by several ^specialists in common, each of whom would be responsible for his own special part. But we have no English textbook on Fungi that can be regarded as at all abreast of the present state of our knowledge, or as rendering accessible to the British student of Mycology the vast stores of information accumulated by botanists of all lands since the publication of Cooke's Handbook. It is, therefore, with very great pleasure that we are able to announce the pro- bable appearance in no long time of several monographs or groups of British Fungi. Each monograph will be the work of a specialist, than whom there is none in the country more fit to do the work successfully. We trust that they may receive the encouragement they deserve, alike in the numbers of subscribers, and in assistance from all that may be able to aid them with information. These monographs are to be on the following groups of fungi : — Flora of British (Hynienomycetes) Fungi, by Rev. John Stevenson. Mr. Stevenson has made himself well known by his labours in this group, labours that have added not a few species to the British Flora, and still more to the Flora of Scotland. The work will be published (if the number of sub- scribers will allow) by Messrs. Wm. Blackwood & Sons. The subscription list will shortly be closed ; subscriptions may be intimated either to the publishers or to the author {Glamis). Mr. William Phillips is engaged on a Monograph of the British Dis- comycetes. He is admittedly the first authority on these Fungi in Great Britain. Intending subscribers should communicate with the author (Canon- bury, Shrewsbury). Mr. Plowright is, we understand, at work on the Uredhieas with a view to publication. The results to which he has been led from his own experiments are doubtless known to all interested in this very curious and perplexing group of plants ; and the work will certainly be of much value. INSECTA SCOTICA, THE TBICHOPTEEA OF SCOTLAND. By JAMES J. KING and KENNETH J. MORTON. MYSTACIDBS. NIGRA L. Common. Rivers and lakes. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee o o o o West, o Clyde o o o AZUREA L.- Common. Rivers and lakes. Distribution — East, o o Tay o Moray Sutherland o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o longicornis L. Common. Lakes. Distribution — East, o Forth o o Moray o o o West, o Clyde o o o TRIAENODES. BICOLOR Curt. Common. Weedy ponds, and lakes. Distribution — East, o o o o Moray Sutherland o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o ADICELL.A. reducta M'Lach. Not common. Rock springs. Distribution — East, o o o o o Sutherland o o West, o o o o o filicornis Pact. Not common. About springs in warm glens. Distribution — East, oooooooo West, o Clyde o o o CECETIS. OCHRACEA Curt Very common. Lakes. Distribution — East, o Forth o Dee Moray o Sutherland o Zetland West, o Clyde o o o lacustris Pict. Common. Weedy lakes and canals. Distribution — East, o o o Moray o o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o TESTACEA Curt. Scarce. Streams. Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o West. Sol way o o o o 46 The Scottish Naturalist. HYDR0PSYCHIDJ3. HYDROPSYCHE. PELLUCIDULA Curt. Common. Streams. Distribution — East. 0000 Moray Sutherland o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o FULVIP.ES Curt. Scarce. Large rivers. Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000 West. 00000 instabilis Curt. Common. Streams. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o ANGUSTIPENMIS Curt. Not common. Streams. Distribution — East, o Forth 000000 West, o Clyde 000 guttata Pict. Common. Large Rivers. Distribution — East, o Forth o o Moray 000 West, o Clyde 000 LEPIDA Pict. Not very common. Large rivers. Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000 West, o Clyde 000 DIPLECTRONA. FELIX M'Lach. Not uncommon about small streams running through well-wooded glens. Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000 West, o Clyde Argyle o o PHILOPOTAMUS. montanus Donov. Common. Rapid streams. Distribution— East, o o Tay Dee Moray Sutherland o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o WORMALDIA. occipitalis Pict. Not uncommon. Springs and waterfalls. Distribution —East, o Forth Tay 00000 West, o Clyde Argyle o o median A M'Lach. Rare. Rapid streams. Distribution — East, o o Tay o Moray 000 West. 00000 ubnigra M'Lach. Common. Rapid Steams. Distribution — East, o o Tay o Moray 000 West, o Clyde 000 PLECTROCNEMIA. conspersa Curt. Very common. Streams. The Scottish Naturalist. 47 Distribution — East, o Forth Tay o Moray Sutherland o Zetland. West. Sohvay Clyde o o Hebrides. OENICULATA M'Lach. Not common. Streams. Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000 West, o Clyde 000 POLYCENTROPUS. flavo-maculatus Pict. Very common. Streams. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray Sutherland o o West. Sohvay Clyde Argyle o o MULTIGUTTATUS Curt. Not common Streams. Distribution — East 0000 Moray Sutherland o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o kingi M'Lach. Locally common. Streams. Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000 West. 00000 HOLOCBNTROPUS. dubius Ramb. Not common. Ponds. Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000 West, o Clyde Argyle o o PICICORNIS Steph. Common. Ponds filled with water-weeds. Distribution — East. 00000000 West, o Clyde Argyle o 0 CYRNUS. TRIMACULATUS Curt. Very abundant. Rivers and lakes. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray Sutherland 0 0 West, o Clyde Argyle o o plavidus M'Lach. Common. Weedy ponds. Distribution— East 000 Dee Moray Sutherland o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o The Scottish specimens of this insect vary considerably from the English ones. TINODES. WiENERl L. Common. Streams and lakes. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray Sutherland o o West. Sohvay Clyde Argyle o Hebrides. AUREOLA Zett. Locally common. About rapids and rock springs. Distribution — East, o Forth 000000 West, o Clyde Argyle o o 48 TJie Scott it Ji Naturalist. LYPE. PH^EOPA Steph. Not uncommon. Slowly running streams. Distribution — East, oooooooo West, o Clyde Argyle o o PSYCHOMYIA. PUSILLA F. Common, Large rivers. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West, o Clyde o o o RHYAOOPHILID^E. CHIMARRHA. MARGINATA L. Common. Rapid streams and waterfalls. Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o West. Solway o o o o RHYACOPHILA. DORSALIS Curt. Very common. Streams. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray Sutherland o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o SEPTEMTRiONis M'Lach. Common. Usually by streams with rocky beds. Distribution — East, o Forth o o o o o o West, o Clyde o o o OBLITERATA M'Lach. Common. Streams. Distribution — East, o o Tay o o o o o West, o Clyde o o o This insect appears in the autumnal months. GLOSSOSOMA. boltoni Curt. Not very common. Rivers. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway o o o o VERNALE Pict. Common. Rivers. Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee Moray Sutherland o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o AGAPETUS. FUSCIPES Curt. Common. Small streams. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay o Moray Sutherland o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o COMATUS Pict. Common. Rivers. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray Sutherland o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o OBITUARY. Rev. CHARLES CLOUSTON, LL.D. DR. CLOUSTON was an excellent example of a class of men to whom we owe much of the progress that Scotland has made in times past — we refer to the parish ministers that devote their leisure hours to the scientific study of their surround- ings. Though Scotland cannot boast any name so widely honoured as that of Gilbert White of Selborne, yet we could name not a few worthy followers in his footsteps ; and, among the number, the subject of this notice must hold no mean rank. His attention was directed not to any one branch of science alone. In several directions the investigations carried on by him bore good fruit, and aided much in extending the knowledge of Orcadian Meteorology, Botany, and Archaeology. As a meteorologist few men can claim to have carried out more extended or more careful observations, as he may be said to have continued these, almost without intermission of any kind, in the western part of the Mainland of Orkney during the long period from 1822 to 1884. From 1862 till his death he took charge of one of the official sets of meteorological instruments ; and his records were regularly published in the official report. He also wrote an essay entitled, " An Explanation of the Popular Weather Prognostics of Scotland on Scientific Principles." This essay gained a prize offered by the Marquis of Tweeddale in 1867. He also wrote a " Guide to the Orkney Islands," which first appeared as a part of Anderson's Guide to the Highlands, but was afterwards reprinted in separate form. In this work are numerous interest- ing notes on the various departments of science in which its author occupied himself. Among other subjects we find information of D 50 The Scottish Naturalist. value in regard to the flora of the islands, to our knowledge of which he added considerably. The Orkney Islands are rich in monuments of the past ; and in the exploration of these Dr. Clouston took an active part. During his long life he had frequent opportunities of engaging in this congenial work, as several of the most important of these ancient memorials were discovered or explored during the latter part of this century. Dr. Clouston's father was minister of the parish and town of Stromness in the Mainland of Orkney, and was himself descended from an old Orcadian family of Norse descent. Dr- Clouston was born in the year 1800. Wishing originally to enter the medical profession he studied with that intention in Edinburgh University; and he became L.R.C.S.E. in 1819. But thereafter he entered on the study of Theology ; and in 1826 he became assistant and successor to his father, who had charge of the com- bined parishes of Sandwick and Stromness. We are informed that the duration of the united ministries of his father and of himself reached the extraordinary length of 120 years. For many years he made a good use of his knowledge, giving advice and medicines (gratis) to the people of Sandwick, where no medical officer was resident. The University of St. Andrews conferred on him the well-merited degree of LL.D. He leaves a widow, two sons, and two daughters. THE AIMS OP A NATURALISTS' HELD CLUB. By Dr. HOWDEN. [The following paper was delivered to the Montrose Scientific and Field Club on 27th January, 1885. Though of special interest and value to the Members of that Society, we believe it to deserve a more permanent record and a wider diffusion than it could obtain in the minutes of the club ; and we com- mend it to the careful perusal of all interested in the question of the fitting work of local Natural History Societies and Field Clubs. En. Scot Nat.'] The second clause of the constitution of the Montrose Scientific and Field Club states that its "objects shall be to promote scientific studies and research, and to cultivate friendly intercourse The Scottish Naturalist. 51 among its members." In the following remarks, I shall en- deavour to explain what seem to me to be the best means and directions in which those objects can be carried out. The Society has not yet reached that stage when its member- ship can be attained only by distinguished services to science, or by competitive examinations, yet it may not be amiss to point out to actual or intending members that a halo 01 awe and mystery is created in the minds of many people by the use of the terms science, scientific and scientist. While not denying the con- venience of these words, it should be remembered that science simply means knowledge, and that a scientist is one who devotes much of his time to the acquisition of, or it may be to the teaching of, knowledge. It follows conversely that all know- ledge is science, and that all the "logies " are within its domain. A sub-division has, however, come to be made by the use of the somewhat unmeaning term natural science. This term, if I understand it properly, is intended to mean the science or know- ledge of the nature' and properties of matter. It is to this de- partment of knowledge then I imagine we mean to confine our- selves, and by doing so to exclude metaphysics, religion, and poli- tics. You constantly hear people say, " So-and-so is a scientific man," or " He is not a scientific man; he is a practical man." What is meant of course is, that he is not theoretical, but practical — though I am bound to admit that your practical man is often justly qualified by his ignorance to be exempted from the appellation of scientific. Again, you often hear a person say, " I am not a scientific man ! " He means, of course, by this, that he is comparatively ignorant of some branches of knowledge ; but to say that he is not scientific, in the strict sense of the term, implies that he is an utter idiot. Every infant so soon as it can use its senses, begins its science training; and all through life we are striving to acquire knowledge which has for its end the promotion of our happiness and the prolongation of our lives. How much the scientific training and expansion of the human race have been impeded by interested ignorance and superstition, is a matter of history ; and we have only to look back over sixty or seventy years to see what a more correct and extended knowledge of the properties of matter has done to promote human wellbeing. It is to this knowledge that we owe the advance that has been made in augmenting the comforts of life, increasing the facilities of 52 The Scottish Naturalist. human intercourse, and in the promotion of human happiness all round. We can hardly realise what would be the state of society if all the discoveries and applications of knowledge made during the last sixty years were blotted out ; and we may well wonder what our great-grandfathers would think if they could know that we can travel to London in 12 hours, or to America in 6 days ; that we can send a message to Hong Kong in a few minutes ; can converse in human voice with a friend in Edinburgh ; and light our streets, houses, public buildings, carriages, and sea-boats, with what we call electricity, but which, so far as we know, is nothing at all. And yet we seem to be only beginning to know or to apply the knowledge of the conditions and properties of nature to our own purposes. We are only beginning, e.g., to know some- thing of the laws of the weather ; and it is not too much to pre- dict that ere long we shall understand these laws, so that we may guard against the catastrophes they produce with absolute certainty. So with health and disease, we are only beginning to understand that disease is the result of conditions which, in nine cases out of ten, perhaps ninety-nine out of a hundred, are of our own creation, or can be easily avoided ; and that the physician's highest function is gradually but surely becoming that of a pre- venter, rather than a curer of disease. Taking it for granted, then, that we are at one on these points, I have now to consider how we should regulate our studies and researches. The first thing, it seems to me, that each member should do is to make up his or her mind what particular depart- ment of knowledge he or she is to adopt for special study. Is it to be chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, meteorology, biology, or what ? You may have an intelligent smattering of all these, but you cannot study them all ; therefore, you must make a selection. Now, when you begin to study one department of science it seems to you that by application and perseverance you will soon gain a full knowledge of it. But the longer you study, and the more you study, the more you find you have to learn. " Hills peep o'er hills, and alps on alps arise ; " undreamt of fields of re- search open out, and if you are faint-hearted you may think that life is too short to explore them. If, however, you have acquired the true spirit of science and thirst for knowledge, you will take your hammer, or your spade, or your microscope, or your tele- scope, as the case may be, and you will apply yourselves with The Scott is Ji Naturalist. 53 renewed energy, but in a more limited area than you had first con- templated. After you have acquired, for example, an elementary knowledge of geology, you will find you must limit your area of investigation, if you are to be thorough and original, to — say the old red sand- stone or the coal formation. In biology, the necessity for sub- division is still more paramount ; entomology for instance, or even a small department of it, such as the coleoptera, lepidoptera, or hymenoptera, have each furnished life-work for many an earnest student. Your researches, whatever they are, must be inspired by a strict devotion to truth. What knowledge you acquire may bring you no immediate or even prospective gain beyond the acquisition of it ; but this to the true student is his highest reward. The pur- suit of knowledge and truth has always had foes to contend with. You have not now to dread the persecution of the Church, what- ever your investigations are ; but you will find opposing your progress the all-powerful priests of Mammon. These counsellors will tell you you should not waste your time gathering beetles, or strain your eyes peering through a brass tube at dirty water. " Gui bono} " — what is the use of it? or, " What will it lead to ? " ''You should mind your business, and leave these things to scien- tific people." Far be it from me to wish any man or woman to neglect their social or domestic duties, but if there are any in this Society who are to be influenced by such arguments, I would advise them to leave it. The man who is prepared to sacrifice his intellectual, and even his physical life, for the sake of money- making, can never be a true student ; he should not pretend to be one ; let him stick to his last. It may, however, not be amiss to tell the Mammonites that scientific studies are not incompatible with the most active social life. Dr. George Johnstone, of Berwick-on-Tvveed, carried on a large practice as a physician ; he took an active part in municipal and all social matters ; he was for a time Mayor of Berwick-on- Tweed ; and yet he was an earnest biological student up to the day of his death, and left as the result of his labours his " Flora of Berwick-on-Tweed," "Manual of British Zoophytes," "Manual of British Sponges," and altogether about five-and-thirty books or memoirs of great scientific importance and value. Sir John Lubbock, more generally known as a statesman, as a 54 The Scottish Naturalist. banker, and especially by bank clerks as their holiday friend, is one of the most hard-working naturalists of the present day, and is the author of many classical works on entomology and other branches of science. Young of Kelly, though he was an old man and a millionaire, was as keen a student of chemistry to the end as he was when he discovered the shale oil ; and from what I have heard him say, I am sure it would have been easier for him to have parted with all his wealth than with his love for science. The late Dr. John Fleming, first Professor of Natural History in the Free Church College, one of the foremost naturalists of his day and the author of many valuable works, was a parish minister in Fife, but was none the less faithful to his duties, though his en- thusiasm for natural history was so great that on one occasion, while walking from the manse to the church robed in gown and bands, he gave full chase to a rare butterfly which came across his path. Nearly forty years ago, I knew a lad in a country bank, who spent his leisure in collecting British birds, and studying their habits. He now holds one of the most trusted offices in one of our largest Scotch banks ; but he is also one of our foremost orni- thologists, and it is not long since I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Royal Society, under the chairmanship of my old friend. To come nearer home, do you suppose the late John Simpson of Marykirk, who was a perfect encyclopedia of know- ledge, neglected his patients or did his work as a surgeon less efficiently, because his pockets were generally crammed with mosses, shells, beetles, or some other vermin which he had picked up in the course of his wanderings ? or, that the respected Free Church minister of the parish of Craig, is less earnest in his eccles- iastic duties, because he is one of the highest authorities on the fishes of the old red sandstone ? or that John Robertson, though he is an astronomer, is less attentive to his duties as a railway porter, especially in calling out, " Coupar Angus, change here for Blairgowrie ? " No station in life is too exalted, and none too humble, to bar the student from drinking from the fountain of knowledge. A Prince Consort may draw from it as freely as, but not more so than, Hugh Miller the mason, Thomas Edwards the shoemaker, or our own Alexander Croall the joiner, who, fifty years ago, took The Scottish Naturalist. 55 to Natural History as a recreation when in feeble health, and who still works in a green old age at his favourite study, to which, he has told me, he owed improved health, if not life itself, and who is now a high authority in botanical science, and the joint author of the beautiful work on British Algse, published by Bradbury and Evans. Having selected your subject, you must, of course, read ; but above all observe for yourselves. Take as model observers such men as White of Selborne, Kirby and Spence, Lyall and Geekie, in geology ; and, above all, Darwin, the most faithful observer and recorder of facts, perhaps, that has lived in any age. In the early life of our Society, we are under great obligations to those members who so kindly read papers on general subjects — such as heat, light, electricity, &c. In the preparation of these papers, the authors do themselves good, and afford us pleasure and information. It should, however, be kept in view that the true work of such a Society as ours is original observation and re- search ; and that we will look by-and-bye for the outcome of this work, especially from our younger members. Here let me say that, though possibly some of the members may consider them- selves too old to begin new studies, I am quite sure none of you are too young. The love of nature and of acquiring knowledge about all the wonderful things and phenomena that surround us is born with every child ; and though we may smother this love, or divert it into other channels by a false education, it will, if allowed, or, still more, if nourished, assert itself. Forty years ago a few schoolboys in Musselburgh, bit by curiosity, excited at the wonder of a chemist's shop, formed them- selves into a little Society, under the ambitious title of the Mussel- burgh Philosophical Society. I, one of these boys, shall never forget the pure pleasure our meetings afforded us, though I am bound to confess they were often disastrous to our clothes, and were not unfrequently followed by parental chastisement, which indelibly imprinted on our memories the chemical reaction of sulphuric or nitric acid on tweed trousers ! Our Society, to which I had the honour of acting as secretary and treasurer, met in a loft. Its membership did not, to the best of my recollection, ex- ceed half-a-dozen, and its existence was of brief duration ; but we weie in earnest, and did real work. We taught ourselves practical chemistry — there were no science classes in schools in those days, $6 The Scottish Naturalist. and, indeed, English was hardly taught, our time-table being mainly monopolised by Latin. We collected birds, plants, shells, insects, and minerals. We got a small dredge made, which I still possess ; and we explored the Firth of Forth ; and it may not be uninteresting to you to know that out of our six boy members, two afterwards became professors of science, the one being Foster Heddle, Professor of Chemistry at St. Andrews, the other Wyville Thomson, late Professor of Natural History in the University of Edinburgh ; better known as Sir Wyville Thomson, the Director of the Challenger Expedition. In our correspondence we avoided familiarities, and maintained a style of language at once decorous and official. For good work done by field clubs, I might refer you to the Transactions of the Berwickshire Naturalist Field Club, or the Tyneside Club, and many other active local Societies in Scotland and England. I know no place which affords better scope for a field club than Montrose. You have much to interest you in civil and natural history ; you have the Grampians not far off, whence flow numerous streams, which display in their beds most instructive sections of rocks ; you have forests, meadows, hills, and plains ; you have the basin of the South Esk, which itself is a mine of wealth ; and you have not only the sea-shore, but you have the deep sea brought as it were to your very door by the steam trawlers. It may not be amiss to point out what has been done, and what has yet to be done, in the way of local natural history. Mr. Alexander Croall, now of the Smith Institute, Stirling, worked up the botany, and especially the Marine Algae of the district, in a very exhaustive manner, and has shown what may be done by a hard-working and far from robust man, in his unbusiness — I can- not call them leisure — hours. The fossils of the old red sandstone again have gained laurels for the Rev. Dr. Mitchell and Mr. Powrie of Reswallie. With these exceptions, I am not aware of any systematic investigations ; and it must be remembered that even in these departments much may yet be done. Strange it is that with such opportunities as Montrose presents, we have no collec- tion worth mentioning of the fishes found in our seas ; the birds, mammals, and reptiles have not been systematically studied ; while insects, marine invertebrates, and a host of the lower fojms of animal and vegetable life, are almost unexplored. The Scottish Naturalist. 57 Again, we have around us changes going on of the highest interest, whether we regard them from a zoological or geological point of view. The clays of Dryleys, Pugiston, and Redfield are little removed from the human period, and the shells, star fishes, and other animal-remains found in them are of species living now in the Greenland Seas ; while the estuary clays, which surround the South Esk Basin, and form the " clay half" of the town, as well as the old sea margins of the sand hills, and on Rossie Island, contain shell deposits of species still living on our shores. The Links and the Bents teach us how, without any convulsion or upheaval, the land has gained gradually, and is now gaining from the sea ; just as the rent rocks and sea-worn caves to the north and south tell us, on the other hand, how the sea has gained from the land. The zoology and botany of the estuary of the South Esk Basin have an interest all their own. We there find species surviving that are apparently tending to become extinct. Zostera marina still lingers, as doalso the mollusca Scrobiculariapiperataand Conovulus ridenta ; while several species of Rissoa, and the curious crus- tacean, Corophium longicorne abound in millions in the mud, to the delectation of the Red-shank and other wading birds, which are attracted thither by the dainty fare. Just beyond the tide mark in the South Esk we meet with the Unio or pearl mussel, while in its tributary, the Pow, we find instead the Anodonta or swan Anodon, the largest British fresh-water bivalve. The investigation of the entomology of the the sea-shore within a walkable distance of Montrose would, I am certain, yield valuable results ; while the area within the tide mark abounds with rare and interesting marine animals, whose structure and habits are well worth studying either in their native haunts or in the aquarium. We should also seek to enlist the interest of the fishermen and steam- trawlers in our researches ■ a bucket or old tub can be used as a receptacle for the rejected rubbish or " vermin " as the fishermen term everything but edible fish, and which, though to them useless, are treasures from the deep for the naturalists. Then we have pre-historic man to look after in his caves, kjokken- moddings, standing-stones, and burial-mounds. We have to gather up his stone implements and pottery, and try to dovetail him, on the one hand with the post-glacial period, and on the other hancLwith the early historic time. WTe have to discover the how and the wherefore of these wonderful vitrified forts, such as that at 58 The Scottish Naturalist. Finhaven, of the great early British fort at Catterthun, and of the sculptured stones of Craig and Dunnichen. Nor would it be incon- sistent with our constitution should any of us be disposed to follow in the footsteps of Jervise in the domain of civil history. Apart from all other reasons for the existence of a Society such as ours, relaxation from our daily toil is one of no mean import- ance. Mental rest cannot be gained by vacuity, but by an intel- ligent occupation in a new direction. It is the constant unvarying strain in one direction that wears out the elasticity of the mind, and though Pope tells you that " a little knowledge is a dangerous thing," depend upon it that it is the littleness and not the know- ledge wherein the danger lies, and that a little knowledge, if it is accurate, is much less dangerous than none. In conclusion, I would remind you that besides having material to work on, and willing heads and hands to work with, you need a workshop. You want a meeting room, a library, and, above all, a museum, at once educational and illustrative of the civil and natural history of the district. The affiliation of this Society, with the Natural History and Antiquarian Society, seems the natural and simplest mode of attaining this desirable object; and I would earnestly urge on you to appeal for the wherewithal to provide these desiderata in connection with the Museum buildings to those townsmen, neigh- bours, and friends who have alike the means and the intelligence to discern the benefit that it is in their power to confer on the youth of Montrose in all time coming. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION. By Rev. WILLIAM L. DAVIDSON. TERMINOLOGY— (continued.) IT is different when we turn to Zoology. All the completeness that botany can claim in the matter of scientific naming finds its counterpart here, whilst there is little corresponding to the defects that I have just alluded to. In Zoology, there is no lack of names for different (though allied) things, either when these things are obvious or striking, or when they are minute or inconspicuous. Thus, take the words The Scottish Naturalist. 59 expressive of genesis, and surely there is ample sufficiency for the purpose, biogenesis, abiogenesis, epigenesis, parthenogenesis, pan- genesis, gamogenesis, agamogenesis, &c. Or take such a word as " Zooid." It is the generic term for the "individuals of com- pound organisms," whether these individuals be produced by gemmation or by fission, and whether they remain attached to each other or become free. But when the separate Zooid is an Actinozoon, it goes by the name of a "polype ;" when it is & Poly- zoon, it is called a " polypide ; " and when it is a Hydrozoon, it is known as a " polypite." Or take the words expressive of the cup and the bell forms. The cup that contains the polypite of an Actinozoon, and the cup that contains the polypite of the Sertu- larida, are not designated (as probably enough they would have been in botany) by the same name, but the one is a " calice " and the other a " hydrotheca ; " while " calyx " is the name reserved for certain of the Infusoria and of the Echinodermata, and " necto- calyx " denotes the swimming-bell of certain of the Hydrozoa. Indeed, almost every separate class in Zoology has its distinctive technical names, and there is no hesitation in introducing new words when new facts are discovered. This is, certainly, as it ought to be ; for if it is necessary in science to observe minutely and to maik specific differences, it is equally necessary to embody the differentia in an appropriate term. II. But the converse of the foregoing rule holds, and, if it is proper that every separate thing should have a separate name, it is proper also that every separate name should have its own distinc- tive meaning. This rule may be infringed in two ways : (1) when a technical term is employed both in a general and a special signification ; (2) when the same technical word is applied to various different things. A good example of the first infringement is the word " adnate." This, in botany, is used in a general sense as a synonym for adherent ; and it matters not whether the adherence be that of calyx and corolla, or of corolla and pistil, or of any other parts ; and it has also a narrower and special use as applied to anthers. Again, the word " cell " has, in botany, a general and two special significations. It should in strictness be confined to the anatom- ical plant-unit ; but it has also two specialised uses, as referring to the anthers and to the ovary, which might easily enough be avoided if the term were replaced by such words as "sac," 60 The Scottish Naturalist. "cavity," or, better still, "loculus," whose companion-word, "locellus," is found extremely useful. So with Zoology. " Auricle," for example, is sometimes re- stricted to the auricular part of the heart in mammals; more commonly, it is extended so as to include other than mammalian hearts. "Cell," in the animal organism, is properly the name for the well-known microscopic unit, but it has also the wider signification of " small cavity " in general, as when we speak of a bee's cell, &c. The second kind of infringement we see in such a technical botanical word as "superior," with its correlative "inferior." One part of a flower is said to be superior to another when it is above it; this is mere position. A calyx is superior when its tube clasps or encloses the ovary (wholly or in part) ; this is container and contained. An embryo is superior when its radicle points towards the apex of the fruit ; this is mere direction. Here, then, we have three distinct significations (above-below, without-within, up-down ; or, position, enclosure, and direction) ; and the word, which might serve a good purpose if restricted to one special use, becomes worse than useless — it is misleading and confusing — when thus extended. There is also a fourth signification, when applied to the relation of parts of a flower to the axis. It is now distance that is denoted : nearer to the axis is superior, further from the axis is inferior. The same thing occurs in Zoology. Thus, the "operculum " in fishes is one thing ; in univalve molluscs it is another. Again, the word " nucleolus " stands both for the minute solid matter found inside the nuclei of some cells, and the minute solid matter found outside the so-called nucleus of certain of the Infusoria. And " nucleus " itself has a two-fold application — first to the solid germinal, body that many cells contain, next to the solid band- shaped body found inside certain of the Protozoa ; just as " nucleus," in botany, is applied both to the nucleus of a cell and to the inner mass of the ovule and seed — two entirely different things. III. The third rule lays down : Avoid exuberance of technical names, and beware of multiplying synonymous terms. In some instances, the existence of synonyms in science has an archaeological value : synonyms are historical landmarks. But, in that case, they are synonyms only in name; the seemingly equivalent terms have really different associations and raise different ideas in the mind. Thus, the synonyms of the two primary divisions of plants, Phanerogams, and Cryptogams, are respectively Cotyledonese or The Scottish Naturalist. 61 Vasculares and x\cotyledonese or Cellulares. But on neither side are the synonyms identical ; and the words Vasculares and Cellulares, because of their historical connections, convey special meanings to the instructed botanist. So, the words Exogens, Endogens, and Acrogens are not really synonymous with Dicotyledons, Mono- cotyledons, and Cryptogams. Besides the radical defect that, like Vasculares and Cellulares, they fail to express the truth, they are laden with adventitious meaning, and are retained mainly on ac- count of this. So with the old names Infusoria and Zoophytes in Zoology ; or with Cuvier's Molluscd and his Articuldta ; or, indeed, with the Cuvierian terminology in general, which, when retained in modern systems, has either an historical interest only, or has the application entirely altered. It is wholly different, however, with the words that are intended to be strict equivalents. In high-flown composition, aiming simply at literary effect, it is often an advantage to have at com- mand fine-sounding words of Greek or Latin, or other foreign origin, a plain Saxon term may fail to suit the purpose : but, as exactness is the object of science, there is no need for studying effect here, and a multiplication of foreign or hybrid words for the same thing when it can be avoided, is certainly an evil. What, then, shall we say to the following doubles in botany : — " loculi," and "thecae," applied indifferently to the cavities of anthers ; " syngenesious," and " synantherous," signifying the same thing when used of stamens ; " apocarpous," and " dialycarpous," absolute synonyms in reference to pistils ; " foramen," and " mi- cropyle," equivalents also in their application to the seed ? Or what shall we say to the following in zoology : — " cutis," " corium," and " derma," three words for the true skin, as opposed to " cuticle," and "epidermis," for the scarf skin ; " omphalos," and "umbilicus," for the navel; "spiracula," or "spiracles," and "stigmata," for certain tracheal openings in insects? Obviously, these and all similar synonyms are in the highest degree objec- tionable. Two or more names for the exact same thing (especially if each happen to be " sesquipedalian ") are a burden to the learner, and they serve no good purpose to any one. Least of all does the systematic naturalist require them ; for, dealing so much in the hard and technical, as he must of necessity do, it should be his endeavour not to make the uninviting still less attractive. {To be continued.) ZOOLOGY, STRAY NOTES ON THE PEARL MUSSEL. By WILLIAM JAPP, F.S.A. I HAVE sometimes wondered why the black pearl mussel (Unio margaritiferus Turton), (Alasmodonta margaritifervs Gray), is not to be found in the bed of the Isla from its rise in the Forest of Caenlochan, at the head of Glenisia, Forfarshire, down to the confluence of the Isla with the Dean, a distance of about 1 8 miles. The reason may be found in the fact that the bed of the river for this distance is stony ; the river is usually rapid, and there is an absence of smooth and slow-moving water, which, with a gravelly bottom, forms the best habitat for the pearl mussel. The watershed of the Isla, from Caenlochan Forest to the conflu- ence with the Dean, represents a mountainous country with many streams running down from glens, which all help on a sudden rainfall to fill the main bed in great volume ; and it is to be feared that an experiment lately tried by me, (October, 1881), may not be suited to the nature of the river bed. The experiment was that of introducing the mussel into the Isla at a point well up the river where the channel is full and comparatively deep. There is a romance about the early history of the pearl mussel, which gives a charm to everything connected with it. Pearls have been allied with the name of Britain from the very earliest times ; and one Roman historian has attributed Caesar's expedition to Britain to his desire to search for and to own pearls. Pliny con. firms this statement by affirming that Julius Caesar presented a breastplate covered with British pearls to Venus Genitrix, and hung it in her temple at Rome. There are several other references which add to the charm, and strengthen the inference that the de '1 lie Scottish Naturalist. 6 sire for ornamentation found with the Roman matron a gratifica- tion in the Scotch pearl. By such associations I was induced to make an attempt at plant- ing a mussel bed in the river Isla. I was encouraged also to make this effort because it is generally believed that where mussels ex- ist the trout fishing of a river is improved, and, further, by the thought that the romantic character of the Isla might be increased by the possibility of one day picking up a mussel enclosing a pearl. I therefore put myself in communication with John Farquharson, pearl fisher, Coupar-Angus, who dubs himself pearl fisher to the Prince of Wales, and who certainly has been lucky in finding valuable pearls, and in selling them to the high born. My bargain with him was to procure and lay down on my property 3000 live and sound mussels, to be transported with all rapidity from the Balquhidder river in Rob Roy's country, to a place called Nyds in the parish of Glen- isla. This was effected on 15th October 1881, on which day 3000 mussels were in the early dawn placed on the rail- way, and arrived at Alyth at 10.30 a.m., whence a dogcart rapidly conveyed the fisher and his boxes to Glenisla. The shells were packed in moss, moistened now and again during transit- What I am now to say on the scientific side is drawn chiefly from Mr. Farquharson's experiences. The deposit of mussels in the Bal- quhidder is limitless. Mr. Farquharson had liberty from the pro- prietor to fish for pearls and to make use of the shells themselves, in any way calculated to augment his income or the ends of science. The mussels were fished for in a sluggish piece of water at Balquhidder of considerable extent, the average depth of which is about 7 feet. He has constructed for himself a small wherry the size of which is about 3 feet 3 inches each way. He seats himself in his little boat and having provided himself with a long pole or wand, with a small split at the lower end, he eyes the mussels with correct aim ; and when the bottom of the river is free from dis- turbance, and the water peaceful and in its ordinary state, he can bring up about 6 mussels in a minute. He seizes the mussel with the split of the wand : and pushes it down until the swelling of the shell is passed, and with a gentle pull he renders the mussel a captive, and lands it in the wherry, or on the side of the stream. If the shell is standing on its end a little open at the top, this position is a sign of life and energy. This fishing is rendered 64 The Scottish Naturalist. much more easy, by the use of goggles. By means of these thou- sands of mussels are rendered visible, standing on end as if with eyes, and ears, and mouths, all attent. It is not certain that they hear ; but they are very sensitive to the effects of sight and touch ; but by the latter expression I do not mean direct contact, but the result say of impact, caused by a stone falling in the bottom, or by a stick suddenly striking the bed of the stream. According to Mr. Farquharson they are exceedingly acute in sight ; and when his little wherry has passed over at a scarcely perceptible pace, these molluscs have by thousands at once shut their shells, so as in an instant to give evidence that they not only saw, but eared an enemy. {To be continued.) Boreus hyemalis L. in Berwickshire. — In reference to this insect, I may remark that, although not very common in this part of Berwickshire, I have found it in former years during the winter and early spring crawling on wall- tops or among rocks, or shaken from moss or grass. The only record I have made of it is in the report of the Edinburgh meeting (1850) of the British Association in the Report of Periodical Phenomena for 1849, kept at Penman- s/iiel, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire, pp. 348-49, where will be found, "March 12, Boreus hyemalis appeared ; and again, Dec. 31st, reappeared." Among the Cheviots I have seen it among mosses on the porphyry rocks behind Wooler, but I do not notice that it has been put on record from this locality. I have also seen it in spring among moss or rocks in Old Cambusdean. James Hardy, Old Cambus. Boreus hyemalis, L. near Killin.— On the 23rd October last, while searching a moss-covered wall in Glen JLochay, I took five specimens of an insect which at the time I could not identify. They were laid aside in a test tube until the Cher day, when it occurred to me that I should again examine them, but through having been neglected for such a length of time, they were in a very mouldy condition ; The specimens turned out to be 3 $ and 2 ? of the above species, agreeing perfectly with M'Lachlan's description in his Mono- graph of the British Neuroptera-Planipennia. I noticed that some of the specimen jumped upwards of an inch. My friend Mr. W. R. Baxter, who was searching for spiders along the same wall, also called my attention to the saltatorial habits of the species. James J. King. 207 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. PHYTOLOGY, PLANTS OF ICELAND AND OF THE FAKOE ISLANDS NOT KNOWN AS BKITISH. By ARTHUR BENNETT, F.L.S. IN the preface to the third edition of the Student's Flora, Sir J. D. Hooker remarks that he had been " urged by very competent botanists to include the Faroe Islands as really more British, geographically, than are the Channel Isles ; but, if I did so, Iceland should also be included, and on the whole I have thought it best to retain the old limits of the British Flora." The plants of these is- lands might have been given as an appendix, but as this was not done, I have thought a list of their ex-British plants might be acceptable to readers of the Scottish Naturalist, especially as it is to Scottish botanists that we must look for the addition of any of these species to our Flora. At first it would seem an easy task to write down these species that are not to be found in our Floras ; and this would be so if only one authority were taken, but on collating the various publications on the Floras, it was found to be a work of some difficulty to make them agree, the proportion of doubtful plants (especially Icelandic) being very large. I have, however, relied principally on Groenlund's Islands Flora and Babington's Revision of the Flora of Iceland for Iceland, and Rostrup's Fcer- cernes Flora for the Faroes. Yet to show the difference even here while Groenlund has only 357 species, Babington has 467 ; but this difference is more apparent than real, as Babington numbers most of the doubtful plants, while Groenlund is excessively cautious in regard to what he admits and numbers. Icelandic plants not known as British are the following : — Ranunculus glacialis, L. ; R. hyperboreus, L. j R. pyg- maDUS, Wahlenb.; R. nivalis, L. 66 The Scottish Naturalist. Cochlearia officinalis, L., v. arctica, Fr. Draba incana, L., v. contorta, Lindbl. ; D. alpina, L. ; D. oblongata, Br. (Nyman) ; D. hirta, L. (Nyman). Arabis alpina, I* Looking at the European distribution of this species it seems strange that it is not British (Sicily, Greece, and Turkey being the only other countries in which it does not occur). Arabis petraea, Lam., f. hispida. Erysimum hieracifolium, L. Cardamine bellidifolia, L. ; C. hirsuta L., v. inter- media, Horn. Cakile maritima, L., v. integrifolia. Viola canina, L., v. montana, L. fl. succ. Arenaria propinqua, Richardson. Alsine biflora, Wahl. Oerastium alpinum L., v. glabratum ; 0. arcticum, Lange. Stellaria crassifolia, Ehrh. ; S. humifusa, Rottb. This, queried by Nyman, doubted by Babington, and not given by Grcenlund, was described and figured by Rottboell from Icelandic specimens (Trimen, J. of Botany, 1870, p. 278) ; S. longipes, Gold. (Nyman) ; S. borealis, Big. (Babington). Hippuris vulgaris, L., v. maritimus. Epilobium latifolium, L. ; E. montanum, L., v. col- linum, Koch. Sedum annuum, L. Bulliardia aquatica, D.C. Saxifraga Cotyledon, L.; S. nivalis, L., v. tenuis, Hartm. Archangelica officinalis, Hoffm. ; probably as A. nor- vegica, Rup., a sub.-sp. Hieracium floribundum, Wimm., v. islandica Lange ; H. alpinum, L., v. leucotricha, Lange ; H. auricula, L. (Babington). Antennaria alpina, Gaertn. Achillea Millefolium, L., v. lanata, Matricaria inodora, L., v. pheeocephala, Rup. Campanula rotundifolia, L., v. arctica, Lange ! the W. Iceland plant being different from the British. Gentiana detonsa, Rottb. (1770); senata, Gunn (1772); G. aurea, L. ; and v. uniflora, Lange. Pleurogyne rotata, Griseb. Cassiope hypnoides, Don. The Scottish Naturalist. 67 Ledum palustre, L. (dilatum, Ait. sub.-sp., Nyman). Vaccinium uliginosum, L., v. pubescens, Wormskj. (sp.) Rhododendron lapponicum, Wg. (Nyman), Babington accepts it on Baring-Gould's authority, hardly sufficient? not in Groen- lund's Islands Flora. Primula stricta, Horn. Armeria maritima, L., v. sibirica, Turcz. Pedicularis flammea, L. Diapensia Lapponica, L. MyoSOtis Stricta, Link (likely British). Plantago borealis, Lange ; P. maritima, L., v. pygmsea, Lange. Atriplex Babingtonii, Wood, v. virescens, Lange ! (Caith- ness ! J. Grant.) Koeniga Islandica, L. Oallitriche verna, Kiitz. (sic), v. csepitosa, Schultz. Salix glauca, L. ; and v. ovalifolia ; S. herbacea, L., v. fruticosa, Fr. ; S. sarmentacea, Fr., and v. rotun- difolia, Ands.; S. ovata, Lev.; S. arctica, Pall. (Carrol). Betula alpestris, Fr. ; B. intermedia, Thom. (something near this in Perth ?) ; B. odorata, Bech. (alba, L. p.p.), v. tortuosa, Regel, and v. parvifolia, Regel. Luzula COnfusa, Lindb.; L. hyperborea, Br. Groenlund makes these synonymous. Juncus arcticus, Willd. ; near J. Balticus. All specimens of this should be carefully examined ; they are not easily dis- criminated. Juncus alpinus, Willd. One of the sub-sp. or vars. of this is likely to be British. Sparganium augustifolium, Michx. Eriophorum Scheuchzeri, Hoppe. Oarex capitata, L. ; 0. microglochin, Wahlenb., might well be passed over as pauciflorus ; 0. chordorhiza, Ehrh.; 0. norvegica, Wahlenb ; 0. festiva, Drej. ; 0. rigida, Good, v. infuscata, Drej., and v. pudica, Drej. ; 0. hyperborea, Drej., much the aspect of the extreme states of rigida, i.e. v. inferalpina, Loest. ; 0. turfosa, Fr. ; 0. cryptocarpa, C. A. Mey ; 0. salina *, Wahlenb. ; * Curiously enough, since the above was written, Carex salina has proved to be a Scottish species (Caithness), and this in some measure from this paper having been compiled ; this should be an inducement to further efforts being made to add others to our Flora. — A. B. {Scot. Nat., 1885, p. 26). 68 The Scottish Naturalist. C. anguillata, Drej. ; 0. capillipes, Drej. ; C. pedata, L. Calamagrostis stricta, v. borealis, Lsest. Agrostis rubra, Wahlenb ; A. alba, L., v. maritima, Mey. British ! though not in our Floras. I have, from Kent, Anglesea and Norfolk, specimens which agree well with Friesian speci- mens sent by Dr. Buchenau. Trisetum subspicatum, Beauv. Aira caespitosa, L., v. pallida, Rich. Poa csesia, Smith. Lycopodium annotirmm, L., v. alpestre, Hartm. Equisetum arvense, L., v. riparia. Blechnum Spicant, Roth., v. fallax, Lange. At one time the Habenaria viridis of Iceland was thought to be a different species, and was named Peristylus islandicus by Lindley. CAREX SALItfA WHLNB., VAE. XATTEGATEffSIS FRIES DT SCOTLAND. By ARTHUR BENNETT, F.L.S. [Note. — By a printer's error on p. 26 of Scot. Nat. for January, 1885, the name is given as Carex ka/ina, Fr., var. sattegatensis . — Ed,, Scot. Nat.] IN August, 1883, Mr. Grant of Wick, Caithness, sent me a Carex named " G. riparia?" This being at a time of the year when one is botanically busy, I only glanced at it, and wrote " 0. paludosa v. Kochiana" from the aristate glumes. Having occasion last December to carefully examine all my specimens of Carex, this one, when dissected, I saw at once had nothing to do with paludosa ; and it seemed, after comparison with continental specimens, to be some form of salina (a species that, I may say, contains several sub-species and varieties, all difficult of determina- tion). When at Kew I compared it with the herbarium specimens ; but as neither Professor Oliver nor Mr. Baker seemed quite to think with me, I felt afraid of a mistake, and sent the specimen to Dr. Almquist (the author of the distigmaticon section of Carex in Hartmann's Scandinavian Flora, 2d edition). This answer was — The Scottish Naturalist. 69 "The Carex you sent in your last letter is Carex salina B. Jcatte- gatensis, Fr. I subjoin a description of the species : — Stems (in Caithness specimens), 18 inches high, with broad membranous sheaths to the lower part of the leaves, leaves \ in. broad, with the central nerve whitish and very prominent. Female spikes, 2 or 3, 2 inches long ; the lower glumes, with long aristate tips usually 3-nerved (but exceedingly variable), much longer than the fruit ; male spikes 2 to 4, the lowest usually with female flowers at the base, glumes narrow, half truncate at the apex or obtusely rounded; perigynia short, 1 J lines long, nearly without nerves but variable (not mature and nut shrivelled). Habit of slender forms of paludosa ; characters near form of aquatilis, but the young spikes are richly coloured with purplish brown, with the central part of the glumes pale yellowish-brown. Distribution of the species : — Iceland ! — Faroe Isles — Spitzbergen — N. Zembla. Arctic Russia — Lapland ! — Norway ! — Sweden ! Greenland ! — British North America — United States ! Distribution of var. kattegatensis : — Norway ! Provinces of Bohuslan ! and Halland in Sweden. Placed by Nyman (Conspectus Florae Europcece) as a sub-species under C. hosmatolepis of Drejer. LIST OF EEOENT ADDITIONS TO THE FLOEA OE DUMFEIES-SHIEE AND GALLOWAY. Compiled by F. R. COLES. In the following list the numerals refer to the numbers in the London catalogue of British flowering plants. The following abbreviations are employed : — Dumf. for Dumfriess-shire, Kirk. for Kirkcudbrightshire, F.R,C. for the writer, J. F. for Rev. J. Fraser, F. W. G. for F. W. Grierson, M'A. for J. M'Andrew, R. W. for Robert Watson, and J. W. for J. Wilson. 14 Ranunculus peltatus Fr. var. truncatus Kirk. (F. R. C.) ; var. noribundus Kirk. (F. R. C), and Dumf. (J. W.) j var, fissifollUS, Kirk. (F. R. C.) jo The Scottish Naturalist. 15 R. diversifolius var. Godronii, Kirk. (F. R. C.) 10 R. Drouetii Schultz, Kirk. (F. R. C.) 17 R. trichophyllus Chaix, Dumf. (J. W.) 115 Cochlearia officinalis L. var. littoralis, Kith. (F. R. C ) no C. danica L., Kirk. (J. F.) 117 C anglica L., Kirk. (F. R. C.) 127 Subularia aquatica L., Kirk. (F. R. C.) 128 Thlaspi arvense L„ #*»•& (F. R. C.) 132 Teesdalia nudicaulis Br., Kirk. (M'A.) Z^/ (J. W.) 155 V. Silvatica Fr. var. Riviniana Kirk. ,(M'A.), common in sub- alpine localities. Var. flavicornis Forst., Kirk. (F. R. C.) 157 Viola Canina Auct., Kirk., very rare (F.R.C.) 168 Poly-gala depressa, Kirk., hills and coast (F. R. C.) 19S Cerastium semidecandrum, Kirk., Col vend coast (J. F.) 200 C. triviale Link. var. pentandrum, Kirk., rare (F. R. C.) 218 Alsine Verna Bart., Kirk., rediscovered in the old station at Colvend in the very month the flora was published. 493 Bpilobium obscurum Schreb., Kirk., rather rare (F. R. C.) 509 Callitriche Stagnalis Scop., Kirk., common (F. R. C.) 510 C. hamulata Knetz. , Kirk., pretty frequent (F. R. C.) 512 C. autumnalis Kirk., rare, Carlingwark Loch (F. R. C.) 524 Saxifraga Stellaris L., var. integrifolia Hooker, Kirk., rare, noticed in the Carsphairn Woods alone, at about 1800 feet (M'A.) 678 Centaurea nigra L., var. radians, Kirk., rare (F. R. C.) 799 Hieracium vulgatum Fries., Kirk. (M'A.) 802 H. tridentatum Fries., Kirk. (M'A.) 807 H. corymbosum Fries,, Kirk. (M'A.) 844 Pyrola secunda L., Kirk., new station (M'A.) 853 Erythraea Centaurium, var. capitata Koch (named by Babing- ton), Kirk., rare (F. R. C. and R. W.) 898 Linaria minor Desf., Dumf. (F. W. G.) 917 Veronica montana L., Kirk., in abundance (R. W.) 936 Orobanche rubra Sm., Kirk., (M'A.) Io35 Utricularia intermedia Hayne, Kh-k., as frequent as any other species (F. R. C.) 1052 Centunculus minimus L., Kirk., very rare (F. R. C.) 1094 Rumex COnglomeratuS Murr., Kirk., not common (F. R. C.) 1 167 Populus Tremula L., Kirk., in a wild glen at Carsphairn, probably indigenous. 1227 Potamogeton lucens L., var. acuminatus, Kirk., River Tarff (F. R. C.) P. Zizii Rath., Kirk., River Tarff (F.R.C.) 1229 P. praelongUS Wulfen., Kirk., in River Tarff (F. R. C.) 1236 P. mucronatus Schrad., Kirk., Carlingwark Loch (F. R. C.) 1327 P. pusillus L., var. temiissimUS, Kirk., in quantities in a mill- dam at Kelton (F. R. C.) Note P. lucens L., and P. pectinatus L., recorded by Gray in "Topo- graphical Botany," have not been collected of recent years. TJie Scottish Naturalist. 71 I301 Malaxis paludosa Sw., Kirk., rare, (M'A.) Allium carinatum L., Kirk. (F. R. C), and Dumf. (R. W.) 1371 Juncus obtusiflorus Ehrh., Kirk., new station at Colvend (M'A.) 1384 Cladium Mariscus, Kirk., new station at Boreland (F. R. C.) 1441 Carex aquatilis Wahl., var. Watsoni, Kirk., old station con- firmed (M'A.) 15 15 Calamagrostis lanceolata Roth., Kirk., rare (M'A.) The following Characeae have been noticed by the writer, all in Kirkcudbrightshire : — Chara fragilis Desv., var. barbata, the commonest form ; var. brachyphylla, rare, as yet observed in only one locality close to the sea; var. capillacea, in the Glenkens (M'A.), and in Kelton in abundanee. Chara polyacantha, very rare, in turbid peaty lochs in Kelton. Nitella opaca, fairly common in steamlets and lochs. N. translucens, a very tall and well-developed plant, in Meiklewood Loch, Tongland. [In the report for 1883 of the Botanical Record Club is a list by Mr. G. C. Druce of plants found by him in Kirkcudbrightshire in 1883, and not recorded in Top. Bot., Ed. 2, in which the following additions to the county lists are recorded, mostly from Creeside or near Creetown, and all were vouched by specimens : — Fum- aria Boraei Jord., Silene maritima L., Cerastium tri- viale var. near Hulosteoides, Rubus rhamnifolius W. and N., Rosa mollissima Willd., and var. coerulea Baker, R. dumalis Bechst. and R. dumetorum Thuill, Myrio- phyllum alterniflorum. Callitriche platycarpa, Myr- rhis odorata L., possibly native; Galium Witheringii, G. boreale, Asperula odorata L., Crepis paludosa L., Arctium intermedium Lange, Carduus crispus L., Lam- ium intermedium L., Galeopsis tetrahit L., Atriplex hastata (type), A. deltoidea, A. angustifolia L., Rumex obtusifolius (Friesii), Salix aurita L., Sclerochloa mari- tima Linde, Triticum acutum D.C.— Ed. Scot Nat.] MT00L0GIA SOOTIOA-Supplement. By REV. J. STEVENSON. {Continued from S. N., 1885, p. 25.) * Agaricus (Psilocybe) areolatus Kl. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 298. G. Hbl\ n. 414. S. My col. Scot. n. 391. Faldon- j 2 The Scottish Naturalist. side, Melrose. W. B. Boyd. Springwood Park, Kelso. Not recorded since the time of Klotsch. 3020. A. (Panaeolus) fimicola Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 312. C. Hbh n. 446. B. & Br. n. 1259. On rich grassy ground. May — June. East. — — Tay — — — West. — — — Glamis. J. S. England. Europe. 3021. Cortinarius (Phlegmacium) serarius, Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 350. Pileus fleshy, convexo-flattened, gibbous, unpolished, viscid, opaque ; stem solid, equal, fibrillose, shining, and, as well as the flesh, white ; gills arcuato-adfixed (decur- rent with a tooth), crowded, whitish-clay colour. Stem 4 in. long, flesh wholly fibrous. Pileus 3-4 in. broad, even, indeed, and smooth, but its appearance is unpolished, as it were, pruinato-silky, colour reddish-tan, by which especially it is distinguished. Flesh under the gills, which are 3 lin. broad, variegated with a hyaline line. In woods. Sep. East. — — — — Moray — West. — — — Greeshop, &c, Forres. Rev: Dr. Keith. Europe. 3022. 0. (Telamonia) impennis, Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 376. Pileus fleshy, convex, obtuse, rigid, become smooth, some- what brick colour, changing colour; stem solid, curt, somewhat bulbous, pallid, ringed in the form of a zone and violaceous at the apex, furnished with a white cor- tina ; gills adnate, then emarginate, distant, thick, viola- ceous, soon becoming purple, at length watery cinnamon. Stem 2 in. long, J in. thick, often cylindrical, fibrillose, ring incomplete. Pileus fleshy, especially at the disc, at first umber-fuliginous, then brick colour or brick-red (when young the colour is almost that of Ag. butyraceus), not becoming hoary, when young silky round the margins, at length rimose. In meadows under alders, Sep. The Scottish Naturalist. 73 East. _____ Moray — West. _____ Waterford, Forres. Rev. Dr. Keith. Europe. 3023. 0. (Tel.) incisus, Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 384. B. d' Br. n. 1272. Pileus slightly fleshy, conico-convex, then flattened, urn- bonate, naked, soon innately fibrillose or scaly, hygro- phanous (tawny) and, as well as the somewhat stuffed, equal, fibroso-fibrillose stem, ferruginous, veil woven in the form of a ring and white or obsolete ; gills adnate, dis- tinct, scarcely crowded, cinnamon-ferruginous. Gregarius, changeable in form. Stem 1 in. (when elongated and flexuous 2 — 4 in.) long, 1 — 2 lin. thick. Pileus commonly tawny-ferruginous, but when young also date-brown, olivaceous-fuscous, &c, very much torn in the form of scales and cracks, unless when it is dried at the first and then it is shining. In woods. Sep. East. _____ Moray — - West. — _ _ _ Greeshop, Forres. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. 3024. Lactarius flexuosus, Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 427. Pileus compact, convex, bent inwards and repand, dry, smooth, at length rivuloso-scaly, opaque, lurid, becoming pale ; stem solid, obese, unequal ; gills thick, distant, light-yellow ; milk acrid, white. Firm, hard. Stem commonly 1 in. thick. In pine woods, &c. Sep.— Oct. East. — — Tay — Moray — West. — — — — Rothiemurchus. Rev. Dr. Keith. Glamis. J. S. Europe. 3025. L. capsicum, Schulz. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 428. Pileus compact, pulvinate, dry, chestnut, margin closely involute, stem solid, firm, whitish, striate with tawny or rufescent fibres; gills adnato-decurrent, some- what crowded, tawny, somewhat orange : milk white, acrid. 74 The Scottish Nattiralist. A very robust species. Stem about i in. thick ; pileus 3 in. broad, paler at the disc. The gills are said to be anastomosing. Flesh becoming yellow, turning fuscous when exposed to the air. In wood. Sep. East. — — — — — — West. Solway — — — Dumfries. J. S. Europe. 3026. L. pitinus, Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 435. Pileus fleshy, rigid, become convcxo-plane, umbonate, continuous, fuscous-amber, at first velvety-villous, then become smooth at the disc, even ; stem stuffed, some- what spongy, even, smooth, paler ; gills adnate, very crowded, ochraceous ; milk acrid, white. Distinguished by stem being commonly 2 — 3 in. long and scarcely J in. thick. Spores ochraceous. In pine woods, &c. Sep. East. — — — — Moray — West. _____ Rothiemurchus. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. 3027. L.lilacinus, Lasch. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 438. Grevillea, Vol VIII., p. 98. Pileus fleshy, thin, convex, then depressed, papillate, floccose when dry ', granulose, not zoned, lilac-rose; stem stuffed, then hollow, ivhite-mealy, pallid ; gills adnate, somewhat distant, pallid flesh-colour ; milk acrid, white. Fragile, copiously milky, pileus 2 in. broad, becoming pale. In wood. Sep. East. — Forth — — — — West. _ _ — — Hawthornden. C. B. Plowright. England. Europe. 3028. Marasmius erythropus Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 470 C. Hbk. n. 660. Among leaves in mixed wood. Sep. East. — — — — Moray — West. — — — — The Scottish Naturalist. 75 Brodie. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. 3029. Hydnum nigrum Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 605. C. Hbh n. 847. In fir woods. Sep. East. — — — — Moray — West. _____ Rothiemurchus. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. 3030. Tremellodon gelatinosum, Scop. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 618. (Hydnum gelatinosum, C. Hbh. n. 854.) On fir sawdust. Rare. Sep. East. ______ West. Solway — — — Terreagles. Dumfries Fungus Show. England. Europe. {To be continued.) NEW SPH_EOPSIDE_E FEOM SCOTLAND. By Prof. JAMES W. H. TRAIL In venturing to describe as new certain fungi that I have found near Aberdeen, in January 1885, I have not forgotten that they belong to a group, the members of which are probably only con- ditions of Pyrenomycetes ; yet they are sufficiently distinct from those previously described to make it desirable to denote them by special designations. I have compared them with the collections in the Kew Herbarium and with the descriptions in the recently- published third volume of Saccardo's Sylloge Fungorum. Dr. M. C. Cooke has also kindly informed me that he believes them to be undescribed. The classification employed in Saccardo's work cannot be re- garded as more than artificial and provisional, yet it is usually convenient ; and in the work are collected descriptions of all the known Sphaeropsidese (several probably repeated oftener than once under different names). The new species fall naturally enough into the genera there adopted, and I shall therefore refer them to these genera as follows : — y6 The Scottish Naturalist. Diplodina Ammophilse. Perithecia scattered in the spaces between the nerves, oval, opening by a slightly papillate ostiolum on back of leaf, dark ; spores hyalines broadly fusiform, 30 by 12^., uniseptate (cells very distinctly outlined), each end of the spore bears a short mucoid appendage as in Darluca. On the Links near Aberdeen, in dead leaves of Ammophila arundinacea. The spores would rather indicate Darluca as the genus for this fungus ; but it has immersed perithecia, and is not parasitic, though, indeed, this latter character is not found in all the species of Darluca. Hendersonia Equiseti. Perithecia subdermal with a small ostiolum, nearly spherical, about 180^. in diameter; spores pale brown, fusiform, or nearly cylindrical, with rather obtuse ends, 12 to 20 by 2 to 3^., 3-septate. In dead stems of Equisetum (? limosum) near Aberdeen. The perithecia resemble those of Siih&ropsis epitricha B. and Br., which also is found in Equisetum stems, but the latter species has simple spores. Stagonospora Heleocharidis. Perithecia scattered, subder- mal, with a small ostiolum, nearly spherical, 130 to 170^. in diameter, spores pale yellowish, fusiform, 30 to 40 by 6 to 7^., 5-7-septate. In dead leaves and stems of Heleocharis palustris in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen ; common. Stagonospora paludosa S. and Sp. (Sacc. 2475). A fungus that agrees pretty well with Saccardo's description is common in dead leaves of Carex ampullacea near Aberdeen. My specimens may be described as follows : — Perithecia scattered, subdermal, but nearly free from surround- ing tissues, with small ostiolum, about 220^. in diameter; spores pale yellowish, fusiform, 42 to 52 by 8^. 7-9-septate. Doubtless numerous other Sphaeropsideae will be met with in Scotland when carefully sought for ; but of greater importance than adding to their number is the determination of their relation to the more matured forms of fungi. NOTES ON SCOTTISH PLANTS. By G. C. DRUCE, F.L.S. Melampyrum pratense var. hians.— While working Wigtonshire in 1883, in order to draw up a catalogue of its commoner plants for the Record Club The Scottish Naturalist. jy I found by the Cree side a form of pratense which is described on p. 35 (1884) of The Naturalist, and which differs from other forms of pratense by its deep yellow corolla and open lips with the palate so low ns not to close entrance to tube. This variety has since been found in Westmoreland and Cumberland. The Rev. H. P. Reader has this year discovered it in Northumberland. It will probably be found in many counties of Scotland if looked for. This plant may be the cause of the frequent mistakes in naming M. pratense as sylvaticum. On a New Variety of Carex pilulifera found in Forfar, South Aber- deen, and East Perth.— While searching Corrie Ceannmor or Ceannder, in Glen Callater, South Aberdeen, in 1878, I found, at an elevation of about 2800 feet, a sedge which puzzled me a good deal, but which I referred to pilulifera. I sent it to Mr. H. S, Watson for his opinion, but he simply marked it C. pilulifera var. Four years after I found the same form in Glen Phee ; and the next year (1873) met Wltn ^ m Canlochan, and on Cairn of Daimh, E. Perth. Previous to this, Dr. Lees had described a var. saxumbra of pilulifera from Yorkshire, and Prof. Babington had recorded it also from Glen Callater. Thinking this might be connected with my plants, I sent them to Mr. H. Ridley, who marked them C. LeesiifC. saxumbra Lees.) Later on Dr. Lees came to see me, and I showed him the specimens, but he refused to acknowledge them as his saxumbra, from which they differed in the shape of perigynia, and shorter leaves and bracts. In the report of the Botanical Record Club for 1883, page 52, Dr. Lees has described this alpine form of pilulifera under the name C. pilulifera var. adusta Lees. It differs from the type in its smaller size, and more rigid and stout habit. The spikelets are " scorched-looking purple brown," the bracts are short and stiff, " The glumes are lanceolate acute, dark purple-brown in colour, with a paler, stout dorsal rib, which is prolonged into a strongly serrate awn wanting the paler membranous border of true pilulifera.'''' The perigynia are greenish brown, sparsely asperous, ovate, gradually prolonged into a rather long, rough bifid beak (not obonic and short-beaked as in type. )" As Dr. Lees says, it is probably an alpine form educed by harsh stational and climatic influences. On the Oxfordshire chalk downs I found a form with the lanceolate glumes of the above, but in other respects it did not vary from the type, Phleum Michelii All.— On p. 267 of the October No. (1884) of TheScottish Naturalist, I referred to the above as being represented in Miss Palmer's collection by Alopecurus alpinus, and suggested that Lady Aylesford might have mislabelled it. During the last week I have received from Miss Palmer the plants labelled Alopecurus alpinus, which I see are specimens of Phleum Michelii, so that a transposition of labels has probably taken place. BEYOLOGICAL NOTES ER0M GLENDEVON AND STEATHEAEN. By W. MARTIN. At one period, interesting accounts of " moss-trooping" expeditions appeared in the pages of The Scottish Naturalist ; but such are now conspicuous by their yS The Scottish Naturalist. absence. History is ever repeating itself. Achilles keeps within his tent, and Troy still presents a proud front to the foe. " Why is it that men care not for green mosses Except to pack their crates ? Why pass unheeding by this lowly tribe, The meekest of earth's children ? " Whether we regard the capsule, which under the microscope is often found to be a wondrous piece of architecture ; the gracefully curved seta, which an artist might envy ; the leaves of endless variety of form and texture ; or the rich colouring, they are a most interesting study. The moss upon the diy wall gives but a faint idea of what may be found upon the moist mountain side, where the embarras de rlchesse often presses upon the bryologist. By the side of the road from Loch Tay to Glen Lyon, skirting the side of Ben Lawers, large patches of Bryum pattens Swartz, Barlramia fontanaL., and Sphagna of various colours form indeed a splendid mosaic. " In the rocky glens where Devon Dashes on its seaward way." many of the large boulders which obstruct the course of the stream are crowned with a shining red tuft of Bryum pattens Swartz., set round with Bartramia fontana L., a ruby encompassed with emeralds ; and the effect is very pleasing. Besides those mosses which have been mentioned, there are many others, in which the colouring is very rich ; Bryum argenteum L. and Bryum julaceum Schpr. are arrayed in glittering apparel of silver ; Bryum al- pinum L. is shining red as if varnished ; and Hookeria lucens Sm. can boast of robes glossy as the finest silk. To give some idea of the variety of form which prevails among mosses, it may be enough to mention such names as Fern Moss, Feather Moss, Palm Tree Moss, Tail Moss, and Tufted Moss, which are truly descriptive, and not mere fancy appellations. Nor ought their won- derful powers of vitality to be forgotten. Often in the long dry days of summer they appear withered and dead ; but if a shower fall upon them, they are again fresh and flourishing. Many species too are at their best in winter, so that when " The violet round the mossed grey stone Hath hid her weary head," and all her fair companions have bent to the destroyer, the botanist need not discontinue field work. The following rare species have been gathered in this district. Some time ago a visit was paid to Ben Chonzie, and upon the stones by the side of the brawling Turret a moss of most attractive appearance was found. It was of a very rich, deep green colour, and looked as if it had been varnished. A dis- tinguished Scottish bryologist, to whom it was sent, thought at first it was a new species, but afterwards referred it to Bryum pattens Swartz, or, to use his own words, " something thereabout." The moss was next sent to an eminent English bryologist, and his opinion was as follows : — "Probably this is one of the many forms of the ever varying Bryum pseudo-triquetrum." The plant was next submitted to Dr. Braithwaite, who sent the following reply: "Barren Brya are most difficult to identify but your specimen certainly does not belong The Scottish Naturalist. 79 to Bryum pallens and from Bryum psettdo-iriqnetrum it differs toio cctlo. I can only refer it to Bryum Mildeanum Juratz. — a plant found long ago by Taylor in Ireland, and by Spruce in Teesdale. The only difference I find is, that your plant has a stouter nerve, and also a shorter more abrupt point to the leaf, but in areolation the two quite agree." Concerning another find made about the same time the Rev. J. Fergusson of Fern thus wrote : — "Your plant is Hypnum filicinum L., var. vallisclausae Brid. quite a rarity in Scotland, and far from common anywhere. I have often wished to have undoubted specimens from the north of the Tweed, and yours are the first which have come to hand." The plant was found growing upon stones in one of the feeders of the May among the Ochils ; and, strange to say, still another variety of the same Hypnum filicinum L., has been found in the same locality. This latest found variety is a weak-leaved form, which Dr. Braithwaite thinks may probably be trichodes. In Glendevon there is a waterfall known as the Black Linn — a wildly beautiful and pictorially effective scene. Through the narrow ravine, the Devon water rushes over its rock bound channel, until it is drawn into the treacherous depths of the dark shadowless pool, from which it again emerges dancing and foaming over its shallow outlet. By the side of this fall, a form of Encalypta vulgaris Hedw. has been gathered, which is very different from the ordinary one. In its general aspect it is like E. ciliata Hedw. but the calyptra is not ciliate ; nor is the stem yellow. The peristome was also present, a thing rarely seen in E. vulgaris Hedw. In the same neighbourhood was found a moss, which is quite a cross between Hypnum filicinum L., and Thuidium decipiens De Not., but nearer the former, except in the upper part of the stem, where the leaves are almost perfectly identical with those of the latter. In the Heugh of Coul, a wild ravine among the Ochils near Auchterarder, a variety of Eurhyn- chium crassinervium Tayl. has been gathered, which the Rev. J. Fergusson has named E. crassinervium var. Martini. It lies close to E. conferlum var. Daldaniarum — an Italian variety. The leaf howe er is near that of E. crassi nervium. Viola tricolor L. subsp. CurtisiiForst, near Aberdeen. — On consulting Hooker's Students'1 Flora (Ed. 3), or Topographical Botany (Ed. 2), we find the distribution of this violet, in Great Britain, given as almost exclusively western, or " from Clyde to Cornwall," and again in Ireland. Though it has been found on Ross Links in Northumberland, it has not been recorded from any part of Scotland save the west coast south of the Clyde. Yet, my own experience leads me to believe that it will be found in many localities, among the sand-dunes so frequent on the east coast of Scotland, and that it is probably the common form of Viola tricolor in such localities. It certainly is so along the sandy coast north from Aberdeen, where I had observed it as a well-marked form before I had learned to identify the plant. In addition to the characters noted in the Students' Flora, as distin- guishing V. Curtisii from true V. tricolor, the Aberdeenshire plants are usually more or less hairy and of a peculiar dull-green colour, and are dwarfed in all parts, as indeed might be expected from their habitat. JAMES W. H. TRAIL. GEOLOGY, GEOLOGY OP THE ISLAND OP EIGG. By JAMES DURHAM F.G.S. (With a Plate). AMONG the varied and picturesque, though sometimes gro- tesque, forms assumed by the islands of the Inner Hebrides, perhaps none is so striking as that of Eigg, especially when seen from the south or east. From either point of view the Scuir, a stupendous wall of rock, is seen running along the higher part of the southern end of the island, its bold and precipitous front suggesting one of these old lines of fortification which are some- times seen encircling and crowning lofty rocky eminences ; but beside the gigantic proportions of the Scuir of Eigg all such structures are utterly insignificant. Remarkable as the scenery of Eigg is, it is far surpassed in interest by its geology, or, in other words, its history, as told by these rocks whose peculiar forms so readily arrest our attention. Eigg is situated about midway between the great islands of Mull and Skye ; and is about 7 miles from Arisaig, the nearest point on the mainland. It is about 5 miles long; and ranges from 1 J to three miles in width. The highest point in the island, the top of the Scuir, is about 1,300 feet above the sea. From the base of the Scuir to the middle of the island the ground slopes gently down ; and to the north of the road to Laig it again rises until the highest northern part somewhat exceeds the height of the base of the Scuir. Round most part of the shores of the island the rocks rise precipitously from the sea ; but in the low middle part the ascent, either trom the landing place on the east side or the beautiful bay of Laig on the west, is gentle and easy. The steep cliffs which thus almost completely surround the island are in many places extremely grand and imposing, and, at the same &-,~, J ^ 1 1 ^ $ - * The Scottish Naturalist. 81 time furnish excellent sections of the rocks which form the island. The main geological features of Eigg are simple enough. The great mass of the island is composed of sheets of basalt and dolerite, piled one on the top of the other to the height of nearly i;ooo feet in some parts, while dykes of the same rocks cut through these sheets in all directions. This volcanic mass is underlain on the north and west sides by yellow sandstones with shales, on the top of which is a thick stratum of clay. These stratified rocks contain abundant organic remains. At the south end of the island the basalts &c, are overlain by the rock of the Scuir, a mass of columnar pitchstone-porphyry. Near the Scuir dykes of pitchstone and obsidian intersect the basaltic rocks. An acid lava is likewise met with near both ends of the island. In order to trace the geological history of this interesting island it is necessary to go far back in the " record of the rocks," as far back, indeed, as the middle of its great secondary division to the age of the Middle Oolite, when we find that where Eigg now stands there was an estuary or shallow-sea in which was being laid down white or yellowish sands with gravel and boulders and other shallow-water formations. The direction in which the land lay from which this material was carried we do not know ; but, in all probability, it was from the ancient mountains of Scotland, which then, as now, marked the eastern limits of the sea ; at anyrate the shores of that old sea were not distant, as the gravel and plant-remains included in the sandstone amply testify. By-and-bye the conditions in some way changed ; and fine clay was deposited on the top of the white sands. (This Professor Judd has identified as the equivalent of the Oxford Clay.) The fossils included in these sedimentary rocks show that during these depositions the sea teemed with life, numerous belemnites testify to the presence of extinct species of cuttle fishes which must have literally swarmed in these waters; while ammonites of various species, and Gryphia incurva and allied forms are found in great profusion. Considerable quantities of the bones of reptiles have been discovered, remains of some of the remarkable Jurassic forms which have proved such a rich field of study to the natural- ist and a kind of happy hunting-ground for the evolutionist. After the Oxford Clay was deposited, there comes a vast break in the records of the history of the island. All through the Upper Oolite, the Greensand and the Cretaceous periods, across the break between the Secondary and Tertiary divisions of the rocks, and F 8 2 The Scottish Naturalist. probably up to the middle of the Eocene age, Eigg has no geo- logical history that can be read by us to-day. Whether these successive systems were laid down on the ancient plain, on which Eigg stands, we do not know for certain ; but, as among the materials blown out of the neighbouring extinct volcano of Mull, numerous chalk flints are found, it seems probable that Cretaceous rocks had, at one time, been superimposed upon these older Oolitic strata, and had since been mostly removed by denudation. At anyrate in early Tertiary times a plain of Jurassic rocks spread all over the region now occupied by the Inner Hebrides, probably a flat prairie land, as, from the soft and uniform character of these rocks, they are readily plained down by denud- ing agencies. At this time the great mountains of Skye and Rum and Mull " Ulva dark and Colonsay And all the group of islets gay That guard famed Staffa round," as well as " famed Staffa " itself had no existence whatever, or existed potentially, only as so much volcanic ammmunition buried deep in the bowels of the earth, while the gneissic mass of Iona probably stood a great isolated hill in the far extending plain. Probably about the middle of the Eocene period this plain be- came the scene of one of the most tremendous exhibitions of volcanic phenomena of which there is any geological record. In what are now Skye, Rum, Ardnamurchan and Mull fissures opened in the ground, from which gases, previously confined under enormous pressure, rushed with terrific violence, blowing far into the air a vast quantity of fragments of the lava in which they had been imprisoned, along with portions of the rocks through which they had been erupted ; these fragments, for the most part, rained down round the respective orifices, but were also scattered far and near over the ground, so that specimens of the rocks of all the formations from the Laurentian Gneiss to the Chalk are found among the ruins of these volcanoes. As the eruption continued great piles of pieces of lava and the stratified rocks were formed round the orifices, that is to say great crater cones were formed ; and by-and-bye the lava welled up, and bursting forth either through the loose material of the craters or the rocks in their neighbour- hood, poured out over the plain. The earliest lava streams that flowed from the Hebridean volcanoes were of the acid class ; of low specific gravity and no great fluidity, and would consequently not spread far from the The Scottish Naturalist. 83 points of eruption ; so, in all probability, this outflow did not cover the plain so completely as those of subsequent eruptions ; still, from the near proximity of the volcano of Rum, it is not likely that Eigg escaped the fiery deluge altogether ; and in fact, as has been stated, acid lavas are found at more than one point in the island, necessarily but insignificant remains of the original lava stream. By-and-bye these volcanoes quieted down and be- came extinct, or at least dormant, and remained so for a very long time, so long, indeed, that not only were the cones of the craters completely removed, but the very subterranean sources of these volcanoes were dissected and laid bare by denudation. This can be well observed in Mull, where the lavas of the second outburst are seen to be in contact with the deep-seated rocks from which these early lavas flowed. The second eruption or series ot eruptions of these volcanoes appears to have been on an enormous scale, and to have lasted, with very considerable interruptions, through a great period. Not only were immense crater cones formed, but lava streams of great volume flowed out for many miles around them, so that the whole plain was gradually buried for many hundreds of feet under sheets of these lavas. The lavas of the second eruption were all of the basaltic type, which are of great density and fluidity, and flow freely outwards from their sources. It was during this eruption that practically the whole mass of Eigg was laid down. From the volcano of Rum vast sheets of lava flowed out over the plain, probably until they came into contact with similar streams from the other volcanoes. In this way more than 2,000 feet of basalt must have been piled up sheet above sheet over all the area described. In many of the fine natural sections in Eigg the successive sheets and their varying character are well exposed to view. Seme of our most distinguished geologists have expressed the opinion that the basalts of the Hebrides were not ejected exactly in the manner I have endeavoured to describe, that is to say with the usual symptoms and accompaniments of volcanic activity, but were thrown out on the surface of the earth by what are called " fissure eruptions ; " and that the lava simply flowed out from fissures without the formation of craters or the ejectment of scorial or other volcanic fragmental debris. On the other hand, quite as competent geological authorities maintain that no eruption of lava has taken place without these accompaniments either in the 84 The Scottish Naturalist. Hebrides or anywhere else. Without venturing to express an opinion upon the general question I feel convinced that the great eruptions of lava that formed most of the Inner Hebrides were accompanied by the ejectment of the scoriae, &c, on a very great scale at some, if not all the points I have indicated. When we bear in mind that in Skye, Rum, Ardnamurchan and Mull, we find masses of acid lavas whose indifferent fluidity con- fines them to the neighbourhood of the point of outflow, we have an indication that these are the positions of the fissures through which the lavas were ejected, and as deep-seated basic rocks are found in contact with deep-seated acid rocks at the same places, we have further valuable support to the hypothesis. Then, in Mull for example, we meet with phenomena that are at least more easily accounted for on the supposition that craters had existed than on any other. The great mountain of Ben More, as well as some of the neighbouring hills, seems to be almost entirely composed of volcanic cinders intersected by numerous sheets and dykes of basalt, while tuffs and scoriaceous rocks are found in patches all over the island ; and near Dunessan is a con- solidated stream of volcanic mud containing numerous fragments of chalk and chalk-flints. The mud seems to be composed of fine volcanic dust, while the chalk and flints were probably blown out of a neighbouring crater ; the chalk is much indurated and closely resembles bits of limestone hardened by heat, such as I have seen among the ejecta of more recent volcanoes. Of course, as far as Eigg is concerned, this is merely a digres- sion ; as no one disputes either the nature or origin of the basalts and dolerites of which it is so largely built up. A famous section in the basalts at Ardtun in Mull shows that very considerable intervals occurred during the series of eruptions, for here we find quantities of plant-remains embedded in the mud of a lake bottom between sheets of basalt, which indicates a period of rest between the lava-flows of sufficient length to allow denuding agencies to form vegetable soil on which trees of considerable size flourished ; and this must have been no inconsiderable time, as the striae engraved on these rocks during the glacial period have not yet been erased. As the leaf-beds of Mull are repeated several times one above the other with sheets of lava between, it is evident that these periods of rest were frequent as well as pro- longed. Another valuable feature of these leaf-beds is that they supply us with a geological date for the age of these basaltic The Scottish Naturalist. 85 eruptions, as the plants have been identified by paleontologists as belonging to the Miocene or middle Tertiary period. When the last sheet of basaltic lava had been ejected from these Hebridean volcanoes their time of great activity was ended. Long ages afterwards the hills and valleys, which denudation had carved out of the basaltic plateau, trembled at the shock of the earthquake, and resounded to the roar of craters, while fiery torrents poured themselves down the hillside ; but these phenomena were quite insignificant when compared with those of the previous eruptions. The great basaltic volcanoes had long been silent, and had been mostly removed by denudation when little parasitic cones formed on the wasted remains of their mighty predecessors sent forth these comparatively tiny streams of acid lava. It is to this final display of volcanic energy that the rock of the Scuir is to be attributed. The Scuir is entirely composed of beautifully formed columns of pitchstone-porphyry, which are usually vertical, but are often found lying at every conceivable angle. The earliest observers at once recognised it to be different from the main mass of the island, and were in consequence greatly puzzled to account for it. In en- deavouring to do so they suggested some ingenious theories. Considering that dykes of pitchstone are of frequent occurrence in Eigg, it is not surprising that they considered the Scuir to be a gigantic intruder of this kind. They supposed that, at one time, that basaltic plateau was as high, at least, as the top of the Scuir, and that the pitchstone burst up through it ; at once forming and filling up a vast crack in the basaltic beds, and that by-and-bye denudation removed the surrounding rocks leaving the harder and more intractable rock of the Scuir behind. Both M'Culloch and Hugh Miller adopted this not unreasonable hypothesis. It was, however, reserved for Dr. Archibald Geikie to find the true solution of the problem, which he did in the following inter- esting manner. An excavation was made under the Scuir where the pitchstone-porphyry comes in contact with the basalt, when he discovered that the Scuir is underlain by a conglomerate ; an ex- amination of the constituents of this conglomerate proved it to be the bed of an ancient river, a river, moreover, which had flowed a long way, from the northward through a forest-clad land ; for em- bedded in the conglomerate were pieces of wood, twigs and leaves ; while it was partly composed of Laurentian gneiss and Cumbrian sandstone, indicating that the river had probably flowed from the north Highlands where these formations are well represented, through a vanished land whose place is now, for the most part, 86 The Scottish Naturalist, occupied by the sea. How long that river had flowed, and how deep it had cut its valley we do not know ; but at length from one of these lesser craters, probably situated upon the wasted remains of the volcano of Rum, torrents of lava were poured into the river valley, filling it up and burying its bed under many hundreds of feet of black glassy rock. If we ask "Where is now the wooded land through which that ancient river flowed ? Where are the hills that formed the sides of its valley ? " The only answer that science can give us is — "The winter's cold, the summer's heat, the ice, the rain, and the tempest have wasted them away." Such then is the history of the remarkable island as told by its rocks ; and there exist few if any more impressive records of the terrestrial changes produced by the unobtrusive but unresting action of the forces of denudation than Eigg and its Scuir. In the words of Dr. Geikie " subterranean movements may be called in to account for narrow gorges or deep glens or profound sea- lochs ; but no subterranean movement will ever explain the history of the Scuir of Eigg, which will remain as striking a memorial of denudation as it is a landmark amid the scenery of our wild western shores." THE REPTILIFEROUS SANDSTONES OP ELGXNSHIKE, &c. AT the first Aberdeen meeting of the British Association (1859), the question arose as to the geological age of these Sandstones. While " stratiography " led to the supposition that they were the upper beds of the Old Red, paleontology seemed to fix them in the Triassic formation. The Association will meet a second time in the " Granite city," ere this que&tio vexata be settled to general satisfaction. During the quarter of a century that has elapsed between the two meetings, not a few remains, both of Holoptt/chius and of reptiles, have been gathered from the white sandstones in the neighbourhood of Elgin ; so close have they been found to lie to each other that both have been found in the same quarry, although not in the same bed or stratum. The untold geological ages, during which the whole Carboni- ferous and Permian systems were being deposited, make one expect to see a marked line of demarcation between the two. No such broad unmistakable line has yet been detected. There are a The Scottish Naturalist. 87 few localities where it might be hopefully sought for, if it really exist ; these are : 1. In the Bishopmill quarry. In the Elgin Museum there is a slab, indicating, from footprints, the presence of reptiles ; and several Holoptychian remains have also been got from Bishopmill. The best is now in the cabinet of James Powrie of Reswallie, 2. On the same ridge as Bishopmill — about a mile to the west, and due south of Newspynie church — is the Millstone quarry, which has lately been opened up and worked to a greater extent than formerly. In it fine specimens of fish and reptile have been found by the workmen ; and they are now in the Museum at Elgin. This quarry claims the special attention of those who desire to throw light on the subject. 3. In the quarry near Nairn, and on the east side of the river, plates of Pterichthys are not rare ; and, from it also, there is a block of sandstone, now in the Elgin Museum, which presents markings looked upon by some as caused by reptilian feet. 4. The fine section, on the northern shore of the Moray Firth, from the undoubted Old Red beds of Guinies to Portmahomack, where footprints have been got, offers a fair field to fix, if possible, the spot where the two formations meet. 5. One other locality maybe named, although not so promising, viz., that which lies between the well known reptiliferous beds of Lossiemouth and the links of Stotfield, where Mr. Linn detected fish-scales. In 1859, the Elgin district was visited by Murchison, Lyell, Nicol, Ramsay, Harkness and others, who took different views as to the age of those reptiliferous sandstones. Hitherto, the ques- tion has, in some measure, been held as an open one ; but it is time that it be closed and set at rest. The coming Aberdeen meeting of the British Association may perhaps tend to do this, and prove the soundness, or otherwise, of some words of Sir Roderick Murchison, suggested by his first visit to this now famed locality, viz " Field work for ever ! and perhaps the proud palaeontologists will be obliged to bow to stratigraphical sequence." It would not perhaps be out of place were visitors to these sand- stone beds to keep before them the opening address at Montreal, (given in " Nature " for 4th September), by W. T Blackford F.R.S., in which are adduced "remarkable exceptions to the rule that similarity of faunas and floras in fossiliferous formations through- out the surface of the earth would imply identity of geological age ; " and we are told, " that the practice, so common among 88 The Scottish Naturalist. palaeontologists, of positively asserting as a known fact the geo- logical age of organisms from beds of which the geological position is not clearly determined, is very much to be deprecated.' — Communicated. MEETINGS AND PKOCEEDINGS OE SCOTTISH SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. [Notices of meetings for insertion in the Scottish Naturalist should be sent to the Editor before the commencement of the month preceding date of issue. If later, they will be held over till the next number. Secretaries of Scotch Scientific Societies will much assist the Editor if they will send abstracts of meetings for publications.] Reports of meetings of the Aberdeen Natural History Society and of the Dundee Naturalists' Society have to be held over till next number through pressure on space. BANFFSHIRE FIELD CLUB.— -January 29. — Mr. Home, of the Scottish Geological Survey, addressed the meeting on the geological formation of the northwest of Sutherland shire. He narrated the views expressed by geologists from M'Culloch downwards, and gave a resume of the arguments pro and con. He then proceeded to detail the results arrived at by himself and Mr. Peach ; and stated that Professor Nicol's views had proved to be well founded, though for a time set aside by Murchison's adverse opinion. Mr. Home thereafter reported on the geological specimens in the Banff Museum. DOLLAR LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY.-; January 14.— Mr. Thorn, Principal of Dollar Institution, lectured on Our Prehistoric Ancestors. In the course of his address he summarised clearly the con- clusions now generally entertained in regard to the origin and past history of the earth, more especially in the later period, as shown by Kent's cavern and other localities in which recent fossils have been found. The lessons drawn from all sources concerning prehistoric man in Britain were summed up in : — " We have no evidence to show that he was anatomically different from the man of to-day. He was an expert hunter, and able even to attack such animals as the mammoth and rhinoceros. He was armed with spears, tipped with flint and bone, and with daggers of reindeer antler. The handles of his weapons were often beautifully carved. With all this artistic taste, however, he seems to have been utterly devoid of anything like civilisation, lived like a beast of prey, entirely upon wild animals, and for countless ages made no more im- pression upon the earth than one of the victims of his well-aimed stone or flint- pointed spear." February 4. — Rev. Mr. Paul lectured on Castle Campbell, a former stronghold of the Argyle family among the Ochils, and reviewed its past history and fortunes. The Scottish Naturalist. 89 EDINBURGH BOTANICAL SOCIETY.— February 12.— The following communications were read :— The Geographical Distribution of Algee of the Firth of Forth, with exhibition of specimens by John Rattray, M.A., B.Sc. ; On the Development of Bifoliar Spurs into Ordinary Buds in Pinus sylvestris, by Professor Dickson ; Note on the Occurrence of Carex salina, var. kattegatensis, Fr., by A. Bennett, F.L.S. ; Report on the Excursion of the Alpine Botanical Club, by Wm. Craig, M.D. ; Report on Temperatures for December and January at the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow, by Robert Bullen ; Report on the Pro- gress of Vegetation at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, for January, 1885, by Robert Lindsay. From the last paper we learn that the past winter has been backward, despite its comparative mildness. Of forty selected plants, whosedates of flowering in the garden are sytematically observed, only two were in flower at the end of January, as opposed to sixteen at the same date in 1884. On the rock-garden eight species and varieties flowered in January, 1885, and eighteen in January, 1S84. The INVERNESS FIELD CLUB made an excursion on Saturday, 22nd September. Between thirty and forty members were present. The party drove to the Pass of Inverfarigaig, stopping on the way at Dores Schoolhouse to see a fine collection of fossils and local antiquities belonging to Mr. Stewart. Proceeding through the pass, a fine gorge of indurated and waterworm sand- stones and conglomerate clothed with birches, they took the road to the right, which leads to the Foyers valley, stopping on the way to examine an old lime quarry and a fine cliff of graphic granite exposed near it. Time did not permit a careful examination of the Foyers valley ; so after a visit to the Falls of Foyers, the members dined together in the Foyers Hotel, and returned to Inverness in the evening. MONTROSE SCIENTIFIC AND FIELD CLUB.— January 27.— Dr. Howden read a paper on The Aims of a Naturalists' Field Club, which we print elsewhere in extenso. February 10.— The subject was The Seaweeds of the Forfarshire Coast, by Dr. Crichton of Arbroath. PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE.— December 4.— A note from Mr. J. G. Millais was read relative to personal observations in the woods of Murthly of a flock of Parrot Crossbills, from which it seemed that this species had nested there. Mr. Millais also mentioned that he had lately shot a Reeve near Murthly, and the following birds in the basin of the Tay, viz. -.—Roseate Tern, Green Sandpiper, Ivory Gull, Iceland Gull, Buffon's Skua, and Purple Gallinule. Dr. Buchanan White submitted a Report from the Delegates of the Society to the Meeting of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies at Dundee; Mr. Robert and Mr. Rufus D. Pullar submitted one as delegates to the meeting of the British Association at Montreal, and another as delegates to the meeting of the American Association for the advancement of Science at Philadelphia. 90 The Scottish Naturalist. As these various meetings of learned Societies have been fully reported in scientific journals, we need not recapitulate these well-executed reports. Mr. James Stewart, L.D.S., followed with a paper on the Comparative Anatomy of the Teeth, in which, after vindicating the importance and value of the study of comparative Anatomy, he gave an account of the teeth and of the leading modifications undergone by them in the great classes of Fishes, Amphibia, and Reptiles. January 8. — Mr. Stewart continued his lecture on Teeth, dwelling on the characters and modifications of these organs in the Mammalia. Dr. Trotter contributed a paper on The Diatoms of the Tay, based on personal observations, and dealing more especially with those of the neighbour- hood of Perth. Around the city are sandy ridges, which in many places rest upon an extensive bed of brick clay. In many places the spicules of sponges abound in this layer. Here and there are deposits of blue clay that had formed in hollows of the brick clay ; and these yield many diatoms, almost ex- clusively of marine or brackish-water types. Perth stands on deposits of these different clays. January 22. — A largely-attended conversazione was held in the Museum buildings, and the newly-arranged cases were the object of much attention, particularly those containing the birds of Perthshire along with their nests and eggs. Several microscopes were in use during the evening. February 7. — Mr H. Coates exhibited a snail-slug ( Testacella haliotidea Drap. var. scutulum), which had been sent to him from near Kirkcaldy by Mr. W. D. Sang. The species has not previously been found in Britain north of Durham. It seems thoroughly established (probably naturalised) near Kirk- caldy, though seldom seen, except early on wet mornings in spring and autumn. He also exhibited a shell of Helix nemoralis, found at Invergowrie, of which the last whorl had been quite displaced so as to resemble one shell growing within another (but the inside was so repaired as to be smooth) ; and a shell oi Planorbis vortex, from Errol, in which the last whorl is bent abruptly to one side, and is quite detached from the previous whorl. Mr. Coates afterwards read a paper on Shells ; their Structure, Growth, and Uses, in which he discussed the nature of shells, and defined them as hard external coverings peculiar to the mollusca, serving at once as a "dwelling place and a citadel." The connection of the shell with the animal, its mode of formation and growth, and the uses to which it may be put, were more or less fully dealt with. At each meeting several members were added to the Society, and numerous donations to the Society's very excellent local museum were announced. Among these a number of Perthshire mammals were a response to the appeal for aid made by the President (Dr. Buchanan White) in a preceding meeting. The Scottish Naturalist. 9 1 SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. JOURNAL OF BOTANY {August) Marsupella sparsifolia Lindb. by W. H. Pearson, describes and figures a liverwort from Loch-na-gar in Aber- deenshire ; Scottish Plants and Topographical Botany, by Prof. J. W. H. Trail and John Roy, is a list of additions and corrections to the records in H. C. Watson's Topographical Botany, ed. II. (Baker and Newbould) for the counties of Forfar, Kincardine, Aberdeen, S. and N. Banff, and Elgin ; Petasites officinalis Moench,, by G. Nicholson, calls attention to dioecism in this plant, and indicates the differences between the male plants and the much less common female plants. The female plants are recorded from Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen ; male plants alone were sent the writer from Orkney. {September) Perthshire Plants and Topographical Botany by Dr. F. Buchanan White, gives additions and corrections to the records for Perthshire in its various divisions of east, mid, and west Perth. {October) Shetland Plants, by H. N. Ridley, records Eryngium maritimum from Fitful Head, and also a variety of Veronica officinalis approaching V. hirsuta Hopkirk. {December, 1884) Additions to the Recorded Flora of Skye and Plants Recorded in Westerness additional to "Topo graphical Botany by the Revs. W. R. Linton and E. F. Linton. {January, 1885.) Myosotis alpestris in Forfarshire, by F. Buchanan White, M.D., notes the record in the report of the Botanical Record Club for 1883 of M. alpestris in Canlochan by Revs. H. E. Fox and E. F. Linton ; and accounts for its occurrence by the fact that the seeds of this plant, as also of various other alpines, were shown in Canlochan and on Ben Lawers, by a horticulturist, with the result that Erinus alpinus, Primula auricula, and other strangers were found in the former locality in 1880 by the Edinburgh Botanical Society. None of the introduced species have appeared on Ben Lawers. It is believed that the only seeds sown were those of showy species in common cultivation. {February) New British and Irish Carices, by Arthur Ben- nett, notes as Scotch C. salina Wahl. , var. kattegatensis Fries ; C. Goodenovii Gay, var. juncella Fr. rrom Isle of Skye ; C. vesicaria L., var. ciichroa Anders. (See earlier Nos. of Scottish Naturalist.) GREVILLEA {December, 1884.) On Fries' Nomenclature of Colours, by Henry T. Wharton ; New British Fungi, by M. C. ' Cooke, notes from Scotland only Entorhiza cypericola (Magn) Weber, and Melanotanium endo- genum Unger, both extracted from the last number of the Scottish Naturalist, but with the latter fungus erroneously referred to Galium Mollugo instead of G. verum as its host in Scotland ; New and Rare British Fungi, by W. Phillips and Charles B. Plowright, describes from Scotland (from Rev. Dr. Keith of Forres) Agaricus {Cliiocybe) vermicularis Fr. A. {Hypholoma) hypox- anthus sp. n., Nidularii confluens Fr, and Nordh. , Septoria Stellarice Rob. and Desm., (common near Aberdeen also, J, W. H. T.) ; ALcidiiun Jacobaa Grev. {Scot. Nat., 1884, p. 284), is referred to Puccinia Schroeteriana Plow, and Magn. instead of to P. dioica Magn., to which Mr. Plowright originally was inclined to refer it. (In Quarterly 'Journal of Microscopical Science for January, Mr. Plowright describes it as new under name of P. Schczleriana). {March) New British Fungi, by Dr. M. C. Cooke, notes Agaricus {Collybia) velutipes 92 The Scottish Naturalist. Fr., var. rubescens, Cooke, from Largo, found by W. G. Smith. New and Rare British Fungi, by W. Phillips and C. B. Plowright describes the follow- ing species new to Scotland, sent to them by Dr. Keith, all from Forres save where mentioned specially — Ceo?na Laricis, Westd. on larch leaves ; Peziza (Humaria) oocardii, Kalchb. on damp wood ; Cenangiiun tirceoliformis, Karst. (from Grantown on stems of Vaccinurim Vitis-Idaea ; Diaporthe [Tetrastaga) obscurans, Sacc. on ash ; Leptosphaeria praetermissa, Karst. on Rubus Idaeus : Zignoella insculpta, Fr. on holly-twigs ; Fenastella blpapillata, Tul. on beech; and from A. Croall on dead potato-stems at Siirling, Didymosphaeria Winteri, Niessl, and Ophiobolus vulgaris, Sacc. SCIENCE GOSSIP {January 1885).— A New British Puccinia, by W. B. Grove, describes and figures the Uredo and mesospores of P. Sonchi Desm. on Sonchus oleraceur, from near Birmingham. A striking peculiarity is the existence of a row of paraphyses surrounding the spores, under the cuticle. {February) Night-heron (Nycticorax griseus L.) in Scotland, by J. M. Campbell, records the capture of an immature female at Loch Creran in Argyle- shire, believed to be the first occurrence of this species in the West Highlands. Rossia macrosoma Delle Chiaje, by J. M. Campbell, records the addition to the fauna of the West of Scotland of this cuttle-fish from Loch Creran. Daubenton's Bat in Renfrewshire, by — Taylor. THE ZOOLOGIST [fitly.) Stock Dove in Perthshire, by T. Marshall; Greater Forked-Beard [Phycis furcatus) on the Banffshire coast, b/ Thomas Edward. [August) A New Species of British Wren, by Henry See- bohm, with figure and description of a new form of wren peculiar to the islan 1 of St. Kilda, and named here Troglodytes hirtensis; Rose-coloured Pastor [F, roseus) n Sutherlandshire and Golden Plover with White Primaries by H. A. Macpherson ; Opah-Fish in Shetland ; Lumpetus lumpetri- formis off East Coast of Scotland, by Dr. F. Day (from Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond). [September) Weasel (plentiful) in Skye, and Greenland Falcon in Skye; by H. A. Macpherson ; The St. Kilda Wren, by Rd. M. Barrington. [November) Dipper's Nest on the top of a Boulder, by Thomas Edward. JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY [October 1884).— The Land and Fresh Water Shells of Caithness, by C. W. Peach, is a reprint of a paper read be- fore the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, March 26, 1864, but believed to have been printed only in a newspaper report. In it are included from the parish of Wick in Caithness, Sphaerium corneum, Pisiaium nitidum, Unio margari- tifera, Valvata piscinalis, Planorbts nautileus, P. albus, P. glaber, P. spirorbis, P. contort us, Limnaea peregra, L, iruncatula, A?icylus Jluviatilis, Arion ater, A. hortensis, Limax flavus, L. agrestis, L. parvulus, Succinea elegans, Vitrina pellucida, Zonites cellarius, Z. alliarius, Z. nitidulus, Z. crystallinus, Helix nemoralis v. l/ortensis, H. arbustorum, H. rotundata, Pupa umbilicata, Clau- silia rugosa, Cochlicopa rupestris ; and from Sutherlandshire, at Durness, Helix rupestris, H. tricetorum, and Bulimus acutus. The Scottish Naturalist. 93 ENTOMOLOGIST, 1883.— February (p. 45) Supposed occurrence of Anarta melaleuca in Scotland, by Wm. Watkins, in a collection pur- chased by him ; believed to have been captured in Scotland, but captor dead. March (p. 62) Ypsipetes elutata, by Wm. Reid, Pitcaple, Aberdeenshire, records dark form reared from larvae taken on ling in Aberdeenshire, and larger form in lower woods feeding on sallow. Jicne (p. 138) New British Trichopteron, by J. J. King, records from near Dumfries, taken by Mr Service, Mesophylax aspersus Ramb. var. July (p. 161) Lepidoptera, near Edinburgh, by A. E. J. Carter, butterflies scarce, moths more plenti- ful, Bombyces 4, Geometers 11, Noctuae 30, nothing specially noteworthy. October (p. 235) Sphinx Convolvuli in Aberdeen, by John Mundie ; Acherontia Atropos near Edinburgh, by A. E. J. Carter. November (pp. 245-46) Lepidoptera near Melrose, by Wilfred W. O. Beveridge, records numerous species, but accuracy of list seems doubtful. Most noteworthy are Vanessa Cardui, V. polychloros, Larentia suffumata, Cidaria pyraliata, Thera simulata, Odontia dilutata, Plusia iota (very plentiful), larvae of Notodonta camelina common on Birch, and of Arctia villica and of A. fuliginosa on almost every wayside herb. "Entomologist." — {January 1884). — The Macro-lepidoptera of Unst, by J. Jenner-Weir, F. L.S., F.Z.S., records captures made by Mr M 'Arthur in Unst during 1883, from the end of May till the end of September, and supple- ments former papers referred to in Scottish Naturalist. Several vary consider- ably as compared even with the same species from the Mainland of Shetland. The following species are new to the records for Shetland : — Sphinx Convolvuli, Agrotis cursoria, A. lucent ea, Noctua glareosa, N. xanlhographa, Hadena exulis, and coloured figures are given of varieties of these. {July) Rannoch, by John T. Carrington, F.L.S. (with maps), is an interesting account of this renowned Perthshire district from the point of view of a Lepi- dopterist. The Genera Hydrochus, Ochthebius, and Hydraena, by Rev. W. W. Fowler, M.A., F.L.S. , mentions the habits, modes of capture, and distinguishing characters and habitats of an obscure and difficult group of water- beetles. The following are specially recorded from Scotland : — H. brevis Herbst., from Perth and Dumfries ; Hydraena nigrita Germ., from Glasgow ; H. angustala Sturm., from Falkirk and Glasgow ; H. gracilis Germ., H. atri- capilla Wat., from Ochil Hills. Several other species are recorded as common throughout Britain. {September) A Week's Collecting in Unst, by Charles A. Briggs, records the captures of Lepidoptera, made during a stay from 9th to 19th July ; of these Mamestra Brassira, Agrotis suffusa, Triphcena subseaua, Apamea oculea, and Hadena oleracea are new to Shetland. Crymodes exulis in Unst, by E. R. Curzon. {October) Rannoch in June, by A. H. Jones, deals specially with the Torlrices. Description of a Eupithecia new to science (E. Curzoni, Gregson), by C. S. Gregson, describes the larva, pupa, and imago of a "Pug " moth, taken by Mr Roper-Curzon feeding on Calluna vulgaris at Balta Sound in Unst. The form was figured in the Entomologist vol. XIV., pi. I, fs. 2 and 3, and was regarded as a variety of E. nanata or of E. satyrata. Epunda nigra in Perthshire, by Elizabeth Cross. (December) Eupithecia nanata var. Curzoni, by H. M 'Arthur, asserts that the supposed new species is no more than a form of E. nanata. An editorial note refers to an article in the Stettin Enlomologische Zeitung (XLV. 353-75), by August Hoffmann, on The Lepidoptera of the Shetland Isles, with notices of 94 The Scottish Naturalist. the occurrence of the species in other northern countries, in the north and central German mountains, and in the Swiss Alps. In this paper the above Eupi- thecia is regarded as a dark variety of E. nanata, probably nearest the form obscurata Stgr. " Entomologist." — {January 1885). — Cidaria flavicinctata double- brooded, by Mrs. Elizabeth Cross, notes emergence in November of a moth bred from Ova obtained from Rannoch. {February) Eupitbecia Curzoni Gregson, by C. S. Gregson, defends right of this Shetland insect to a name as distinct from E. nanata, an opinion founded on differences in wings (colour and form), and in larva (colour and markings, form and habits). {March) Eupithecia Curzoni, by J. B. Hodgkinson, considers it to be a northern formofii. cdllunaria (E. satyrata). On the variation of Eupithecia nanata, by J. Tutt, remarks on the variability of E. nanata near Garelochhead, where some forms grade into E. Curzoni, so completely that the moths seem indis- tinguishable. STETTINER ENTOMOLOGISCHE ZEITUNG, XLV. (1884), Unst ein lepidopterischer Luckenbusser, by C. A. Dohrn (I.e. pp. 186-88), is a notice of the article in the January number (1884) of the Entomologist, trans- lating the remarks on those forms of special interest to continental entomolo- gists, but not adding to what is there said about them. Lepidopteren von den Shetland-Inseln, mit Notizen uber, das Vorkommen der Arten in andern nordischen Landern, auf nord und mitteldeutschen Gebirgen und in den Schweizer Alpen, by August Hoffmann in Hannover (I.e. pp. 253-75), relates to a subject of so great interest to Scotch entomologists that we intend to give a translation of the entire article in the Scottish Naturalist. JOURNAL OP THE SCOTTISH METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. Third series, No. L, with tables for the year 1883, Edinburgh 1884. Meteor- ology of Ben Nevis, First Report, by Alexander Buchan. Preliminary Report on some Observations made in connection with Scottish Fisheries during- the Summer of 1883 (1) At Loch Fyne, by W. A. Herdman, D. Sc, &c. ; (2) At Peterhead, by W. E. Hoyle, M.A. ; (3) At Eyemouth, by Frank E. Beddard, M.A. ; (4) At some of the Scottish Lochs, by Rev. Dr A. M. Norman. The three former reports detail the methods of observation ; the last bears especially on the Entomostracan fauna. The middle water of the lakes is tenanted by species of Diaptomus, Cyclops, and Daphnia, along with Leptodora hyalina, Bythotrephes longimanus and Holope- dium gibberum, and, in some lochs, large numbers of Diaphanasoma. Sida affects the water plants along the margins, and Bosmina the shallow water nearly free of vegetation. Preliminary Work at the Scottish Marine Station, Gran ton ; Report on the Work of the Scottish Marine Station for Scientific Research, both by J. T. Cunningham; Tidal Variations in Temperature at the Scottish Marine Station, by Hugh R. Mill ; Re- ports on Relation of Herring Fishery and Salmon Fishery to Meteoro- logy, Report on the Meteorology of Scotland during 1883, and Re- port of Observers' Motes on the State of Agriculture, Public Health, &c. by Alexander Buchan. INSECTA SC0T1CA, THE TRICHOPTERA OP SCOTLAND. By JAMES J. KING and KENNETH J. MORTON. HYDROPTILID^I. AGRAYLEA. MULTIPUNCTATA Curt. Frequent. Margins of lakes, canals, and large rivers. Distribution — East, o Forth o o o o o o West, o o o o o ALLOTRICHIA. PALLICORNIS Eaton. Rare. Streams. Distribution — East, oooooooo West, o Clyde o o o HYDROPTILA. SPARSA Curt. Common. Streams. Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o West, o o o o Hebrides. FEMORALis Eaton. Frequent. In well-wooded glens. Distribution — East, oooooooo West, o Clyde o o o LONGISPINA M'Lach. Frequent. Sluggish streams. Distribution — East, oooooooo West, o Clyde Argyle o o PORCIPATA Eaton. Common. Rivers and lakes. Distribution — East, o Forth o o Moray o o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o ITHYTRICHIA. LAMELLARIS Eaton. Frequent. Rivers. Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o West, o o o o o ORTHOTRICHIA. angustella M'Lach. Frequent. Standing water and large rivers. Distribution' — East, o o o o Moray o o o West, o o o o o OXYETHIRA. COSTALIS Curt. Common. Stagnant waters. 96 The Scottish Naturalist. ARGYLE.— Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o West, o Clyde Argyle o o The following additional localities are based on notes published, or species taken since the appearance of the first part of this list : From TAY.— Chsetopteryx villosa. „ SUTHERLAND. — Limnophilus extricatus. „ ZETLAND. — Phryganea varia, Limnophilus auricula, L. sparsus, Mesophylax impunctatus var. Zetlandicus, Halesus radiatus, Drusus annu- latus. „ SOLWAY. — Halesus radiatus, H. digitatus, Lepidostomahirtum, Leptocerus aterrimus, L.cinereus. Phryganea grandis, P. varia, Col- potaulius incisus, Limnophilus rhombicus, L. borealis, L. mar- moratus, L. lunatus, L. vittatus, L. auricula, L. extricatus, L. luridus, L. sparsus, Sericostoma personatum, Cruncecia irrorata, Lepidostoma hirtum, Bercea pul- lata, B. maurus, Leptocerus fulvus. Phryganea obsoleta. Limnophilus luridus, Bercea pul- lata, Leptocerus bilineatus, Wormaldia occipitalis, Cyrnus trimaculatus, Lype phseopa. The total number of species of Trichoptera known to us as occurring in Scotland, and above enumerated, is thus 125, or four- fifths of the number at present known to inhabit the British Isles. For the sake of comparison we give a table shewing the number of representatives each family has in the Scottish and British lists. WEST ROSS.— HEBRIDES.— In Scotland. In British Isles. Phryganeidse, 7 9 Limnophilidse, ... 44 52 Sericostomatida?, 7 9 Leptoceridse, ... 26 33 Hydropsychidae, 24 32 Rhyacophilidse, 8 9 Hydroptilidae, ... 9 11 125 155 In conclusion, our thanks are due to the following gentlemen — Prof. Trail, F.L.S., Messrs. R. M'Lachlan, F.R.S., Robert Service and Alfred Beaumont, who have supplied us with in- formation and specimens for examination. OBITUAEY. ALEXANDER CROALL. AMONG those that have done most to extend the knowledge of Scotch botany in the generation now passing from among us, a high rank must be assigned to Mr. Alexander Croall, who died, after a long illness, on the 19th May last, in Stirling. In Dr. Smiles' recent work, Men of Invention and Industry^ an account of his life will be found, written with the usual felicity of style of the author. Mr. Croall was at one time a parish schoolmaster in the neighbourhood of Montrose. Here he devoted his spare moments earnestly to his favourite pursuit of botany, ana on the recommendation of Sir William Hooker, to whom he had become known, he was employed to prepare sets of the plants of Braemar, both flowering plants and cryptogams, at the desire of the Queen and of Prince Albert. He prepared a considerable number of sets, which have mostly been deposited in public herbaria. The specimens in these sets are well-selected and carefully prepared. In 1859 he undertook, along with Mr. Johnstone, the prepara- tion of a large work on British Algse, under the title, " British Sea- weeds, Nature-printed." It appeared in four large 8vo volumes, with nature-printed plates, from drawings by him, of all the species that he could procure ; those of which he was unable to obtain specimens are illustrated by woodcuts from other works. The book at once gave him scientific reputation. For some time he held the position of librarian to the Derby Museum, and had charge of the herbarium connected with it. On the establishment of the Smith Institute in Stirling in 1874, he was appointed curator in it, and, after a time librarian of the Macfarlane Free Library, and retained these posts until his death. He had reached his seventy- sixth year. On the formation of the Stirling Field Club (now the Archaeological and Natural History Society of Stirling) some years ago, he was elected President, an honour held by him till his 9 8 The Scottish Naturalist. death. To his unceasing interest and efforts for its welfare the Club owes much of its progress and success. We believe that in all relations of life he was distinguished by courtesy and readiness to assist others, no less than by the thorough and efficient discharge of the duties that fell to him. He leaves a widow and family. His only son is a minister of the Presbyterian Church in England. [Since the above was put into type we have been favoured with a sketch of Mr. Croall's life, by the Rev. Mr. Goldie, read before the Archaeological and Natural History Society of Stirling, on June 6th. It will appear in our next issue.] ON THE WOKK OF LOCAL NATUKALISTS' SOCIETIES. By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. ONE of the chief objects of each Society is (or ought to be) the study of the natural history of its district ; and, doubtless, each Society does more or less of this work. But only in too many cases this work is, in at least some respects, imperfect. Imperfect because of want of uniformity in details, imperfect because one subject has been thoroughly worked while others have been untouched ; imperfect because certain districts have been well investigated, while others have not been explored ; imperfect because the relationships of one district to another have not been considered. To overcome these causes of imperfec- tion, the work of each Society should be done in a systematic manner, and on a plan common, to the utmost extent possible, to all similar Societies. It would be well that in each district a basis for future work should be laid by the publication, to at least members of the Society, of reports on the existing state of knowledge of the natural history, in its widest sense, of the district. From these reports some idea could be formed of what has been accomplished, and of what remains to be done ; and the energies of the Society could be directed to those fields that most require to be wrought out. The work that lies before each Society is the preparation and 7 lie Scott isJi Naturalist. 99 publication ultimately of exhaustive accounts of the fauna and flora, the geology, mineralogy, and meteorology of the district. With this view, and with the preliminary reports as a foundation, committees should be formed to continue the work in each depart- ment, and each committee should include in it all the members of the Union who are, or wish to become, students of the subjects of which it has charge. Each committee should appoint the most competent of its members to be director or superintendent of the work. It might not be convenient for the committees to meet frequently, but the business could be carried on by correspond- ence with the director. The biological committees should proceed to obtain information, and to prepare catalogues as follows : — (1.) — Of all that has been written and published on the subject, i.e., a complete Bibliography of it, in so far as relates to the district. (2.) — Of the collections, public and private, of specimens of the species collected in the district. (3.) — Of the names and addresses of persons that are working, or have worked, at the subject in the district, including those no longer resident in it. (4.) — Of all the species known to have occurred in the district, with any notes of interest in reference to their modes of life, occurrence, &c. The Committee should also collect information and prepare a statement as to the extent that the various parts of the district have been investigated. Having accomplished this preliminary work, the next business of the biological Committees would be to prepare exhaustive catalogues of the species. And with reference to this there is one point that cannot be too strongly insisted on, namely, the import- ance of uniformity in the method of treatment of the various cata- logues. If one catalogue is prepared in one way, another in a different manner, and a third on yet a different plan, much of their value will be lost in consequence of the impossibility of com- paring the results. The plan of the catalogues is a matter that requires mature consideration, and as a contribution to this con- sideration, I offer the following suggestions for the treatment. I shall first indicate the chief points of information that should be given in the catalogue, and afterwards discuss some of the details. The catalogue then should give : — - ioo The Scottish Naturalist. (i.) — The scientific name of the species, with the author's name. (2.) — The horizontal range. (3.) — The vertical range. (4.) — The habitat, and an indication of the commonness or rarity of the species, and, in the case of its being rare, a list of localities, with name of authority for the occur- rence. (5.) — A statement as to the distribution north, south, east or west outside of the district. If the range of the species in any direction is terminated in the district, this should be mentioned. (6.) — With regard to the migratory species, the seasons at which they appear should be mentioned as well as whether they breed in the district. (7.) — Variations of the species in the district. These seven items embrace the most important facts that re- quire to be stated in the catalogue, but in addition to them some others may be given if necessary. These would include (8.) — Date of first record. (9.) — The local names. (10.) — Local legends and local uses. I shall now proceed to give some notes explanatory of what is required under each of the above headings. 1. — The name of the species. Care must be taken that the correct name is ascertained. Better omit the species altogether than run the risk of making the catalogue unreliable by inserting a doubtful name. 2. — The horizontal range. How this is to be indicated is a matter of very great importance. You will therefore kindly pardon me if I dwell on it at some length. Let us take for ex- ample the district of the East of Scotland Union, which, as you know, includes the counties of Fife, Kinross, Perth, Forfar, Kin- cardine, and Aberdeen. To indicate the horizontal range of a species, we may take each of those counties and mention the dis- tribution in it. That would be one way. Or we may adopt the sub-provinces into which the late H. C. Watson has in his works on the Phyto-geography or Geographical Botany of Britain divided the district. These are two, as follows : — The South-east High- lands, which includes Fife and Kinross ; Stirling ; West Perth and Clackmannan : Mid Perth ; and East Perth. The Mid-east The Scottish Naturalist. 10 1 Highlands, embracing Forfar ; Kincardine ; South Aberdeen ; and North Aberdeen. The objections to both of these methods of division of the districts is that they are entirely artificial, while in the case of the Watsonian sub -provinces other counties than those in our district are included. A third plan remains which has the merit of having natural boundaries to a large extent, and is one that I sketched out in the Scottish Naturalist some years ago, and which has since been adopted and used by several naturalists. The objection to it is that the district of the Union while including the whole of two natural areas, also includes part of another. The natural areas entirely included in the district are the catchment basins of the Tay and of the Dee, — the former including all the country drained by the Tay and other rivers be- tween Fifeness and Dunnotar ; and the latter the country drained by the Dee and other rivers between Dunnotar and Pitsligo. At first sight it may seem unnatural to associate the rivers of North Forfarshire and South Kincardineshire with the Tay, but if we could have seen the country during that distant period when there was a considerable extension of the land to the eastward, we would probably have found that these rivers were then all joined to the Tay. In like manner the rivers of Aberdeenshire were tributaries of the Dee. The natural area which is only partly included in the Union is that drained by the Forth, and includes South Fifeshire and Kinross, as well as part of Perth- shire. So far as concerns the division of the district into faunistic areas, it is to be regretted that circumstances have led to its extension beyond the areas of Tay and Dee. (Our friends from Fifeshire will please note that this is to be regretted merely on account of the division of the district). But as it has been so extended it seems to me desirable that the extension should be so far continued as to include all the country draining into the north side of the river Forth. After all this will add but a very small extent of country to the district of the Union and will give us a compact natural area, to which the name " North Forth " may be applied. It must not be forgotten, however, that if natural areas are to be adopted, the boundaries of Perthshire will require a little rectifica- tion. A very small part of Perthshire drains into Loch Lomond, and may well be abandoned to our friends in the west. On the other hand, part of the catchment basin of the Tay is in Inverness- 102 The Scottish Naturalist. shire, and should be included in Perthshire (as indeed it is in the " Flora" of that county). If we adopt this mode of recording the horizontal range of a species, the areas into which the district is divided will be as follows : — i.— North Forth. 2. — Tay. 3. — Dee. This is not only the more philosophic method of divison, as being best calculated to illustrate the natural distribution of species, but one that is in harmony with several works, treating of the fauna or flora, that have already been published. I am rather inclined to think that it may be found desirable, while adopting these main divisions, to sub-divide them again, using the catchment basins of the tributary rivers as the sub-areas. This is, however, a matter for consideration, and one which I will not take up at present. Another matter for consideration is how far seawards is the district of the Union to be extended. 3. — The vertical range of a species. This is both an important and an interesting feature of the distribution, and one that has sev- eral aspects. As regards terrestial species, we must trace the limits of the distribution up the hills in the case of lowland species, and both upwards and downwards in the case of alpine species. As regards aquatic and especially marine organisms, the limits of their distribution djwn wards or upwards have also to be traced. The importance of recording the vertical range, so far at least as regards terrestial plants and animals, is very considerable when we remember that the Union includes in its district the most alpine ranges of mountains in Britian, and that though it has not the very highest point of land, yet that it possesses by far the largest tract of very elevated country, by reason of which the dis- tribution of species is greatly affected. The vertical range should be recorded in feet, and as regards the upward range of lowland species it is scarcely necessary to indicate it when it is under 1000 feet. But as regards the downward range of alpine species, this should be recorded as low as it can be traced. 4. — Habitat and abundance. By habitat is meant the kind of place where a species occurs, as e.g., "sea-shore" "rocks" " marshes," " fir-woods," &c. The indication of this is simple The Scottish Naturalist. 103 enough, but with the other part of this section there is a consider" able amount of difficulty. In the first place a uniform standard is required by which the comparative abundance (or the reverse) of a species can be judged. In the second place, the terms in- dicating the comparative abundance must have definite meanings, and not be used indiscriminately. It is probable that in many cases a species may happen to be abundant in one area, and rare or absent in others. The terms indicating the abundance will not, moreover, stand as signifying independent facts, but must always be controlled by the statements as to the habitat and the vertical and horizontal ranges. For instance, supposing we have a species indicated as "common" in all three areas, we must not jump to the conclusion that it is common throughout the whole of these areas, but looking to the statement of the habitat, find that it is a species of the sea-shore. " Common " in this case would, there- fore, mean common wherever the nature of its habitat permitted it to occur. It will be desirable, therefore, to have a code of terms with de- finite meanings drawn up before the catalogues are taken in hand. Another point in this section demands attention. As you are aware, not all the animals and plants that now appear to be " natives " of this country are really indigenous inhabitants, but some of them have been introduced— accidentally or purposely — by the agency of man. In some cases it is easy to decide whether a species is native or naturalised, but in others it is a matter of considerable difficulty. Moreover, there are degrees of naturalisa- tion— some species having been long and thoroughly established ; others only endeavouring to make good their footing, and still struggling for a place. It is important, therefore, that an opinion should be expressed as to the nativity or otherwise of the species, and its degree of naturalisation if a naturalised one. 5. Distribution outside the District. — It may be assumed that not many species (if indeed any) are really restricted in their dis- tribution to the district, but that they also occur elsewhere. What their distribution is outside, has in many cases an important bear- ing upon their distribution inside the district ; and it is, therefore, desirable that some information at least should be given as to this. Such information will relate to the distribution in Britain, and to the distribution elsewhere. It need scarcely be mentioned that minute details of the exotic distribution are not necessary. 104 The Scottish Naturalist. 6. Migratory Species. — It seems unnecessary to say anything in explanation of this section. 7. Variations of species in the District. — The variations that species are subject to, form several distinct classes, and in con- nection with the theory of evolution, are of much importance. It is, therefore, desirable not only that the variations that occur within our bounds should be studied, but that a definite method of re- cording their occurrence should be adopted. The classification ot forms which depart from the type of the species is not altogether easy. What some naturalists consider to be a good and distinct species, is considered by others to form only a sub-species, or even to be unworthy of the latter rank. If, therefore, so much difficulty attends the definition of a species, there is at least as much in de- fining the grades of the variations. Beginning with the species itself, the following are the more im- portant grades : — 1. The Species (or super-species). 2. The Sub-Species. 3. The Local Race, or Variety. 4. The Aberration. 5. The Abnormality. In addition to these, cases are often met with presenting slight differences, which, being almost intangible, are difficult to charac- terise, but which as showing possibly the beginnings of, or the re- versions from, more important variations, are worthy of careful study. Many species are ordinarily so fairly constant and uniform in colour and structure, that they may be said to offer no variations from the type or characteristic form unless it be an occasional ab- normality. By an abnormality is meant a departure from the characters of the type sufficiently great to be more or less notice- able, but which is of such rare occurrence that it may perhaps be observed once only and never again. An albino form (in the true sense) is an abnormality, but it may take other aspects. Between the aberration and the abnormality there is often only the degree of a greater frequency of recurrence. That is to say, the abnor- mality, by showing a tendency to become perpetuated, or at least to recur not unfrequently, becomes an aberration. The term "variety" is often used in the same sense as we have used ■' aber- ration," but may more conveniently bj applied to the next grade The Scottish Naturalist. 105 of variation. If the aberration becomes constant — that is to sav hereditary, producing its like generation after generation, without reverting, it forms a local race or variety proper. It is to be noted that in some cases the form may occur as an aberration in some localities, and as a local race or variety in others. Closely allied to the local race is the sub-species — so closely allied indeed that they may often be, and indeed are, considered identical. The sub-species has, however, more claims to specific distinction, and, in fact, the term is used not in the sense altogether of a rank in- ferior to a species, but rather to indicate a closer alliance amongst themselves between certain species of a genus than that which they have with the other species of the same genus. The characters which the sub-species have in common constitute the character of the super, or aggregate species, and one super species may contain any number of sub-species, each of which may have its local races aberrations, and abnormalities, while in like manner a local race may have its aberrations or abnormalities, and an aberration may have an abnormality. It should be distinctly remembered that, as in the case of the genus and species, all these inferior groups are artificial, and used merely for the purposes of classification. I do not know if I have made the matter very plain, but I daresay you have caught the drift of my argument, which is briefly this, that in our local cata- logues we should not be content with simply recording the occur- rence of a species, but endeavour to show what relation in structure and colour the local individuals of that species bear to the species in general. Having indicated the nature of this relationship, it will then remain to try to discover, in the case of variations, the cause of such variation. The remaining three sections do not call for much remark on my part, beyond this, that if the local names, &c, are to be recorded, as most assuredly they should be, no time should be lost in obtaining information, as they are fast being for- gotten, and will soon be buried in oblivion. From this brief sketch of what is suggested should be the method of cataloguing the fauna and flora of any district, it will be seen that each Society has a good deal of work before it. But when it has been done there will be the satisfaction of knowing that a good work has been accomplished, and that materials have been amassed from which it may be possible to learn something of certain great problems which are yet unsolved, and amongst 106 The Scott is J i Naturalist. which are the causes of the present distribution of our fauna and flora. In my remarks on the work of Societies I have not indicated how geological and meteorological work should be carried on. The details of this I leave to the respective Committees, but in doing so, would urge upon them, as upon all, the desirability of uniformity. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION. TEKMINOLOGT (Concluded). By Rev. WILLIAM L. DAVIDSON. HERE, under Rule III., may be raised the question of the propriety or advisability of changing the name of a group (either of animals or of plants), when once the name is commonly acknowledged and well-established. It is notorious that many biological names are offensive hybrids ; yet, speaking generally, we may confidently say that no change of name should be made on such a ground as this ; neither should any be effected solely for the sake of euphony. For, although these grounds would be quite sufficient to justify our rejection of a name at its first intro- duction, the case is different when the twordj has acquired the sanction of accepted usage. There are three^ cases, however, where a change becomes legitimate, if not imperative — even at the risk of introducing a disturbing element. These are : — (i) When the original name was imposed on a false principle, or has become suggestive of a misleading idea ; (2) when the group itself has, through fresh knowledge and discovery, come to be so remodelled (widened or contracted) as to be virtually a different group ; (3) when the name transgresses the accepted principle on which group- names proceed. The first of these cases covers such changes in Terminology as have been necessitated by the passage from the Artificial to the Natural System of Classification, or which mark advances in the natural classification itself ; as well as all instances where 1 name with a misleading connotation has been exchanged for another of an unobjectionable kind. For this reason, it was right, when the The Scottish Naturalist. 107 fundamental division of plants came to be based on embryology, that the names significant of that fact (viz., dicotyledons and monocotyledons) should take precedence of all others ; just as it was a gain in zoology to exchange such a misleading word as Cuvier's Articulata for the more exact name Anriulosa. The second of the above cases is equally clear, and is compara- tively common, and must continue to arise so long as knowledge continues to accumulate, and fresh discoveries to be made. For example, Cuvier's Radiata, in the animal world, answered the purpose very well so long as the Cuvierian sub-kingdoms repre- sented the highest classifying achievement. But, whenever the groups designated by that term came to be re-arranged in accord- ance with fuller knowledge and more accurate discriminations, the term itself had to be discarded ; and, to have retained it after its distinctive meaning was gone, or to have appropriated it to a por- tion of what it formerly denoted, would have been misleading in the extreme and unscientific. So with similar instances both in zoology and in botany : a change in name should accompany a change of grouping; but, when no change in grouping is effected, it is confusing in the highest degree to tamper with the ter- minology, even when by so doing we introduce a linguistic im- provement. The other great exception is the third of the cases above re- ferred to — when a particular name transgresses the accepted prin- ciple of naming. An excellent example is found in the Natural Orders of Botany. It is a well-known fact that the botanical orders are designated from some typical genus of the order — as when the genus Ranunculus gives us Ranunculaceae, or the genus Papaver Papaveracere, or the genus Scrophularia Scrophulariacese ; and in this way the ordinal name is made to indicate a significant peculiarity : it embodies a reference to one characteristic genus of the order. But, as matter of fact, several of the ordinal names have been imposed irrespective of this consideration, and thereby unnecessary confusion has been introduced. A case in point is the Labiate. There is no such genus as the Labiates, or lipped flowers at all ; neither is the name itself absolutely distinctive of the order to which it is applied. For the Labiates are by no means all lipped flowers, while there are many lipped flowers out- side the Labiate family. It was, therefore, with great reason that Lindley proposed to supplant the term Labiatse by the term 108 The Scottish Naturalist. Lamiatse ; for the Lamiums are a genus quite representative of the order, and, by designating the group Lamiatse, we carry out the general principle of ordinal naming consistently — just as we do so when we supplant Cruciferae by Brassicacese, or Composite by Asteracese. Such, then, are the principles applicable to Terminology, and such are their bearings on classification. It only now remains to add that much has still to be done before the classificatory sciences can be said to have made full and thorough application of them. THE RELATIONSHIP OP PALAEONTOLOGY TO BIOLOGY. By R. J. HARVEY GIBSON, M.A. EACH of the two great departments of Natural Science, known as Palaeontology and Biology, includes a vast array of facts, connected by a series of hypotheses for which the facts afford foun- dations of greater or of less stability. The facts have been ascer- tained, and the hypotheses have been advanced in both depart- ments by a host of observers, amongst whom we may number some of the most famous men in history. It is not my intention to investigate the accuracy of the facts, or the validity of the inferences, either in Palaeontology or in Biology. Rather I desire to accept as beyond question the ac- curacy and validity of both series of phenomena, and to draw cer- tain general conclusions, bearing more especially on the relation- ship of the two series to each other. Even at the risk of being tedious, it is always preferable, I think, in any attempt to demonstrate some new aspect of scientific in- quiry, to proceed from the known to the unknown ; and to lead up to new conclusions, whatsoever they may be, through conclu- sions well established, rather than to proceed at once to the ex- position of previously unexplained phenomena. First then — What is Palaeontology ? From a host of definitions, scattered through the various geologi- cal text-books, I select that of Dr. Archibald Geikie given in his valuable text-book of Geology, 1882. It is as follows : — "Palaeontology treats of the structure, affinities, classification, The Scottish Naturalist. 109 and distribution in time of the forms of plant and animal life em- bedded in the rocks of the earth's crust." The definition is followed by explanatory remarks to which I shall afterwards refer. What in the next place is Biology ? How is it defined ? I shall cite only Professor Huxley's definition in the article Biology, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th Ed. It is : — "The Biological Sciences are those which deal with phenomena manifested by living matter." The two subjects are obviously not on an equal footing. Palaeontology is a division of Geology, or is, at least, tacked on to that science; Biology on the other hand stands distinct. Let us glance briefly at their historical development, and en- deavour to see how that explains their position. In considering first of all the science of Geology, we may pass over without remark, as outside our present subject, the long period in its history during which it developed out of a mass of tradition and imagination into a more or less definite body of scientific truth, under the influence of the early Italian school. Strangely enough the first memoir which might be termed scientific on a geological subject, was palaeontological, and wTas published by Fracastoro in 1520. His contention was that fossils found in the rocks were the remains of organisms previously existent on the earth's surface, and entombed on their death by natural causes. With the exception however of this work, and the observations and opinions of the few Italian thinkers who brought to the study of Geology minds free from prejudice, a sketch of the progress ot geological enquiry from the close of the sixteenth to the middle of the eighteenth century, is the history of a constant and violent struggle of new opinions, which form the most self-evident pro- positions of Geology as we understand it, against doctrines, either emanating from minds to which no propositions however ridi- culous seemed unworthy of the ordeal of argumentation, or sanc- tioned by the implicit faith of many generations, and supposed to rest on Scriptural authority. At length towards the end of the eighteenth century the key-note of modern Geology was sounded when Genevelli exclaimed before the Academy of Cremona, " I hold in utter abomination, most learned Academicians ! those systems which are built with their TI0 1 he ScottitJi Naturalist. foundations in the air, and cannot be propped up without a miracle ; and I undertake, with the assistance of Moro, to explain to you how these marine animals were transported into mountains by natural causes." The careful observations of Moro, Gesner and Micheli, of Pallas, Saussure and many others, form a refreshing contrast to the absurd hypotheses of their predecessors ; and in their works, though Palaeontology still occupies the chief place, we see gradu- ally springing up a desire to apply the same methods of reasoning to the phenomena of mineralogy and of structural and dynamical Geology. The advent of Werner raised Mineralogy to the chief place among the sciences of the inorganic world. Dynamic Geology received its first scientific exposition at the hands of Hutton and Playfair. Experimental Geology was founded by James Hall ; while Des- marest first grasped the conception of a physical geography of the Earth's surface. But by all these investigators Geology, meaning the study of the structure and mode of origin of the strata of the earth's crust, was looked upon as a subordinate division of the subject to which each was severally devoted. Probably, William Smith, an English surveyor who lived at the close of the eighteenth century, was the first to treat the science of Geology in a truly scientific manner ; certainly it is to his genius that we owe the demonstration of the use of fossils to the Geologist, and the indi- cation of the proper place that Palaeontology should hold in Geological enquiry. As now understood, Geology embraces seven more or less dis-' tinct inter-dependent subdivisions. These are : — I. COSMOGONY, which treats of the earth as a whole, its re- lation to other heavenly bodies, its own particular movements and probable origin. Y\. GEOGNOSY, which describes the constituent parts of the earth, the minerals and rocks of which it is composed. III. DYNAMICAL GEOLOGY, which embraces an investi- gation of the operations which lead to the formation, alteration, and disturbance of rocks. IV. STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY, which deals with the archi- tecture of the earth, and the mode of arrangements of the various materials composing its crust. Structural Geology is thus the statical aspect of Dynamical Geology. The Scottish Naturalist. i i V. PALAEONTOLOGICAL GEOLOGY, which has already been defined. VI. STRATIGRAPHICAL GEOLOGY, or Geological His- tory, which endeavours to work out the chronological succession of the great formations that form the land-surface of the globe. VII. PHYSIOGRAPHY, which traces the gradual develop- ment of the stratigraphical features presented to us. Palaeontology therefore, which to the first geologists meant all Geology, and round which the battle of reason versus dogma and prejudice raged for centuries, has gradually sunk from its higher place to occupy that of a dependency of Geology proper ; though forming a basis, as was first shewn by William Smith, for the elaboration of another section, that of Stratigraphical Geology. But now I wish to advocate a further step, namely, the severance of Palaeontology, as such, from Geology altogether. Under what department of science is Palaeontology then to be included ? Before answering that question, it is necessary to have a clear notion of the general scope of Biology and of the origin of the term. Since the demonstration of the fundamental sameness of pro- toplasm as forming the physical basis of life, whether animal or vegetable, it has become customary to unite the two sciences of Zoology and Botany under the one science of Biology ; a custom which must be followed ere long by the recognition of the essential relation of Psychology and Sociology to the same general science. In fact as Professor Huxley puts it, " It must be allowed that no natural boundary separates the subject-matter of these sciences from that of Biology." Living matter and the products of its metamorphosis may, according to the biologist, be regarded under four aspects. i. Morphological, 2. Physiological, 3. Distributional, and 4. Etiological. In other words every living thing has structure, function, habitat, and relationships. These then are the pheno- mena with the consideration of which the Biological sciences are occupied. Now, when we talk of studying the phenomena manifested by living things, what do we really mean? Save the external features we cannot study the morphology of living things at all. The very act of examination is, and must be preceded by the death of the organ and organism, except where the tissues are so transparent 1 1 2 The Seottisli Naturalist. as to admit of examination without dissection. Do we study the physiology of living things then ? Save of the more apparent functions of locomotion, and the more obvious developmental changes, do we really know anything of the physiology of plants and of animals ? Are not, as Professor Burdon Sanderson says, the structure and functions of active living protoplasm entirely unknown ? The phenomena of distribution might be equally well studied in the dead as in the living matter. The phenomena of Etiology we cannot treat of otherwise than by inference. I by no means wish to argue that the definition of Biology given above is unsuitable or erroneous. On the contrary I am willing to accept it with the proviso, that, in dealing with the phenomena of Biology, we understand these phenomena which we may, from an examination of the dead forms, supplemented by such general results as we are able to obtain from a study of living forms, legitimately infer to be characteristic of the plant or animal in its active living state. But if the view I have taken be accepted, why may not the Biologist discuss the remains of organisms buried in the crusts of the earth from the same four points of view ? Where indeed will the Palaeontologist draw the line of demarcation between fossil and recent beings ? The past life of our globe passes by gradations more or less in- sensible, according to the completeness of Geological Records, into the life of the present. Life in all its fundamental principles has been one since it first appeared. The conditions under which it originated, we may not as yet have grasped ; but there can be no doubt that the physical basis, which, in obedience to the laws of variation, produced thetrilobites of the Silurian, or the ammonites of the Jurassic, was the same as that which, under similar laws, forms the basis of life in the innumerable varieties presented by the different species of living plants and animals. ( To be continued. ) ZOOLOGY, STRAY NOTES. ON THE PEAEL MUSSEL. By WILLIAM JAPP, F.S.A. ( Concluded. ) THE favourite habitat of the pearl mussels is a smooth stream, with a gravelly bottom. Their natural preference is to burrow : and it has been found that where a piece of water has been almost depopulated by too severe fishing, very soon a new colony may be seen taking up the position, and studding the bottom of the river in myriads. Such a gravelly bottom gives also the favourite feeding ground of the mollusc. Though at times they are obliged to take refuge in clay, on it they are much poorer and leaner than on the gravel. They are able, like trout, to adapt themselves in the colour, to that of the bottom on which they live; so that, if the clay is blue the mussel becomes blue ; and even the pearls in such mussels assume a bluish tint. They have a great capacity for food ; and when in health and in a suitable locality, they are often crammed with it. They are very conservative in their location : and it is believed that if nothing disturbs them, they can be identified as occupying the same upright position for thirty years or more. If by any chance the trunk of a tree has become fixed across the bed of the stream, so as to act like a croy, making the current less rapid, mussels will soon occupy this sheltered spot, and will at once burrow a couple of inches into the gravel, and will adapt them- selves to the requirements of their surroundings. There are all kinds and conditions of river-beds, just as there are all kinds and conditions of soils on the earth's surface ; and mussels like the monks of old, soon find out and take possession of the most eligible sites. The Isla bottom is richer than the Tay. The Tay mussel is of the same variety as that from Balquhidder, though 114 The Scottish Naturalist. varying in size from different localities, caused by local differences in the surroundings. . Mr. Farquharson believes that mussels may reach quite a patriarchal age, and that they may even live hundreds of years. They have been found deep in the gravel, even, in railway excava- tions, at a depth of twenty feet, to which depth it has been sup- posed that they have burrowed, though something must be allowed for subsequent deposition of sediment. Mr. Farquharson some years ago tried an experiment. He selected about a thousand shells ; and from each of these he chipped off a piece of the shell, and thereafter replaced them in the stream. I guess this operation has something to do with the attempt to make them produce pearls : but on this subject I must reveal no secrets. About eighteen years afterwards he found that these mussels had grown only one inch, so that they might still be said to be in their teens. On this calculation it would require a hundred and forty- four years for a mussel to reach its full size, since the average length of a mature shell is eight inches. A full grown mussel can protrude itself to a couple of inches from the opening of its shell. When so protruded the eyes may be seen peeping out. The excreta are green like the contents of the stomach, which apparently undergo little change in digestion. The stomach can contain about an ounce of food at a time. It is sometimes difficult to haul the creature out of its burrow : but the difficulty is lessened when the burrow is in loose gravel. In a mussel-bed shells of all ages and sizes are brought up by the drag-net, which is often used in fishing for them. The ques- tion of the mortality of the creatures has been in passing touched upon already, in the reference to the great age attained by them. We are taught by statistics that the average life of the human race is thirty-five years ; but Mr. Farquharson's experience makes him conclude that the mussels show a much less mortality than mankind. He has examined myriads of mussels in a year, yet in all his long experience he has found only two or three dead ones. This goes to show that if the mussel is not intellectual, it has at least the possession of long life, accompanied by all the pleasures of the gratification of its appetites. They are able to move from place to place ; though what the motive may be is very doubtful. One may trace on the muddy The Scottish Naturalist, \ 1 5 river beds the zigzag marks left by them on their mysterious errands. The above notes are only jottings taken over the counter of Mr. Farquharson's shop, in the course of conversation with the worthy old man, who has fished for pearls for half a century. I have now only a word to say in conclusion about the experi- ment that brought him and myself into personal contact. The place selected on my property is a convenient bend in the River Isla. The bend, forming a right angle, has gathered an alluvial deposit, in which I hope the mussels will thrive long after I am gone. I am glad to say that careful scrutiny has revealed only one dead shell in the place of deposit, or below the " Reekie Linn," showing, I hope, that the mussels have continued to thrive. The absence of dead bodies is a very encouraging sign at least, and by-and-bye I trust that I may be able to make further obser- vations upon their habits in this locality. British Phytophagous Hymenoptera. By Peter Cameron, Vol. II.— In this Magazine (Vol. I.,n. ser.,p. 204. ), we have already called attention to the first volume of this valuable work, which is appearing among the publica- tions of the Ray Society. The second volume has recently been published, and fully sustains the high position taken by its predecessor. It deals with the very large genus Nematus, and with its allies, thus including the sawflies most difficult to distinguish from one another. The gall-makers among the sawflies fall under this group. There are numerous plates, some devoted to coloured figures of the insects ; others to the larvae and their modes of life, and others to the saws of the females. The species have the localities carefully added; most are found in Scotland. Much information regarding he life -history of the various insects will be found in the volume. The AlgSB of the Pirth Of Forth. By George W. Traill (Joppa). Mr. Traill, in this small work, has furnished a valuable list of the seaweeds of one of the richest portions of the Scotch coasts — a list, the completeness of which is very largely due to his own unwearied assiduity in working out the flora at all seasons, for several years past. He has been peculiarly successful in his search for many of the more minute forms, as well as in finding the algae bearing reproductive organs ; and he has added not a few species to the British lists. For these reasons its value is much enhanced, as well as by the fact that in it he has indicated, under each of the epiphytic species, all the species of larger seaweeds on which he has found them growing. Seven or eight of the scarcer kinds are represented by neat and well- selected specimens, on sheets at the end of the pamphlet. When a re- issue is required, as we hope it will be soon, we trust that the author will add, from his own experience, notes on the more interesting species ; and also that he will depart from the alph.ibelical 'in favour of a natural arrangement of the species, PHYTOLOGY. PLANTS OP ICELAND AND OP THE FAROE ISLANDS NOT KNOWN AS BRITISH. By ARTHUR BENNETT, F. L. S. (Continued.) [Mr. Bennett has pointed out to me that, unfortunately, an error has crept into the previous part of this article, on p. 66. Under Campanula rotundifolia L., var. arctica (lines six and five from bottom), instead of "the W. Iceland plant being different from the British," read " the W. Ireland plant being different from the Icelandic, i.e., A. G. More's var. speciosa from W. Ireland, named v. arctica of Lange in Babington's Manual, Ed. 8, is nothing like the true arctica of Lange, as shown by careful comparison of types from the describers." Ed., Scot. Nat.] The following plants from the Faroe Islands are not yet known as British : — Ranunculus nivalis L. ; R. glacialis L. ; R. acris L., var. pumila Whlb. Does this occur on Lochnagar ? Cardamine pratensis L., var., speciosa Hartm. Arabis alpina L. Draba hirta L.; D. corymbosa R. Br. ; D. trichella Fr., referred here by Rostrup, is placed under rupestris by Nyman. ? D. lapponica D.C. Oochlearia arctica (D.C.) Fr. Melandrium diurum (Sibth) Fr., vars. expallens Lange, and parviflorum Rostr. Cerastium triviale Link., var. anomalum Hartm. ; 0. lati- folium L. (The true C. latifolium L. is not British, fide "Student's Flora, Ed. 3.) This is probably C. arcticum J^ange, Fl. Danica, t. 2962. In Lange's " Conspectus The Scottish Naturalist 1 1 7 Florae Groenlandicae," he recognises the plant of Iceland, Spitzbergen, and Norway as his plant, and not latifolium L. What is the Scotch C. latifolium L. ? Halianthus Peploides (L.) Fr., var. major Rostrup. Sagina subulata Wimmer, var. glabra. Hypericum pulchrum L., var. procumbens. Alchemilla fissa Schummel, 2 forms. Potentilla ambigua Gaud. ; a sub-species of maculata. Spiraea Ulmaria L., var. concolor Lange. Epilobium alpinum L., var. dasycarpum Hartm. ? Saxifraga tricuspidata Rottb. (Nyman & Trevelyan). Archangelica officinalis Hoffm., probably as A. Norvegica Rupr., a sub-sp. Leontodon obliquum Fr. Matricaria inodora L., var. borealis Hartm. G-naphalium supinum L. \ var. pusillum Hartm. Vaccinium uliginosum L., var. pubescens Wormskiold (sp.) ; V. Vitis-Idsea L., var. pumila. Veronica officinalis L., var. glabrataFr.; V. artica Lange. Thymus Serpyllum L., var. borealis Lange. Plantago lanceolata L., vars. depressa and eriophylla D.; P. maritima L., vars. dentata Fl. Dan, and ciliata Rich. Polygonum viviparum L., var. alpina Hartm. Kcenigia islandica L. Rumex acetosa L., var. alpina. Atriplex Babingtonii Wood, var. virescens Lange (Caith ness, J. Grant). Salix arctica Br.; S. herbacea L., var. fruticosa Fr. Orchis sambucina L. Juncus lamprocarpus L., var. repens Lange j J. bufonius L., var. parvulus. Luzula maxima (Ehrh.), Desv. var. gracilis. Sparganium natans L. (Fr.) Oarex hyperborea Drej.; C. rigida Good, var. infuscata Drej.; C. turfosa Fr.; C. halophila Fr. ; 0. Lyng- byei Horn. ; C. pilulifera L., var. longibracteata Lange ; C. binervis Sm., var. alpina Drej. I have specimens from Sutherland that agree with Drejer's descrip- tion in his " Revisio," but I have not seen type specimens. u8 The Scottish Naturalist. Poa alpina L., var. nodosa, Hartm. Glyceria fluitans Br., var. tritica. Agrostis alba L., vars. niaritima Mey, and gigantea Rchd.; A. vulgaris With., var. aristata ; A. canina L., vars. pallida Rchb., mutica Hartm.. and montana Hartm.? Anthoxanthum odoratum L., var. major Lange. We have then for Iceland, of plants not British, 62 species and 30 varieties ; or, rigidly excluding all doubtful forms, the numbers will be 52 species and 30 varieties. For the Faroes we have of plants not British 20 species and 39 varieties ; or, again rigidly excluding doubtful plants, 13 species and 39 varieties. For Iceland these numbers may be compared with Professor Babington's " Revision," where he gives 62 species as not British ; but he includes among these Sedum villosum L., and Draba muralis D. C, both of which are British. Taking his figures it would seem that I was not justified in my remark respecting the large proportion of doubtful plants ; but it must be remembered that I have excluded from my list many species reported by one or other of the writers on Icelandic botany, from Kcenig and Rottbcell to the present time, else it would have been much larger. NOTES ON BEITISH CLADONIJE. By Dr. JAMES STIRTON, F.L.S. TO Mr. James M 'Andrew of New Galloway, I am almost en- tirely indebted for the materials whereby I have been enabled to make the following observations on the Scottish Cladonise. Within the last two years he has sent me upwards of 250 specimens, many of which are in fine condition, inasmuch as he has followed out his researches at all seasons, and has thus been enabled to select specimens in perfect condition. The interests of botany would be largely enhanced if there were a few such in- defatigable botanists as Mr M'Andrew scattered over Scotland. The district of which New Galloway may be said to be the centre is peculiarly rich in Cladoniae. The country is open, and diversified by hill and dale and loch, while the woods properly so called are detached, as well as in various stages of growth. Much The Scottish Naturalist. 119 the larger proportion of the ground is still in a natural, uncul- tivated state. Above all there are no collieries or chemical factories, the gases from which, especially acid gases, are so destructive of lichens. The group which is best developed is that clustered around Cladonia squamosa \ and it is remarkable that the forms belonging to both CI. squamosa and CI. sub squamosa are nearly equally represented. Perhaps those under the latter species are the more luxuriant and varied. Of CI. subsquamosa I possess 24 specimens, in all of which, and at all stages of growth, the reac- tions Ky, C — are remarkably distinct and vivid. The yellow reaction by K is instantaneous and permanent. This yellow reaction in a certain proportion ultimately merges to a fixed red or ferrugineous red. Of this after reaction I have hitherto taken no account in the discrimination of Cladonise. In several instances, the corresponding forms of CI. squamosa and subquamosa grow closely associated and even intermingled, while, in such instances, there is not the slightest trace of yellow produced by K on the specimens of the former lichen. Taking as my basis Prof. Th. Fries's diagnoses of CI. squamosa and its allies as given on pp. 75 and 76 Lich. Scand. (1872), I propose to distinguish the corresponding forms of CI. subsquamosa. It is remarkable that Fries had not, at the date of the publication of his work, seen any of the forms of CI. subsquamosa. His words are, "Thallum reagentiis solitis numquam vidimus tinctum." Whether he has since detected any I am not aware. First as regards the form allied to C. asperella (Flk.). This is beautifully represented in Mr. M 'Andrew's collection, is in fine condition and, for the most, covered with apothecia. CI. subsquamosa (Nyl.) * furfur os a (Strn). Similis CI. aspereltce (Flk.) sed thallo Kn\, C — . Apothecia cymoso-conferta, juniora pallide fuscescentia, plana, marginata, dein convexiuscula, fusco- nigra et saepe medio pertusa. Phyllocladia basalia, pauca vel interdum nulla visibilia (Coll. M 'Andrew No 1). CI. subsquamosa * dilatata (Strn.). Podetia sursum incrassata, laevigata, sed phyllocladiis laciniatis sparse vestita, hinc inde lacunose impressa vel-foveolata, simplicia vel superne fastigiato-ramosa. Phyllocladia basalia crenato- incisa. Th. Kfl. C— . 120 The Scottish Naturalist. Prope New Galloway (Coll. M 'Andrew No. 4). CI. sub squamosa * sublactea (Strn.) Similis CI. lactea (Flk.). Podetia albidavel lactea, molliuscula, sursum incrassatula. Phyllocladia basalia ampla longa, laciniato- dissecta. Th. Kfl. C— . Prope New Galloway, in Coll. M 'Andrew No. 2, data. CI. subsquamosa * deflexa (Strn.). Podetia squamulosa, squamulis crenato-incisis plerumque de- flexis, sursum incrassatula, superne fastigiato-ramosa. Kfl. C — . CI. subsquamosa * phyllina (Strn.). Similis CI. fro7idoscz (Del.) sicut in Fries. Lich. Scand. p. 76 definitae. Phyllocladia basalia laciniato-lobata, adscendentia imbricata, in caespitem densum depressum congesta ; podetia brevia deformia, squamulis parvulis densissime vestita. Prope New Galloway a eel. J. M'Andrew lecta. Th. Kfl., C — . CI. subsquamosa * cristata (Strn.). Podetia, squamulis minutis vel furfuraceis vestita, gracilia, ramosa fere ut in CI. crispata, margine prolifera, axillis et apicibus plerumque infundibuhformibus, et aperturis margine cristatis. Phyllocladia basalia pauca. CI. subsquamosa * spilota (Strn.). Podetia vage ramosa sed ssepe superne fastigiato-ramosa, infra nigrescentia vel nigra, et hinc inde albo-maculata ut in CI. degen- erante, phyllocladiis crenato-incisis plerumque unilateralibus laxe vestita ; axillae hiantes ; apothecia parviora. Supra terram mus- cosam. Prope New GaHoway (M'Andrew). CI subsquamosa * compressula (Strn). Podetia prostrata vel adscendentia saepe compressiuscula, mollia, albida, phyllocladiis longis inciso-crenatis aut laciniato- dissectis, plerumque unilateralibus sparse vestita. Apothecia aggregata saepius pallidiora. Supra muscos emortuos prope New Galloway (Coll. M'Andrew, No. 222). Cladonia attenuata (Affm.) is not represented in the collection, unless by a few stems, whose apices although not attenuated as in CI. attenuata, are yet not infundibuliform but divided somewhat in the manner of CI. [areata. The Scottish Naturalist. 121 This form may meanwhile hold the name CI. spicata (Strn.) Under CI. furcata, I possess several curious forms from Mr. M 'Andrew, all of whose reactions are K — . C — . CI. furcata * CI. diffissa. Phyllocladia basalia mediocriavel parva, crebriuscula. Podetia basi simplicia, rigida, erecta, crassiuscnla, (1-2*5) cm- a^ta> carti- lagineo-corticata, interdum apicem versus nonnihil furfuracea, glauco-vel spadiceo-virentia, acute et subdichotome ramosa, ramis subfastigiatis ; axillae perviae, ramorum apices pervii infundi- buliformes; apothecia fusca, primum planiuscula, dein convexa, mediocria (latit. circiter -5 mm.), interdum congesta. Coll. M'A. 90. This lichen, owing to the pervious axillae and open infundibuli- form apices, can be associated only with CI. furcata. It has, how- ever, entirely the habit of a short rigid CI. gracilis, more especially as the infundibuliform apices present very much the appearance of scyphi with their coronae of apothecia. Cladonia arborca sp. n. Phyllocladia basalia pauca laciniata. Podetia erecta, infra simplicia vel rarissime semel divisa, robusta, brevia (alt. -5-1 poll.) superne incrassata, laevigata, esquamulosa vel basi squamulis parvis, paucis interdum vestita, scyphifera ; scyphi irregulares, margine radiato-ramosi, ramis fastigiatis et irregulariter ramulosis, saepe repetito-ramulosis apicibus infundibuliformibus et fructiferis ; apothecia fusca mediocria. Ad terram Lochar Moss prope Dumfries a cl. J. M'Andrew lecta (No. 113). This lichen also has much the aspect of a state of Cl. gracilis but I fear all the cups are perforated as in the preceding, at least the secondary ones are so. It is certainly a very singular form. Cladonia furcata * Cl. contexta (Strn.). Podetia robusta, ramosa axillis perviis, hinc inde rimata, pallida vel fuscescenti-pallida. Similis Cl. furcatce sed apotheciis majoribus (latit. '6-i'2 mm.) fuscis, sporis longioribus, ,oi2-,o2i x ,oo3-,oo35 mm. Supra Bennan prope New Galloway (No. 29). Cladonia furcata * Cl. coin mixta. 122 The Scottish Naturalist. Podetia pallida vel glaucescenti-pallida vel etiam pallide fus cescentia (praesertiin infra), ramosa, ramis plerumque recurvis et fissuris longitudinaliter hiascentibus terebratis et ramis ramulisque apotheciis terminatis. Prope New Galloway (Coll. M'A. 96). This Cladonia partakes of the characters of recurva, corymbosa and stricta. THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF SNOW AND ICE. By JOHN ROY. {Read before the Aberdeen Natural History Society on ijt/i Feb., 1885.) I SCARCELY think it necessary to offer any apology for laying the following brief notes before the Society. They are culled from the latest work by Baron Nordenskiold, the celebrated Swedish explorer. This treatise, entitled " Studier och Forsk- ningar," has not yet appeared in English, to my knowledge. The part relating to the snow and ice vegetation has been written by Prof. Veit Brecher Wittrock, of the University of Upsala, and the points I mean to bring before you are from his paper. My object is to call attention to the possibility of getting some of the species enumerated in Dr. Wittrock's list on our own mountains. Of course, we have no glaciers, and, therefore, no possibility of obtaining those species which are confined to ice. None of our hill-tops are above the limit of perpetual snow ; but on several of them certain snow wreaths are nearly permanent ; for instance, one between Ben Macdhui and Cairngorm, and another on the summit of Braeriach. On Ben Nevis wreaths must be still more nearly permanent. In 1843, Dr. Dickie found the Red Snow on Ben Macdhui ; and it was reported long ago from Appin, a report I have great difficulty in believing. I think some other species must have been mistaken for it, more especially as the locality was somewhere near the sea-level. 1 have no doubt the red snow will be found on our hills again, if looked for. What I would ask those that have the opportunity of being in those elevated regions in the month of August to do is to gather the dark-coloured, dusty- looking stuff which is often seen on the surface of the snow. Even with the aid of the lens there may not appear to be anything of a vegetable nature in it. Still, many things may be concealed there, The Scottish Naturalist. 123 and I shall be very glad indeed to carefully examine any samples which may be entrusted to my care. Of course, it would be well to collect as far from the margins of the wreaths as possible. The samples collected should be put in a small bottle, or preserved in some other way that would keep them moist. Red Snoiv has long been well known to Arctic voyagers. The first notice I find of it is by John Davis, who saw it on August 6th, 1585, in the Straits which bear his name. He says of Mount Raleigh: — "The cliffs whereof were as orient as gold." This is recorded in Hakluyt "Voyages," Vol. III., p. 101. Frederick. Martens observed it in Spitzbergen in 167 1. The nature of it was investigated by De Saussure in the Alps of Savoy in 1760. In 1778, it was observed at St. Bernard. It is recorded by Captain Ross from the West Coast of Greenland, at 750 57' N.L., in immense quantities , so much so, that a place there got the name of " Crimson Cliffs." He also found that it penetrated the snow to a considerable depth. Robert Brown, in the Appendix to Captain Ross's " Voyages of Discovery," gave it a place among algae. Some botanists thought it a fungus. Baron F. A. Wrangel called it Uredo nivalis. Lichtenstein thought it was a zoophyte ; and both he and others believed that it fell from the sky. C. A. Agardh assigned it to the genus Protococcus, with Bauer's specific name nivalis. Agardh also gave it the very appropriate popular name Snoens blonima, flower of the snoiv. Shuttleworth observed it in 1839 on the Grimsel in the Bernese Alps; and Carl Vogt saw it in the same region in 1840. He looked upon it as an Infusorian, and gave it the name of Discercca nivalis. Passing over several names, we find Perty, in 1852, describing it under the name of Hysginum nivalis, with a leaning towards a belief in its being an animal. It might be mentioned that Captain Parry in 1827 found it as far north as 820 N., far to the north of Spitzbergen. In 1838, however, Martius and Bravais, of the French Expedition to Spitzbergen, besides the well-known red snow, discovered green snow. Then W. P. Schimper, the well-known bryologist, dis- covered green snow on the Grimsel in the Swiss Alps, from the 2o-3oth August, 1848. It is also believed to have been observed on the coast of Greenland by Scoresby. In 1822, Sommerfelt gathered the red snow on Solvaagtinden in Nordland, at a height of 3000 ft. above sea-level. He gave 124 The Scottish Naturalist. the name of Sphcerclla nivalis. It was found in Russian Lapland by Middendorf on July 27th, 1840, and towards the northern ex- tremity of the Ural mountains by Schrenk on the 15th of August, 1848. Since then it has been found on the Pyrenees and the Carpathians, on Sierra Nevada, in California, and in the Antarctic regions, so that it may, like so many of the algae, fairly be regarded as cosmopolitan. In 1870, Professor Nordenskiold's expedition to Greenland took place. He was accompanied by Professor Berggren. They added considerably to the Snow-Flora. One of their most remark- able additions is a Desmid, Ancylonema Nordenskioldii, Berg., the type, as well as the only species, of a new genus of plants. It is further remarkable as being found on ice only, not on snow. In many places on the inland ice it was found in great abundance, giving a purplish-brown colour to the ice. Other algae were mixed with the fine sand called Kryokonit (ice-dust), by Nordenskiold. This dust in many places forms a thin covering on the ice, and is often found in considerable quantities at the bottom of the deep, narrow pits, which form so peculiar a feature of the inland ice in Greenland. Nordenskiold looks upon these algae, and especially the little Ancylonema, as performing a very important part in the ice economy. He says : " The dark mass absorbs a larger portion of the sun's rays than the white ice, and produces deep holes in ice, which in a great degree conduce to its melting ; " and, after remarking that the Ancylonema may once have performed the same office in Scandinavia, he proceeds to say : " We have perhaps to thank this plant that the ice deserts which formerly covered Europe and America with a coating of ice have given place to shady woods and undulating fields of corn." Several samples of " Kryokonit " collected in S. Greenland were found to contain a number of the germinating spores of Sphcerella nivalis. During the winter of 1880-81, Prof. Wittrock was fortu- nate enough to succeed in getting some of these spores to develop themselves ; hence he looked upon them as resting spores. They seem to suffer no harm from being frozen in the ice and snow during the greater part of the year, or from being dried up for some months by the heat of the sun. During a large portion ot the year these plants are enveloped in constant darkness and gloom, when the temperature sinks very low. Dr. Kjellmann, at Mossel Bay, in Spitzbergen, on February 14, 1873, found the The Scottish Naturalist. 125 snow to be at - 3 20 C. ( = - 25 y2° F.), and the air at the same to be at- 350 C. ( = -310 F.). But at another period they enjoy per- petual light ; and during this period the sun's rays, though falling very obliquely, exercise a powerful influence. At midday the tem- perature in the sun, in a sheltered spot, is very high. Nordens- kiold found that the warmth of the air a short distance above the surface of the ice at midday in July rose to 250 or 300 C. (= 770 or 86° F.). With temperatures like these, it is evident that a great melting of the surface of the glaciers and fields of snow must take place. The water thus formed from the snow and ice, though not much above o°C. ( = 32° F.), ie,s the freezing point of water, is amply sufficient to satisfy the demands for warmth of this class of organisms, which may be considered among the simplest in the vegetable kingdom. Though we may be inclined to look upon the conditions of their existence as singularly hard, yet they evidently thrive under them in a most remarkable manner. "Pro- bably," it is remarked, "there is no other species on earth which is richer in individuals than red snow." Dr. Wittrock gives descriptions of several of these plants, including, where known, their fructification. The chief general characteristics of this singular flora of snow and ice may be briefly indicated. It consists almost entirely of microscopic algce, of extremely low organization; most of the species are unicellular ; sometimes they are solitary ; at other times they occur in colonies. The fructification is asexual and of one kind. They are generally of bright colours. The " snow-flower" is blood-red ; Ancylonema Nordenskjoldii, purplish- brown ; many Confervece and Desmidiece, are bright green. The genera and species which are known to occur are shown in the accompanying table, which was drawn up by Professor Wittrock. It is interesting as showing the Ice flora separately from the Snow flora. Many more species are found on snow than on ice ; their proportion is nearly four to one. The most com- mon plant is the red snow ; next to it is Aficylonema Nordenskjoldii. The latter species is found on ice only, and indeed is the only species absolutely confined to ice. There are only two species of Phycochromophycece on ice, while ten species are found on snow. The snows of Spitzbergen are rich in Confervece ; while those in Lapland are rich in Desmidiece. In the middle north the Phyco- chro?ns prevail. Bacterium Termo is occasionally found within the limits of the ice and snow flora ; and Chytridium Hccmatococci 126 The Scottish Naturalist. Al. Br., may also belong to the Arctic flora, having been found parasitic on Sphcerella nivalis on the Bernese glacier in Switzer- land. Of Diatoms four species have been noticed in Scandi- navia and the Arctic regions. This is in marked contrast to the Mont Blanc glaciers, where Brun detected no fewer than 95 species. Desmidiece are better represented in the north. For instance, Penium and Cosmarium are each represented by two species, and Ancylonema, Cylindrocystis, Pegatophila, Eocidium, Tetmemorus, Staurastrum, Euastrum, Bambusina, are each repre- sented by one species. Professor Nordstedt has kindly placed a small quantity of "kryokonit " in my hands, collected by himself on the Justedal glacier in Nordfjord. Norway, containing Ancylo- ne??ia ; and from this I have been able to add one more species to the ice flora — viz., Euastrum sublobatum, Ralf., making two species of this genus. Particulars of the other genera of algae will be found on the accompanying list. Of mosses no fully developed example has been met with, but their protoncmata are not un- common. A few minute members of the animal world have also been obtained. In 1872-73, Dr. Kjellman, when with the Swedish Polar Expedition, found a Podura at Fairhaven, in Spitzbergen, agreeing with the Podura nivalis of Lin. — snceloppan the Swedes call them. On the Swiss high snow-fields is another Podurid, glacier-loppan, Desoria saltans of Nicolet (Jsotoma saltans, Lub- bock). Carl Vogt found among red snow on the glaciers of the Aar, a Tardigrade of the genus Macrobiotus. On red snow on the Bernese Alps a Rotatorian, a var. of Ehrenberg's Philodina roseola was found. From red snow gathered on the Alkhorn, in Spitz- bergen, one species of the family Anguillulidce was found. It was submitted to the eminent zoologist, Dr. Carl Aurivillius, who named it Aphelenchus nivalis. These four species may be looked upon as comprising all we know at present of the Snow and Ice Fauna. FLORA OP SNOW-FIELDS. Norway, Oil Dovre Mts.— Chroococcus turgidus (Kg.) Naeg., Glaeo- capsa squamulosa Breb., G. magma (Breb) Kg. Scytonema gracile Kg. f. minor; Stignonema crustaceum (Ag. ) Kirchn., var% nivale Wittr., Sphaerella nivalis (Bauer) Somerf., abundant. Sweden, at Vallidalen, in Lulea, Lappmark.— Chroococcus turgidus, Stigonema crustaceum, z'ar. nivale, Penium gelidum Wittr., The Scottish Naturalist. 127 P. leptodermum Wittr., Pagetophila Spangbergiana Wittr., Docidiumsp., Tetmemorus Isevis (Kg.) Ralfs, Cosmarium hexastichum Lund, var. Nord- stedtii Wittr., Euastrum crassicolle Lund,z.'tfr.nivale Wittr., Staurastrum, sp., Bambusina Borreri (Ralfs), Clev., Sphaerella nivalis, abundant; Oocystis solitaria Wittr., var. pachyderma ; Conferva bombycina Ag., Conferva sp,, protonema of a moss. Spitzbergen, from three Snow - Fields.- Glaeocapsa ianthina Naeg., G. sanguinea (Ag.)Kg., G. Ralfsii (Harv.) Kg., Oscillaiia glaci- alis Wittr., Scytonema myochroum Ag., Navicula seminulum Grun., ? Stauroneis minutissima Lagerst, Cylindrocystis, Brebissonii Menegh., Sphaerella nivalis, abundant, and var. lateritia Wittr., abundant on fiela on the Alkhorn, Pleurococcus vulgaris Men., var. cohajrens Wittr., abundant at Fairhaven, Glaeotila mucosa (Leibl.) Kg., Ulothrix vari- abilis Kg., U. discifera Kjellm, var. nivalis Wittr., Hormiscia zonata (W. & M.) Aresch., Cladophora nana Wittr., C. Kjellmaniana Wittr., protonema of a moss. Siberia, at Cape Vankaremo.—Cylindrocystis Brebissonii, and Sphaerella nivalis, both abundant. North Greenland. — Navicula nodosa Ehr., Chlamydomonas flavovirens Rostaf, plentiful; Conferva bombycina, Ag., and var, minor Wille, FLORA OF ICE. Norway, Glaciers. — Glaeocapsa magma, Ancylonema Nordenskioldii Berggr,, abundant on fustedals glaciers, along with var. Berggrenii V,7ittr., Euastrum sublobatum Ralfs, Sphaerella nivalis. South Greenland, Ice-Streams and Inland Ice.— Ancylo- nema Nordenskioldii, Cylindrocystis Brebissonii, abundant at Kornak's Scedra, Spha?rella nivalis, abundant, ? Pleurococcus vulgaris, var. cohaerens. North Greenland, Inland Ice.— Scytonema gracile Kg., f. minor, abundant ; Nitzschia tenuis Sm., var. parva Rabenh, Ancylonema Nor- denskioldii, abundant along with var, Berggrenii, Cosmarium Nymanni- anum Grun., Zygnema sp., Sphaerella nivalis, ? Pleurococcus vulgaris Men,, var, cohaerens. MYCOLOGIA SOOTIOA-Supplement. By Rev. J. STEVENSON, and Prof. J. W. H. TRAIL. (Continued from S. N., 1885, p. 75.) (All the measurements, except where expressly specified ^ are in thousandths of a millimetre.') 3031. Badhamia fulvescens Cooke. Grevillea, Vol. IV. p. 69. Peridia sessile, subglobose, scattered, or 3-6 together, tawny-ochre, towards the base clad with a delicate white pubescence ; spores pale brown, minute, ovate. 128 The Scottish Naturalist. Spores j\ diam. The cysts investing the spores are quite distinct. On old sacking. Sep. East. — — Tay — — — West. — — — — Dupplin Castle, Perth. Dr. M. C. Cooke. This species was accidentally omitted at an earlier date. 3032. Cytospora foliicola Lib. (Exs. 64) ; Sacc. Sylloge Fung. III. 1602. Stroma black, subcutaneous, forming con- spicuous spots, conico-depressed, with a few immersed peri- thecia, opening by a central pore, centre of wart rendered white, because of extruded spores, spermatia unicellular, hyaline, 14-15 by 2-3, cylindrical with rounded ends, 2-guttu- late, intermixed with slender basidia as long as the spores. On leaves of Vinca minor, killing the leaves. Nov. — March. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — Plentiful in Persley Den, near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Europe. 3033. Phoma superflua Sacc. Mich. I. p. 522, Sacc. Syll Fung. III. 826. Perithecia gregarious, subspherical, 90 diam. ; subdermal. dark brown ; spermatia nearly cylindrical with rounded ends, straight or slightly curved, 10-14 by 3^-4, 1-3-guttulate, or very faintly 1-3-septate, hyaline. On dead stems of Scabiosa succisa. May. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — Near Aberdeen.. J. W. H. Trail. Europe (France). 3034. Diplodia obsoleta Karst. Symb. Myc. Fenn. XV. p. 157, Sacc. Syll. Fimg. III. 2045. Perithecia spherical, 140-150 diam., subgregarious, for a time subdermal, usually with a small papilla ; spermatia oblong, straight or slightly curved, 7-10 by 2^, yellowish, septum nearly obsolete, or none. In dead stems oi potato. Nov. East. — Dee -^ — — — West. — — — — Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Finland. 3035. Ascochyta teretiuscula Sacc. and Roum. Mich. II. p. 621, Sacc. Syll. Fung. III. 2243. The Scottish Naturalist. 129 No spots formed, perithecia innate, scattered, opening by a pore, spherical, 180 diam. ; spermatia cylindrical, rounded at the ends, 10-14 by 2h3, 1 -septate, hyaline, faintly yellow- ish. In the leaves of Luzula sylvatica. Feb, East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — In various places in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Europe (Ardennes). 3036. Diplodina Ammophilse Trail, Scot, Nat. 1885,^. 76. In dead leaves of Ammophila arundinacea. Feb. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. ______ Sandy Links, near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. (The Genus Diplodina is characterised (Sacc. Sytt. Fung. III. p. 4u), as having subcutaneous perithecia, becoming erumpent, subspherical, papillate, smooth, black ; spermatia ellipsoid or oblong, 1 -septate, hyaline.) 3037. Hendersonia Sparganii Niessl, Vorarb. crypt. Mcihr u. Oesterr. tichtesien, p. 34 ; Sacc. I.e. 2377. Perithecia scattered, hemispherical, papillate, dark brown, 180 diam. ; spermatia fusiform, straight, ends obtuse, 13-18 by 2^-4, 3-septate. On dead stems of Sparganium ramosum. March. East. — — — Dee — — West. — — — — — — Near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. 3038. H. culmiseda Sacc, Syll. F. III. 2392 (=H. culmicola Cke. Precurs. Monogr. Hendersojiice, p. 23). Perithecia subspherical, immersed, about 300 diam. ; gre- garious but not in contact, dark brown ; ostiola scarcely pro- minent ; spermatia 14-20 by 5-6, broadly fusiform, straight or slightly curved, 3-septate, fuscous. On dead stems of Phragmites communis. June. East. — — Tay — — — — West. Rescobie, Forfarshire. J. W. H. Trail. ? England. (This species approaches very near H. Phragmitis Desm., hardly differing except in the latter having smaller perithecia, 170 diam., and slightly broader spermatia, 15-20 by 7.) 1 130 The Scottish Naturalist. 3039. H. Bquiseti Trail, Scot. Nat. 1885,^. 76. In dead stems of Equisetwn {? limosum). Feb. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — — Bank of River Don, near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. ( To be continued. ) SOHCENUS FERRUGINEUS L., A FLOWERING PLANT NEW TO BRITAIN. (By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S.) HAVING recently begun to examine the Perthshire Cyper- acese, I was much pleased to find among some plants kindly collected for me by my friend, Mr. James Brebner, Rector of the Harris Academy, Dundee, specimens of Schxnus ferruginetts L., a species that has not hitherto been recorded as British. Air. Brebner collected the specimens beside Loch Tummel, Perth- shire, on July 15th, 1884. Schcenus Jemtgineus bears a little resemblance to depauperated examples of 6". nigricans, but is quite a distinct species. The spikelets are about two in number (sometimes only one) ; the lower bract is about the same length, or a little shorter than the spike, and is erect, and not somewhat oblique as in S. nigricans ; and the glumes are quite (or almost quite) smooth on the dorsal keel. The hypogynous bristles are said to be longer than the nut, but my specimens are only in flower, and therefore not in a condition to show this character. The whole plant is more slender than S.'nigricans, and should be easily recognised by the characters I have mentioned if found elsewhere, as is not improbable. The European distribution of S. ferrugineus is, according to Nyman, from Sweden and south Norway to south-east France, Thrace, and middle Russia. The Loch Tummel specimens vary from 7 to 11 inches in length, and much resemble German and Swiss examples in my herbarium. Sparganium neglectum Beeby as a Probable Scotch Plant.— In the Journal of Botany, January, 1885, p. 20, Mr. W. H. Beeby describes as new, under the above name, a Sparganium which is extremely like S. ramosnm Hucls., and had hitherto been overlooked as that species. The distinctive mark is that in S. neglectum the ripe carpels are obovate-acuminate, with a long beak, while in S. ramosum the carpels are obconical, with the apex very truncate or rounded, and the beak short. .S". neglectitm is plenti'ul in Surrey, and is described (as S. ramosum) by Leighton from Shropshire. It should be looked for in Scotch localities also. I have a specimen from near Aberdeen in which the fruits, though immature, agree vyith those of S. neglectum as described above. James W, H. Trail. GEOLOGY, THE AGE OF THE HIGHLANDS. PROFESSOR Charles Lapworth in an article in the April number of the Geological Magazine, 1885, entitled " On the close of the Highland Controversy," writes in words which we quote in full because of the great importance of the question in its bearings on geological problems in Scotland : " We are now for the first time in a position to take stock, as it were, of the common acquisitions of all parties on the subjects of the stratigraphy and metamorphism of the rocks of the North- west Highlands. The more vital conclusions laid down in the Report of Messrs. Peach & Home, or incidently covered by it, are summarised below. It will be apparent on testing the refer- ences given (which include merely a single citation for the different investigators in each case) that they are in thorough accord with similar conclusions arrived at by one or by many of the opponents of the JMurchisonian hypothesis, a circumstance which affords a strong presumption of their general correctness, and a high prob- ability that they will soon be accepted by all. SYNOPSIS OF OUR PRESENT IDEAS OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE ROCKS OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS. (a) THE SEQUENCE. i. The unaltered Palaeozoic rocks of North-west Sutherland and Ross consist of four1 main members — the Torridon Sandstone, the Quartzite, the Fucoid Group, and the Durness Limestone. 2. These major groups admit of subdivision into several recog- nizable zones,- capable of being easily identified upon the ground. 1 Nicol, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., 1856, p. 20, &c, Hicks, Q.J.G.S., 1878, p. 813, Callaway, Q.J.G.S., 18S3, p. 358, &c ; Lapworth, Geol. Mag., 1883, p. 123, &c. 8 Lapworth, Geol, Mag., I8S3, p. 126 &c, Callaway, Q.J.G.S., 1883, p. 358, ftc. 132 The Scottish Naturalist. 3. The Durness-Eriboll Limestone is the newest sedimentary rock1 in the district. 4. The Upper Quartzite and Upper Limestone of Murchison are non-existent ;'- the so-called Upper Quartzite is the lower Quartzite repeated, and the so called Upper Limestone is in reality a re- petition of a part of the Durness Limestone itself. (b) THE STRATIGRAPHY. 5. There is no:i conformable upward succession, as held by Murchison and his followers, from the Silurian Rocks into the Eastern Gneissic series. 6. In some spots the basement beds of the local Palaeozoic rocks rest unconformably4 upon one member of the Eastern metamorphic series, while 7. Generally speaking, the line of junction of the unaltered Palaeozoic rocks and the Eastern Metamorphic series is a great fault5 and overthrust, along which 8. The Eastern Metamorphic series has been forced0 over the Silurian rocks by Earth-movements which have acted since Lower Silurian (Ordovician) times. 9. The schists and gneisses of Sango Bay and Farrid Head, which repose locally upon the Durness Limestones, do not form part of a continuous sedimentary succession. They are a part of the Easter or Upper Gneissic series, and they are separated from the Durness Limestone by planes of fault.7 to. As these Schists, &c, of Sango Bay are similar in character and arrangement to the zones of pressure — schists occurring above the great overthrust in Eriboll, 8 nearly ten miles to the S.E. they afford a rough index of the enormous distance to which the meta- 1 Nicol, Q./.G.S., 1861, p. 88, &c. ; Callaway, Q.J.G.S., 1SS1, p. 244, Lapworth, Geol. Mag. 1883, p. 127. 2 Nicol, Q.J.G.S., 1861, p. 91, &c, Hudleston, Geol. Mag., 1882, p. 394, Lapworth, Geol. Mag., 1883, r>. 127, Callaway, Q.J.G.S., 1883 p. 367. 3 Nicol, Q.J.G.S., i86i,V86, Hicks, QJ-G.S., 1883, p. 137, Callaway, Q./.G.S., 1883, p. 357, Lapworth, Geol. Mag., 1883, P- I27- 4 Lapworth, Geol. Mag., 18S3, p. 127, Callaway, Q.J.G.S., 1883 p. 407, compare Hicks, Geol. Mag. 1880, p. 21. 5 Nicol, Q.J.G.S., 1861, p. 86, Callaway, Q.J.G.S., 18S3, p. 357, &c, Hicks, Q.J.G.S., 1883, P- 157, Lapworth, Q.J.G.S., 1883, p. 421. 6 Callaway, Q.J, G.S., 1883, p. 410, Lapworth, I.e. ; compare Nicol, Q./. G.S., 1861, p. no, and Hicks Geol. Mag., 1880, p. 17. i Nicol, Q.J.G.S., 1861, p. 87-88, Callaway, I.e. 1S83, p. 241, Lapworth, see Appendix. s Lapworth, T884, see Appendix, p, 104. The Scottish Naturalist. 133 morphic rocks have been forced over the underlying sedimentary and unaltered deposits. 1 1. Much of the Eastern Gneiss is merely the Archaean * gneiss repeated ; the Logan rock of the Assynt district is generally the Archaean 2 brought up from below the sedimentaries, and the Arna- boll rock of Eriboll 3 is a part of the same Archaean (Hebridean) gneiss. THE METAMORPHISM. 12. The penological, lithological, and mineralogical distinctions between the Hebridean gneiss and the Logan 4 and Arnaboll Rocks and their equivalents are primarily due to the extraordinary mechanical disturbances 5 to which the latter have been subjected. 1 3. The planes of schistosity in the Eastern Metamorphic schists, &c, between and above the great fault-planes, are not planes of bedding ; 6 they are planes of shearing and cleavage, gliding planes (thrust-planes) along which the rocks have yielded to the lateral crust-pressure. 14. By the agency of this lateral earth-thrust, the Archaean, the plutonic, and included patches of sedimentary rocks have been locally sheared and flattened out into rocks resembling halle flintas 7 and rhyolites, even finely-laminated shales. 15. This Eastern Metamorphic series of Sutherland and Ross not only contains Archaean rocks, but also local patches of metamor- phosed Palaeozoic, 8 intrusive, and segregatory rocks, together with local patches of material probably compounded of all these in different degrees. 9 16. This Eastern Metamorphic series has received its present strike pseudo-bedding and its present foliated and mineralogical characteristics through the agency of the crust movements which have operated within the district since Lower Silurian times.10 Some of these conclusions may appear startling at first sight to these who have not followed with interest and appreciation the 1 Nicol QJ.G.S., 1861, p. 95, Hicks, QJ.G.S., 1S78, p. 818, &c, &c., a Bonney, Huddleston, Proc. Geol. Assoc, 1879, p. 75, QJ.G.S., 1880, p. 95 ; Callaway, ibid., 1883, p. 410. 3 Lapworth, QJ.G.S. , 1883, p. 422, &c. 4 Compare Bonney, QJ.G.S., 1880, p. 95, &c. 5 Lapworth, 1884, see Appendix, p. 103. . b Lapworth, 1884, I.e. Compare also Bonney, QJ.G.S. ^ 1883, p. 415, i\:c< 7 Lapworth, I.e. 1884. 8 Compare Hicks, 1883, QJ.G.S., p. 147. 9 Lapworth, 1884, ibid., p. 104. 10 Lapworth, 1884, ibid., p. 105. 134 The Scottish Naturalist. more recent developments of our knowledge of the geological phenomena of mountain districts. But they agree precisely with the results which have been already worked out by extra-British investigators. The stratigraphy of the North-west Highlands, as I have more than once suggested, is precisely of the same character as that so admirably described and illustrated by Heim * in his magnificent work upon the Alps of Central Switzerland. The metamorphic phenomena of the north-west, too, are identical with those so minutely detailed and photographed in Lehmann's most valuable work on the metamorphic rocks of the Saxon " Erzgebirge. Continental geologists, British amateurs, and the officers of the Geological Survey are now at one and the same point. They stand together on the shore of a new world of geological discovery, full of the richest promise." K E V I E W. THE LOGIC OP DEHNITIOff. By Rev. WILLIAM L. DAVIDSON. Though Logic as a subject of special study hardly falls within our ken, yet we cannot pass this work in silence. The whole book well repays careful perusal, but to biologists the chapters of most value are those upon biological classification and definition. Mr. Davidson looks at these subjects from the side of the logician, but with an intelligent appreciation of the special conditions under which biologists work out their problems, and of the requirements that must be fulfilled to meet these special conditions. From this standpoint he detects and exposes the many defects that disfigure even the best works on the sciences of Botany and Zoology, faults so great that when our attention is directed to them we can but wonder that they could have been overlooked in even the worst manuals, and yet that are proved fully by examples from the most esteemed works in these sciences. Among these faults in classification we are forced to recognise carelessness, inaccuracy, defect, redundancy, and mention of characters under wrong grades ; while in Defifiition we have pointed out to us loose and vague (or even inaccurate) use of terms, besides the frequency in biological terminology of the use of the same word in several meanings, and 1 Heim, Mechanismus der Gebirgebildung, Basel, 1878. a Lehmann, Entstehung der Altkrystalischen Schiefergesteine% B.jnn., 18S4 The Scottish Naturalist. 13^ of the employment of several words as practically equivalent. The existence of defects in method must have been perceived by many a biologist, the first step to provide a remedy is to obtain a clear view of the evils, and not only has Mr. Davidson given us this, but he has also indicated how to overcome them. We heartily commend the Logic of Definition to the careful study of all from whom we hope for further advance in the fields of science, assured that they will find their reward in its study, and will agree with us that a debt of gratitude from botanists and zoologists alike is due to its author. SCOTTISH SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. ABERDEEN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Nov. ig, 1884. — Annual Meeting. — The reports indicated that the Society is doing useful work. In the session 1883-84 there were six meetings, and during the summer two excursions were made, viz., in June to Braes of Gight on the River Ythan, and in July to the Loch of Park, about 12 miles from Aberdeen. The object of the latter excursion was to investigate the plants growing in the loch. It was found that the greater part of it does not exceed three feet in depth of water. The shallows are densely overgrown with Myriophyllum alternifloritm, Lobelia Dortmanna, Alisma Plantago; and several of the taller Monocotyledons, such as Typha latifolia, Scirpus lacuslris, &c, are plentiful around its swampy shores, but it proved poor in Polamogetons, and in the other water-plants that occur in the East Perthshire lochs so plentifully. Juncus Balticus formerly grew beside the water,, but a search failed to detect it there last summer. December $th. The President, Prof. James W. H. Trail, gave an account of a visit to Canada and the N.E. States, in August and September, in connec- tion with the meeting of the British Association in Montreal, to which he had been commissioned as delegate from the Society. Mr. Alexander Murray thereafter read some observations On a Larva that Burrows in the Leaves of the Common Sunflower, with special reference to the means of defence against the visits of injurious insects enjoyed by this plant. January 20th, 18S5. — Prof. II. Alleyne Nicholson lectured on HydraC- tinise and their Allies both Recent and Fossil, and rendered a somewhat difficult subject at once clear and interesting to all his audience. The lecture was illustrated by diagrams and specimens. February 17th. — The Secretary, Mr. John Roy, read a paper on The Flora and Fauna of Snow and Ice, which we print in full else- where. Mr. F. G. Ogilvie, M.A., gave a resume of the volume recently issued by the United States Geological Survey, and described at some length the wonderful Grand Canon of the Colorado River, as detailed in the Report. March [7///.— Mr Alex. G. (amieson, M.A., gave an account of Seals 136 The Scottish Naturalist. and Seal-fishing, from personal experiences in the course of the summer of 1884. April 21st. — On the motion of Prof. Trail, a Committee of the Society was appointed " to assist the Aberdeen Local Executive Committee of the British Association in the preparation ot a Local Natural History Exhibition during the meeting of the British Association in Aberdeen in September." In absence of any museum of the local fauna, flora, and geology, Aberdeen is at present lagging behind other towns of smaller population and wealth ; but it is hoped that the approaching meeting will be an incentive to remedy this defect. A paper was read from Mr. A. Stephen Wilson, On the Potato Sclero- tiet, that, at present, much discussed body, familiar (at least in name) to readers of the Gardeners' Chronicle, and of the Journal of Botany, Prof. Trail made a communication on Recent Additions to the Flower- ing Plants and the Fungi of North -East Scotland, and exhibited specimens of the more interesting, including Viola Curtisii, Genm niacropkyllum (well established in one locality near Aberdeen), and a considerable number of micro-fungi. Mr. F. G. Ogilvie called attention to Hull's Atlas of Historical Geology. Arrangements with regard to excur- sions, &c, were remitted to the council. TRANSACTIONS OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF ABERDEEN, 1885— This Society has since its origin acted upon the rule of publishing only such of the papers read before it as refer to the fauna, flora, or geology of the north-east of Scotland, giving preference to those that relate especially to the counties around Aberdeen. Of the papers that are included in the recently-published Transactions, one or two are modified and extended from articles that have appeared in the pages of this Magazine. The articles in the part are : — Introduction, by John Roy, being a list of subjects on which papers have been read or lectures delivered before the Society since 187S ; Supplementary List of Fungi found in the Province of Moray (N6s. 1041-1295) by Rev. James Keith, LL.D. ; Additions and Corrections to Topo- graphical Botany, ed. 2, for the Counties from Forfar to Elgin, inclusive, by Prof. James W. H. Trail and John Roy ; List of introduced Plants and Casuals observed in N.E. Scot- land, especially in Dee, by Prof. Trail , Scottish Galls, by Prof. Trail; Preliminary List of the Echinodermata of the N.E. Coast of Scotland, by George Sim ; Additions to Catalogue of Fish found in the Vicinity of Aberdeen, and Additions to List of the Crustacea of the N.E. of Scotland, by Geo. Sim. DUMFRIES-SHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. - Session 1884-5. — The fourth meeting of the session was held on 2nd January, 1885, when communications were read on (1) " Notes on Some Trichoptera from the Stewartry," by Mr, J. J. King ; (2) " Notes on the Town's Common Mills and their History," by Mr. J. Barbour, V.P. The Scottish Naturalist. 137 The fifth meeting was held on Friday, 6th February, when the following communications were read :— (i) " The Botany of the Broads and Pens of East Ang-lia," by Mr. A. Bennett, F.L.S. ; (2) " The In- fluence of Trees on Climate or Rainfall," by Mr. Peter Gray. The sixth meeting was held on the 6th of March, when four papers were read on the following subjects :— (1) " Early Notices of the Use of Tobacco in Britain," by Rector Chinnock ; (2) " Notes on the Rocks and Fossil Remains in the Moffat District," by Mr. J. Dairon, F.G.S. ; (3) "Memoir of Mr. Gatt, Minister of Grait- ney, 1730-87," by Mr. J. Gibson Starke, V.P. ; (4) "Modern Egypt," by J. A. S. Grant, M.D., Bey. On April 3rd, the last winter meeting of the session was held. Dr. Gilchrist (President) occupied the chair. There was a large attendance of members.— Mr. Rutherford exhibited specimens of the Red Admiral ( Vanessa Atalanta) and the Painted Lady {Cynthia Cardui) butterflies, and remarked that these species were very rare in the district last summer. — Communications : — I. Mr. F. R. Coles read an interesting paper entitled " A Leaflet from the Book of Nature," in which he pointed out the necessity of careful obser- vation on the part of the student of nature, and the benefits derived by those who pursue the study. 2. A paper on the " Arctic Shell Beds of the Clyde " was read by Mr. R. W. Macfadzean, in which he described the different deposits found at Garvel Park, and compared them with those of similar beds in Scandinavia and N.E. America. He contended that, after the deposition of the Drift and Loess, there occurred, in this quarter of the globe, a second and less severe glacial period, followed by a gradual rise, and subse- quent fall, of sea level. These changes had been comparatively rapid, and were accompanied by changes of climate. 3. Mr. G. F. Black contributed a paper on the "Ancient Lake-Dwellings of Scotland," making especial reference to those of Lochlea and Tarbolton. 4. Mr. Barbour, V.P., read a short communication on " Lovely Polly Stewart," in which he gave extracts from the will of Catherine Stewart referring to Polly, and also particulars respecting her and her family, not generally known. The first field meeting of the session was held on May 2nd, when Spottes Glen, the Policies, and the Moat of Urr, were visited. Vegetation was a little more forward than at the same date last year, and plants of Veronica Cha/ucrdrys, Lychnis diwna, Gen in rivale, and Buniunt flexuosum were found in blossom ; but the only rarity was Geranium lucidum, which had not been previously recorded from that locality. May 22nd, 1885. — A special meeting was held on this date, when it was unanimously decided to complete the arrangement with the Presbytery, &c. of Dumfries, for renting the Presbytery House for 15 years, for the purpose of holding the Society's meetings in it, and of forming there a museum for the specimens belonging to the Society. DUNDEE NATURALISTS' SOCIETY.-The following subjects were discussed since 1st January, 1SS5. On 14th January Mr. John Rattray, M.A. read a paper on Diatoms. January 2%th, Prof. J. W. H. Trail 138 The Scottish Naturalist. lectured on Microscopic Fungi, selecting certain types, the life-histories of which he described to illustrate the methods of classification employed in the group, and the chief defects of these methods ; and he also pointed out briefly the methods employed for lessening or preventing injuries caused by Fungi to economic produce. February nt/i, Mr. R. J. Harvey Gibson, M.A., sent a paper on the Relationship of Palaeontology to Biology, which was read by Prof. D'Arcy Thompson. The author discussed the relation of Palaeontology with the kindred subjects, and emphatically supported its claim to be grouped with the biological rather than with the geological sciences. He showed that, while in the outset Palaeontological formed almost the whole of geological knowledge, it came gradually to form a subordinate part of the province of the geologist, and the time was now come when it might be wholly taken away and studied together with the science of living organisms. The need of using the facts of Palaeontology in classification and in the study of distribu- tion was fully shown. As regards classification, the author argued that the hypothesis of evolution gave the only true idea of a natural classification in the shape of a pedigree or family tree. In the matter of distribution the geological record allowed us to connect the animal distribution of at least the Tertiary period with that of the present time. Certain new devices for repre- senting a scheme of classification, notably the transparent solid of Professor Haddon nnd an actual tree of wires devised by the author, were described. He in conclusion, urged the need of biologists approaching their subject with broad views and wide knowledge of their subject rather than as specialists devoted to the exclusive study of a narrow group. February 2$t/i, Mr. J. T. Cunningham, of the Scottish Marine Station, Granton, read a lecture on Marine Zoolog"y. After some introductory remarks on the importance to all of a knowledge of Zoology and of the laws that regulate animal life the lecturer entered upon the more special side of his subject ; and went on to review the present state of our knowledge of Marine Zoology from a purely intellectual standpoint, how it had reached its present state, and what were the prominent questions that would occupy the attention of zoologists in the immediate future. The belief that the ocean at a depth below 300 fathoms was destitute of living beings, and the somewhat later belief that deep sea dredgings would disclose palaeozoic and mesozoic forms no longer existing in shallower seas, have been proved erroneous, and the hoped- for aid in bridging many gaps in the pedigrees of animals in this way has been disappointed. But though the results of the " Challenger " expedition and of other like expeditions have not fulfilled, in this direction, the hopes entertained for a time by their more sanguine advocates, the additions to what was previously known in the fields of embryology and comparative anatomy have been very great and have cast much light on the mutual relation- ships of the various groups of animals. Reference was made to the theory supported by Dr. Dohrn that the ancestors of Verterbrata were worm-like creatures that crawled on what corresponded to the dorsal surface of Verterbrates. Mr. Cunningham thereafter went on to speak of the study of Marine Zoology as affecting the fisheries of the country. He stated that The Scottish Naturalist. 13 Zoologists believe that trawling does not injure the spawn of fishes, since the spawning beds are not trawled over because of the rocky nature of the sea- bottom selected by some fish e.g., herring. The spawn of other fish floats and is hatched near the surface of the water, and is therefore not liable to be injured by the trawl. Several interesting specimens from the Granton Station were exhibited. March nth, Prof. D'Arcy Thompson lectured on Larval Forms, &c. EAST OPiSCOTLAND UNION OP NATURALISTS' SOCIETIES.— The reports of the meeting of the Union in Dundee in 18S4 have been published since our last issue. They form a valuable store of information as to what has yet been done in the past, in the East of Scotland, from Fife to Aberdeen inclusive, in almost all branches of Natural Science. A number of recorders have reported on the separate departments, under the various headings : I. Has the subject been investigated, and in how far? 2. What parts of it more especially require investigation, as regards the district, and as regards the subject ? 3. What is the probable richness of the district 3 4. Have any important works on the subject (as regards the district) been published ? 5. Have you any suggestions to make for work that should be taken in hand at once ? It was resolved that the reports in question should only be preliminary and not enter into very great detail ; but despite this, they form a valuable store of information in almost all branches of Natural Science in the counties of the Union, under the headings above noted. We understand that it is intended to continue, and to extend these reports in future, with the object of ultimately forming complete records of the Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology, and Meteorology of the East of Scotland, with a complete Bibliography of articles, as well as of larger works, that have been published in the past on the several sciences in that region. In this Magazine (vol. I. pp. 193-94) tne departments and the names of the recorders are enumerated ; hence we shall not repeat them here ; though re- corders are required for certain groups of Insects, for Myriapoda, for Lichens, and for Mosses. The Inaugural address of the President, Dr. Buchanan White, is mo4 thoroughly worthy of careful perusal and consideration by all who interest themselves in the question of the best methods of utilising the working power of local societies in the direction of making permanent addi- tions to the information already recorded for each district. The suggestions embodied in it primarily sketch out the work to be undertaken by the Union ; but they are so applicable to the requirements of any Natural History Society, that we reprint elsewhere in this Magazine (pp. 98-106) a portion of the address, slightly altered in the wording to adapt it to the circumstances of all societies, under the heading "On the Scientific Work of Local Natural History Societies," believing that it will be of interest and of Use to many readers beyond the limits of the Union. The latter part of the address is occupied with the consideration of the great groups under which plants fall naturally when we look to their distribution, viz. Maritime, Lowland, Indiffer- ent, and Alpine, with suggestions as to the causes that may have led to the 140 The Scottish Naturalist. separation, and to the preference of certain plants for the one class of these localities rather than for some other. The whole address is filled with the spirit of two of its sentences, "We must not be content to- accept without question the fact of an animal or plant occurring in our district. We must endeavour to ascertain whence it came, and how it happens to be where it is." We may with confidence predict for the Union a useful and prosperous existence while it adheres to the lines on which it was originated, and on which the reports of the first meeting show it to be conducted. It has been determined to accept the invitation of the Kirkcaldy Naturalists' Society, to hold the next meeting in Kirkcaldy on 4th and 5th September, 1885 ; and Dr. James Geikie has intimated his acceptance of the President- ship. Mr. William D. Sang, Kirkcaldy has accepted the offices of Secretary and Treasurer for the ensuing year. It is requested that members willing to read papers at the meeting in September will communicate their intention as early as possible to Mr. Sang. TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OP THE EDINBURGH BOTANICAL SOCIETY. Vol XVI. part 1, (Sessions xlvii.-xlviii.), though published this year, contains papers read from 9th Nov., 1882, till July 1884. They are as follows, being grouped into sub- jects for convenience : — Obituary Notices of Thomas H. Corry (Cam- bridge) ; Prof. George Dickie (Aberdeen) ; Prof. Oswald Heer (Zurich) : Rev. John G. MacvicarD.D. ; Dr. Richard Parnell; Dr. John L. Paterson (Bahia, Brazil); John Sadler; Dr. James R. Scott (Kelso) ; Prof. Allen Thomson (Glasgow) ; and Mr. George H. K. Thwaites (Ceylon). Records of Localities : — Note on Rubus Idaeus, var Leesii (near St. Andrews), and notice of some plants from Invernessshire, by Dr. Mactier ; sketch notes of the Flora of Berwickshire, by Charles Stuart M.D. ; notes on plant localities in the seaward district of Berwickshire, Rev. George Mac- farlane ; on certain additional localities for Cornish plants, by Thomas H. Corry ; notes of meetings of the Scottish Alpine Club, at Loch Awe in July, 1882, by W. B. Boyd, in the Braemar Highlands in August, 1883, by Dr. Stuart ; the May Island, its Archaeology, its Algoid Flora, its Phanerogams and Higher Cryptogams, by John Rattray A.M., B. Sc. On the Algre of Gran ton Quarry, by J. R. ; Statistics of the Topographical Botany of Scotland, with suggestions as to further work, by Symington Grieve (summary of numeri- cal results from Watson's "Topographical Botany," ed. 2). Phenological Observations and Cultivation :— Experiences in the cultivation of Alpine and other plants suited for the Rockery, and Her- baceous plants in the mixed border, by W. B. Boyd ; Growth of half-hardy plants on the east coast of Arran, by Rev. Dr. Landsbofough \ Phytopheno- logical observations, by W. C. Crawford ) Report on temperatures and open- air vegetation at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, from October 1882 to June 1884* with Register of Flowering of certain selected plants, by John Sadler and Robert Lindsay. Morphology and Physiology : — The multi-nucleated condition of The Scottish Naturalist. 141 the vegetable cell, with some special researches relating to cell-morphology, by Allan E. Grant; on the oil-bodies of Jungermannieoe, by John Rattray; on the Germination of Podophyllum Emodi, and on the occurrence of Foliage- leaves in Ruscus androgynus, with some structural and morphological observa- tions, both by Prof. Dickson. Teratology: — On a divarication of the Common Primrose with the calyx divided into linear segments, by Charles Howie ; on an abnormal form of Listera cordata, by Thomas If. Corry. Geological Botany: — On the affinities of Pothocites Pat., with the description of a specimen from Glencartholm, Eskdale, by Robert Kidston, (appeared in the Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist, in May, 1883) ; on the coal incrusting the large Pinaceous fossil stems in front of the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Garden, and its bearing on the questiou of the formation of coal, by Andrew Taylor. PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OP NATURAL SCIENCE. March 5///. — -Annual Meeting. — From the annual report the Society is in a prosperous condition, and has added largely to its membership during the past year. Eight long excursions were made in the course of the preceding summer ; six ordinary meetings were held, and a conversazione on 22nd January proved highly successful. The increase in the number of specimens received for the Society's Museum rendered it necessary to have new cases constructed, and the Museum had to be closed to the public for between three and four months, but during the year it was visited by about 7000 persons. So cordial assistance has been given in extending the collections that already the need of an addi- tional hall for their exhibition is urgently felt. The Society expressed the great regret felt on the retirement from the office of secretary of Mr. John Young, C. E., who had since 1874 discharged its duties with great benefit to the Society. In his Presidential Address, Dr. Buchanan White dealt with the present condition, and the possible future, of the Museum. In the past three years the collections have been almost wholly formed ; before 1881 the Society had no place in which to keep specimens. The census of specimens on March 5th, 1885, was in the Index collection upwards of 2,000, (including drawings and models) of which 900 are geological, 700 zoological, and 400 botanical. In the Perthshire or Local collection those now available for study are about 15,000, belonging to 1,712 species out of about 2,300 known to occur in Perthshire. They are divided thus, the number of specimens in each group coming first, then the number of species represented, and lastly, in brackets, the number of species in the group known to have been found in Perthshire : — Mammals 100, 62 (39) ; Birds 329, 169 (219) ; Bird's Eggs 420, 62 (ill) j Birds' Nests 92, 48 (in); Reptiles and Amphibians 15, 6 (8) ; Freshwater fishes 48, 18 (23) ; Land and Freshwater Mollusca 3604, 54 (58) ; Lepidoptera 2085, 447 (S49) ; Flowering Plants and Ferns, about 8000, about 900; Native Timber Trees 197, 19 (19). There are in addition to the above several thousand specimens of the In- vertebrata and of Cryptogamic plants awaiting arrangement, and also space for 142 The Scottish Naturalist. their proper exhibition. Dr. White dwelt upon the pressing need of extension of the buildings, which could be effected, including fittings, probably for about ^"1500, so as to provide the accommodation required for a considerable time. There can be little doubt that so energetic a body as the Society has proved itself to be in the past will succeed in carrying out this very desirable under- taking. April 2nd. A donation of ^150 to the funds of the Society from the " Duncan Trustees " was intimated. Dr. F. B. White exhibited a skull of a common rat in which three of the teeth had reached an excessive length, so that those in the upper jaw almost formed rings. Rev. A. Campbell, Errol, read a paper on The climate of the British Islands, with special reference to Perthshire. He afterwards undertook to prepare each year a summary of meteorological observations in Perthshire, with observations of the effects of each season in stimulating or retarding vegetation. Prof. Allen Harker, Cirencester, followed with a paper, On some Fresh- Water Annelids, from rain-pools on the dry Oolitic CotteswokTHills. He He described especially the habits of a small red worm, probably Tiibifex rivuUrum Lamarck. SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS, JOURNAL OP BOTANY.-(Marcli, 18S5.)— Notes on the British Characese for 1884, by Henry and James Groves ; the follow- ing species and localities are recorded from Scotland : — Chara fragilis Desv., from Wigtown, Lanark, Easterness, Westerness, Dumbarton, and West Ross ; Ch. aspera Willd., mid-Perth, Easterness; C. conlrariaK&tZ, Skye; C. hispida L., Easterness; C. vulgaris L., Haddington, Easterness; var. papillata, Easterness; Nitella translucent Agardh, Stirling; N. flexdis Agardh, Stirling ; var. crassa, mid-Perth ; N. opaca Agardh, Berwick, Stirling, Ebudes N., Ross E. and W. ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HIS- TORY, (February, 1885).— Notes from the St. Andrew's Marine Laboratory, by Prof. M'Intosh, "On the British species of Cyanea and the Reproduction of Mytilus edulis ; " April, Notices of British Fungi, XXX., by Rev. M. J. Berkeley and C. E. Broome, enumerates the following from Scotch localities : — A. (Clitocybe) fu/nosiis Fers., sent from Roxburgh, by Rev. D. Paul, so dark brown as to seemqute different from type ; A. {Pholiota) subluleus, Fl. Dan. from Faldonside (Rev. D. Paul, and W. B. Boyd), "an interesting addition to the list of British Agarics; " Marasiuius varicosus Fr., Tarland, Aberdeenshire, amongst moss (M. J. B.). ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE, (March, 1885)— Notes] Oil British Typhlocybidse, by James Edwards, enum- erates Dicranoneura aureola from Carices in Findhorn Marsh near Forres. At the meeting of the Entomological Society of London, on 18th Feb., 1885 Mr. J. W. Slater exhibited a specimen of Lycaena chryseis, one of three said to have been taken in July, 1878, by Mr. Mutch in Culter Marsh, Aberdeenshire. Mr. Elwes stated that the specimen resembled the variety known as Stieberi Gerhard, from Lapland. (Further information in regard to this capture is desirable). Notes on the Nitidulidse of Great Britain, by Rev The Scott is Ji Naturalist. 143 W. W. Fowler, run through the parts for March, April, and May ; Meligethes subrugosus Gyll, is recorded from Galloway, and several are recorded as com- mon, and generally distributed from Britain, though not specially recorded as Scotch, April, Boreus hyemalis L. near Killin, by James J. King (recorded in April number of Scottish Naturalist); Occurrence of Hydroptila longispina M'Lach. in Scotland, by J. J. King (from Loch Goilhead, Fortingal, and Loch Awe, where it occurred in fair numbers in July, 1S84). Report for 1883 of the BOTANICAL RECORD CLUB. (Manchester : James Collins & Co. 1884.) Edited by F. A. Lees. — This useful report adds considerably to the county lists to be found in the 2d Ed. of " Topographical Botany ; " and in addition there are numerous records of localities from counties in which the same species had been already found. As in former years, the records have been vouched by specimens. There are numerous records from Scotland — from Wigtown (74), by C. Bailey and by G. C. Druce ; East Perth (89), Forfar (90), by G. C. Druce ; Argyle (98), by Parsons ; Clyde Isles (00), Ebudes South (02), by Rev. A. Ley ; Ebudes Mid (03), by C. Bailey : Ross West (05), by C. Bailey and G. C. Druce ; Sutherland (07) and Caithness (09), by James Grant. The numbers refer to the counties and vice-counties of Topographical Botany (omitting Wigtown, for which they are very numerous). The additions are as follows : — T. maritimum 05,07, Stellaria graminea 07, C. tetrandrum 05, Geranium sanguineum 09, Trifolium pro- cumbens 07, T. minus 07, L. major 09, Ornithopus perpusillus 89, Vicia hir- suta 07, Geum intermedium 89, Rubus saxatilis 07, R. plicatus 02, Rubus Radula 73 (Kirkcudbright), Rosa involuta 89, 02 [Sabini less hairy than usual —J. G. Baker), R. dumalis 89, R. dumetorum 89, R. Reuteri and R. sub- cristata 00, Alchemilla alpina 07, Epilobium paivifiorum 09, E. obscurum 98, Circoea luitetiana 02, Hippuris vulgaris 07, Callitriche vernalis 02, C. hamulata 02, Ribes petrceum 09 (probably introduced — Ed. Scot. Nat.), Parnassia pal- natris 07, Ffedera Helix 07, Sanicula Europcea 07, Lonicera Periclymenum 07, Crepis paludosa 02, Hieracium murorum 00, Ff. caesium 88, H. iricum 89, II. crocatum 09, Lobelia Dortmanna , Vaccinium uliginosum, and V. oxycoccos — all 89, Gentiana amarella 07, Veronica humifusa 89, V. agrestis 07, V. polita 00, Bartsia odontites 07, B. verna 02, Euphrasia officinalis and E. gracilis 05, Mentha aquatica 07, Teucrium Scorodonia 07, Lamium intermedium 89, Stachys palustris and S. ambigua 07, Myosotis repens 02, 05. M. alpestris 90 (error, due to seed sown in Canlochan, vide p. 91, Scot. Nat., April, 1885), M. arvensis 07, M. versicolor 74. Utricularia intermedia 02, Glaux maritima and Plantago major 74, Polygonum Persicaria 07, Hippophae Rhamnoides 74, Euphorbia Peplus 07, Salix pentandra 07, S. cinerea 07, S. caprea 09, Myrica Gale 74, Orchis Conopsea 05,07, Potamogeton natans 07, Zannichellia pedunculata 90, Lemna minor 89, Sparganium affine 02, Typha latifolia 09 (? native.— Ed. Scot. Nat.), Juncus glaucus 74, J. acutiflorus 07, J. nigritellus 74, J. Gerardi 02, Schcenus nigricans, 74 and 89, Scirpus setaceus 07, Heleocharis uniglumis 09, H. csespi- tosus 74, Carex dioica 02, C. arenaria 05, "C. rigida 89, C, 144 The Scottish Naturalist. acuta oo, C. fulva 05, C. panicea 74. 00, and 05, C. vaginata 5°. C. ampullacea 07, C. paludosa var. 09 (an C. salina var. Katte- gatensis.— Ed. Scot. Nat.), Agrostis alba 74> Aira csespitosa 07, Molinia coerulea 07, Glyceria plicata 00, Dactylis glomerata 07, Pestuca sciuroides 89, P. rubra 05, Bromus asper 02, Cys- topteris fragilis 07, Polystichum aculeatum 07, Nephrodium affine 00, Lastraea aemula 98> Asplenium Adiantum-nigruni 07. Equisetum palustre 07, Chara aspera 89, Ch. fragilis 05, C. vulgaris 90, Nitella opaca 89, N. flexilis 89, 92. In the "New Locality List," there are notes on various species, of interest to those engaged in the study of variations among our native plants. Several of these relate to Scotttsh plants, and we extract the following : —Ranunculus COnfervoides Fr., from Fingask Loch, East Perth — A. Sturrock and G. C. Druce. " I see only a depauperated form of R. cir- cinatus." — G. CD. "I consider it a starved alpine state of trichophyllus. " — F. A. Lees. "Not circinatus" — J. G. Baker. Caltha palustris L., var. minor, from Glas Maol, alt. circa 2,800 feet. "This seems to differ from ?)iinor in its rooting at every node as distinctly as C. radicans Forst. ; but it differs (from the latter) in the leaves, which are those of normal minor, cre- nately not triangularly dental." Gnaphalium ' ' Sylvaticum L., var. alpestre," Glen Dole, Forfar — G. C. Druce. "An intermediate between eusylvaticum and norvegicum. Leaves of barren shoot (from same root-stock as the other) broader than usual, those of flowering shoot narrow, all slightly cottony above."— F. A. Lees. Zannichellia palustris L., var. pedunculata Rabh., Rescobie Loch, Forfarshire— G. C. Druce. "Can- not well come under either macro- or brachy-stemon Gay, as the nucules are long-pedicelled The long curved-style nucules are, however, not so pronouncedly muricate on the dorsal aspect, nor quite so concave on the ventral, as in ordinary pedunculata, though this may be because not yet fully ripe. It may prove to be gibberosa Rchb., but in the state sent is not muri- cated on the ventral ridge." — F. A. Lees. Carex flava a. genuina Towns. Arran — A. Ley. Sent as lepidocarpa. Fcr the distinctive characters of the varieties of this sedge, see Mr. Townsend's paper in Joum. Bot., 1881, x., p. 161. Carex pilulifera L., var. adusta, Lees, Canlochan, Corrie Ceannder, and Cairn-y-Dainsh— G. C. Druce. " Probably an alpine form, educed by harsh stational and climatic influences (vide p. 77 of this Magazine). Under the heading of County Catalogues is a list for Kirkcudbright of ad- ditions to the county-list in " Top. Bot.," Ed. 2 (vide Scot. Nat., N.S. ii., p. 69), and a long list for Wigtownshire. Both lists are founded on the observa- tions of our contributor, Mr. G. C. Druce, during a visit to these counties in 1883. " The catalogue of Wigtownshire plants fills up the only gap in the counties of Britain for which no list of common plants has been supplied to Mr. H. C. Watson, or to the Record Club." " There is little in the flora to sug- gest its northern situation." " In mountain flowers, it is almost destitute." Mr. Charles Bailey also visited Wigtownshire in the autumn of 1883, and con- tributes a list (with specimens) of plants, of which 10 species or varieties were not observed by Mr. Druce. OBITUAKY TT/"Eare much grieved to have to record the death of two V V young medical graduates of Aberdeen University on service in the tropics, the one in Borneo, the other in Sierra Leone. They were alike in possessing a strong love of natural science, and in giving promise of valuable results following from their pursuit of it ; alike also in taking a distinguished position in passing through their studies at their University, both in arts and in medicine, with honourable distinction ; and alike in their es- timable personal qualities. Both were induced to undertake duties in tropical lands largely because of their love of nature. Nathaniel Cameron, A.M. M.D. of Aberdeen University, adds another to the list of valuable lives that have fallen victims to the climate of Sierra Leone. He was a native of Abernethy on Speyside, and received the earlier part of his education in Tomintoul Public School: He thereafter passed through the curricula in arts and in medicine in the University of Aberdeen, winning alike the esteem and friendship of his fellow students by his personal qualities, and a high place by his talents in the class lists. In 1876 he took the degrees of M.B. and CM. with honourable distinction. For a year he held the position of Assistant Demonstator in the class of Antomy, in the University. He thence went to Macclesfield In- firmary, where he was resident physician for some months. In 1878 he entered the Army Medical Service, and elected to serve on the West Coast of Africa, where he had been stationed during three years of service, with the alternate years of furlough at home. The year 1884 was spent by him at home; he then had ap- parently not suffered at all from the climate, and expressed him- self as much pleased with the service. He returned to Sierra Leone in January last, and his friends were grieved to learn re- cently that he died in Towerhill Barracks, on 10th June, of fever, at the age of 34. Dr. Cameron had a strong liking for the study of the Natural Sciences, mere especially of Geology, to which he devoted him- K 146 The Scottish Naturalist. self both before he went to West Africa and during his furloughs to learn the Science thoroughly in the great centres for its study in Britain. In Sierra Leone and at Cape Coast Castle he pursued his studies to their application, striving to work out the geological structure of these lands under difficulties that can be appreciated only by those that have tried geological investigations in the tropics. We understand that his will gives one collection of fossils, minerals, &c, from West Africa to the British Museum, and an- other from the same country to the Aberdeen University. His death is felt by all who knew him to be a loss to themselves of a trusted friend, and to Natural Science of one that, had his life been spared, would have added much to what is known concerning the Geology of the Western Coast of Africa, and would also have advanced much whatever branch of Natural Science he studied, for to him work had become a necessity, as well as a pleasure. As a physician and surgeon we believe that he was regarded with absolute trust by all under his charge. Dr. Donald Manson Fraser became known to the writer of this notice in 1876, when just completing his studies in the arts curriculum. In graduating he gained honours in natural science, and shared the first place in this department with a fellow student with whom he worked much, — Dr. Walker, now in the service of the British North Borneo Company. The two friends went through their medical studies together, and showed a strong aptitude especially for botanical studies, and each of them held the position of class assistant to the Professor of Botany in the Univer- sity. While students they were active members of the Aberdeen Natural History Society. On the completion of his studies Dr. Fraser had, like most young men in like circumstances, to enter on the practice of his profession, and to lay aside scientific pursuits for a time; but, three years ago, the Directors of the British North Borneo Company desiring the services of a medical man with a love for, and knowledge of botanical studies, Dr. Fraser was recom- mended, and received the appointment. He proved excellently fitted for the position, and enjoyed the life, not neglecting the op- portunities of scientific work afforded by it; but on the 12th May, 1885, ne was killed in an attack by the natives on a party that he was accompanying. We extract the following account of the sad event from the British North Borneo Herald-. — The Scottish Naturalist. 147 The Government launch Kimanis arrived at Sandakan before daybreak on the 15th of May, from the West Coast, bringing the most sad and unexpected intelligence of an emeute in the Kawang river, in the vicinity of Papar, resulting in the loss of valuable lives. It appears that on the 10th instant, Resident Davies, Captain de Fon- taine, Dr. Fraser, Assistant Resident Little, and Mr J. E. J. Wheatley with a parfy of constabulary arrived at Kavvana, which was selected as the most direct and convenient point of departure for an expedition to the village of a Murut chief, one Bandurong. Messengers were at once sent to Papar to bring in 50 Dusuns to act as baggage carriers for the party, but only 30 came, and the Bajow headmen of Kawang were asked to supply the deficiency. The headmen relucantly promised to use their influence, but it was plain that the service was very unpopular with the people, and thereupon the Resident announced that a fine would be imposed if the requisition were not complied with The Bajows of the coast are noted cattle robbers, and the Dusun carriers from Papar recognised a buffalo which had recently been stolen, and laid their case before the Resident, who ordered the buffalo to be returned to its owners. This action, though of course unavoidable, had a tendency to further augment the ill-feeling brought about by the demand for baggage carriers. Amongst the Bajows were recognised the noted cattle thieves — Sahat and Bagul Puteh. Orang Kaya Awang, an agent of Pangeran Roup, who has been influenced against the Company's Government by persons in Brunei, was also seen going about amongst the villagers. He was an inhabitant of the Kina- rut river, which is not under the Company's jurisdiction. On the 1 2th instant, as it was found impossible to obtain the required number of baggage carriers, it was proposed to defer the departure of the expedition pending further communication with Papar. The stores were ordered to be put back in the house of the Datu of the village, and the men of the constabulary were " dismissed." The Europeans and the officers of the constabulary were standing about under a tree in a large plain near the village, when two men came up, with muskets in their hands, and entered into an ap- parently friendly conversation with Dr. Fraser. Without any warning, one of the men suddenly discharged his musket killing the doctor instantaneously. An alarm was occasioned. Seven Ba- jows, friends of the two men alluded to, and including Orang Kaya Awang and the two cattle thieves above mentioned, at once amoked 148 The Scottish Naturalist. and speared fatally Jemadhar Asa Singh, Sergeant-Major Narain Singh, and Private Jendah Singh. They then endeavoured to es- cape by rushing across the plain towards the jungle, when Captain De Fontaine in the most plucky manner pursued them. All this happened in the space of a few minutes only, and no one had time to support Captain De Fontaine before he tripped up and fell on the ground, when the Bajows turned on him and inflicted no less than nine spear wounds on different parts of his body, three of his as- sailants falling, however, to his revolver. By this time the Sikhs, who were at some little distance off, had seized their rifles and opened fire, killing three others of the Bajows, and wounding the remaining two, who succeeded in making good their escape to the jungle. Mr. Little, son of Dr. Little, of Singapore, had at the com- mencement of the melee received a spear wound, penetrating the fleshy part of his arm and slightly injuring his side. He dis- posed of his opponent with his revolver. None of the Bajow villagers took part in the disturbance, with the exception of the nine amokers, and consequently no punishment was inflicted on the village ; but the chief Datu Dullah accompanied the Resident to Gaya. It was found that eight privates were wounded some of them severely. Dr. Fraser, was married in Singapore last year, but was left a widower a few months before his death. THE LATE ALEXANDER CROALL. A meeting of the Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society, specially summoned to record the loss sustained by it through the death of the president, Mr. Alexander Croall, was held in the Smith Institute, on Tuesday, 2nd June. The Rev. Mr. Goldie, vice-president, took the chair, and there was a fair attend- ance of ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Goldie having stated the ob- ject for which the meeting was called, read the following memorial notice of Mr. Croall's life and labours : — " We meet this evening under the shadow of a great loss in the removal by death of our accomplished and much esteemed acting president, Mr. Alexander Croall. We cannot say that the event was unexpected, for though hopes were entertained by some up till a recent date that he might again appear amongst us, it has been evident to practised eyes for some time that his end was ap- The Scottish Naturalist. 149 proaching. Probably but for him this society had never existed, and certainly but for his wise and earnest management the society had not done its work so well. Our acting president from the first, he never was absent from his place in the meetings of the council or of the society except when prevented by illness. He was a hard worker in the interests of the society. His time, talents, and extensive information were always at our service. He con- tributed a number of papers of special interest and value. He gave a tone to all our meetings. His spirit and example were stimulating, and there are members who will be ready to acknow- ledge their indebtedness to him in their respective departments of study. Nothing was indifferent to him, and every subject brought before us secured his interest and his sympathy. He was most anxious that we should work up the botany, zoology, geology, and archaeology of the district, hence the committees that were formed^ and the Saturday excursions of which, even when beyond the three score and ten years, he was the leading spirit. He thought the society should be mainly local in its researches and its aims, should observe and record what was interesting, and hence he preferred brief papers on local subjects, the reading of which gave rise to questions and discussions. But though the society had never fully realised his idea, he was most grateful for what had been accom- plished. We cannot as yet fully realise the influence he has exerted, and the work he has done amongst us, and consequently cannot fully realise the loss we have sustained by his removal. " It is understood that some time ago an eminent literary man, had offered to write a memoir of Mr. Croall, but Mr. Croall de- clined, preferring to do the work himself, and he was engaged upon it when overtaken by his last illness. The narrative, however, comes no further down than 1835. ^e can now onty suppose how interesting the work would have been, wiitten by one who was such an ardent lover and keen observer of nature, and who would have invested his pages with the charms of delicate feeling and fancy. He has, however, left sufficient materials for a complete memoir which cannot fail to be interesting and valuable, and which, it is to be hoped, will be given to the world with the least possible delay. " I have been favoured with the following genial and inteiesting notice by Dr. Howden, the accomplished Superintendent of Sunny- side Asylum, Montrose, an intimate friend and a great admirer of our late president. " Alexander Croall was born near Brechin in 150 The Scottish Naturalist. 1809. He served his apprenticeship as a joiner, and, at a very early age, displayed a love for books and natural history. When young his health was delicate, and he probably abandoned his trade on that account, [and studied for nearly two sessions at the Uni- versity of Aberdeen.] The first school he taught was in Ferry Street, Montrose, and the next was in a " clay biggin," at Loan- head, 2\ miles from Montrose, to which he was appointed in 1839. In September, 1841, he was appointed to the parish school of ( kithrie. From that he went to Stratton's School in Montrose, when I first knew him in 1857. About 1859 he was transferred to the new Sessional Schoolhouse built at Loanhead, and it was while there that he wrote most of ' The British Seaweeds.' I have not been able to find any of his early intimate friends in Montrose, but many remember him forty years ago as an enthusiastic Natural- ist and the leading spirit in the ' Scientific Institute,' members of which have survived the long since defunct society. It was a com- mon practice with him in those days to start for the hills on a Friday, or any other night before a school holiday, at twelve o'clock so that he might be on the the botanising ground by daylight, and get home the same evening after a walk of 30 or 40 miles. During the autumn holidays, he made prolonged excursions to Clova, Dee- side, &c, and on those occasions he commonly slept on the heather, carrying his slender commissariat in his pocket. While he was a recognised authority in botany, and numbered among his correspondents Balfour, Dickie, Hooker, Darwin, and other em- inent botanists, he had a very wide and accurate knowledge of natural science generally, and probably knew the zoology of this (the Muntrose) district better than any one else. About the year 1855, he was employed by Sir William Hooker to prepare a Herbarium of the plants of Braemar for Her Majesty the Queen, but his great work was the " British Sea Weeds : Nature Printed," published by Bradbury and Evans in i860. Modest, truthful, and honest him- self, Croall credited others with the same qualities often to his own loss. The ' British Sea Weeds ' was nominally the joint production of W. G. Johnstone and Alexander Croall, but I have reason to know that nearly the whole of the work devolved on Croall, while the remuneration went to Johnstone, who died, or in some other way conveniently vanished before accounts were squared between them. I knew Croall intimately when he was preparing this book. His days were spent in the drudgery of teaching an The Scottish Naturalist. 151 elementary school, while the nights were devoted to literary work, leaving him little time for sleep. The microscopic drawings were by himself, as was also the letterpress. The illustrations were nature printed. It may be here added by way of note that this beautiful process has been lost to science by the death of its inventor, Mr. Bradbury. Although Mr. Croall had at an early age manifested a love for natural science, it was not until he was a teacher that he began in real earnest the study of botany, incited thereto by hearing a journeyman gardener read a paper on ' Plants.' From that time, until the end of his days, he prosecuted the study with great ardour. As a member of the ' Montrose Scientific Institute ' already re- feired to, he took charge of the botanical, while Dr. Gilchrist, afterwards of the Crichton Institution, Dumfries, took charge of the geological department. Mr. Croall had also charge of the entomo- logical department, and made a valuable collection of insects, which, on leaving the place, he presented as a free gift to the Mon- trose Museum. In 1863, he. was appointed librarian to the City of Derby Library and Keeper of the Museum and Herbarium. So long as he remained in England, he, when time allowed, prosecuted his favourite studies, and during his holidays took excursions into Cornwall, and other counties, gathering treasures wherever he went." " In 1873, he was appointed curator of the Smith Institute, Stirling, which with its picture gallery, its Museum, and latterly its extensive library, situated in a district rich in objects of natural science and of archaeology, was most congenial to his tastes. Never was there a happier appointment, and never was a man more happy in his situation. The trustees, to their credit, placed unbounded confidence in him, and so thoroughly did he identify himself with the place that his name and that of the Institute had become, in the popular mind, almost synonomous terms. People from all parts consulted him on many subjects — objects rather — of natural science and of archaeology, and he met them in such a genial spirit that he seemed really to thank them for giving him the trouble. No one consulted him on such occasions without being impressed with the extent and accuracy of his information, and with his kindly obliging disposition. "From what has been said a fair idea may be obtained of Mr. Croall's scientific enthusiasm ; and it only remains that we give a 152 The Scottish Naturalist. general statement of his scientific attainments, and in doing so I am almost entirely indebted to one who knew Mr. Croall intim- ately, and is himself no mean naturalist. Before going further, however, I may say that Mr. Croall, latterly at least, took a deep interest in archaeology — the archaeology of this district es- pecially— and knew not a little of it as a science. But he was most at home in the region of nature. He knew something of mineralogy, and in geology he was anything but a tyro, although he had not given the same attention to it as to some other branches of science. As we have been told already, he was a good zoologist,, especially in conchology and entomology. He was, however, strongest in botany. He had made a special study of the fungi and lichens, and he was an expert in mosses, and his name frequently appears in Dr. Braithwaite's ' British Moss Flora,' now in course of publication. His great work on ' British Sea Weeds ' has al- ready been referred to. His knowledge of the flowering plants was most extensive, and he may fairly be regarded as one of the best of British botanists. He has left a valuable scientific collection behind him. The specimens belong to this district — and he had explored the country round, and made himself especially acquainted with its flora — the specimens so acquired he has bequeathed rx> this Society, and I am sure we receive them with gratitude, and will treasure them not only for their own value, but for their donor's saKe. However the other specimens may be disposed of, I am certain they will be treated with more respect than the valuable collection of Robert Dick, which I saw lying like so much rubbish in a public room in Thurso.* Mr. Croall has also left a garden of wild flowers gathered in various parts, some of them not to be found in Scotland. It is well worthy of a visit, and botanists may regard it as worthy of preservation. "Mr Croall, I need hardly say, was a man of shrewd and patient intellect, keen to observe, to analyse and generalise, but slow to speculate. He was a man of facts, not of fancies. He never bridged a chasm by conjecture, but waited until it was filled up by facts. He deprecated the putting forth of mere hypotheses as if *This is not so now. Dick's collection, we understand, has since been properly arranged under the superintendence of Mr. Gunn, a subscription having been raised for that purpose. The Stirling Natural History and Arch- aeological Society can claim some credit in the matter, one of its members being a prominent subscriber. — Ed. S. /. &* A. The Scottish Naturalist. 153 they were established theories. Being anxious to ascertain his at- titude with reference to the doctrine of evolution, I put the question to him on the last occasion on which I spoke with him on any- scientific subject. His reply, as usual, was moderate and cautious. He did not think that parties on either side were in a position to dogmatise. Evolution was a good working hypothesis, but little more as yet. In his own department of botany there were endless 1 sportings ' or variations in plants, but so far as he knew, no un- doubted transformation of species had as yet been discovered. Still we should keep our minds open for further light. One thing he was certain of, facts alone, and not speculations would settle the question if it ever was to be settled. "Mr. Croall was a man of singularly beautiful and attractive character. His amiability, modesty, courtesy, charity, unselfish- ness were conspicuous. Dr. Howden says in the letter from which I have already quoted — ' Croall's modesty amounted to bashful- ness, and tho' his extensive and accurate knowledge fitted him for a foremost place as a scientist, he shrank from asking favours, or seeking what worldly advancement his accomplishments well entitled him to. Gentleness and charity were eminent character- istics of his nature, and he was never heard to say a disparaging or unkind word of any one, and I could hardly imagine that he ever had an enemy.' This is just Mr. Croall as we knew him. And his fine natural character was hallowed by his Christian spirit — for he was a Christian in the truest sense of that word. In him the religious and scientific characters were remarkably com- bined. He was the man whom Henry Kirke White longed to see — ' Oh ! I would walk a weary journey to the furthest verge Of the big world, to kiss that good man's hand, Who in the blaze of wisdom and of art, Preserves a lowly mind ; and to his God, Feeling the Sense of his own littleness, Is as a child in meek simplicity.' " ON TEE AIMS AND USES OF PEOVINCIAL MUSEUMS, AND THEIE EELATION TO PEOVINCIAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. By Professor JAMES W. H. TRAIL. IT may be thought and said by some that the uses of provincial scientific societies and museums are so fully recognised that there is more risk of over than of under-estimating their importance 154 The Scottish Naturalist. in the advancement of scientific pursuits among us ; but this belief cannot be entertained seriously by any one who has realised how far the efforts of the most successful have been from the attain- ment of an ideal of even a moderate kind. Very few societies set steadily before them a definite aim ; and in almost all published " Transactions/' the titles show that the range of subjects discussed is so wide as to be very unlikely to leave permanent results of value towards fulfilling the objects that should be aimed at by provincial societies. It is true that in large societies, such as the Royal Societies of London and other metropolitan cities, the range of topics must be wide, because in them all departments of science are represented, without reference to the special places of meeting ; and it may be urged that provincial societies represent similar needs, and should consider similar subjects, only restricted, to some extent, by circumstances. In support of this position, a good deal might be said ; but it must be evident to all that con- sider the matter fairly that in fact the circumstances are very dif- ferent for metropolitan and for provincial societies. Discoveries and theories of a comprehensive and far-reaching kind, and that are independent of locality, naturally are presented to the large metropolitan audiences, and are published in " Transactions," in which they can receive adequate illustration and treatment. On the other hand, these large societies are not suited for the con- sideration of topics such as naturally should occupy much of the attention and labour of provincial meetings. The former cannot with advantage study the fauna, flora, geology, or antiquities of any limited area of country ; while it is by means of such labours in the district of which their places of meeting are the centres, and by publishing the results of such work, that provincial societies can best assist in the progress of scientific research, and can establish their rightful and honourable place in the scientific army of our land. We fear that it will be long ere this truth is fully recognised, often though it has been proclaimed ; and so strongly do we feel the waste of much power that might be most usefully employed, that we venture to reiterate them, and to press them even, at the risk of saying what may, to some, seem but useless iteration. There is little risk of its ever being carried to excess in our pro- vincial societies. Assuming, then, that the above aims ought to be of paramount The Scottish Naturalist. 155 importance, it may be well to consider in what ways they can be most fully carried into effect. In some societies, the only per- manent record of work done by the members is to be found in publications that appear at more or less regular intervals ; while in others there is no record kept beyond the unpublished minutes. Even in the former case, the circulation of the publications is usually so limited that the papers reach but a small proportion of the scientific public ; and they are very apt to remain unknown to those to whom they would be of special interest. The recent action towards affiliating the various societies with the British Association, and the publication, in the " Transactions " of that body, of, at least, the titles of the papers read during the year in the smaller societies, will do much to render their work accessible. Yet, even under any circumstances as regards facility of pub- lication, a still more valuable work would be done in the eluci- dation of the fauna, flora, and geology of our country, were each society to keep constantly in view the very great value and interest of museums in which the chief aim has been to bring together a complete series oi all the natural products of the surrounding country, along with types selected to show clearly the leading groups of animals, plants, minerals, and strata, and their distri- bution over the world. The uses of a museum are manifold, if it has been formed under careful supervision, and worked out on well-considered lines from the commencement ; but the formation of a museum is a work of time ; and it is seldom in the power of any one person to carry it from its earliest beginnings to its full maturity, even when of small size, and devoted to a single department of science. The critical period in the history of a museum is, however, at its origin ; for, on the care exercised in forming the original plan, its success and usefulness chiefly depend ; and much labour is necessary before it can be brought into the right track, should it have been begun on a wrong one. It is very desirable that there should be, at least, one large and complete museum in the most accessible centre for the whole country : and in this museum should be contained collections of the utmost possible completeness, in all departments of Natural Science. In no way can specialists work out the details in the study of which they are engaged, unless they have access to the 156 The Scottish Naturalist. material supplied by large collections and a complete library j and to provide these for themselves, even in a very limited sub- ject, is not only beyond the means of most, but is practically be- yond the power of the wealthiest, since many of the specimens and of the books required are to be found only in public collec- tions and libraries. The British Museum is one of the best ex- amples of a museum, in which local must be subordinated to general collections, and where both these and the national library afford every facility that can be obtained by specialists in Great Britain. But such a museum as this must stand alone in a country, as a national undertaking ; though a few large towns may follow with museums on similar lines, however far behind. For provincial museums in general to aim at such completeness is simply to ensure utter and deserved failure. The expense involved in pro- viding buildings, and in forming and keeping up the collections, would be far beyond the means of any town, however wealthy ; nor are more than a very few such museums required in a country. The educational value of a provincial Natural History Museum to the residents in the locality, depends upon the care with which the specimens in it have been chosen to display readily the important characters of structure and distribution of the great groups of animals and plants, and the great facts in the sciences of geology and mineralogy. These great general facts are rendered clear to students, and to the non-scientific public, far more successfully by well-selected series, including comparatively few types, than they could be by loading the shelves with very large series of each group. Now, it is only educational series of this kind that are required for the representation of the natural history of the world in provincial museums. Efforts to go much beyond this are likely rather to diminish than to increase their usefulness, and add much to the expense incurred in sustaining the museum. Valu- able and extensive collections in special departments of science are worth acceptance, should they be offered to the directors of local museums; but isolated specimens from beyond the bounds of the district should be declined, unless they help to complete the type collections, or are of considerable intrinsic value. If contributions of all kinds are accepted, and have places assigned to them in the museum, the certain result will be that it The Scottish Nattiralist. 157 becomes a repository of rubbish, amidst which may be discovered only an occasional attempt at arrangement, and here and there a specimen of value. To one who understands, in some measure, what a museum may be made, there are few things more depress- ing than a visit to such a one as may be too frequently met with in small towns, where animals of all kinds, stones, weapons, coins, and articles of furniture are intermixed as they might be in some nightmare, without even the semblance of order or plan in their arrangement. The fault of such museums is that they have been begun without any definite plan in the minds of the originators as to what they shall include, and have been added to omnivorously, everything having been accepted, however little suited to that already within the room. The result of this want of system is that in a comparatively short time, the space, which may at first have seemed too ample, is crammed ; and each new acquisition has to be pushed into some corner, whether among the things to which it is most akin or not. In a well-planned museum, on the other hand, the precise ob- jects to which it is to be devoted are sketched out beforehand, and the due amount of room is assigned to each. No matter though for a time the space seems too great, and the empty shelves stare at the visitor with a kind of mute reproach. This is a far more healthy condition than overcrowding ; and the very fact that they are standing empty is at once an incentive to the directors of the museum to do their utmost to have them filled with suitable objects, and to the public to assist in so filling them. It is, from its commencement, adapted to serve as a place of instruction to the visitor ; for attention is not diverted from objects of real value by a crowd of nearly worthless articles, and even while still very incomplete, the relations of the various groups, and the plan running through the whole, may be traced without difficulty. As an excellent example of a well-organised museum, suitable as a model for almost all provincial towns, that of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science may be selected for notice ; but the method followed in its arrangement has been so well described by Dr. Buchanan White, in a series of articles in the last volume of this Magazine, that it is needless to recapitulate an account of it here. From the success of that museum, we may learn also how short a time is necessary to enable a society, when really in earnest, to bring into existence collections that would be 158 The Scottish Naturalist. creditable as the result of many years' work, instead of being formed in two or three. But let us turn now to the educational value of a museum from another, and not less important, point of view. It ought not merely to convey to visitors a correct idea of the leading facts in science, but also to facilitate the study of the productions — animal, vegetable, and mineral — of the surrounding district ; so that each one, studying it matters not what special group in that locality, should be able to find in it a full record of what has been already done in that group by his predecessors in the locality, and should be induced to add to that record by extending the collec- tions in the department in which he is himself proficient. By such a combination of general facts, with minute accuracy in such details as can be verified by each thorough worker, it is alone possible to make a museum a valuable addition to the teaching resources of the place in which it is. Then only can it be ex- pected to lead others to become naturalists — not mere collectors, solicitous only to accumulate a miscellaneous mass of what, to themselves as well as to others, is little better than rubbish. Not the mere amount accumulated, but the success with which the lessons that may be drawn from the collections are displayed, con- stitutes a museum worthy of the name. And how much can be learned from a thoroughly equipped museum, can be appreciated only after spending a considerable time in the study of the objects in one so equipped. To the scientific visitor the advantage is not less than to the residents in visiting a museum of the kind we have been advo- cating the establishment of in provincial towns. There are many questions of the utmost interest connected with the distribution of the fauna and the flora of any country, and the variations that species undergo in different localities. The causes of these varia- tions, and peculiarities in distribution, may frequently be solved by a comparison of good collections from a number of localities, differing from one another in soil, in climate, in exposure, and in many other particulars ; and often a single district will afford localities varying widely from one another in all these conditions. For example, the provinces that have been proposed as natural divisions of Scotland — e.g., Tay or Dee — contain in themselves districts varying in soil, in altitude, in exposure, in shelter from wind, in rainfall, and in temperature. Collections from each dis- The Scottish Naturalist 159 trict ought to be included in central museums — i.e., in such localities as would render them most accessible to residents in all parts of the districts, and would also be most easy of access to scientific travellers. From such collections, made in even a single province, much could be learned of the effect on each animal or plant of the different conditions just enumerated. Conclusions thus arrived at, based on large series of specimens, would probably be found to apply to facts of variation and of distribution in wider areas ; and, at least, they would afford working hypotheses — most useful of aids when sufficiently restrained, and not assumed to be truths without proof. There are few methods of giving stability to, and furthering the work of, Natural History Societies, so efficacious as the es- tablishment of a thoroughly good museum, in which the one great aim has been to make perfect collections from the district embraced by each Society. In the fulfilment of this aim all the members can take part ; each can do something for the object of common solicitude to all ; and the fact of sharing in this common solicitude forms a strong bond among the members. The field, even in a limited area of country, is practically unlimited ; for there is no prospect of exhausting the material requiring to be wrought out, however constant the labour devoted to it. The collections existing in it are a most valuable assistance to members studying groups well represented in the museum, and save much expenditure of useless labour — useless, that is, in merely doing again what had been done before, but had been forgotten in the absence of such a record as collections supply. Where any de. partment had not been previously studied in the district, this fact would be at once rendered evident by its absence from the museum ; and the existence of the blank would be a powerful stimulus to members of the Society to try to fill it. It is quite unnecessary to do more than refer to the great advantage that the use of a well- equipped museum is to every Naturalists' Society, in affording the means of illustrating the papers read before it ; and the advantage of possessing, in permanent and most valuable form, the results of (frequently) many years' work on the part of many of its most laborious and successful members. If there is no public institu- tion of the kind to which local collections can be presented, they are apt to be allowed to go to ruin on the death of the worker, and all record of much good work is entirely lost. 160 The Scottish Naturalist. It may be that to some of our readers what has been said may seem needless, or even hurtful, as tending to discourage many that would wish to be liberal donors, but who would shrink from offer- ing what may be refused by the directors of museums managed on such principles. But there is little risk of a result prejudicial to the best interests of the institutions ; while it would be a very great advantage to be free from the burden of accumulations of material useless at the best, and even injurious as interfering with the effi- cient fulfilment of the chief uses of the museums to the districts, to the scientific public, and most of all to Societies that undertake the work of forming: them. THE KELATIONSHIP OP PALAEONTOLOGY TO BIOLOGY. By R J. HARVEY GIBSON, M.A. ( Concluded. ) I HOLD then that Palaeontology is a branch of Biology, and not a subdivision of Geology. I hold that a discussion of the structure, affinities, classification, and distribution in time of fossils is a biological problem, not a geological one. I would even go the length of advocating the abolition of the term Palaeontology, since its use is calculated to emphasise the separa- tion of the study of fossils from the study of recent forms, a separation that should not exist. How, then, is Biology to be arranged so as to include this new mass of material ? Simply enough. By the admission of the essentially genealogical nature of classification, and the introduc- tion into that classification of the different groups of plants and animals that lived in past ages. If the doctrine of Evolution be true, if all living forms be descended from common ancestors, then all ancient forms must be entitled to a place in a biological classification. That many such forms will for long remain in a doubtful relation to the general tree is a misfortune, due to circum- stances beyond our control. But that need not hinder us from attempting such a classification. It does not do so even in the present state of Zoological knowledge ; though there are many forms whose nearest relationships have not as yet been definitely decided upon. We shall be unable, it is true, to give an account of the soft The Scott is J i Naturalist. 161 parts of ancient living things. We shall be unable to do more than guess at their habits and mode of life, again a misfortune ; but this is no leason, it seems to me, why we should omit to describe those parts which are left, in a general account of the plant and animal worlds. On the other hand the subject of Etiology can be discussed with every prospect of attaining the most interesting and important results, as instanced in the Etiology of the Herbivora and of the birds as worked out by Huxley and Marsh respectively. It is in the subject of Distribution, however, that the importance of uniting Palaeontology and Biology is especially apparent. Distribution may be either Geological or Geographical, that is to say it treats of the distribution of plants and of animals in time or in space. The true relationship of these two phases of the Distribution question does not seem to me to be sufficiently well brought out in textbooks. We are apt to think of Distribution in time as merely the order in which different grades of organisms have appeared on the globe, and Distribution in space as a census of the inhabitants of the different sections into which the surface of the land has been divided. But distribution in time is some- thing more than that, and the two aspects of the subject, though apparently as disconnected as depth and breadth, are in reality inseparable. History has been defined as " statistics in movement ; " statis- tics as "history in repose." And in geological history as in civil history this is true. Geographical distribution is a statistic. Each period in the history of the earth has its own geographical distribution of organisms. These are all statistics, and since there is an indefinite number of separate " horizons " in the succession of rocks we may say there is an indefinite number also of statis- tics of Geographical Distribution. The sum of them piled on each other forms Distribution in time or Geological History. Geographical Distribution as we understand it therefore is simply the last census of living things, the first preserved otherwise than by the rocks themselves. Here, again, imperfections in the geological record, destruction of entire series of strata, and ignor- ance of the geological history of the crust of the earth save in certain parts, prevent us from attaining as perfect a knowledge of past Geographical Distribution as we should wish, but nevertheless the main features of Geographical Distribution in the Tertiary L 1 62 The Scottish Naturalist. period at least seem in a fair way of being arrived at ; and no doubt, as further research is made by the various National Surveys y the doubtful points relative to that period will be cleared up ; and knowledge will be more and more increased with regard to the secondary and primary periods of geological history. If the subject of Palaeontology then be simply a branch of the wider Science of Biology, in what sense may a Geologist treat of the fossils which he will constantly meet with in his examination of the earth's crust? Obviously from two points of view. First,, and less important, in so far as they form actual rock-masses, i.e.} limestone and chalk. Secondly, as guides to the establishment of the correct order of superposition of strata. In the remarks with which Dr. Geikie follows up his definition of Palaeontology, he refers in few words to the biological as con- trasted with the physical aspects of Palaeontology, and consistently discusses under the head of Palaeontology only the physical aspect of the subject. The biological aspect is, however, dealt with fully in the section on Stratigraphical Geology, a procedure which is justifiable on the ground that biologists have not yet learnt that it is their duty to furnish the geologists with a complete account of the structure, affinities and classification of extinct forms so far as circumstances permit them to do so. Hitherto I have treated this subject solely from a theoretical point of view ; and although in theory it may seem advisable to unite Biology and Palaeontology, yet in practice it might be inex- pedient to alter their present status. I shall endeavour now to show that not only is it possible and expedient to unite the study and teaching of Palaeontology and Biology, but that the advantages to be gained by such a union are such as to fully justify the alterations that would be required. There can be no question, I think, but that the gain to Geology would be great. For not only would the time at present spent on palaeontological studies be available for the study of the more important phenomena of structural and dynamical Geology, but the geologist would be spared the necessity, and perfectly needless labour, of acquiring a knowledge at first-hand, of the innumerable fossils, whose meaningless names must have suggested emphatically enough that they are the veritable dry bones of Biology. Now that the order of superposition of rocks has been ascer- tained, what need to repeat in every course of lectures, in every The Scottish Naturalist. 163 textbook, the lists of the names of the various forms of plant and animal life found in these strata. All further discovery of the presence in, or absence from, certain strata of certain fossils is a biological discovery, and has to be discussed under the distribution in time of the group to which the discovery refers. It would be always instructive no doubt to indicate the leading features of the organic world at the same time as the characteristic physical fea- tures of any epoch ; but all details I would leave to be studied under Biology. Looked at from the Biological side what are the advantages to be gained by this rearrangement ? The advantages it seems to me are many ; and first, with regard to classification. It is only of late years that a true conception has been arrived at, as to what classification really is. For ages physiological classifications, which introduced such absurdities as the grouping together of whales and fish, of birds and bats, were discussed seriously. Artificial classifications like that of Linnaeus, founded on the morphology of the organ or system, failed of necessity to throw any light on the phenomena of plant or of animal phyllo- geny. The accurate morphological researches of Cuvier, the embryological work of Von Baer, and the profound generalisations of Lamarck and Darwin were needed ere classification was seen in its true light. " Some deeper bond is included in classification " says Darwin, " than mere resemblance. I believe that community of descent, the one known cause of close similarity in organic things, is that bond." But acceptance of the view of community of descent from a generalised ancestral stock of necessity signifies the acceptance of the unity and continuity of plant and animal life since its origin. It means that all the innumerable plant and animal forms that exist now, that have existed in past ages, whether preserved in the rocks or not, are leaves, twigs, branches, of one great tree, whose roots are hid deep in the unknown pregeological time, whose latest blossoms are unfolding around us to-day. " We can understand," writes our great master in Biology, " how it is that all the forms of life, ancient and recent, make together a few grand classes ; we can understand from the continued tend- ency to divergence of character, why the more ancient a form is, 164 The Scottish Naturalist. the more it generally differs from those now living ; why ancient and extinct forms often tend to fill up gaps between existing forms ; sometimes blending two groups previously classed as dis- tinct into one, but more commonly bringing them a little closer together. The more ancient a form is, the more nearly will it be related to, and consequently resemble, the common progenitor of groups, since become widely divergent. Extinct forms are seldom directly intermediate between existing forms ; but are intermediate only by a long and circuitous course through other extinct and different forms. We can clearly see why the organic remains of closely consecutive formations are closely allied ; for they are closely linked together by generation. We can clearly see why the remains of an intermediate formation are intermediate in character." No greater step toward the embodiment of such teaching as this in actual result, can I think be made, than by the amplifica- tion of our zoological and botanical tables of classification by the addition of the animals and plants that lived in past ages. In- numerable problems will no doubt at once suggest themselves ; and there will be very many groups of extinct forms whose precise position on such a classification will be most difficult to determine. These difficulties may however, it seems to me, be in great measure got over by, in the first place, always adopting an arboreal or genealogical form of classification, and by absolutely discarding the unmeaning, if not actually pernicious, tabular arrangement ; and secondly, by the judicious use of such expressed or unexpressed hypothetical links as are made use of, for example, by Balfour in his explanation of the phyllogeny of the Chordata. Probably also were biologists ready to tackle the problem of the structure and affinities of fossil organisms, their knowledge of recent forms might enable them to suggest solutions of difficulties which the experience of geologists might never have led them to guess at. Witness the recent demonstration of the Arachnoid affinities of Limulus and of the extinct Trilobites and Eurypterida. ZOOLOGY. THE LEPIDOPTEKA OF THE SHETLAND ISLANDS, WITH REMARKS UPON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE SPECIES IN OTHER NORTHERN REGIONS, IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE NORTH AND MIDDLE OF GERMANY, AND IN THE SWISS ALPS. By AUGUST HOFFMAN in Hanover. (Translated from the Stettiner Entomologische Zcitung XLV., 1884, PP- 253-75-) IN the autumn of 1883, I received from Mr. H. MacArthur some consignments of Lepidoptera, which he had collected in the Shetland Islands. These had a very great interest for me, on account of the many points of resemblance, which I found in their varieties, to those of the Upper Harz Mountains. The Shetland Islands, consisting of four larger islands, viz., Main- land, Yell, Fetlar, and Unst, and many smaller ones, lie to the N.N.E. of Scotland, between 59°8 and 6o°52 North, about the same latitude as the southern point of Greenland, thus being upon the border of the Arctic Region. Mr. MacArthur's captures, collected from the Islands of Main- land and Unst, during the years : — 1880, from the end of April to the end of August; 1881, from the beginning of May to the middle of September; and 1883, from the end o'f May to the beginning of September, have already been discussed in the Entomologist \ as under : — 1880, pp. 249-251 and 289-293; i88i,pp. 278-281; 1884, pp. 1-4, by Messrs J. Jenner Weir (Macrolepidoptera) and Howard Vaughan (Microlepidoptera). The very valuable remarks of these gentle- men have been written from an English point of view — that is to say, from the point of view that the majority of English collectors take up ; they treat the collections from the Shetland Islands in 1 66 The Scottish Naturalist . comparison with the British Lepidopterou-Fauna alone, though they deserve, I believe, a wider treatment. Since, besides, English Entomological Journals, such as the Entomologist, are not accessible to every German entomologist, the following treatise by me upon the subject may not be considered superfluous. I have subjoined notices to my work with regard to the geographi- cal and vertical range of the species in question. I intend by this less to state where especially any species occurs, because the work of the brothers Speyer, 2 he Geographical Range of Butterflies, as well as the catalogue by Staudinger and Wocke, gives thorough information upon that point, than to determine which of the species in question reaches its greatest diffusion under the same or similar conditions of climate as those in which they occur in the far North, and in the higher mountain regions; and upon this point, at the conclusion, I will give a tabulated synopsis. For this purpose I have made use of the following works : — Dr. O. Staudinger — Reise nach Island, in Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, 1857. Dr. O. Staudinger — Beitrag zur Lepidopteren- Fauna Grosnlands, l.c. 1857. Dr. O. Staudinger and Dr. Wocke — Reise nach Finnmarken, l.c. i86e, 1862. Dr. M. F. Wocke — Ein Beitrag zur Lepidopteren-Fauna Nor- wegens, l.c. 1864. H. B. Moeschler — Bdtrcege zur Sc/imellerlings-Fauna von Labrador, l.c. 1870, 1874, 1883. J. G. Schilde — Lepidopterologische Mittheilungcn aus Nord-Finn- land, l.c. 1873, 1874. Dr. Heinrich Frey- Die Lepidopteren der Schweiz, 1880. Dr. Adolf Speyer and August Speyer — Die Geographische Ver- breitung der Schmetterlinge Deutschlands mid der Schweiz, 1858, 1862. Dr. O. Staudinger and Dr. Wocke — Katalog der Lepidopteren des Europaischen Faunengebiets, 1871. and also of information kindly communicated to me by letter by Dr. M. Standfuss, Parchwitz, upon the occurrence of the species in the higher parts of the Silesian Mountains (from about 4000 feet upwards). The remarks bearing upon the Upper Harz Mountains are the The Scottish Naturalist. 167 result of personal observation, since I have investigated the fauna of these mountains from about 2500 feet upwards. The abbreviations used in the course of the article are as follows : — Stgr. Isl., observed by Dr. Staudinger in Iceland under any form. Stgr. Gr'dnl, given by Dr. Staudinger as appearing in Greenland under any form. Stgr. and Wk. Lap., noticed by Dr. Staudinger and Dr. Wocke in Norwegian Lapland (Finmark), &c. Wk. Norv. Alp., noticed by Dr. Wocke in the Dovrefield Moun- tains. Mosch. Labr., given by Moschler as appearing in Labrador, &c. JSc/i. Ten., noticed by Schilde in North Finnland, &c. Frey Alp., given by Prof. Frey as appearing in the Swiss Alps, &c, from about 4000 feet upwards. Std/s. Sit. Mont., given by Dr. Standfuss as appearing in the Silesian Mountains from about 4000 feet upwards. H. Here. Mont., noticed by me in the Upper Harz Mountains, &c, from about 2500 feet upwards. Spr. Verbr., Dr. Ad. and Aug. Speyer, " Geographical Range," &c. JStrg. and Wk. Cat., Staudinger and Wocke's Catalogue. By the addition of one of the previous localities, take for example Fen. or Lap., it is indicated that the species, or a form belonging to it, is recorded in the preceding works as appearing in Finnland or in Lapland. After this my paper gives a review of the appearance of the species : — 1. In the Polar and Arctic region (in Staudinger's sense) — Iceland, Greenland, Lapland, Labrador, Finnland; 2. In the Alpine region of a northern mountain, Dovrefield ; 3. In the higher tracts ot the mountains of the north and middle of Germany, the Upper Harz and Silesian Mountains ; 4. In the upper and lower Alpine region, and in the lower snowy zone (in Frey's sense) — the Swiss Alps. Those species of which I have had a great number here for comparison are marked with * ■ my remarks upon' these kinds are also based on personal observations ; as regards the rest, I follow communications made to me by letter by Mr. MacArthur, and also the works of Messrs Jenner Weir, and Howard Vaughan. In those cases where the nomenclature used in England differs 1 68 The Scottish Naturalist. from our own, (Staudinger and Wocke), I have added in brackets the names common in England. i. Vanessa Atalanta L. {Pyrameis Atalanta L.) Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont; H. Here. Mont.; Spr. Verbr. Lap. Ordinary form ; in July. 2. Vanessa CarduiL. {Pyrameis Cat -did L.) Mosch. Labr.J Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; Spr. Verbr. Lap. Ordinary form, end of July, rare. 3. Sphinx Convolvuli L. Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; Spr. Verbr. ; Here. Mont. (Height uncertain.) Ordinary form, August. * 4. Nemeophila Plantaginis L. Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont. I saw only male examples of this species, which belonged to the ordinary form ; some showed only a slight deviation in so far as the ground-colour of the upper wings seemed to be a clear whitish-yellow, and restricted the extent of the black marking, whilst that of the under wing remained yellow. Dr. Staudinger has remarked the same in Lapland ; and I have captured speci- mens in the Upper Harz Mountains, in which the pale colour reduced the black to a minimum. The varieties hospita Schiff. and matronalis Fr. were not noticed in the Shetland Islands. June. * 5. Hepialus Humuli L. and Aberr. Hethlandica. Stgr. Wk. Norv. Alp.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont* According to Mr. M'Arthur, the type form is prevalent in the Shet- land Islands, whilst the male form with the female markings on the upper wings {Hethlandica) appears in all transitions of ground- colour, from the purest white male to the deep red-yellow or brown-yellow of the upper wings, which usually appears in the female insect of the type-form. I therefore refer Hethlandica as an aberration to Humuli. The Entomologist gives a very interest- ing series of figures of this Shetland form, I880, plate 3. I had here four examples of the Aberr. Hethlandica in charac- teristic varieties for comparison ; and give a short description of these four specimens, passing in order from that, which stands nearest (in colour) to the female moth, on to that through which the transition to the white form of the male is best shown. They are as follows : — 1. Ground-colour of the upper wings yellowish, the female The Scottish Naturalist. 169 markings strongly carried out in reddish-yellow ; the under wing > a dark gray, with a tinge of red; head and thorax covered with red and yellow hairs ; the fringes of both wings also a red-yellov - This specimen, at the first glance, could scarcely be distinguish!, d from a small female, if it were not characterised as a male by the form of the wings and by the hair-tuft on the hinder tibiae. 2. Upper wings yellow ; the female markings are indicated in a red-brown instead of red-yellow ; under wings a gray-black, with a scarcely perceptible suffusion of white ; head and thorax with red- brown hairs, and both wings bordered with red-brown. 3. Upper wings dark yellow, with the female markings in brown ; under wings a blackish-gray, with a white suffusion ; both wings bordered with brown ; head and thorax with yellow-brown hairs. 4. Upper wings white ; veins dusted with yellow-brown ; the female markings a dirty brown ; under wings gray, with a dense white suffusion, so that the ground-colour is merely indicated; both the wings bordered with black-brown ; head and thorax with yellowish-gray hairs. All four specimens have the wings blackish below, with white specks, just as in the small white male of the type-form. In the aberrations described the markings of the female are clearly perceptible, but one also finds small white males in which the female markings are discernible only in pale yellow. Entomo- logist, 1880 ; plate 3, figs. 4 and 6. The pure white form of the male of Hepialus Humuli, which, as mentioned before, is prevalent in the islands, and which also I had here for comparison, is distinguished from our native specimens, and from those of the Upper Harz, by the dark grayish-yellow hairs on the head and thorax, and in both also the wings have almost black borders. The female shows only a somewhat cloudier yellow than in German specimens. It appears to be the view of English inquirers that, at first, both the sexes were of the same colour, that therefore the ab. Hethlandica was the primitive male form, and that a modification into the white form of the male had taken place through sexual selection. Vide Jenner Weir, Entomologist, 1880, pp. 251. Time of flight is June and July. * 6. Hepialus Velleda Hb. var. Wk. Norv. Alp. ; Sch. Fen.; FreyAlp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont.; Spr. Verbr. Lap. The Shetland form is very different from that of our Lowlands ; 170 The Scottish Naturalist, it appears, however, to be identical with the form from the Upper Harz Mountains. I saw only four males and two females, they were like dark specimens from the Upper Harz Mountains. En- tomologist> 1880; plate 4, figs. 16 and 17. Time of flight is June and July. The Upper Harz form is, on the whole, smaller than that of the North German Lowlands ; and whilst the latter is pretty constant in its yellow-brown colour, the scale of the colours in the former in the males, (the females vary less), grades from the deepest black- brown in the ground-colour of the upper wings, through red-brown and red-yellow to a pale leather-yellow. In the dark specimens? the white bands have often a silvery lustre, and look like washed- out spots on the blackish under wings. Such specimens have a very variegated appearance. The pale examples show often quite faded markings, they thus approach the ab. Gallicus Ld. Since the latter is found on the Riesengebirge, I have no doubt that it occurs also on the Upper Harz Mountains. I have also got it from the Island of Arran, on the West Coast of Scotland. As yet it has not been observed in the Shetland Islands. The larva of Hepialus Velleda I find, in all the books accessible to me, given as living in the root of Pteris aquilina. That is correct as regards the Lowland form, which appears in the woods where Pteris aquilina grows. It is, however, quite wrong for the form found in the Upper Harz, for there Velleda flies in company with Hepialus Humuli at a height of 2500 feet above the meadows, and where no Pteris aquilina is to be found for miles around. I suppose that the larva there lives upon the roots of Meum Athamanticum or of a species of Pumex, which is found in abundance in the meadows. I have also seen newly-emerged moths creep out of these plants, especially from Meum. The time of flight of this species is at sunset, and lasts scarcely twenty minutes, afterwards one can only find a few females still laying eggs. The pairing takes place vehemently; often from ten to twenty males swarm round a newly-emerged female, like bees before the door of a hive. When the pairing is over, the remaining males disappear very fast. Dr. Struve has noticed the same in Hepialus Pyrenaicus. I have made the preceding statements, because I suppose that on other mountains, as well as on those in the Far North, the mode of life of this species is the same. The Scottish Naturalist. 171 * 7. Agrotis strigula Thnb.. {Agrotis porphyrea Sv.) Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Larger and darker than our Lowland specimens ; but exactly like those of the Upper Harz. August. 8. Agrotis pronuba L. (Triphcena pronnbala) Stgr. IsL ; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Ordinary form. End of June and July. * 9. Agrotis hyperborea, var. alpina Westw. (Pachnobia alpina Westw.) ; Stgr. and Wk. Lap. ; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. Duller coloured and less variegated than the alpina of the Scot- tish Highlands, and therefore more like the type-form hyperborea. July. {Entomologist, 1880; plate 4, figs. 14 and 15.) I received frcm Mr. Mac Arthur a very well-preserved larva, which exactly, even to the minutest detail, corresponds with Dr. Staudinger's description of the larva of hyperborea. {Stett. Ent. Zeit., 1881, p. 361.) Dr. Staudinger writes: — " Above, on each side, runs a pale line, on the inside of which, at the beginning of each segment, lies a short black streak." In my larva, the black streaks are first visible on the fourth segment, they become more marked up to the tenth segment, and with the middle line of the back at the end of each segment form regular wedges, which are thus turned with the points backwards. Dr. Staudinger writes farther : — " The two last black streaks converge backwards." In my larva they run exactly like the others, but are weaker. In these respects the larva of the Shetland form is different from that of the Lapland form. But as I possess only one specimen, as I said before, I could not determine whether these characteristics were constant. The larva, according to Mr. MacArthur, lives hidden under moss, and feeds on the young branches of a species of Vaccinium. 10. Agrotis C-nigrum L. {NoctitaC-ntgrum'L.) Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; Spr. Verbr. Lap. Ordinary form. July, rare. * 11. Agrotis xanthographa Sv. var. {Noctua xaiitho- grapha SV.). I have, through the kindness of Dr. Staudinger, got this species from the most different places ; among them one pair is a pale gray, with a light yellow tinge of Sicilen. I possess, in my own collection, a number of varieties of this species ; but in none do I find any approach to the Shetland form, the upper wings of which have very coarse scales, and are a deep black-brown, with 172 The Scottish Naturalist. a reddish tinge. The orbicular and reniform stigmas show a yellowish tinge. Mr. MacArthur writes me that he has caught even darker speci- mens than those which he sent to me for examination. Flies in August. * 12. Agrotis f estiva var. conflua Ti. (NoctuaJ cestiva var. conflua Fr.) ; Stgr. Isl. ; Stgr. and Wk. Lap. ; Wk. Norv. Alp. ; Sch. Fen.; Mosch. Latr.j Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont. On the authority of Dr. Rossler, I place conflua as a variety of /estiva. I saw eight specimens of this form from the Shetland Islands, which were just as different from the conflua of Altvater, of the Norwegian mountains and of Lapland, as they varied greatly among themselves, especially in the colour. In the next place, the Shetland form has narrower wings, and the point of the upper wing is more prolonged. This does not appear 30 clearly in the figures in the Entomologist, 1884 (plate 1, figs. 8, 9, and 10), as it did in the specimens which I saw. In colour, they vary from a dark gray-brown through red-brown to a reddish leather-yellow. Time of flight is in July. According to Dr. Staudinger, very similar varieties appear in Iceland. Dr. Rossler regards conflua as a mountain form of festiva, because the eggs of conflua brought by Dr. v. Bodemeyer to Wiessbaden produced festiva in all varieties, but no conflua. At Dr. v. Bodemeyer's, I saw some of those specimens, which had emerged as a second generation in late autumn, but which, in my opinion, are more nearly related to the conflua than to the typical festiva of our Lowlands. Dr. Rossler has certainly examined a great number, and has formed his opinions upon them. Dr. Standfuss writes to me that Dr. VVocke has also brought up a second genera- tion of conflua from Altvater, which more or less form a transition to festiva. This certainly speaks in favour of the near relationship of the two forms ; in the wild state the distinctness of the forms is always constant. From information kindly supplied by Dr. Standfuss, festiva alone appears in the true Alps ; and he certainly found two larvae at a height of over 4000 feet, and reared festiva from them, which did not in the least differ from those of the Lowlands. Conflua is said never to have been caught or reared in the Alps; while farther east upon the snow-covered mountains, and upon The Scottish JVat?iralist. 173 Altvater, at a considerable height, it appears to take the place of /estiva. Upon the moors of the Upper Harz, a very small pale form of the festiva appears, which, however, certainly belongs to this species. I have never found in it any approach to conflua. Professor Frey gives the most varied localities for festiva, from the lower region of the Swiss territory, and up to Sils-Maria in the Upper Engadine at a height of about 5500 feet, as well as upon the border between the lower and upper Alpine regions (in Frey's sense) ; but for conflua he gives only the Bernese Alps, without mentioning the height, Belchen, Engelberg, and Eigenthal. The last three localities, with a height of about 3000 feet, lie upon the border between the lower and upper mountain regions (in Frey's sense). I will just point out that, for these considerations, conflua can- not be referred with absolute certainty as a mere mountain form to festiva, since the latter has been observed commonly in the mountains, at the same height as conflua, sometimes indeed even higher. With regard to accelerated development, I may further remark that I have seen at Dr. Bodemeyer's a number of Agrotis Rubi View (Mia Bkh.), also reared with abundance of food and artifi- cial warmth, which were very large, and resembled Agrotis florida Schmidt, but did not quite agree with that form. Dr. Rossler tries to give an explanation of such modifications in his work, "Die Schuppenflugler, &c." (introduction, page 9), which certainly deserves every attention. Probably, we shall be able to attain full certainty on these questions, only when we have succeeded in rearing several generations from the egg. 13. Agrotis glareosaEsp. var. (Noctua Glareosa Esp.) One specimen, with dark brown instead of gray ground colour. Ento- mologist, I884; plate 1, fig. 1 ; August. 14. Agrotis lucernea L. Frey, Alp.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Fen.; Norv. Alp. (Dovrefield), according to Staudinger. Large and dark examples. July, rare. * 15. Agrotis cursoria Hufn. and aberr. sagitta Stgr.; aberr. obscura Stgr. ; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Fen. The cursoria of the Shetland Islands (I saw four specimens) are smaller than our North German examples, for the most part uniformly greenish yellow brown; but darker brown specimens 1^4 The Scottish Naturalist. also occur with white stigmas, whitish front margin, and whitish mid-vein (sagitta) {Entomologist, 1884; plate 1, fig. 3); also, quite uniformly dark-brown specimens occur, in which only the stigmas have a margin of yellow, {obscure). {Entomologist, 1884; August and September; plate 1, fig. 2.) 16. Agrotis OCCTllta L. {Aplecta Occulta L.) Stgr. Gronl. ; Mosch. Labr. ; Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Lap. Pale specimens occur like those of the South of England. The black form of the Scottish moun- tains, which appears also with us in mountainous regions, e.g. Upper Harz, was not captured. July. 17. Chareas graminis L. Stgr. Isl.; Stgr. Gronl.; Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Labr. Ordinary form, end of July and August. Unfortunately I was unable to examine this species, among which there are said to be very dark specimens, pro- bably Latenai, which also appears in the Upper Harz, along with the type form, in May and June. * 18. Dianthoecia nana Hufn. var. {Diantlwecia conspersa S.V.) Wk. Norv. Alp.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; Spr. Verbr. Lap. The darkest specimens of this curious Shetland form could scarcely be considered as nana, were it not that the paler ones formed a transition. I saw three males, which in comparison with the type form must be characterised in the following way : — Ground colour, a paler or darker lead grey, washed over with a greenish yellow. The white marks of the type form are visible on the upper wings of the palest specimen, as well as the orbicular and reniform stigmas ; the white spots on the inner margin and the white outlines of the wavy lines are also faintly shown ; and traces of white colouring are found on head, collar, shoulder-lappets, and nuchal crest. In the second specimen, white markings quite dis- appear from the wings, and only on the head and thorax do they still remain visible. In the third (darkest) specimen, the white colouring has entirely disappeared even from the head and thorax, and the colour is simply leaden grey, washed over with faint greenish yellow. The orbicular and reniform stigmas are outlined with black ; the two double cross lines and the arrow marking of the wavy lines are black. Mr. Mac Arthur answers my question, whether the common form does not also occur in the islands. The Scottish Naturalist. 175 " Conspersa {nana) are all dark ; the common form does not occur there, though some specimens are somewhat paler than those that I sent you." The figures in the Entomologist, 1880, plate 4, Nos. 12 and 13, represent pale specimens; the colours as given are somewhat too yellow, when compared with those that I have examined here. This variety is especially noteworthy in that it is not a mere darkening that has taken place. Even the darkest specimen that I possess does not show the deep blue-black ground-colour of the type form, against which the white stands out so clearly. The dark spots of the marking have rather become fainter, that is duller leaden coloured, and the white spots, if I may say so, have become greenish yellow, so that the colours seem to have approached each other to produce such a uniformity. Time of flight is June. 19. Luperina Haworthii Curt. ? (Celaena Haworthii 'Curt.) H. Here. Mont.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat., Fen., Lap. The ground colour of the specimens is said to be redder and more sharply denned than in the usual form, so that they would exactly correspond to specimens from the Upper Harz. August. 20. Hadena adusta Esp. Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont. This species is described in the same way as the last, and there- fore corresponds to the specimens of the Upper Harz. End of June and July. * 21. Hadena exulis Lef. Stgr. IsL; Stgr. Gronl.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Mosch. Labr.; Sch. Fen.; (?) Frey Alp. ; (?) H. Here. Mont. It appears to be more and more becoming the general belief that the forms Zeta Tr., Per nix H. G., Maillardii and exulis Lf., belong to one species. Prof. Frey expresses himself of this opinion as to the relationship of Pdrnix, Maillardi, and exulis. Unfor- tunately, as I have not the material, I can form no opinion upon this difficult question. It was for this reason that, when treating of distribution, I introduced the statement bearing on that of Mail- lardii with a query. Of the few specimens caught upon the Shetland Islands, I have seen only a somewhat rubbed example, which approaches closely to Maillardii in the cut of its wings, and nearly reaches the size of this form. The colouring is gray brown ; all the cross lines are indicated by dirty yellow; and the stigmas are filled up in the same way. The reniform stigma towards the mid-vein is dirty iy6 The Scottish Naturalist. white. The figures {Entomologist, I884; plate 1, figs. 6 and 7) are very characteristic for the forms. I could not compare the little form No. 5. Specimens from Labrador and Iceland, which I received from Dr. Staudinger, are very different from these forms. From the great inclination to vary, which this form possesses, it would be useless to state the differences of the few specimens. My statement in regard to the appearance of Maillardii in the Upper Harz is founded upon a somewhat rubbed example, which Mr. Muhlenpfordt caught there, and which may be referred to this form with considerable certainty, but which perhaps belongs to Zeta-Pcmix. Exiriis flies in the Shetland Islands about the end of July. * 22. Hadena furva Sv. (Mamestra furva Sv.) Frey Alp.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Fen. Smaller and darker than specimens from the Swiss Alps. Flies in August and September. 23. Hadena monoglypha Hufn. (Xylophasia polyodon L.) Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont; H. Here. Mont. Ordinary form ; flies in June and July. 24. Hadena basilinea Sv. (Apamea basilinea Sv.) Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont; H. Here. Mont. Ordinary form ; flies in July. 25. Hadena fasciuncula Hw. (Miana jasciuncula H\v.) Ordinary English form. Flies in July. One example. 26. Hydrcecia micacea Esp.; H. Here. Mont Some specimens are said to show a darker red than the ordinary form. Flies in July. Rare. 2 7. Oaradrina quadripunctata F. ( Caradrina orbicularis Sv.) Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. Ordinary form. Flies in July. * 28. Dasypolia templi Thnb. (?) Frey Alp. Wallis (without mentioning the height); Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Fen. The specimens that I saw are not different from the ordinary form, but a very much darker example is said to have been caught. Flies in September. * 29. Plusia gamma L. Stgr. Gronl.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Ordinary form. Flies in May and September. * 30. Anarta melanopa Thnb. Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Mosch. Labr.; Frey Alp. Northern form. Smaller than specimens from the Swiss Alps The Scottish Naturalist. ijj The upper wings are strongly suffused with yellow ; the lower wings are white, with a black median spot and rather broad black marginal band. Time of flight is June. 31. Anaitis paludata(?) var. imbutataHb. (Carsiaimbutata Hb.) Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Mosch. Labr.; Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; H. Here. Mont.; Wk. Norv. Mont. Unfortunately, I have not seen the specimens. Since Mr. Jenner Weir does not specially mention this species, I assume that the specimens are identical with the Scottish ones, and therefore they belong to the form with strong pencillings much mixed with red, since this form also occurs on the Harz. Information as to the time of flight is wanting to me ; probably it is the end of July and beginning of August. * 32. Lygris testata L. var. (Cidaria testata L.) Sch. Fen.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. The specimens that I saw are essentially different from those of our Lowlands. The beautiful agate-red of the upper wings is modified into a reddish brown, and the bluish dash of colour appears deeper ; the whole colouring is therefore duller. I have reared a quite similar example from the Upper Harz; and Mr. Fuess, one of our collectors, tells me that he has taken this species, with the same dull dark colours, in the Island of Borkum also. Dr. Staudinger writes me explicitly that some specimens caught at Bodo, on the Saltenfiord, do not differ from those of Germany. Time of flight is 10th September. * 33. Cidaria immanata Hw. and abb. marmorata Hw. Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Isl. I saw sixteen specimens from the mainland of Shetland, and four from Unst ; the former varied considerably from one another ; but in all the sixteen the markings were very distinct; while in the specimens from Unst the colours appeared more uniform and the markings rather faded. In most examples a red-yellow ground-colour prevails on the upper wings ; the basal and middle areas are black, more or less broken up into bands, and both are marked off on the side next the root of the wing by distinct white zig-zag lines. From Dr. Staudinger I obtained Icelandic specimens, which have more of a whitish ground colour, while the basal and middle areas are uniformly black. There has been much controversy as to the relation of C. M 178 The Scottish Naturalist. immanata to C. truncata Hufn. (russata S.N.). In my opinion the two species cannot be kept separate merely by markings and by colour, since both are subject to vary in the highest degree. In tmmanatat however, the median area is more sharply zig-zagged, and sends out a larger and sharper tooth towards the margin. But the cut of the wings seems a more reliable character, yet one will not detect this unless he compares a considerable number of both species. The upper wings of immanata are always narrower and more sharply cut, and their tips are more prolonged than in truncata. I have found this distinction confirmed in twenty immanata from the Shetland Islands, and in three examples from Iceland, as against an equal number of truncata from the island of Arran, and at least thirty or forty examples of this species from Hanover, the Upper Harz, and Denmark. Dr. Staudinger gives in the short diagnoses of his " Katalog " for truncata "sp. major," and for immanata "sp. minor," but this is not always applicable, since the immanata of the Shetland Islands were larger than the truncata from Arran, and were not smaller than examples of the latter from here (Hanover), and from the Upper Harz. It is very noteworthy that in the Shetland Islands only C. immanata has been taken, while in the Hebrides C. truncata alone is said to occur. I know that many good entomologists are in favour of uniting immanata and trimcata, as, e.g., Drs. Wocke and Standfuss, who have certainly offered weighty arguments in favour of their opinion. Unfortunately, I could not compare ex- amples from the Alps, where both species are said to occur, so I have been able only to prove in how far the two forms are related to one another in the material which was available to me for com- parison. In the Shetland Islands immanata is on the wing in August and September. * 34. Cidaria munitata Hb. var. {Coremia munitata Hb.) Stgr. Isl. ; Stgr. and Wk. Lap. ; Wk. Norv. Alp. ; Mosch. Labr. ; Sch. Fen. ; Frey Alp. Of this variety I saw four males, which were all alike. The whole insect appears to be washed over with reddish yellow, so that no white appears. The outline of the red-brown median area is less distinct than usual. Mr. MacArthur tells me that munitata occurs in Shetland under this form alone. It is figured in the Entomologist, 1880; tab. 4, fig. 9. Mr. Schilde, from his own 7 he Scottish Naturalist. 179 statement, appears to have taken a similar specimen in Finnland, but only as an aberration, among others of the usual colour. Time of flight is July. * 35. Cidaria didymata L. (Larentia didymatal) Wk. Norv. Alp.; Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont. I saw three males and two females. The males are darker than with us (in Hanover) ; the colour of the females inclines more to yellowish. Spread of wing somewhat greater. The species occurs in almost the same form in the Upper Harz. Flies in August. 36. Cidaria fluctuata L. (Melanippe fluctuata L.) Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Sch. Fen.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. Apparently only one specimen of this species was taken in the islands; it is figured in the Entomologist, 1880; tab. 4, fig. 6. It appears to be quite dark, smaller, and with more pointed wings than our (Hanoverian) form. Mr. Schilde has captured a small speci- men with rather sharp-tipped wings in Finnland also. Dr. Staudin- ger mentions for Lapland, and Prof. Frey for the Simplon and Gadmen valleys, a form with almost pure white ground colour (Sempionaria Ra), hence the species must vary exceedingly. Flies in June. lo be con ti ?i tied. SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL, ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE,-^, 1885.— Bersea pullata and Cruncecia irrorata bred (rrom Scotch localities), by Kenneth J. Morton ; A Synopsis of the British Species of Cimbicidina, Hylotomina, Lophyrina, and Lydina, by P. Cameron, running through July, August, and September numbers, gives tables of the genera and species of sawflies under the above groups, since there is no prospect of the third volume of the "Monograph of British Phytophagous Hymenoptera," before three years from now. The Scotch species are enumerated among the others. August. — Ctl the Occurrence in Britain of Nepticula Nylandriella, probably new to our Fauna (in Sutherlandshire in May) ; On the L^rvse of Coccyx taedana and Euchromia flammeana and arbu- tana, rather common on Arctostaphylos UVa-ursi, in Sutherland- shire ; both notes by A. F. Griffith. Lepidostoma hirtum bred, from a quadrangular case, by K. J. Morton. September. — A Great Swarm of Hydropsyche instabilis, Curt in Inverness- shire, by J. J. King ; The Nitidulidae of Great Britain (con- cluded), by Rev. W. W. Fowler. In this instalment of the paper the follow- ing species are recorded from Scotland : — dps qnadripuslulaia L. from Avie- more, Rannoch, Braemar, Falkirk, Alvie, and Forres; f itvophagas ferni- gineus Fahr., from Braemar. Aviemore, and Ranncch ; Rhizophagus depressus Fabr., and R . ferrugineus Payk, widely distributed ; R. nitidulus Fab., from Rannoch ; R. dispar Gyll., from Braemar, Aviemore, and Rannoch ; R. bipics tulatus Fabr. , common ; R. politus from Aviemore. PHYTOLOGY. tfEW SCOTTISH PLOWERDTG PLANTS. By Ar. BENNETT, F.L.S. Calamagrostis strigosa, Hartm, in Caithness. IN Dr. Smiles " Life of Robert Dick of Thurso " will be found a record of his finding, at Loch Duran, in Caithness, a grass that Dick called "The Lapland Reed" {Calamagrostis lapponita of Hooker, not of Wahlenberg). In 1883 I called Mr. J. Grant's (of Wick) attention to this note, and he wrote "The loch is now (1883) drained, so I fear the plant may be lost." It was not, however, until July of this year that Mr. Grant was enabled to carefully search the ground formerly covered by the loch and its borders. He was fortunate enough to refind the plant, and, on his sending me fresh specimens, I found that on examination they could not be referred to Hooker's plant, which is C. stricta Nutt. var. Hooker i Syme of the 3 ed. of " English Botany " ; but must belong to either the C. strigosa, Hartm. or C. borealis, Lsestadius, but as I had not specimens of either, I asked Mr. N. E. Brown of the Kew Herbarium to compare them, and his answer was " The plant is C. strigosa Hartm., for although the ligule is not quite so acute as in the typical plant, yet I do not see what else it can be." The plant was first described by Wahlenberg in his "Flora Lapponica" 1812-26, page 29, tab. 2," under the name of Arnndo strigosa. I give a few particulars of its distribution, etc. Calamagrostis strigosa, Hartm. in 4th ed. of " Scandinavian Flora, 1843, and (according to Nyman, 1st ed., p. 46), nth ed. (1879) page 517. Andersson, Graminece Scandinavia, p. 97, fig. 99. Blytt, Norsk Flor. p. 136. Norges Flora p. 86. Fries Summa Veg. Scandinav., p. 241. Fries Herbarium Normale, fasc. 8, No. 86. The Scottish Naturalist. 181 It occurs at Alten in Finmark, about 70 N. Lat, Karesuando in Tornea Lapland at 66^° N., Trondhjem in North Norway, 63° 20' N., and, if General Munro and Sir J. D. Hooker are correct in referring C. aleuiica of Bongard, and C. Nutkaensis of Trin. to this species, its distribution extends to West and N. E. America, and N. E. Asia. Sir J. D. Hooker in his paper on " Arctic plants" (p. 307) gives strigosa as a Greenland species; but it is quite unknown as such to Prof. Lange, who in his " Conspectus Fl. Groenlandicae " doubts its occurrence. According to Horneman its Norwegian name is " Stivhaaret Roer.," that is stiff-haired reed. Andersson under C. lapponicct, Wahl. has a note " In Scotia adest forma nostra plantse valde similis" and under C. Halleriana " etiam ad Petropolim, indicatio in Anglia deest." There seems no reason against the occurrence in Scotland of others of the Scandinavian species, but their determination is difficult ; and there is much divergence of opinions among their authors as to whether they should be ranked as species, as varieties, or, in some cases as hybrids. Andersson considers the nearest ally of strigosa to be C. stricta, Nutt. {Deyeuxia neglecta Kunth). It differs from stricta by the larger and more acute glumes, the armature of the pedicels, length of hairs of the florets, and the more acute ligule, and in minor points, and in habit. Since the loss of the Forfar station C. stricta Nutt is a desideratum of the Scotch Flora ; surely it will be found again. Carex elongata L. in Scotland. Mr. J. M 'Andrew has sent me specimens of the above species from Kenmore Holms in Kirkcudbrightshire ; the station in which he found Calamagrostis lanccolata, Roth last year. This is an interesting addition to the Scotch Flora, its most northern station hitherto known being in Cumberland. It may occur yet farther north, since in Scandinavia it is found in all the Swedish provinces, and in North and South Norway ; but it does not seem to be a Lapland plant. There has been some confusion between alpine forms of this, and of other species in the Islandic and other Floras. May it not be that some of its forms have been passed by in Scotland ? 1 82 The Scottish Naturalist. ON MYUKIUM HEBRIDARUM AND OTHER MOSSES IN THE HEBRIDES. By JAMES STIRTON, M.D., F.L.S. THIS year I paid a visit to the Cater Hebrides mainly for the purpose of investigating the Lichen Flora of the Atlantic sea-board. I was miserably disappointed. Foiled in this direction, I turned my attention to their Moss Flora. On the 8th of August Dr. Dougall and I arrived at Creagorry Hotel, on the southern shore of Benbecula, and within 200 yards of the ford to South Uist. On the following Tuesday we traversed extensive sandy-dunes on the western shore in order to secure the rare and beautiful moss Myarium Hebridanim, but failed utterly. The only moss of any consequence seen was Bryum Marratii. After several hours of weary and unprofitable wandering we made a detour towards the numerous lochs so thickly scattered over this strange island. From the summit of Ruival (the only eminence of any consequence) at an elevation of 400 feet we counted 52 lochs. The shores of at least a dozen of these were diligently investigated without seeing a trace of the moss. Campylopus brevipilus was met at almost every step, as well as the pretty flowering plant, Anagallis tenella, and, in many of the lochs, Sparganium nutans and Potamogeton filiformis were plentiful, and proved a great annoyance and interruption to my companion's sport as a fisher. The shores of several of these lochs showed, besides, Osmunda regalis in abundance and more especially did this fern affect the smaller islands that dotted their surfaces ; while here and there, on the grassy slopes, was detected the beautiful Ophioglossum vulgatum. We desisted from our search. Next day proving suitable for fishing, we agreed to try Loch Bee on the northern shore of South Uist. We were fairly successful, but the boat being rather leaky our gillie proposed to row ashore and empty it by capsizing. Not ten yards from the spot where we grounded we picked up a tuft of the Myurium, and within 200 yards could have filled our fishing baskets with it. The waters of Loch Bee are brackish, inasmuch as the sea effects an entrance at high water, both on its eastern and western shores. The Scottish Naturalist. 183 It is rather curious that Schistidium maritimum grows along with the Myurium, and for the most part at a lower level. I might include a third — viz., Mnium hornum. The Myurium was never found below high water mark, thus affording a presumption that the brackish water was injurious to it ; and yet throughout the Hebrides it never grows far from such brackish water. According to my experience the moss has not been found at a greater elevation above the surface of the water than from 20 to 30 feet. An apparent exception to this rule might be adduced in the case of Loch Coruisk in Skye. As is well known this loch is between 40 and 50 feet above sea-level at high water, and its mouth not more than 150 yards horizontally from the sea-beach. At a little distance from the'outlet of this loch on both sides the Myurium is found sparingly. It is only where the salt spray during storms can directly find access to it that the moss grows, and even then in a stunted condition. In this situation it is evidently losing its hold, and threatens to become extinct. After finding the moss in South Uist, we devoted another day to its detection in Benbecula. We were successful. On stating to our gillie the conditions necessary to its growth, he took us to a loch on the east coast having direct communication with the sea only during spring tides. Here the moss was found under exactly the same circumstances and amid the same surroundings. Stimu- lated with this success, we took an opportunity, on our homeward voyage, to make a run to two lochs near Lochboisdale, but were unsuccessful. To both the sea had direct access with each tide. As we were to be detained in Barra for nearly three hours we agreed to explore a loch on its west coast, whose connections with the sea were reported to be rather distant. We found the moss in great luxuriance, perhaps in the finest condition of all the stations. The water tasted slightly brackish. I have now this moss from Skye, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, Teneriffe, and the Azores, i.e., from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and from nowhere else. I shall be happy to supply Bryologists with specimens of the Myurium. 5 Newton Terrace, Glasgow. 184 The Scottish Naturalist. THE POTATO SCLEROTIET. By A. STEPHEN WILSON, C.E. WHAT is a Sclerotium ? The best known and most easily found sclerotium, is the one called Ergot, — the sclerotium of Claviceps purpurea, Tul. Its structure can be fully determined only by watching its growth from the earliest stage up to maturity. In the earlier stages this body is quite white, and is seen to consist of an interior axis of sponge-like mycelium, enclosed in enormous numbers of small oblong spores. These become agglutinated around the axis, and the whole gradually assumes a dark purple colour. Another sclerotium which is very easily found in April on dead leaves of turnips and other plants, is that of Typhula incar- nata. This also is at first perfectly white. It may be found be- low the snow in February upon dead leaves, of a size little more than visible to the naked eye, and it gradually grows to the bulk sometimes of a tare seed, and is of a brown colour. But the struc- ture of this sclerotium is not the same as ergot. It originates on the point of a line of mycelium. This line begins to branch, and the branches immediately begin to branch; and the ramifi- cation is so close, that the lines of mycelium, instead of running away out into a loose web, form a solid ball. In this case there is no axis, and there are no spores. In some other sclerotia the mass is hollow in the interior, with many loose lines of mycelium pointing inwards. It is thus evident that all sclerotia, admitted as sclerotia, are not formed on the same plan : so that if a small body is found in the leaves and tubers and haulms of the potato, bearing some resemblance to the sclerotium of Typhula incarnata, there is no great impropriety in calling it a sclerotium until the theory of its existence has been worked out. But the body which has actually been found in the potato tissues, and most perfectly developed in the leaves, is so small compared with other sclerotia, that there seem some propriety in calling it a sderotiet, to indicate its microscopic di- mensions. Considerable controversy has taken place as to the structure of this minute body. When the statement was first made that this little ball was the sclerotium from which the mycelium of Peronos- The Scottish Naturalist. 185 pora infestans originated, it was natural that it should be denied. Accordingly, materials were put into the hands of Mr. George Murray, by the Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, and that observer, taking to his assistance Dr. Flight of the British Museum, tested the so-called sclerotiets, and declared them to be merely masses of oxalate of time. Oxalate of lime is intimately associated with many minute fungi ; some of the myxomycetes are covered with its crystals, as are also some of the Pezizae. In the Peziza crucifera, every hair is sur- mounted by a crystal of oxalate of lime. There is thus no impro- bability in the assumption that the sclerotiet may be associated with oxalate of lime. It has accordingly now been found, in op- position to Mr. Murray and Dr. Flight that the body found in the potato leaf, instead of being simply a mass of lime is in reality a Plasmodium, coated with crystals of oxalate of lime. No one has done more to demonstrate this point than Professor Trail ; but it has been fully acquiesced in by Mr. Worthington G. Smith and Mr. Greenwood Pim. Mr. Murray has replied that the oxalate of lime instead of forming the coat, forms the core. From this position also he has now, by the same observers, been completely dislodged ; and the bodies are declared to be balls of some kind of plasm, covered over with a coat of irregularly formed crystals. These crystals are known to be the oxalate of lime because they do not dissolve by application of acetic acid, as the carbonate of lime does. They resist acetic acid but rapidly give way to nitric acid. Such, briefly stated, is the present position on this point of struc- ture ; but there is no proof thus far, that these " encrusted Plasm- odia," are bodies having an arrested vitality like a sclerotium. Observation of their germination can alone establish this conten- tion. The present note cannot go into this department ; but may conclude with a few hints to any one fascinated with the desire to penetrate the mysteries of nature. The difficulty of course is to see the lines of mycelium arising from the so-called sclerotiet. The bodies cannot be seen at all in the leaves till they are macer- ated for a few days in water and gently squeezed between two glass slides. Then the lines of mycelium at their origin are so fine that unless they are separated from the leaf tissue they cannot be seen at all ; a sufficient power cannot get within focus of them. The best method yet hit upon is to strip the cuticle from the lower 1 86 The Scottish Naturalist. side of the leaf in the hope that a sclerotiet or a part of it may be torn up along with the mycelium attached to it. If a piece is laid on a slide, it will be seen how the conidiophores of the Peronos- pora come out at the stomata. The cuticle must be stripped off with a pincers near the edge of a black spot from the still green portion of the leaf, after the disease has begun. One, two, three, and up to nine stalks may be seen coming from a single stoma ; and the question is what are these granular masses at the thin ends of them? It has to be established that they are portions of breaking-up sclerotiets, before it is fully proved that the sclerotiets are resting states of the P. infestans. This cannot be done by any one who wishes to try, till the autumn brings disease ; but during the summer he may become familiar with the bodies in their incubating stage, and will then be prepared to settle the question whether disease commences with their germination. MTCOLOGIA SCOTICA-Supplement, By REV. J. STEVENSON and Professor J. W. H. TRAIL. {Continued from S. N., 1885,/. 130.) {All measurements, except where specified ', are in thousandths of a millimetre.) 3040. Stagonospora Caricis (Oud) Sacc. Syll. Fung. III. 2471. Perithecia numerous, but not in contact, subdermal, 140 diam. ; opening by apical pore, rather membranous, brown ; spermatia nearly hyaline, fusiform with rather obtuse ends, 35-45 by 6, mostly 4-septate. On dead leaves of Car ex {Icrviqata ?). May. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — — Drumoak, near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Europe (Netherlands). 3041. S. paludosa, S. and Sp. (Sacc. Syll. Fung. III. 2475, Trail, Scot. Nat. 1885,^. 76). Perithecia numerous, but scattered, subdermal, nearly free from surrounding tissues ; subglobose, with small ostiolum, about 220 diam. ; spermatia pale yellowish, fusiform, 42-52 by 8, 7-9-septate. The Scottish Naturalist. 187 Common in dead leaves of Carcx ampullacea. Jan. — Apr. East. — — — Dee — — — West. — — _____ Near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Europe (North Italy, on C. riparia). 3042. S. Heleocharidis Trail, Scot. Nat. 1885,/. 76. In dead stems and leaves of He.hocharis paius- tris. Jan. — March. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. ______ Common near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. 3043. Septoria Stellariae, Rob. and Desm. Not. XIV. p. 22, Sacc. By 11. Fung. III. 2806, Phil, and Plowr. Grevillea XIII. p. 50. Amphigenous ; perithecia minute, opening by a pore, brown; spermatia filiform, curved. 50-60 by 1, indistinctly septate, hyaline. In leaves of Stellaria media, and S. graminea. East. — — — Dee Moray — — — West. — — — — — — Forres, 1882. Rev. Dr. Keith. Near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Europe (France and Italy), and Siberia. 3044. Septoria Violae West. Sacc. Sytl. Fung. III. 281 1. Perithecia numerous, in round, brown-margined, pale spots on upper surface of leaf, minute, pale brown ; spermatia elongate-fusiform, 25-30 by 2^-3, rarely reaching 42 by 4|, straight or curved, faintly 3- (rarely 4-6-) septate, hyaline. In dying leaves of Viola sylvatica. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — — On Links near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Obs. This plant agrees in spots and perithecia with Phyllosticta Violce Desm. (Cooke, Hbk. 1352, Scot. Nat. VI. 118), but in the latter the spores are subcylindric, and 10 long. * S. Ficarise, Desm. My col. Scotica 1142, Cke. Hbk. 1324. On Ranunculus Flammula, on the Links near Aberdeen, a Septoria occurs that agrees in all essential points with this species, though its perithecia are no to 120 in diam., and its spermatia are 35-45 by i£-i_, being rather larger than in type. J. W. H. Trail. 3045. S. Menyanthes Desm. C. Hbk. n° 1325. 1 88 The Scottish Naturalist. On fading leaves of Menyanthes trifoliata. August and September. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — - — — — Common near Aberdeen and near Peterhead. J. W. H. Trail. England, Belgium, France, Siberia. 3046. S. Petroselini Desm. Ann. Mag. N. Hist. (Sacc. SylZ. Fung. II. 2876). On discoloured, brownish or pale, amphigenous spots ; perithecia hemispherical, 70-130 diam., thin, brownish ; ostio- lum prominent ; spermatia 25-50 by I3-2, filiform, straight or slightly curved, hyaline ; continuous, or very faintly 3 or 4- septate. In leaves of Petrosetinum sativum. East. — — Tay Dee — — — — West. — — — — Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Glamis. J. S. (in Berkeley's Herbarium at Kew). Europe. South America. 3047. S. dolichospora Trail, sp. n. Perithecia scattered, subdermal, oval-lenticular, 280 by 240, opening by a prominent pore, pale brown, pore in a darker ring ; spermatia very long, filiform-fusiform, 120-130 by i-i\, flexuous or much curved, hyaline but faintly yellowish, pluri- guttulate, or septa very faint, but numerous (9 to 12). Obs. This species differs from all allied forms in the length of the spermatia, and in their tenuity. 8. lacustris Sacc. and Thiim. approaches nearest it, but has spermatia 75-85 by In dead drifted stems of Scirpus lacicstris. May East. — — — Dee — — — West. — — — — — — Loch of Park, not far from Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. 3048. Rhabdospora pleosporoides Sacc. Mich. I. p. 120 (Sep- toria), var. rubescens Karst., Symb. Myc. XV. p. 151, Sacc. SyZZ. Fung. III. 3199. Perithecia on a dull reddish spot on the dead stems, sub- dermal, globoso depressed, ostiolum short ; spermatia slender fusiform, usually curved, 25-30 by i|-2, pluriguttulate. On dead stem of Angelica sylvestris. May East. — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — The Scottish Naturalist. 189 Near Aberdeen, and at Park. J. W. H. Trail. Europe, the variety in Finland. 3049. R. Cirsii Karst. Symd. Myc. XV. p. 151, Sacc. Syl. Fung. III. 3218. Perithecia brown, scattered, numerous, subspherical or de- pressed, 400 diam. ; often depressed around base of pro- minent ostiolum, which ultimately becomes more than half as long as perithecium itself; spermatia filiform, straight, rarely curved, 40-45 by i-i|, septa faint or absent, pluriguttulate. On dead stems of Carduus palustris. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — — Near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Europe (Finland). 3050. Gloeosporium Grei Trail, sp. n. Spots brown, about 200-300 diam. ; scattered, opening by a pore ; spermatia very numerous, hyaline, fusiform or ellip- tical acute, 7-9 by 2-2|, straight or slightly curved, continuous, hyaline, or with 2 guttse, supported on crowded, slender sper- matiophores. In dead stems of Geitm urbanum. Dec. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — — Near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Coryneum microstictum B, and Br. is abundant in the neigh- bourhood of Aberdeen, April-May, on Rose twigs and fruits. J. W. H. Trail. * Asterosporium Hoffmanni Kunze, Myc. Scot, n° 1178. Com- mon on Beech twigs near Aberdeen in February. J. W. H. Trail. 3051. Tetraploa aristata B. and Br. Cke. Hbk. n° 145 1. On leaf-sheaths of Phalaris anmdinacea. East. — — — Dee — — — West. ______ Near Aberdeen, scarce. J. W. H. Trail. England. 3052. Echinobotryum atrum Corda. Cke. Hbk. n° 1452. On Stysanus Stemonitis on rotting plants. East. — — — Dee — — West. — — — — — — Old Aberdeen, not very abundant. J. W. H. Trail. 1 90 The Scottish Naturalist. Obs. Reinke and Berthold (Zersetz. d. Kartoffel durch Pilze, 1879, p. 54), regard this as a form of fruit of S. stemonitis. 3053. Gymnosporium arundinis Corda. Cke. Hbk. n° 1453. On dead stems of Phragmites communis. May- East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — — On coast between Cove and Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. 3053. Phragmidium violaceum Schultz. Plowright, Science Gossip, 1883, p. 13 ; Trail, Scot. Nat., 1884 (Jan.), p. 123. JEcidio-spores in roundish or elongated scattered groups ; spores in short chains, round or elliptical, echinulate, orange yellow, 19-30 by 17-24. Uredo-spores in rather large, round- ish, cushion-shaped, scattered (rarely confluent) sori ; spores yellow, round, seldom elliptical or ovate, with a thick, coarsely echinulate epispore, 17-32 by 17-24. Teleuto-spores 3-5- (usually 4-) celled, 105 by 35, warty, tipped with a paler sub- globose or conical papilla, stalk long, dilated at base. (Scotch examples have spores 70-90 by 25-30. J. W. H. Trail.) On the lower surface of leaves of brambles {Rubus fruit- cosus) ; on the upper surface opposite each sorus there is usually a red-brown spot. East. — — Tay Dee — — — — West. Sol way — — — — — Common around Aberdeen, near Guthrie in Forfarshire, and near Dumfries. This species is the only one that I have met with on brambles in Scotland, in the above localities. J. W. H. T. This is probably the form denoted by the name Ph. bulbosum Schl. in Mycologia Scotica, n° 12 10, but perhaps another species occurs with it — viz., Ph. Rubi Pers. The latter species has been detected by Mr. Plowright in speci- mens sent him from Yorkshire {Science Gossip, 1883, p. 12). It differs from Ph. violaceum in the secidio-spores being rounder (18-22 diam.), the uredo-spores narrower (17-32 by 12-20), and the teleuto-spores, in small round sori, being 3-8- (usually 5-6-) celled ; slightly longer, and ending in a longer cone or papilla. This form should be looked for in Scot- land. 3055. Puccinia Thalictri Chev. {Flor. Paris, I. p. 417) ; Winter's Pilze, Vol. 1. p. 177 ; Trail, Scot. Nat., 1884, p. 118. Spots none, but diseased parts paler green ; and whole plant often tall, with narrowed leaf-segments ; sori hypophyl- lous numerous, suborbicular, soon naked, dark brown ; spores The Scott is J i Naturalist. 191 30-42 by 15-24, on rather long deciduous stalks; cell-walls rather thick, dark brown, beset with pointed warts, cells separated by a deep constriction, upper usually round, lower varying in form from spherical to clavate ; only teleuto- spores are known. Is much like P. Anemones. On Thalictrum minus var. montanum. Sep. East. — — Tay — ■ West. — — — Rannoch. J. W. H. Trail. Europe. * 1235 var. P. Hieracii Schum. (Winter, in Rabenhorst's Cryptogamen Flora, die Pilze, p 207), says that this differs from normal P. compositarum only in absence of known secidium, and in the uredo being accom- panied by spermogonia. On Hieracium vulgaticm and H. Pilosella. Aug. East. — — — Dee — — West. — — — — Aberdeen and Braemar. J. W. H. Trail. Europe. 3056. Caeoma Laricis (West.) Phil, and Plow. Grevillea, Vol. XIII. A 73. Sori small, I to 5 mill, long, on yellow spots, surrounded by the white epidermis ; spores roundish or elliptical, often rather angular, finely verrucose, orange yellow, 16-24 D)' 12-17. Around the periphery of the sori are numerous somewhat clavate empty cells, crowded together and super-imposed on one another. On Pinus Larix L. May. East. — — — — Moray — West. — — — — Forres, 1884. Rev. Dr. Keith. England. Europe. * Uredo Pirolae Gmel. (=Trichobasis Pyrolae B.) is abundant on Pyrola media, a few miles north of Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. 3057. Protomyces rhizobius Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884 (Jan.), p. 125. Spores spherical, 30-33 diam. ; cell- wall very thick (10-12), nearly hyaline or pale brown ; they are dispersed through the cortex of the roots of Poa annica, and are associated with what seems to be a delicate mycelium. They are much larger than the cells of the root. May-June. 192 The Scottish Naturalist. East. — — Dee — — West. — — — — Common at Old Aberdeen in poor soil. J. W. H. Trail. 3058. Doassansia Alismatis Cornu. Ann. 8c. Nat. 1883, p. 2S5, pi. 16, figs. 1-4. Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884, pp. 124 and 180. In spots in dying leaves of Alisma Ptantago. East. — — Tay Dee — — — — West. — — — At Cults, near Aberdeen. J. W. H. Trail. Fern in Forfarshire (Rev. J. Fergusson, in Mr. Berkeley's Herbarium at Kew, sub nom. Protomyces Alismatis B. and Br). 3059. Eatyloma Calendulse Oud. Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884, pp. 124-25. In round pale spots, {-\ inch across (afterwards turning brown and dry), in leaves of Hieracium vulgatum. Autumn. East. — — ?Tay Dee — — — — West. — — — — — — Near Aberdeen, common. J. W. H. Trail. In Berkeley's Herbarium is a specimen {sub nom. Protomyces Hieracii B.) sent by Rev. Mark Anderson from Noran Woods in Fife. 3060. E. canescens Schrot. (Beitr. z. Biologie d. PJlanzen, II., p. 372. Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884, pp. 125, 180 (=Protomyces Fergussoni B. and Br. vide Mycol. Scotica, n° 1324). In round pale spots, ^g-| inch across (turning brown, or becoming white from formation of conidia over their surface), in leaves of Myosotis arvensis and of M. palustris. East. — — Tay Dee Moray — — — West. — — — — — Fern, Forfarshire, and New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire. Rev. J. Fergusson. Near Aberdeen, and at Ellon. J. W. H. Trail. Forres. Rev. Dr. Keith. To be continued. SCOTTISH SCIENTIFIC! SOCIETIES. EAST OF SCOTLAND UNION OP NATURAL- ISTS' SOCIETIES.— The annual meeting was held in Kirk- caldy on 4//1 and $th September. A full report of the proceedings will appear in our next number (January), and will include the address of the President, Professor James Geikie. See notice on second page of the wrapper of this (October) number. MEETING OF BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN ABERDEEN.— (September gth to 16th.)— Space makes it necessary to postpone till our January issue any notice of this meeting, which was of special interest to Scottish scientists alike because of its being held in Scotland, and because of the number of papers read upon subjects relating to Scotland. EAST OF SCOTLAND UNION OF NATURALISTS' SOCIETIES. MEETINGS IN KIRKCALDY, 1 885. Council Meeting. A meeting of Council was held in the Town Hall, on Friday, 4th September, 1885, at 12 o'clock. Present— -Dr. F. Buchanan White in the chair ; Dr. J. S. Crich- ton ; Dr. Howden ; Messrs. Robert Pullar, George Russell, James Shepherd, Professor J. W. H. Trail, Messrs. J. Martin White, and W. D. Sang (hon. secretary). The minute of last Council meeting having been read and ap- proved, the question of the assessment to be levied for the next session was discussed. Mr. Shepherd proposed and Dr. Crichton seconded, that the assessment on the several societies should be fourpence per head> which was agreed to. Dr. Crichton proposed and Dr. Howden seconded, that the Union should arrange, if possible, for the publication of the Re- ports in the Scottish Naturalist. Professor Trail, the editor, hav- ing cordially assented to this proposal, and stated that the Reports could be reprinted in pamphlet form for distribution to members of the Union, it was decided that this form of publication should be adopted, and that, in consideration thereof a sum not exceeding ;£io should be contributed to defray expenses of the magazine. It was unanimously agreed that the next Annual Meeting should be held in Aberdeen, and that the date should be left to the Aberdeen Society to determine. The Secretary read a letter from Professor T. G. Bonney inti- mating that the Union had been recommended for election as one of the Corresponding Societies of the British Association, and asking that a Delegate of the Union be named to be present at the Aberdeen meeting of the Association. On the motion of Dr. F. B. White, Dr. Howden was elected N 194 The Scottish Naturalist. Delegate, and the Secretary was instructed to take the necessary steps to have his appointment certified out. It was unanimously resolved with reference to the Scientific Reports that the Council in returning their thanks to the various reporters for their past work, recommend that the authority given to these gentlemen at last annual meeting should be continued, and that the further Reports should be made on the lines sketched out in the first Presidential Address. It was unanimously agreed that Professor Trail, Dr. F. B. White, and the Secretary should be the publication Committee, with full powers to decide what shall be published, and to take steps to obtain the assistance of members to collect all the information, scattered through books and periodicals, relating to the Natural History of the district, in view of the preparation of full index- lists, for future publication in the Proceedings of the Union. Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting was held in the Town Hall, Kirk- caldy, on Friday, 4th September, 1885, at 14.30 o'clock (2.30 p.m.) — Dr. F. Buchanan White in the chair. The minutes of last annual meeting, and of all the meetings of Council since, having been read and approved, Dr. F. B. White introduced as President for the year Professor James Geikie, who gave the Presidential Address. The following Papers and Reports were then read : — " Meteorology," by Mr. David Cunningham, M. Inst. C E., Dundee. "Sprats," „ Dr. F. Buchanan White, F.L.S., Perth. " Mollusca," „ Mr. Henry Coates, Perth. " Birds of the District," „ Col. Drummond Hay, C.M.Z.S., Perth. "Fungi of the District," „ Professor J. W. H. Trail, F.L.S., Aberdeen. " Flora of Fife and Kinross," „ Mr. Charles Howie, Largo. In the evening the guests from the sister-societies were most hospitably entertained to dinner by the members of the Kirkcaldy Natural History Society ; and at 20 o'clock (8 p.m.), a conver- sazione was held in the Corn Exchange, and was the scene of a large gathering of naturalists and their friends. A great variety of The Scottish Naturalist. 195 curious and interesting objects had been brought together by the exertions of members of the Kirkcaldy Society, and the arrange- ments were so diversified as to prevent the pleasure of the evening from ever flagging. Concluding Meeting. A meeting of the Union was held in the Town Hall, Kirkcaldy, on Saturday, 5th September, 1885, at 20 o'clock (8 p.m.) — Pro- fessor James Geikie in the chair. Reports of the Geological and Botanical Excursions to Burnt- island were given by Professor Geikie and Mr. W. S. Blackstock. Mr. J. T. Cunningham, Mr. John Rattray, and Mr. H. J. Gifford gave the report of the Dredging Expedition on the Forth. On the motion of the Chairman, a vote of thanks was accorded to the Kirkcaldy Naturalists' Society for the arrangements made for the reception of the Union. The Chairman having intimated that the next Annual Meeting of the Union would be held in Aberdeen, the meeting was brought to a close by a hearty vote of thanks to the President. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO THE EAST OF SOOT- LAND UNION OF NATURALISTS' SOCIETIES. By Professor JAMES GEIKIE, F.R.S., F.G.S., &c. Read on 4th September, 1885. I HAVE to congratulate you upon the great success which has attended the formation of this Union. It is a happy idea, happily carried out, and one which is sure to have the happiest results. If the lines laid down by Dr. Buchanan White in his inaugural address of last year be only faithfully followed, there can be no doubt that we shall in a few years know much more than we do at present of the botany, zoology, and geology of the east of Scotland. The scheme of work proposed by Dr. White is comprehensive and complete, and I earnestly hope that the thoughtful enthusiasm of my predecessor will stir up each Society in the Union to do its utmost towards the accomplishment of his ambitious design. Of this I am quite sure, that the work is well within the ability of the Union. Its elaboration will doubtless 196 The Scottish Naturalist. take many years, but naturalists build not for themselves alone, but for their successors ; and to them work is, or ought to be, its own reward. Now, what is the nature of that work in which we are called upon to engage ? We do not, of course, suppose that the aim and end of this Union is simply to obtain a complete cen- sus of all the rocks, minerals, fossils, and species of plant and ani- mals, occurring in the East of Scotland. Many of us, it is true, find our chief delight in the important and essential work of col- lecting and cataloguing ; and it is well that it should be so. Others, however, will not rest satisfied with observations, but by the very constitution of their minds, are compelled to ask them- selves what these observations mean. In illustration of this I need go no further than the President's address last year. His intimate knowledge of the plant-life of the basin of the Tay has only been acquired after long years of careful exploration, during which, few if any species can have escaped his notice ; and we see how var- ious features in the distribution of those plants have incited him to ask how and why certain forms occupy their present habitats. From observing the plants themselves he has been led to inquire into the origin of their distribution. This is one of the high ques- tions to the solution of which the various Societies of this Union are expected to contribute. Hitherto these higher lines of re- search and thought have been followed by only a few inquirers ; and the data at the command of each have necessarily been more or less limited. Hence our knowledge of the origin of the geo- graphical distribution of British plants and animals has not ad- vanced so rapidly as that of other branches of natural science. Some general sketches we have had, sketches often suggestive and inspiring, but the details neeessary for an exhaustive review of the subject are still lacking. What I conceive then to be one of the chief aims of this Union, is the careful and exhaustive collection of data, which shall render possible the elaboration of a complete natural history of the East of Scotland. This history will begin with the geology of the region ; and will trace out the gradual evol- ution of the land — showing what changes in geographical and climatic conditions have taken place from time to time, since the oldest of our aqueous rocks began to be laid down, pointing out how the configuration of the surface, the nature of the soil, the drainage and even the climate of the present, are dependent upon the rocks and the mode of their arrangement. Not only so, but The Scottish Naturalist. 197 the history to be eventually compiled through the labours of this Union, will, as I believe, track the sources of our existing flora and fauna and the various stages in their immigration, and will show what effect the later geological changes had in determining the ex- isting geographical distribution of species. The area embraced by the Union is wide enough surely to allow of these, and other im- portant matters, being worked out in detail. In this connection it has appeared to me, that I might on this occasion indicate cer- tain lines of research, which from a geological point of view, seem to promise no little aid to botanists and zoologists, in their endeav- ours to read the history of our flora and fauna. I am not going to inflict upon you any account of the geology of the East of Scot- land. It is too long a story, and is one of those tales which will not bear much compression. Nevertheless, it is necessary to refer to some of the leading geological features of the district, for the purpose of impressing upon naturalists certain facts which they cannot well ignore if they wish to tell us all that we should like to know about the geographical distribution of our plants and ani- mals. When one looks at the area under the supervision of this Union, one must be struck with the notable variety of its outline or surface-configuration. In the north and west it embraces a large portion of the Highlands ; in the south and south-east it includes a most typical region of the Lowlands. A rapid glance at the geological structure of these districts, would show us that the Highland area is composed for the most part of hard crystalline and sub-crystalline rocks ; while the rocks most abundantly met with in the Lowlands are sandstone and shales. Again, we should find that the isolated hills and belts of high ground which diversify the surface of the latter area, consist chiefly of crystalline rocks. Now, those crystalline and fragmental rocks of the Highland and Lowland districts are of very diverse composition, some being composed largely of silicates of the alkalies and alkaline earths, while others consist chiefly of silica or of clay, or of admixtures of these and other mineralogical constituents. Only in a few places does carbonate of lime form any considerable rock-masses. As everyone knows, the soils of a country are composed of disintegrated and altered rock-materials mixed with some propor- tion of organic matter. Under the action of frost, rain, and decaying organic matter rocks are broken up, and their mineral constituents more or less chemically altered ; so that the character 198 The Scottish Naturalist. of a soil is necessarily determined by that of the rocks from which it has been derived. Hence, as we pass across a country from one geological formation to another, we find that the soils take on a differ- ent character with every change in the distribution of the underlying rocks. Speaking generally, the rocks in the East of Scotland are disposed in narrow and broad belts, which extend from south-west to north-east ; so that when we traverse the land from north-west to south-east, or across the strike, we encounter a greater variety of soils than we do when the same area is crossed at right angles to that direction, namely from south-west to north-east. But although a south-west and north-east trend is common to all the strata in the East of Scotland, there are yet certain rock-masses which are very irregular in the mode of their occurrence. This is the case, for example, with the granites of Aberdeen and Forfar, and, to a less extent, with many of the igneous rocks of the Lowland area particularly with those of Fife. More than this, we find that the distribution of the soils does not always follow precisely that of the underlying rocks. In every stream and river-course for example, disintegrated material is swept from higher to lower levels, so that the soil of a valley-bottom may differ very considerably from that which the underlying rocks would have supplied. Again, rain is continually washing down soil from the steeper slopes of the land, and hence soils derived from the decomposition of one set of rocks may come to overlie rocks of a totally different kind. In short, it cannot be too constantly kept in mind that all soil is constantly travelling from higher to lower levels. Now this travelling of the soil, which we see taking place before our eyes, was effected occasionally in a very wholesale fashion during former geological periods : with the result that the influence of the underlying solid rocks upon the composition of the overlying soils has often been obscured, or even entirely set aside. During the Ice-age the whole of the area under review was subjected to the long-continued action of glacial erosion. Before the advent of those sterile conditions, the soils and sub-soils of our country must have attained a great thickness. For unnumbered aeons the rocks had been subjected to the influence of the weather — to the mechanical and chemical action of rain and frost, and doubtless, to the action of the organic forces also. Hence long before the Ice-age arrived, our hills and valleys must have been thickly clothed with the ruins of rocks, just as is the case in our own day with those The Scottish Naturalist. 199 land surfaces that have never experienced glaciation. All this loose material was swept forward under the ice-sheet which mantled Scotland ; and the solid rocks themselves were bared, abraded, and quarried by the ice. When the ice melted away, its ground-moraine was left sprinkled over hill-tops and slopes, and spread in more or less continuous sheets over the low-lying and gently undulating regions. Thus wide areas of solid rock are now and again buried under great depths of materials which are more or less, foreign to the district in which they occur. The debris of the Highland region, for example, is thickly spread in Strathmore, while material derived from the degradation of the rocks of Strathmore is met with all over the area of the Sidlaw Hills. Thus, throughout wide tracts in East Scotland the vege- table soils are not derived directly from the disintegration and decomposition of the underlying solid rocks, but from the weather- ing of ancient morainic and fluvio-glacial accumulations, much of which consists of travelled material. Hence we may expect to meet with very different kinds of soil distributed over the surface of one and the same geological formation. I think it is partly because of this that naturalists have somewhat undervalued the influence of geological structure upon the distribution of our flora and fauna. They look at a geological map, and see broad belts of mica-schist, or slate, or sandstone, or igneous rock, as the case may be, represented as extending for great distances, and yet these variously coloured bands of rock do not seem to correspond to any relative changes in the distribution of plants and animals. But a very cursory examination of the subsoils will show that these are frequently made up to a large extent of material derived from some neighbouring district — so that debris from the im- mediately underlying solid rocks may enter but meagrely into the composition of the vegetable soil. When this simple fact is borne in mind, naturalists will hesitate to conclude that geological structure is not one of the factors with which they have to deal. Now it would be a very great aid to botanists and zoologists if they had prepared for their use geological maps which showed not only the distribution of the " solid " rocks, but that of the over- lying superficial accumulations. By-and-by the Geological Surveyors shall have completed their work ; and the maps issued by them will be of great service to local geologists, who will find that however careful and exhaustive a general survey may be, it 200 The Scottish Naturalist. yet cannot be expected to leave nothing for local observers to accomplish. From the maps of the Survey we shall get the general geological structure, the direction of glaciation, and the distribution of superficial deposits. With these data for a ground- work, it should not be difficult for the local observers in each Society of the Union to construct correct soil-maps of their re- spective districts. Were this accomplished for the East of Scot- land, we should soon be able to ascertain to what extent geological structure influences the distribution of species. It goes without saying, however, that soil is not the only factor which naturalists have to take into account. Every farmer knows that good soil is of little avail if it be not favourably placed. The same soil under diverse conditions may support very different floras. The physical features of the surface, therefore, have to be noted ; the relative height above the sea, rainfall, temperature, and all that comes under climatic conditions, must likewise be considered. Very slight differences sometimes give rise to strong contrasts in the flora of a district. Thus I have frequently observed in hilly districts, where all the conditions of soil and drainage were similar over a wide region, that those slopes which faced the direction of the rainy winds were clothed with the densest and thickest turf or peat. This is strikingly marked in the case of the peat-covered hills of western Galloway, where, on the slopes looking westward, the peat- bogs are fresh and growing ; while on the eastward slopes they are often dried up, and in many cases are being gradually disintegrated and denuded away. Naturally, then, we shall expect to find that climatic conditions everywhere modify the influence of the soil in the distribution of species. I have suggested to the geologists of the Union the construction of soil-maps of the district. It would be a great matter to obtain rough analyses of the various typical soils. This might often be done by the geologists themselves. Let them select their speci- mens from the bottom of the soil-bed and the upper portion of the subsoil. By carefully washing and sifting, they will soon take out the microscopic or coarser ingredients, the nature of which will readily be determined by the eye or with the aid of a lens. The finer residue could then be examined under the microscope, and some simple chemical tests would soon detect any matter that remained in solution. Very often a microscopic inspection alone would suffice to show the general composition of a soil. If, for The Scottish Naturalist. 201 example, we found a dark brown soil made up of disintegrated basalt-rock, our knowledge of the constitution of the minerals com- posing such a rock would enable us to form an approximately correct notion of the chemical character of the soil. In short, where no superficial deposits occur, and the soil is evidently derived from the disintegration of the rocks in situ, it is obvious that a correct knowledge of the composition of these must give us a reliable clue to the character of the overlying subsoils and soils. Again, by carefully examining the percentages of the various rock- fragments occurring in the boulder-clay of a district, we might form some reliable conclusion as to the average character and composition of the overlying soil. The soils in the east of Scotland not only vary as regards their chemical composition, but they also differ considerably in colour. Let anyone stand on some commanding eminence when the farmers are busy with their ploughs, and he will often be struck by the variety of tints which he sees in the bare fields. Could we strip the whole land of its vegetable covering, similar varieties of colour in rock and soil would everywhere meet our gaze. Many of these tints are due to the presence of ferric and hydrous ferric oxide in variable proportions. And it might be worth the while of our naturalists to consider whether these colours of rock and soil have had any influence upon the colour of animals — whether they may not sometimes have induced in these unconscious mimicry. Here again the suggested soil-maps of which I have spoken would be of great service to working naturalists. Having now pointed out in the briefest way possible the kind of geological evidence which naturalists must keep in view when they are trying to account for the distribution and character of species, I shall pass to another part of the subject, and endeavour to show how the origin of the present geographical distribution of our flora and fauna must likewise be considered from a geological point of view. It is just about as certain as anything can be that our flora and fauna did not originate in Britain. All our plants and animals are immigrants, and immigrants of a very recent date. This can be readily proved, and, if so, it is obviously important to the naturalist that he should ascertain if possible what were the physical and climatic conditions under which that recent immigra- tion took place. It may be a relief to him to know that he does not need to travel further back in time than the Ice-age ; but he 202 The Scottish Naturalist. will find that, comparatively short though the period be that separates that age from the present, it was yet crowded with changes and vicissitudes. Many of these have left their marks upon the surface of the land, while others are to be read in the present dis- tribution of our plants and animals. And I cannot but believe that when these living fossils (if I may so call them) come to be more carefully studied in their various relations, we shall know much more than we do at present concerning some of the more recent climatic and geographical changes of North-Western Europe. Of the flora and fauna which existed in Scotland in pre-glacial times, no unequivocal relic has come down to us ; but we may infer from what is known of the pre-glacial plants and animals of England and the Continent that the assemblage of species here was, in a general way, much the same as at present. During inter- glacial times a somewhat similar flora and fauna characterised our land; but the last ice-sheet which overflowed Scotland made a clean sweep of every living thing, so that the history of the present flora and fauna dates only from the latter end of the glacial period. The geographical and climatic conditions of late glacial and post- glacial times, so far as I have been able to read them, can be very shortly summed up. They had unquestionably an overpowering influence in producing the present distribution of species, and I have long been of opinion that when naturalists shall have exhaust- ively studied our flora and fauna, they will be able to throw much more light upon the succession of changes to which I refer. The gradual disappearance of glacial conditions in our area was accompanied and followed by some degree of submergence ; so that Middle Scotland in late glacial times stood at a lower level than it does now, by ioo feet or thereabout. This was the period during which the ioo feet terrace of our great firths was formed, of which distinct traces occur in the Firth of Tay, in the valley of the Eden, and in the Firth of Forth. Followed inland, this terrace passes into tumultuous glacial gravel and sand — and sheets of sand loam, and clay — deposits which are associated, as in Strathmore, with morainic hills and ridges of sand and gravel. Scotland at this period must have presented a dreary aspect. Perennial snows and ice-fields covered all our mountain- regions, down the valleys of which flowed great glaciers that reached the sea-level. The Ochils and the Sidlaws were likewise covered with snow; and in summertime heavy torrents descended The Scottish Naturalist. 203 the slopes, and accumulated huge cones de dejection at the foot of the hills. These are nowhere better developed than in the valley of the Earn, opposite the mountain tracks of such streams as the Water of May and Dunning Burn. It is obvious that under such physical conditions the flora and fauna of Scotland must have been scanty in the extreme. What plants and animals may then have existed here we cannot tell — the only organic relics of the period which have come down to us being of marine origin. Snowfields and glaciers, however, eventually melted away, and the sea at the same time retreated, so that eventually the British area became united to the Continent. Now, you all know the general history of the introduction of our present flora and fauna. First came the arctic-alpine forms ; and these, as the climate im- proved, were gradually succeeded by the present temperate species. Step by step the arctic-alpine plants were driven northward or compelled to retreat up the mountains, whither the Germanic forms could not or would not follow. But this general statement does not exhaust the matter ; the passage from late glacial times to the present was by no means so simple as many suppose. It is certainly not true that our climate has become continuously milder since the close of the glacial period. There have been decided oscillations of climate since the deposition of our 100 feet ter- race, oscillations comparable to, but less pronounced than, those which distinguished the Ice-age itself. As the evidence of such post-glacial changes has not attracted the attention which it de- serves, I may be allowed very briefly to indicate its general character. One of the most remarkable of post-glacial accumulations is the buried " forest-bed " of the Tay valley. It would be notable enough even if it were an isolated phenomenon, but it is only a sample of what may be seen at many different points on the coasts of the British Islands and the adjoining shores of the Continent. There can be little doubt that the buried trees of the Tay and Earn, and those which occur in a similar position in the post-glacial accumulations of the Forth valley, grew at a time when a dense forest-growth covered all North-Western Europe and wide regions which are now submerged. The relics of this forest-growth are now met with not only in the so-called sunk forests of maritime districts, but underneath the older peat-bogs of our own and other countries. From the evidence of these tur- 204 The Scottish Naturalist. baries we gather that forests of deciduous trees extended far north of their present range, and reached elevations which the same trees cannot now attain in these latitudes. Spitzbergen, the Faeroe Islands, and Iceland have each preserved relics of this genial post-glacial period. Nor is the evidence confined to our peat-bogs and buried trees. Proofs of milder conditions having obtained in early post-glacial times are afforded by the marine organic remains of raised beaches, particularly by the shell-beds of Norway and Spitzbergen, and by those of Nova Scotia and New England on the other side of the Atlantic. And similar evidence is supplied by the remarkable colonies of southern forms that are met with now and again in northern seas. From these and other phenomena it would appear that, in early post- glacial times, warm water flowed in much larger volume than is now the case into the arctic circle ; while the climate of North- western Europe was certainly more genial than at present. The succeeding stage in the history of post-glacial times is, it seems to me, not less strongly marked. Some twenty years ago, after much wandering over the uplands of Southern Scotland, which, as many of you know, abound in peat bogs, I got the first glimpse of post-glacial climatic changes, and gave some ac- count of my observations and conclusions ; which, however, failed to attract the attention of British botanists. In succeeding years I continued to investigate the matter, and was gratified to find that a study of post-glacial fluviatile and marine alluvia exactly bore out the conclusions which had already been suggested by the phenomena of our peat. These conclusions may be briefly sum- marised here ; as I would fain prevail upon some of our botanists to take up the matter. The trees buried under the bogs proved, as I then thought, and still believe, the former existence of con- tinental conditions of climate for our area. But I held further that the overlying peat was in itself evidence of changed climatic con- ditions. It spoke of a wet, ungenial climate; and I associated these conditions with the insulation of the British area. When I began to study peat bogs it was, and may still be, the prevalent belief that all the buried trees, or the major portion of them at least, had been destroyed by man's hand. The overthrow of our ancient woodlands was attributed partly to the Romans, and partly to our " auld enemies of England." But I found that only a small proportion of the forest-lands could have been displenished The Scottish Naturalist. 205 in this way. Again and again the trees examined by me showed that they had fallen from natural decay. And in many cases, especially upon the tops and slopes of hills, the peat mosses con- tained no trace of trees, or at most, only a few stunted trunks and brushwood. No one could deny that the overthrow of large trees upon the low ground and plains, from whatever cause, would ob- struct the drainage, form marshes, and so give rise to the growth of peat. But here were many cases where no such stoppage of the drainage could have taken place — where only thin scrub grew, and where the steepness of the slopes must have sufficed to pre- vent any arrest of the surface drainage. Thus, even if we allowed that all the great forest trees of the low-lying districts had been destroyed by man, and the overlying bogs to have originated through the obstruction of the drainage caused by the fallen trunks, we had still to account for the existence of widespread and thick peat-mosses on hill-tops and considerable slopes. Consider- ations such as these led me to conclude that the presence of the overlying peat-mosses looked at in a broad way, was the result of changed climatic conditions, which, while less favourable to the growth of forest trees, encouraged the extension of bog-forming plants. And from the occurrence of successive layers of trees in not a few bogs, I suspected that there might have been in post- glacial times alternations of genial and ungenial conditions. But when I wrote my first paper on the subject, the data bearing on this particular point were too few or too little known to justify me in formulating this conclusion. Later investigations in the valleys of the Forth and Tay, however, considerably cleared up the matter : and I was preparing this new material for publication, when Axel Blytt, the well-known Norwegian botanist, issued his ad- mirable essay on the immigration of the Norwegian flora. From this paper I learned that Blytt had independently come to the same general conclusions, from a study of the geographical distri- bution of the existing Norwegian flora. The genial post-glacial epoch which nourished the great trees of which I have been speaking, was succeeded, then, by an epoch of wet and ungenial conditions. It is remarkable that at the same time the British area became insulated, and the sea advanced upon the land to a greater extent than is now the case. To this epoch belongs the formation of the 45-50 ft. sea-beach and of the major portion of the Carse-clays, etc., of the Tay and Forth. That 206 The Scott is Ji Naturalist. the climate was cold and wet may be inferred from the following facts : (i) The Carse-clays contain occasionally (but only rarely) ice-floated erratics ; while the clays themselves have all the ap- pearance of fluvio-glacial deposits. The sediment was probably largely derived from the erosion of the Highland area by glacier- ice. (2) When the Carse-beds are followed up the valleys they pass into coarse river gravels, and these last in the Highland area are associated with terminal moraines. At the time the Carse- clays were being deposited, local glaciers existed in our Highland glens. (3) The underlying forest-bed is largely made up of drifted material. Trunks and sticks, etc., all bear evidence of having been floated down the valley by river-action just when the Carse- beds were beginning to accumulate. The whole appearance of the drifted wood of the Tay and Forth valleys, and of the beds in which it occurs, bespeaks the action of larger streams and rivers than exist at the present day in these valleys. (4) Again, in the interior of the country, the " buried forests " are covered with a more or less thick sheet of peat — formed of marsh-loving plants. In short, there would appear to have been a kind of relapse to glacial conditions. During the preceding genial post-glacial epoch perennial snows or ice fields seem to have been unknown in Scot- land— at all events no trace of their former presence has been re- cognized. Judging from the evidence supplied by the buried trees, the raised-beaches, and so forth, one can hardly doubt that the climate of what we may call the first forest-epoch of post-glacial times was more genial and equable than that which we now en- joy. And it is not less clearly proved that the climatic conditions which supervened upon the close of that epoch were much colder and wetter than those we experience at present. During the first forest-epoch the British area was connected with the Continent ; while the succeeding cold and humid epoch was ushered in, or accompanied by the submergence of wide tracts in North-western Europe, and by the gradual insulation of our lands. It was dur- ing this latter epoch, as I have said, that the 45-50 ft. beach of Scotland was formed. At that time Neolithic man lived upon our coast-lands, his kitchen middens, being now met with ranged along the line of the old sea margin. The cold and humid climatic conditions under which he lived, eventually passed away, and were succeeded by drier and more genial conditions, which once more favoured the extension of The Scottish Naturalist. 207 trees. The bogs began in many places to dry up, and were gradually overspread by great forests. But this second genial post-glacial epoch, if we may rely upon the evidence of the upper buried forests of our peat-mosses and marine alluvia, was hardly so genial as that of the earlier forest-epoch. In the Norwegian bogs, for example, the lower buried forests consist principally of leafy trees, while those in the upper beds are almost wholly conifers. But that the climate was more favourable to forest- growth than at present, is shown by the vertical and horizontal range attained by the trees of the second forest-epoch. What is true of Norway is equally true of England and Ireland, and, so far as the evidence goes, of Scotland also. It is further important to note that this recurrence of drier and more genial conditions was accompanied by an extension of land-surface. The sea re- treated to a greater distance than at present, the forests of the second epoch growing over wide tracts which are now submerged. But to what extent that elevation of the land, or retreat of the sea, was carried we cannot tell. There is no evidence, however, to show that Britain again became continental. To this second forest-epoch succeeded, as before, colder and more humid conditions. Once more the trees became restricted in their vertical and horizontal range ; while, at the same time, peat-mosses increased and overspread wide regions, which were formerly covered by forests. Again, as before, the sea advanced upon the land. It is to this later period that the formation of our lower-level Carse-clays and the 25-30 ft. beach belongs. When these lower-level Carse-deposits are followed up the valleys, they merge into tumultuous river-gravels, which have much the same appearance as those which are contemporaneous with the Carse- beds of the 45 to 50 ft. level. Thus, in the Tay-valley, ancient river-gravels occur at three distinct levels. Those at the highest level belong to late glacial times ; and were laid down during the final retreat of the great glaciers of the Ice-age proper. Then followed a prolonged interval of denudation, corresponding to the genial continental epoch, when the late glacial gravel-terraces were eroded, and often entirely demolished. To this epoch suc- ceeded one of colder and more humid conditions, when the sea advanced to the 45-50 ft. level, and the tumultuous river-gravels of the second terrace were formed. Again the sea retreated, milder conditions ensued ; and the second river-terrace suffered 208 The Scottish Naturalist. extensive erosion in an epoch corresponding to the second forest period. Once more the sea invaded the land, and a humid climate prevailed ; and then the third well-marked terrace of coarse gravels was accumulated. The latest geological change to which I shall refer was the final retreat of the sea to its present level. My early investiga- tions into the history of our peat-mosses led me to conclude that in our day the rate at which these bogs are wasting away under the influence of sub-aerial agents much exceeds their rate of growth. And Professor Blytt has formed the same opinion with regard to the peat-bogs of Scandinavia. I do not, of course, mean to affirm that peat-mosses are everywhere becoming disin- tegrated, and weathering away. In many places where they are favoured by their position, and by climatic conditions, they seem to be flourishing ; but, looked at generally, there can be no doubt that this is exceptional. And the final disappearance of our bogs, through the action of the weather, is only a question of time. Should present conditions continue, our hills must by-and- bye become entirely divested of any peaty covering. We appear, therefore, to be living under drier conditions than obtained when the trees of the second forest-epoch were being slowly entombed by the the upward growth of the bog-plants. Are these less humid conditions the result of natural causes, or have they been brought about by the drainage operations of our agriculturists ? These operations must undoubtedly have influenced the result, but many considerations lead to the conclusion that they are not the sole cause of the present drying up and shrinking of our bogs. I think it can be shown that the wide denuded channels and hollows by which our hill-peat is so frequently traversed, existed long before our present systems of drainage became general. The bogs of hills and hill-slopes had been broken up, and hollows and gutters washed out in them in early historical times ; for they are mentioned, by old writers, as the hiding-places of thieves and desperadoes ; and they also formed a more or less secure retreat for hunted Nonconformists in the unhappy times of the Solemn League and Covenant. I incline, therefore, to the opinion that the general waste of our peat-mosses had set in long before the work of our farmers could have begun to tell, that, in short, this waste is an evidence of change of climate induced by natural causes. TJie Scottish Naturalist. 209 Thus it will be seen that, since the close of the Ice age, our country has experienced several considerable geographical and climatic changes, and that all these changes have been effected within the lifetime of the existing fauna and flora of North-west- ern Europe. Mrs/, there was a gradual passing away of glacial conditions, accompanied and followed by a general increase of the land, which united our islands among themselves and to the continent. During these continental conditions our area was invaded in suc- cession by the arctic-alpine and temperate faunas and floras, the climate becoming eventually very genial, so that the land was covered with immense forests, which reached elevations and spread far north into latitudes that are now beyond the range of the same trees. Second. This genial continental epoch eventually came to a close. Enormous tracts of low-lying land became submerged ; and the British area was insulated. A cold humid climate now ensued ; local glaciers came down our mountain-glens, and in some places reached the sea level, our coast-line being then some 50 feet lower than at present. The forests now disappeared from wide areas, and were replaced by bogs and morasses. Third. By-and-bye these cold and humid conditions passed away ; and the climate again assumed a drier and more genial character, the sea at the same time retreating, and our shores ex- tending farther seawards than they do now. This epoch was marked by the drying up of bogs and morasses, and a general re- newed extension of forests. The climate, although apparently not so genial as that of the earlier forest-epoch, was yet more favour- able to the growth of trees than the present epoch. Fourth. A great change of which the geologist has clear proof was the renewed advance of the sea, and the formation of the 25-30 ft. beaches. This change was accompanied by a deteriora- tion of the climate, which again became colder and wetter. Once more the vertical and horizontal range of the forests was restricted ; while bogs and morasses covered wide areas formerly occupied by timber trees. Fifth. The latest change of which we have any geological evidence was the final retreat of the sea to its present limits, a change which seems to have been accompanied by less humid climatic conditions. o 210 The Scottish Naturalist. Such, then, are the principal geographical and climatic changes to which the geological phenomena of post-glacial and recent accumulations seem to bear witness. The evidence is clear enough so far as it goes ; but you will observe that, after all, the geologist can give only the meagre outlines of a picture. For the details which are wanted to give life and colour to the picture, we must rely upon our zoologists and botanists. It is to them that we look for the further elucidation of this interesting history. Already much has been done, chiefly by foreign naturalists, to extend our knowledge of post-glacial events. Professor Blytt, after studying the distribution of the Norwegian flora, had formulated the belief in alternating dry and humid conditions having supervened in post-glacial times. By following out a totally different line of research he was led independently to the same conclusion as myself. And what Blytt has done for Norway, surely our naturalists might achieve for Scotland. It is with the hope of inciting some of the workers in this East of Scotland Union to undertake the task that I have ventured to give this rapid and imperfect sketch of post-glacial climatic and geographical changes. If there be any foundation for the views 1 have brought before you, it is almost certain that these views will be corroborated and greatly extended by a more complete and detailed knowledge than we yet have of the character and distri- bution of our plants and animals. I have often wondered why our botanists should have so entirely neglected the minute study of our peat-mosses : for I cannot but believe that the history of post-glacial Scotland is in large measure locked up, as it were, in those turbaries. When one knows how much has been done to work out the history of the continental peat-bogs by such observers as Steenstrup in Denmark, Blytt in Norway, Nathorst in Sweden, Grisebach in Germany, and Fliche in France, one cannot but wish that some of our Scottish naturalists would undertake the examina- tion of our own peat-mosses. Surely the task is not too hard. Peat is not composed of extinct species of plants ; the animal remains now and again associated with them are all, (with the exception of one or two large vertebrates), living forms, al- though some of the species both of plants and animals, may no longer live in Britain. In dealing with the constituents of our peat, therefore, one has to do not with extinct but with existing forms. And surely comparisons between the organic remains of The Scottish Naturalist. 21 1 our post-glacial accumulations, and the flora and fauna of our own day, could not fail to throw much light upon the origin, character, and distribution of the latter. Perhaps, I may be allowed to point out the kind of evidence that geologists are in quest of. It is our belief that the low grounds of Scotland were in early post-glacial times clothed with an arctic-alpine flora, and you are well aware upon what inferences that belief is founded. Hitherto, however, we have failed to detect any relics of that flora in our post-glacial deposits. Such remains, however, have been met with again and again, chiefly by Dr. Nathorst, under the peat-bogs of the Continent. Now it can hardly be doubted that, if our bogs were carefully examined by botanists, similar discoveries would be made here. Special search therefore should be made in the bottom layers of the peat and the fresh-water clays which occasionally underlie our bogs. Then, a ■careful examination of the trees underneath the peat is much to be desired. The species and dimensions of the trees, the nature of the soil, the position of the bog, and its elevation above the sea should all be carefully noted. It should also be ascertained whether the trees have fallen by man's hand or through natural decay. The structure of the over-lying peat should likewise be carefully determined. A mere list of the constituent plants will not suffice. The observer must give a section of the bog — noting the species and their relative abundance at particular levels. This, I need hardly stop to remark, is essential \ for the succession of plants, and the relative preponderance of certain species must throw light upon the conditions under which the peat was accumu- lated. The occurrence of trees or buried forests at successive levels in the peat ought also to be carefully inquired into. Even when no such trees are present in the middle of the peat, still we may sometimes note a more or less definite layer characterised by the apparent absence of sphagnum and its allies, and by the pre- dominance of certain plants which indicate less humid conditions than the true bog-forming mosses. Search should also be made for animal organisms. I have often found the wing-cases of beetles buried in peat, and now and again the remains of birds and small mammals occur, as also human relics, and occasional traces of former cultivation. Such are some of the points in which geologists are specially interested ; and I earnestly hope that the naturalists of this Union 212 The Scottish Nattiralist. will take the matter up, and that ere long through their labours our knowledge of post-glacial Scotland will be greatly increased. Before closing this address, I should like to say a few words to the geologists of the Union. The mapping-out of the various rock-masses and geological formations of the east of Scotland by the Government Geological Survey is now far advanced, so that we are saved the labour of producing reliable geological- maps. But the mere mapping-out of the rocks does not, by any means, leave nothing for the local geologists to accomplish. Many diffi- cult problems will still remain for solution. The question of metamorphism, for example, is one which will long remain open ; and each of us may do something towards explaining the origin of our crystalline schists by careful detailed examination of the rocks in the field, and by subsequent critical study of them under the microscope. The phenomena of the igneous rocks of the east of Scotland also afford a wide field of study, and one which the labours of the Geological Survey will certainly not exhaust. The petrological examination of these rocks, as my friend Mr. Durham in his Report remarks, will well repay the observer. An adequate study of the igneous rocks of the Sidlaws, for example, which I mapped for the Survey, would entail many long years of assidu- ous labour. It would be well, also, for local geologists to note every new exposure of rock, especially such sections as tend to modify the boundary lines upon the maps of the Geological Sur- vey. Notice of these new exposures should then be sent to the Geological Survey Office that the necessary corrections of the maps may be made ; for it is clearly in the interests of all that the work of a great Government Survey should be as perfect and complete as it can be made. With regard to the glacial and post- glacial deposits, we have still, as I have said, much to learn. The main features of glacial history as at present known, are not, I think, likely to be much modified. That the till or boulder-clay is the moraine profo?ide of an extensive ice-sheet seems to me as well proved as we can expect any fact in geological history to be. That the Glacial period consisted of an alternation of cold and genial epochs has also, I think, been demonstrated both for Europe and North America. But when we come to the deposits pertain- ing to late glacial times, to those, namely, which were laid down when the great glaciers of the Ice-age proper were slowly melting away — we encounter phenomena which have been variously ex- The Scottish Naturalist. 213 plained, and which cannot be said to be yet well understood. This arises chiefly from the great difficulty we experience in trying to realize the physical conditions. In our attempts to explain the appearance of the deposits in question, we compare them with what we know of the morainic and fluvio-morainic accumulations of the Alps, and when it is found that our late glacial deposits often exceed these in bulk, some of us are inclined to deny their glacial origin altogether, and to credit their formation to the sea, in whose mysterious depths it is supposed similar accumulations may be in progress. But surely the dissolution of an enormous ice- sheet must have given rise to formations as greatly exceeding the morainic and fluvio-morainic deposits of the present puny alpine glaciers, as our till or boulder-clay supasses in importance all the moraines, whether superficial or sub-glacial, that are at present forming in the mountain-valleys of Switzerland. Having traversed all the glaciated regions of the East of Scotland, I must say I have seen nothing, save our marine-terraces, that I could not parallel with similar phenomena in North Italy and Switzerland. The great hills and ridges of gravel and sand which seem to sweep out from the mouths of the Highland glens, and to dilate, as it were, upon the low grounds of Strathmore, are of precisely the same character as the sand-and-gravel moraines that circle round the lower ends of the Italian lakes. And, just as these last pass laterally into wide sheets of gravel, sand, clay, and loam, so do the morainic accumulations of Strathmore. The wide flats of sand, loam, etc., which sweep along the northern base of the Sid- laws, are simply the fluviatile sediments of the water derived from the melting snows and ice of late glacial times. I must not, however, go further into this matter at present, but may conclude my remarks upon it by drawing the attention of our geologists to a very remarkable late glacial accumulation, the origin of which has too often been taken for granted. I refer to the raised beach which occurs at a height of 100 feet upon the coast of Forfarshire. This beach may be followed more or less per- sistently from the mouth of the Tay nearly to Arbroath. But in many places it is much denuded, and forms no marked feature, so that its presence can be detected only in sections. Here and there, however, it makes a conspicuous feature, as at Carnoustie, where it attains half a mile in breadth. The terrace is composed chiefly of well-rounded gravel and shingle, which here and there 214 The Scottish Naturalist. give place to sand. No continuous section of the deposits is visible ; but the finer-grained portions appear to be more or less well-bedded. The coarser gravel and shingle, however, show no distinct bedded arrangement. Although I searched every ex- posure for organic remains I could not find any. The deposits appear to be quite unfossiliferous. Are we justified, therefore, in supposing that this terrace is an old sea-beach? Surely if marine organisms lived off the Forfarshire coast at the time these deposits were being accumulated, some trace of them should now be met with. The post-glacial raised.beaches all contain such relics in greater or less abundance, and why, therefore, should this older or late glacial terrace be apparently as destitute of them as any fluviatile accumulation? Here, then, is a problem for local geolo- gists to solve. It has greatly puzzled me, and I have no explana- tion to offer, that carries complete conviction to myself. Possibly the absence of marine relics is more apparent than real; and some lucky observer may yet succeed in detecting fossils. One explanation of the phenomena however, has occurred to me, and I throw it out now, for the consideration of my geological friends of the Dundee Naturalists' Society. It is obvious that the terrace marks an old water-level and that it belongs to the close of the Ice- age. If it be of marine origin, then it is likewise obvious that before it could have been formed the great Scoto-Scandinavian ice- sheet that occupied the basin of the North Sea must already have dis- appeared. But, as I have said, the terrace contains no evidence of such marine conditions. Now is it not possible that the deposits in question may have been laid down before the ice-sheet had entirely melted away? If we suppose the surface of the ice-sheet to have been gradually lowered by ablation it is obvious that the land would be the first to reappear, for the ice which covered it would not be so thick as that which occupied the basin of the North Sea. There probably was a time, then, towards the close of the last Ice-age when the lowgrounds of Scotland were denuded of their glacial covering, while the ice-sheet, greatly reduced in thickness, continued to occupy the depression of the North Sea. At that time permanent snowfields would still cover our mountains and hills ; and great glaciers would still flow down our valleys to join the attenuated Scoto-Scandinavian ice-sheet. The enormous accumulations of shingle and gravel, belonging to the period of retreat of the icefields, show that notwithstanding the severity of The Scottish Naturalist. 215 the climate the summer thawings must have given rise to great torrential floods. Freshwater would descend in all directions towards the ice-sheet : and the body of water would be increased by the ablation of the ice-sheet itself. In this way a broad sea would extend along the land-margin and even overflow wide areas of the attenuated ice-sheet. And this sea would be fresh, even although it stood at the same level as, and was continuous with, the salt water which probably at that time occupied the open area of the North Sea-basin lying towards the South. Now the deposits of the Carnoustie terrace are just such accumulations as would be likely to be laid down upon the bed of such a sea. It is pos- sible, indeed, that the water by which they were spread out was of a torrential character, that it flowed like a large river between the land on the one side and the ice-sheet on the other. As tending partly to confirm this view, I may point to the suggestive fact that here and there mounds and sheets of gravel and sand come down from the higher grounds and merge with the deposits of the ter- race. These gravels, etc., are certainly of torrential origin and they are similar in character to the terrace accumulations. And the suggestion forces itself upon one that the water which carried them forward was merely a lateral feeder of the much larger body of water by which the terrace-beds were formed. Whether this be or be not the true explanation of the appar- ently unfossiliferous terrace or so-called raised-beach in question, future investigation must be left to determine. I refer to the matter merely as an example of the many problems connected with the geology of the East of Scotland, which still await solution. There is yet another matter which I would bring to the notice of geologists and that is the preparation of catalogues of minerals and fossils found in the district embraced by the Union. It would be extremely useful to have such lists ; we should see from them what has already been done, and how much yet remains to be accomplished. It is true that fossils are by no means common in the district. But one does not yet despair of their discovery even in regions where they have not yet been met with. It would be advisable to note every locality where any, even the most meagre trace of organic structure is obtained. It is only by piecing all the evidence together that we can hope to form an adequate conception of the conditions under which our sedi- mentary formations were accumulated. With regard to the 216 The Scottish Naturalist. minerals I can only repeat what my friend, the Rev. W. Peyton said in his Report, namely, that in every case the nature of the rock, gangue, or matrix in which minerals occur should be noted. Finally, I would strongly urge the advisability of each Society becoming possessed of one or more good petrological micro- scopes, so as to encourage the study of the minute characters of minerals and rocks. This is a field of work in which very much remains to be done, and in which young geologists, blessed with good eyes and assiduity, may hope to advance the science and win laurels for themselves. Let me, however, add one word of caution. The microscope is an admirable and, indeed, indispen- sable servant. Do not let it become your master. Never imagine that an adequate knowledge of rocks is to be obtained by the microscopic examination of thin slices only. A mere description of hand-specimens is not enough ; the rock itself must be studied in the field, and viewed in all its relations and aspects : the weathered and altered portions must be scrutinized as carefully as those that are freshest. If this had always been done, we should have been spared much useless and mis- leading nomenclature. We should not then have found three different portions of one and the same rock-mass described as if they were three separate and distinct rock-species. I fear, I have detained you too long, and will now bring these somewhat discursive remarks to a close by expressing the hope that this Union may become every year more fruitful in results. May it quicken a generous emulation and strengthen and sustain he spirit of research and love of truth in our midst. ON THE BETTEE UTILISATION OF THE SPEATS OP THE TAY AND FOETH. By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. IT is with considerable hesitation that I venture to bring under your notice the subject of the following note, since it is not in any sense a scientific one, and hence objection may be taken to its discussion at a meeting devoted to natural history. As, however, it deals with the uses to which one of the animals indi- genous in our district may be put, and as the matter is of some The Scottish Naturalist. 217 economic importance, I think the subject is not altogether be- yond the scope of the Union. As you are aware, the Firths of Tay and Forth are visited by immense shoals of the Sprat (Clupea sprattus). In such large quantities are these little fish taken that the chief use to which they are put in the district bordering on these firths is as manure. I had hoped to have been able to make some attempt to ascertain some statistics as to the quantity of- sprats captured, the amounts used directly for food and as manure, the cost of the fishing, and the prices obtained ; but want of time through press of other business has prevented me doing so. On first thoughts the idea that fish are captured merely for use as manure is a repulsive one, and many people are very indignant that so much cheap and nutritious food should be used for such a purpose. But on second thoughts it is evident that, provided no better use can be found for the sprats, their utilisation as manure is only less directly their use as food, and that hence indignation on the subject is rather misapplied. It is probable (but on this point I am doubtful) that there are difficulties in the way of placing sprats, to the full extent of the quantity captured, in the food market, or of obtaining a sufficient sale for them there. But are there no other food uses to which they can be put ? I think there are, and the object of this note is to point out some of these. Most of the information on this point I have derived from an essay by Mr. C. W. Harding, C.E., of King's Lynn, who, seeing the report of the first meeting of our Union, kindly sent me some papers on various fishery subjects. These papers I have placed in the hands of our Secretary, and any member who is interested may obtain a sight of them from him. After pointing out that by far the greater quantity of sprats that are taken in our estuaries are used for manure, Mr. Harding describes the uses to which they are put in Norway. The chief of these is their transformation into anchovies, principally for ex- portation to Denmark, Hamburg, and England. After describing the process of manufacture, Mr. Harding proceeds to give an estimate of the cost and of the profit, the latter being on a moderate calculation at the rate of about £13 13s. 6d. for every ton of sprats manufactured. Of these "anchovies," 800,000 barrels of 20 gallons each are exported from Norway annually. (The date of the essay is 1881.) Besides converting sprats into 2i8 The Scottish Naturalist. anchovies (i.e.t preserving them with spices) they can also be made into sardines in oil at a less cost than the anchovies. It is to be remarked that most of the sardines in oil sold in this country are only sprats, menhadden, and pilchard. Mr. Harding says that he inquired if sprats were ever used as manure in Norway, and was told that they were far too valuable for that. He also says that these Norwegian anchovies are a far greater delicacy than the spurious sardines sold in this country. I have only to add that since the date of Mr. Harding's essay the part of " Dr. Day's British Fishes " which includes the sprat has been published (1883), and in it the author remarks that "an important trade appears to be springing up at Lowestoft, where they [the sprats] are being tinned as anchovies." I conclude by asking if what is done in Norway and Lowestoft cannot be equally and as profitably done on the Tay or the Forth ? Report on the Bibliography of the Land and Freshwater mollusca of the counties of aberdeen, kincardine, Forfar, Fife, Kinross, and Perth. By HENRY COATES, F.R.P.S. The following bibliography cannot be considered an exhaustive catalogue of all that has been published with reference to the land and freshwater mollusca of the counties embraced in the Union. The limited time and opportunities at the disposal of the compiler rendered this impossible, so that it is complete only so far as his information goes. There may be references in other Journals and Transactions of Societies to which he has not had access. Should any of the readers of the Scottish Naturalist be aware of such omissions, he will be glad if they will bring them under his notice, in order that a supplementary list may be prepared. He has to acknowledge his indebtedness to members of the Union who have forwarded publications for his perusal, and also to Mr. Wm. Deni- son Roebuck, Leeds, for valuable information. The following abbreviations are employed to denote the Magazines referred to : — The Scottish Naturalist. 219 A.N.H. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. B.A.R. British Association Reports. J.C. Journal of Conchology. M.Z.B. Magazine of Zoology and Botany. P.S.N.S. Proceedings ot the Perthshire Society of Natural Science. S.N. Scottish Naturalist. T.A. Transactions of Aberdeen Natural History Society. Z. Zoologist. 1837. Edward Forbes. Ne?'itina fluviatilis, Talndina achatina, vivipara and impura in Fife and Kinross. M.Z.B., Vol. I., p. 201. 1840. William Thompson. " Catalogue of Irish Mollusca," notices Limnaea peregra var. lacustris. . A.N.H., Vol. VI., p. 118. 1843. William Macgillivray, M.A. " A History of the Molluscous Animals of the Counties of Aberdeen, Kincardine, and Banff." London, 8vo. 1852. C. W. Peach. " On some Fishes, Crustacea, and Mollusca, found at Peterhead." B.A.R., p. 78. 1853. Forbes and Hanley. " History of British Mollusca and their Shells." Vol. II., pp. 127, 152 : Vol. III., p. 5; Vol. IV., pp. 18, 61, 105, 153, 159. 1853. James Taylor. " List of Land and Freshwater Mollusca in Aberdeen- shire and Kincardineshire. Z., Vol. XL, p. 3878. 1854. Dr. George Gordon. " A List of the Mollusca hitherto found in the Province of Moray, and in the Moray Firth." Z., Vol. XII., pp. 42 £, 502, 3454, 3480, and 3781. 1854. Rev. Dr. George Gordon. Notice of Helix caperata. Z., Vol. XII., p. 4454. 1855. William Macgillivray. " Natural History of Deeside and Braemar." 8vo., pp. 416 to 421. 220 The Scottish Naturalist. 1858. Dixon and "Watson. " Book of British Shells." p. 48. 1859. Dr. Dickie. " Remarks on the Mollusca of Aberdeenshire." B.A.R., p. 147. 1862. J. Gwyn Jeffreys. "British Conchology." Vol. I. Sphaerium corneum, var. faveseem, Bithinia tentaculala, Planorbis albus, Physafontinalisy Limmza paluslris, Ancylus fluvialilis, A. lacustris, Helix aculeata, H. fusca, H. rotun- data, var. alba, all in Aberdeenshire, and Vertigo minutissima in Fifeshire. 1866. Ralph Tate. " Plain and Easy Account of British Mollusks." Unio margaritifer in the Tay. Pisidium pulchellum and Helix aspersa in Aberdeenshire. Vertigo minutissima in Fifeshire, p. 160. Limnaea peregra, var. Burnetii, in Aberdeenshire, at altitude of 1742 feet, p. 188. 1869. J. Gwyn Jeffreys. " British Conchology." Vol. V. Zonites excavatus at Perth. (F. B. White), p. 157. [This should have been " Ross-shire," fide F.B.W.] Helix fusca in Kincardine and Aberdeen (Macgillivray), p. 159 ; Helix rotundata, var. alba, in Perthshire (F. B. White), p. 159 ; and Vertigo substriata, Balia perversa, of large size, and Clausilia laminata at Perth (F. B. White), pp. 160-161. 1869. Young. Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow. Vol. I., p. 240. A zee a tridens at Bridge of Allan. 1869. W. Herd. P.S.N.S. Series I., p. 15. Anodonta cygnea, with var. incrassata and Unio margaritifer, at Perth. 1869. J. Dawson. "Shells of the genus Helix found in Perthshire" (11 species enumerated). P.S.N.S., first series, p. 15. The Scottish Naturalist. 221 1870. P. B. White. " Species added to the Local Lists during the session, 1869-70." P.S.N.S., Series I, p. 15. These include Physa hypnonim, Ancylns lacustris with var. albida, Pupa musconim, Planorbis nautileus, P. nilidus, Pisidium nitidwn, Anodonta cygnea, with var. incrassata, Helix nemoralis, var. alpestris. 1870. F. B. White. Vertigo antivertigo at Perth. P.S.N.S., Series I., p. 77. 1870. J. M'Farlane. Helix aculeata at Perth. P.S.N.S., Series I., p. 77. " The Mollusca of the Ponds of the District." P.S.N.S., Series I., p. 84. 1870. F. B. White. " Mollusca got during Excursion to Methven." P.S.N.S., Series L, p. 98. il Helix lamellata at Birnam, Perthshire." P.S.N.S., Series I., p. 99. Limnaea glabra at Perth. S.N., Vol I., p. 26. 1871. R. Dawson, M.A. " Catalogue of the Mollusca of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray, and of the neighbouring seas." A Paper communicated to the Aberdeen Nat. Hist. Society. Printed for the Society. 71 species, Land and Freshwater, enumerated. 1872. J. W. H. Trail. Reversed variety of Helix nemoralis, var. hortensis, at Aberdeen. S.N., Vol. L, p. 155. 1873. F. B. White. " List of Scottish Land and Freshwater Mollusca, with hints on collecting." S.N. Vol. II., pp. 162, 205. Lwiax marginatus, (L. arbomm), on Ben Lawers, Perthshire, at altitude of 3000 feet ; Zonites cellarius, vars. complanatus and eonipactus, at Perth ; Z. excavatus, in Aberdeenshire ; Z. crystallinus, at Perth ; Helix arbuslorum. var. alpestris, in Perthshire and Aberdeenshire ; H arbuslorutn, var. fiavescens, and H. nemoralis, var. vixnor, in Perthshire ; H. hispida, var. albida, at Perth ; H.fttsca, in Aberdeen, Kin- cardine, and Perth ; H. pulchella, var. costata, at Perth ; H. rotimdata, var. alba, at Aberdeen and Perth ; Cochlicopa 222 The Scottish Naturalist. lubrica, var. lubricoides, and Clansilia laminata, at Perth C. perversa, on Ben Lawers, at altitude of 2400 feet ; C perversa, vars. Everetti and tumidida, and Vertigo antivertigo, at Perth ; V. minuta, at Balmerino, Fife ; Pla?iorbis nautilens, at Perth ; F. vortex, at Perth and Aberdeen ; Physa fontinalis, var. curta, in Perthshire ; P. hypnorum and Limnaea peregra, var. decollata, in Perthshire ; L. peregra, var. oblonga, in Fifeshire ; L. glabra, type and var. decollata, and Ancylus lacustris, var. albida, in Perthshire ; Bithinia tentaculata, in Aberdeenshire ; Anodonta cygnea, var. incrassata, and £/>zz'o margaritijer, vars. suiuata and Roissyi, in Perthshire ; Sphaeriufti cor?teu?n, in Aberdeen- shire. 1875. Henry Coates. " Captures of Helicidae at Moulin, near Pitlochry, Perth- shire." S.N., Vol. III., p. 160. 1875. J. E. Harting. "Rambles in Search of Shells." p. 35. 1878. F. B. White. " Glen Tilt, its Fauna and Flora." S.N., Vol. IV., p. 246. [Great abundance of Belix arbustorum and H. nemoralis ; also, H. arbustorum, var. dlpestris. Altitude of Mollusca.] 1878. Prof. J. W. H. Trail. " Bibliography of Dee." T.A., p. 18. 1879. J. S. Gibbons. "Helix liortensis, var. arenicola, in Aberdeenshire." J.C, Vol. II., p. 264. 1879. J. W. Taylor. " Note on Cochlicofia tridens (Pulteney)." J.C, Vol. II., p. 220. [Occurrence of var. JVo?iletiana at Bridge of Allan noted.] 1880. Richard Rimmer. "British Mollusca." pp. 3, 16, 17, 29, 39, 53, 67, 102, 104, 106, 129, 139, 167, 173. 177, 179, 182. 1881. J. W. Taylor. " Life History ot Helix arbustorum" J.C, pp. 247, 25x> 253> 258- [Recorded from Fifeshire, Kincardineshire, Kinross, and Perthshire.] The Scottish Naturalist. 223 1881. Henry Coates. •'The Pearl Mussel of the Tay (Unio margaritifer)." P.S.N.S., New Series, Vol. L, p. n. 1881. William Japp. Unto margaritifer in the Isla, Forfarshire. P.S.N.S., Vol. L, p. 24. 1882. Henry Coates. " Notes on the Mollusca of Perthshire." P.S.N.S., Vol. I., p. 72. [Catalogue of 51 species, with notes on habitat, &c] 1882. R Scharff. J.C, Vol. III., p. 285. Limnaea peregra, L. truticatula, Helix nemoralis, H. rotundata, H. pulchella, Zonites alliarius, Z. nitidulus, Pupa nmbilicata, and Cochlicopa lubrica, in Fifeshire. 1882. P. B. White. P.S.N.S., Vol. I., p. 81. Limnaea limosa, Physafontinalis, Planorbis dibits, P. contorlus, Valvata piscinalis, and Cyclas cornea, in Perthshire. 1882. J. W. Taylor. Additional Notes on Helix arbustorum. T.C., Vol. III., P- 303- [Var. alpestris, in Perthshire, at 500-600 feet (H. Coates) ; var. fusca, in Perthshire (Hey).] 1883. F. B. White. Helix fusca in Perthshire. P.S.N.S., Vol. I., p. 114. 1884. Henry Coates. Varieties of Helix nemoralis in Perthshire. P.S.N.S., Vol. L, p. 145. [Varieties enumerated : quinquefasciata, hortensis, minor, hortensis-hdea, libellula, castanea, hyalozonata, cincta, and coalita.'] Helix lamellata in Perthshire. P.S.N.S., Vol. I., p. 169, and S.N., Vol. II. (New Series), p. 40. Helix aspersay varieties of H. nemoralis, H. hispida, and Succinea sp„ in Perthshire. P.S.N. S., Vol. I„ p. 173, and S.N., Vol. II. (New Series), p. 407. 224 The Scottish Naturalist. 1884. W- Denison Roebuck and J. W. Taylor. " The present state of knowledge of the Distribution of Land and Freshwater Mollusca in Britain." J.C., Vol. IV., p. 1 80. 1885. J. W. Taylor and W. Denison Roebuck. " Census of the Authenticated Distribution of British Land and Freshwater Mollusca." J.C, Vol. IV., P- 3i9- 1885. Henry Coates. Testacella haliotidea, var. scuiulutn, at Kirkcaldy. P.S.N.S., Vol. L, p. 194, and S.N., Vol. II. (New Series), p. 95. Contorted specimens of Helix nemoralis and Planorbis vortex, in Perthshire. P.S.N. S., Vol. I., p. 194, and S.N., Vol. II. (New Series), p. 90. " Preliminary Report on Land and Freshwater Mollusca." East of Scotland Union Reports for 1884, p. 33. " Helix arbustorum, vars. alpestns and flavesce?is, and Limax (Lelimania) arborwn, in Glen Tilt, Perthshire." P.S.N.S., Vol. I., p. 215. Helix aspcrsa in Breadalbane, Perthshire. Id., p. 216. Avion ater on Stuc a Chroin, Perthshire. Id., p. 217. 1885. William Japp. "Stray Notes on the Pearl Mussel." [In the Isla, Forfarshire.] S.N., Vol. II., (New Series), pp. 62 and 113. KEPOET ON THE TUMI OF THE EAST OF SCOTLAND. By PROF. JAMES W. H. TRAIL, A.M., M.D., F.L.S. IN the subjoined report I have taken the Mycologia Scotica as a basis, and have made lists of all the species that have been added to the flora of two districts there recognised — viz., Dee and Tay — so far as I have been able to obtain information up to the beginning of September. (They are continued, for the sake of completeness, to include my own work to the beginning of Decern- 1 he Scottish Naturalist. 225 ber, 1885.) In these lists names in italics denote species not yet recorded for Scotland, and those marked thus (;/) denote addi- tions not yet recorded for the districts. Notices of the occurrence of the remaining species in each district will be found in the Scottish Naturalist, chiefly in the numerous supplements to Myco- logia Scotica, issued for a time by Mr. Stevenson alone, and latterly by Mr. Stevenson and myself conjointly. The additions to "Tay" are the result chiefly of the work of Mr. Stevenson in Forfarshire, and of Dr. F. B. White in Perthshire ; but I have been able to add a few from the neighbourhood of Montrose. The list for " Dee " rests almost entirely on my own work among the fungi in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen during the past two or three years. I have found the microscopic groups quite a wide enough field of study, and accordingly have done little among the Hymenomycetes and the Helvellacei, which in " Dee " still greatly need working out, and that they will repay study we may infer from the wonderful results of Dr. Keith's labours among them in the neighbouring province of " Moray." A large proportion of the species in the subjoined lists were new to the flora of Scotland when published from the districts of "Dee" and "Tay" in the supplements; and a considerable number were new to the British lists, several never having been previously described. A glance at the present lists will show that a considerable portion of the species in that for Dee are still un- published records. I regret that I have no information for the part of the province of " Forth " that lies within the bounds of the Union. There does not seem to be any worker in the Fungi now resident in that part of the East of Scotland. Let us hope that this will not long continue to be the case, and that some worthy successor to Greville may resume the study of Mycology in " Forth," so well begun by him. The nomenclature and arrangement have been retained as near as possible to those in the Mycologia Scotica for convenience of reference ; but a few changes have been introduced where allied forms were widely separated under the arrangement there em- ployed, and where, as under Peronospora^ species were placed under manifestly wrong genera. It must be borne in mind, how- ever, that a very considerable portion of the fungi enumerated as p 226 Ike Scottish Naturalist. distinct species are in fact only less fully developed forms of species referred, when matured, to widely different groups. In the present state of our knowledge, there is a practical advantage in treating them as distinct, if their mutual relations are not for- gotten, since many of them are seldom met with in all the forms, and many, indeed most, of the lower forms cannot yet be referred to their mature conditions. Probably in no long time it will be possible to issue a satisfactory and reliable Mycologia Scotica, and Mr. Stevenson deserves our thanks for the important advances made by him in securing a basis for this. Province of Dee. Hymenomy cetes . wAgaricus carcharias Pers., nA. metachrous Fr., A. Saundersii Fr., nA. melinoides Fr. Paxillus atrotomentosus Batsch. ^Russula Queletii Fr. Polyporus pubescens Schum. ^zTyphula Grevillei Fr. /zNsematelia virescens Corda. Exobasidium Rhododendri Cr. (=E. vaccinii Wor. var.) Myxomycetes. Fuligo varians Sommf. izCraterium leucocephalum Pers. ^Chondrioderma Michelii Lib. ^Comatricha Friesiana De Bary. Plasmodiophora Brassiere Wor. Coniomycetes. nLeptoslroma donacinum Sacc? var. majus Trail ; L. Juncacearum Sacc. Cytospora foliicola Lib. Phoma superflua Sacc., «P. Asteriscus Berk., //P. Samarorum Desm. Ascochyta teretiuscula S. and R. Coniothyrium conoideiim Sacc. (in same perithecia with Leptosphaeria conoidea De Not.) Diplodia obsoleta Karst. Diplodina Ammophilse Trail. Hendersonia Sparganii Niessl, H. culmiseda Sacc, H. Equiseti Trail. Stagonospora Caricis (Oud.) Sacc, S. paludosa S. & Sp., S. Heleocharidis Trail ; S. Typhoidearum (Desm.) Sacc. (This is Darluca Typhoidearum, B. and Br. in Cook's Handbook, No. 1286.) n Vermicularia trichella Grev. Melasmia alnea Lev The Scottish Naturalist. 227 wSeptoria Heraclei Fckl., S. Petroselini Desm., S. Hederas Desm., S. Stella- rise R. and D., S. Anemones Desm., S. Violas West. S. menyanthes Desm., S. scabiosascola Desm. S. Lysimachioe West., S. dolichospora Trail. Rhabdospora pleosporoides Sacc. var. rubescens Karst, R. Cirsii Karst. 11 Dinemasporium graminum Lev., wD. hispidulum Schrad. var. herbarum Cooke. Asteroma Ulmi KL, 11 S.. Prunellas Purt., «A. Rosas D.C. Glceosporium Gei Trail. Coryneum microstictum B. and Br. Asterosporium Hoffmanni Kunze. n Cylindrosporium rhabdosporum B, and Br. Torulacei. wTorula herbarum Link, 11Y. Graminis Desm. Septonema elongatispora Preuss. Tetraploa aristata B. and Br. Echinobotryum atrum Corda. Gymnosporium Arundinis Corda. Pucciniaei. Phragmidium violaceum Schultz, «P. obtusum Fr. ^Triphragmium ulmarias Link. Puccinia arundinacea Hedw., P. striola Link, P. Baryi (B. and Br.) Winter. P. Luzulas Lib., P. mixta Fckl., P. amphibii Fckl., P. Oxyrias Fckl.> P. Cirsii Lasch., P. variabilis Grev., P. Galiorum Link, P. acuminata Fckl. //P. yEgopodii Link, P. Chryosplenii Grev., P. Lychnidearum Link (with the forms P. Stellarias Fckl. and P. Saginaa Fckl.), P. Fabae Link., P. fallens Cooke. Uromyces Alliorum DC. (a form of Puccinia mixta Fckl.), U. apiculosa Lev., U. Geranii Berk., U. intrusa Lev., U. Polygoni Fckl. Uredo Potentillarum DC, U. Statices Desm., U. Caryophyllacearum Johnst., U. Vacciniorum Pers., U. alliorum DC. (along with Puccinia mixta Fckl.) Coleosporium Tussilaginis Lev., C. Petasitis Lev., C. Senecionis Fr., C. Cam- panulas Lev., C. Sonchi-arvensis Lev. wMelarnpsora salicina Lev. Lecythea mixta Lev,, L. Saliceti Lev., L. Valeriana? Berk. Trichobasis Pyrolas Berk., T. Fabas Lev., T. suaveolens Lev. Peridermium Pini Chev. and the var. acicolum Link. yEcidium leucospermum DC, /E. Behenis DC, /E. Galii Pers. JE. Valerianacearum Duby. M. compositarum Mart., vars. Taraxaci Grev., Jacobasas Grev., and n Lapsanas Purt., M. Saniculas Carm., M. Geranii DC. Chytridiacei. Synchitrium Anemones Won, S. Mercurialis Fckl., S. Taraxaci De Bary and Wor. Schinzia Alni Wor. 228 The Scottish Naturalist. Ustilaginei. Ustilago hypodytes Fr., U. vinosa Tul. Doassansia Alismatis Cornu. Entyloma Ungerianum De Bary (nee. Myc. Scot., No. 1343), E. Ficarise F. v. Waldh. ( = Ungeriarum, Myc. Scot., No. 1343), E. Calendulse Oud., E. canescens Schrot. ( = Protomyces Fergussoni B. and Br., Myc. Scot.y No. 1324). Thecaphora Trailii Cooke. Tilletia sphaerococca F. v. Waldh. (Glen Cluny, ? in Braemar). Melanotrenium endogenum Ung. Entorrhiza cypericola (Magn.) Weber. Protomyces macrosporus Ung., P. pachydermus Thuem., P. rhizobius Trail. Hyphomycetes. Isaria brachiata Schum. ;;Stilbum vulgare Tode. wEpicoccum neglectum Desm. Dendvyphium ramosum Cooke. Macrosporiwn sarcimda B. and Br. (a condition of Pleospora herbarurrt probably). ;zGonatosporium puccinioides Corda. fzSporodum conopleoides Corda. n Peronospora pygmoea Ung., P. gangliformis Berk., 11 P. arborescens Berk., n P. affinis Rossm., P. Alsinearum Casp. ;?P. Trifoliorum De Bary, «P. Ficariae Tul., P. calotheca De Bary, P. sordida Berk. , P. Myosotidis De Bary. ;zCystopus spinulosus De Bary. Pythium Equiseti Sadeb. Ovitlaria spheroidea Sacc, «0. Veronicse (Fckl.), O. Syringae Berk., 0. Bistorta (Fckl.). Ravmlaria {Didymaria) didyma Unger, 11R. (D.) rufibasis B. and Br. ( = R. destructiva Ph. and PI.), R. pruinosa Speg., P. variabilis Fckl., R. Valerianae (Speg.) Sacc, R. Herachi Sacc, P. Urticoe, Ces., R. calcea Desm., R. pratensis Sacc, R. Cochleariae Cooke, P. Menthacola sp.n.,. 11 R. intertitialis (= Peronospora insterstitialis B. and Br.). Cercospora Mercurialis Pass. 7?Polyactis cinerea Berk. Oidium chartantm Link. Stysanus stemonitis Corda. Dactylium spirale B. and B. White, D. modestum, B. and B. White. wFusidium griseum Link. 7?Zygodesmus fuscus Corda. Myxotrkhum chart arum Kunze. 7/Chsetopsis Wauchii Grev. Pilacre faginea B. and Br. The Scottish Naturalist. 229 Ascomycetes. wPeziza Wilkommii Hart (=P. calycina var. Laricis, Myc. Scot., No. 1610). P. apala B. and Br., «P. Curreiana Tul., P. cyathoidea Bull. var. wSolani Pers., raP. fusarioides Berk., P. arenevaga Desm., «P. sulphurea Pers., «P. erumpens Grev. ^Helotium claroflavum Berk., nH. herbarum Fr. ^Patellaria rhabarbarina Berk. Cenangium Rubi Fr. Taphrina aurea Fr. Exoascus turgidus Sadeb., E. flavus Sadeb."(— Ascomyces Tosquinetii, Myc. Scot., No. 1 771), E. Pruni Fckl. (=Ascomyces Pruni, Myc. Scot., No. 1770). ^Phacidium repandum Fr. Rhytisma salicinum Fr., Rh. acerinum, var. punctatum Fr., Ephelis radicalis Ph. and PI. ^Lophodermium arundinaceum Schrad. (=Hysterium arundinaceum, Myc. Scot.f No. 1809.) //Sporomega cladophila Corda. Stegia Ilicis Fr. ^Trochila craterium Fr. Sphaerotheca Castagnei Lev., S. Epilobii De Bary. Phyllactinia guttata Lev. Uncinula bicornis Lev. ^Podosphsera Kunzii Lev. ; n¥. clandestina Lev. Microsphsera Hedwigii Lev. Erysiphe horridula Lev. (hardly distinct from E. lamprocarpa Lev.). E. umbelliferarum De Bary, E. Galeopsidis DC. Chsetomium elatum Kunze. Capnodium Citri B. and D. (in greenhouse), C. quercinum (Pers.), B. andD., both in conidiophorous state only. .^Hypocrea rufa Fr. (in form of /*Trichoderma viride.) Nectria Rousseliana Mont., nN. sanguinea Fr. Dothidea Podagrarias Fr. Stigmatea Potentillse Fr. wXylaria carpophila Fr. ^Sphaeria (Crytosphaaria) millepunctata Grev. Gnomoniella devexa (Desm.) Sacc. wSphserella innumerella Karst., S. isariphora (Desm.) De Not. Didymella Barbieri (West.), Sacc. 7/Melanopsamma ( Lasiosphaeria) Ruborum Lib. Venturia incequalis (Cke. ) West., V. Alchemillaa (Grev.), B. and Br. Leptosphacria Typharum (Desm.) Karst, L. Triglochinicola (Carr,, Sacc, «L. nigrans (Desm.) Ces. and De Not., wL. derasa (B. and Br.) Thuem. wOphiobolus porphyrogonus (Tode) Sacc. (=Sphaeria rubella, Myc. Scot., No. 2098), «0. acuminatus (Sow.) Duby (=S. acuminata, Myc. Scot., No. 2099). 230 The Scottish Naturalist. Province of Tay. Hymenomycetes. Agaricus mappa Fr., A. ermineus Fr., A. immundus Berk., A. brevipes Bull., A. Trogii Fr., A. platyphyllus Fr., A. fusipes Bull. var. oedematopus Schaeff., A. luteoalbus Bolt., A. hepaticas Batsch, A. hypnophilus Berk., A. pisciodorus Ces., A. caperatus Pers., A. aurivellus Batsch, A. sub- squarrosus Fr., A. radicosus Bull., A. hirsutus Lasch, A. asterosporus Quel., A. sinapizans Fr., A. glutinosus Lindgr., A. astragalinus Fr., A. minutus Quel., A. alveolus Lasch, A. elaecodes Fr., A. pyrotricbus Holmsk., A. conopileus Fr., A. fimicola Fr. Coprinus radians Fr., C. lagopus Fr. Cortinarius turbinatus Fr., C. saginus Fr., C tabularis Fr., C. cinnabarinus Fr., C. flexipes Pers., C. limonius Fr., C. germanus Fr. Hygrophorus subradiatus Schum. var. lacmus Fr. Lactarius vietus Fr. , L. flexuosus Fr. Russula fellea Fr., R. Queletii Fr. Panus torulosus Fr. Trametes Pini Brot. Hydnum scrobiculatum Fr., H. cyathiforme Schaeff. Dacrymyces chrysocomus Bull. Exobasidium Rhododendri Cr. (not really distinguishable from E. Vaccinii).. Gasteromycetes. Geaster rufescens Fr. Myxomycetes. Badhamia fulvescens Cooke. Plasmodiophora Brassicse Wor. Coniomycetes. Stagonospora armaria Sacc, var. minor Trail. Melasmia alnea Lev. Phyllosticta Violae Desm. Gloeosporium Cytisi B. and Br. Torulacei. Torula splendens Cooke, T. sporendonema B. and Br. Pucciniaei. Phragmidium violaceum Schultz. Puccinia amphibii Fckl., P. malvacearum Corda. P. Pimpinellse Link., P. Thalictri Chev. Uredo Statices Desm. Coleosporium Senecionis Fr. Chytridiacei. iridium depauperatum Vize. The Scottish Naturalist. 251 Synchitrium Mercurialis Fckl., S. Taraxaci De Bary and Wor. Schinzia Alni Wor. Ustilagineae. Ustilago Succisce Magn. Doassansia Alismatis Cornu. Entyloma Ungerianum De Bary (nee. Myc. Scot., No. 1343). E. Ficarise F. v. Waldh. ( E. Ungeriarum, Myc. Scot., 1343). E. calendulas Oud.. E. canescens Schrot. ( Protomyces Fergussoni B. and Bk., Myc. Scot., No. 1324). Protomyces pachydermus Thuem. Hyphomycetes. Isaria felina Fr. ;/Peronospora affinis Berk. Sporocybe alternata Berk. Helminthosporium nanum Nees. Macrosporium Sarcinula B. and Br. (a condition of Pleospora herbarum probably). Triposporium elegans Corda. Sporodum conopleoides Corda. Mucor phycomyces Ehb. Physomycetes. Ascomycetes. Peziza Roumegueri Karst., P. Wilkommii Hart. {=P. calycina, var. Laricis Myc. Scot., No. 1610). P. strobilina Fr. Sphaerotheca Epilobii De Bary. Erysiphe Galtopsldis D.C., E, Astragali D. C. Acrospermum compressum Tode. Polystigma rubrum Pers. Sporormia minima Awd. Sphaeria persistens B. and Br. , S. nigrella Fr. ON LOCAL MUSEUMS. By Professor C. C. BAB1NGTON, F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. I have read with much interest the Editor's remarks upon Local Museums in the October number of this Journal. His views seem to me to be very sound. How sad it is to be led into a local museum by some local man, and manifestly expected to praise it ; but finding there a room filled with such a miscellaneous mass of objects as Dr. Trail has described, to be obliged to express very moderate admiration of it, whilst our friendly guide is evidently 232 The Scottish Naturalist. expecting enthusiastic praise. Local collectors bave done their best according to their imperfect information and judgment, but have lamentably failed in making a collection of scientific value or educational use. I should say, as Dr, Trail does, make a collection of typical specimens illustrative of the kingdoms, or better of one kingdom, of nature ; and reject all untypical specimens ; and, as a rule, do not insert anything lower than genera. Then, make as perfect a collection, extending to species, and even to varieties, as can be obtained of the animals, plants, and minerals found in the district, be it a county, or be it otherwise. This will form a collection of very great value to the naturalist, and of much interest to the casual visitor to the museum. Neither naturalists nor visitors go to local museums to see such a miscellaneous collection as Dr. Trail has described ; they usually want to learn what has been found in and about the place where the museum is situated. And the student is similarly satisfied for he can then determine the name and character of any specimen that he may find, and can also see and study types of groups not represented in his district. One more point must be impressed upon everyone. The museum must be placed in charge of some permanent public body, which will look to its preservation. If this is not done all the labour spent on it will probably be lost. Its enthusiastic col- lectors die or leave the district ; no one troubles himself about it; dust and insects get in ; and all goes to ruin, for want of even the little attention that a public body would pay to its preservation. There is another matter of importance noticed by Dr. Trail. I mean the publication of papers of value communicated to local societies. As is well remarked, they publish Transactions, which no one sees, except a few local people. We, who live at a dis- tance, never hear of the papers, of however great value they may be ; or if we do hear of them, we are quite unable to obtain access to more than a meagre abstract in some better circulated Journal. Why should not a representative body be formed to examine all such papers, and if the paper is reported favourably upon, to re- commend it for publication, in Scotland in the Scottish Naturalist, and in England in some similar journal. Of course, the reporters on the papers need no more be known than they are in the great scientific societies, which always refer their papers before accepting them for publication. It seems to me that such a plan as this is deserving of consideration ; and I, therefore, throw out the sug- gestion. PHYTOLOGY. NEW MOSSES PKOM SCOTLAND. By JAMES STIRTON, M.D., F.L.S. Campy/opus brevipilus grows in great luxuriance in the Island of Benbecula, to such an extent, indeed, that it may fairly be esti- mated as constituting about a sixth part of the vegetation of the lower lands bordering on the sea. On the higher grounds it is sparser, and assumes different aspects ; but, on the whole, the tufts, while still as dense as usual, have the individual stems quickly delapsing or separating in the hand (just as in Grimmia funalis). The stems themselves are much more robust, as well as longer, and, with the leaves attached, quickly assume a dark or purplish-dark colour beneath the apex, and down to the point of attachment, resembling much C. atrovirens, and having a habit quite different from the typical state of C. brevipilus. The ex- treme state of this condition has no hair points on any part of the stem, and does not show the growth interrupted in the successive years. In this condition, also, there are no auricles, or scarcely any, to be seen at the base. A few colourless cells (two or three of which are occasionally slightly tinged with red next the nerve), having the usual thin irregular walls, are pretty often seen quite at base, as in all the so-called non-auricular species, but these are at times wanting or are left behind on the stem in the act of separa- tion. The leaves are, in consequence, somewhat narrowed at base, and the nerve a little upwards occupies about one-third of their breadth. The rest of the areolation corresponds to that seen in the usual state of C. brevipilus. The apices of the leaves have very often coloured or colourless teeth, which are also, in many instances, to be seen on the back of the nerve near summit. Such a state is so strongly differentiated from the type that I have been tempted to raise it to the rank of a sub-species under the name Campylopus pelidnus. It is certainly much more deserving of specific distinction than C. paradoxus. 234 The Scottish Naturalist. There is another Campylopus found on Benbecula which has puzzled me considerably ; viewed casually, it might well be taken for a state of C. Schwarzii. The stems are densely tufted, so densely, indeed, as to give the impression of C. compactus, without, however, the slightest trace of the red tomentum of the latter. Indeed, tomentum is singularly absent, only a few colourless radicles are seen here and there on the lower leaves. The stems are from one to two inches in length. The leaves have no auricles, and are narrowed at base. The basal areolation is nar- rowly cylindrical near the margin, more broadly so close to the nerve. The nerve near base occupies two-thirds, or even three- fourths, the breadth of leaf, and is predominant for the upper three-fourths. The leaves in their upper parts are not convolute, as in C. compactus, but are flattish, and the apex is entire on edge and back, and is not hair pointed. I propose, meanwhile at least, to give to this moss the name Campylopus symplectus. Both mosses have been found only in a barren state. I possess GrimmicB from various parts of Scotland, whose leaves become strongly and quickly recurved on being moistened. One group is from the Lowlands, and all its members may be included under G. subsquarrosa. As the specimens from Moncreiffe Hill and Dumbuck, near Bowling, form the original types of G. sub- squarrosa, they are now taken as tests in the discrimination of what I am inclined to view as a second species of this group. In this latter the leaves are much more strongly reflexed on the application of moisture, to a degree, indeed, that may be termed circinato-reflexed, and they remain so much longer. In a dry state the leaves are erecto-patent, and not appressed. The tufts, in colour and consistency, have much the appearance of those of G. Hartmanni, and, viewed casually in a dry state, are very apt to be mistaken for them. The leaves of this moss are much narrower, and the apices are quite sharply pointed, while the margin is strongly reflexed in the lower half, those of G. subsquarrosa being nearly plain in the same situation. The areolation of the latter at base is pellucid and rectangular for a considerable space, but that of the moss under consideration is bluntly quadrangular, and is often greenish, although not sinuous as in G. Hartmanni. The upper areola- tion is minute, dense, and opaque in all. That of G. Hartmanni, The Scottish Naturalist. 235 while dense above, has each cell very constricted in the middle, while the outlines of the cells in the other two are merely some- what irregular, but not constricted. The apex of the typical specimens of G. subsquarrosa is bluntish, and the hair point is even rather flat at its insertion, but this is not so in Grimmia retracta, the name I propose to give to the moss under discussion. Found beside Loch Tay, July, 1866. MY00L0GIA SCOTICA-Suppleinent. By REV. J. STEVENSON and Prof. JAMES W. H. TRAIL. {Continued from S. N., 1885,^. 192.) (All measurements, except where specified, are in thousandths of a millimetre.) 3064. E. Ung-erianum De By. (Protomyces microsporias Unger). Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884, p. 228 (nee. 1343, MycoL Scolica). In yellowish green, afterwards brown, outgrowths, ?W inch across, convex above, concave below, in leaves of Ranun- culus repens, and, less often, of R. acris ; spores densely crowded in the tissues of the spots, globular or oval, 12-20 diam. ; outer surface marked with ridges, hyaline to pale brown. July-Oct. East. — — Tay Dee Moray — — — West. Solway — — — — — Local, but frequently abundant. J. W. H. Trail. The plant of Mycologia Scolica is the next species, not this one. 3061. E. Ficarise F. v. Waldh. Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884, p. 228 (=E. Ungeriarum Mycol. Scot. 1343, nee. de Bary ; and conidia=Cylindrosporium Ficariae B., Mycol. Scot. 1 1 86). In flat spots (2Vi inch across), at first pale green, then whitish, because of development of sporidia from spores still in leaf, afterwards brown ; spores rounded or polygonal, 8-12 diam. ; germinating readily, surface nearly smooth, wall rather thin ; colourless to pale brown. In leaves of Ranunculus Ficaria, often associated with Peronospora Ficaria. May-July. 236 The Scottish Naturalist. East. — — Tay Dee Moray — — — West. — — — — — — Plentiful wherever looked for. J. W. H. Trail. 3062. Melanotsenium endogenum (Unger) Exantheme d. Tflan- zen. Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884,/. 243. In stems of Galium verum, causing the plants to remain stunted and erect, and to resemble miniature Equisetum palustre in habit. The stems become dull purple or black- ish, either throughout, or at the nodes, with only dark streaks in the internodes. The leaves are sickly yellowish-green, with midribs, at base below, dull purple. The flowers are seldom developed. The cortex of the stem is crowded with spores of the fungus, usually in groups. The spores are rounded, or frequently more or less angular, from mutual pressure ; are usually dark brown, and moderately thick walled, and vary from 17 by 12 to 25 by 20. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. ______ Frequent on Sandy Links, near Aberdeen, and at Muchalls on cliffs. J. W. H. Trail. Probably this fungus is common along our sandy coasts. 3063. Entorrhiza cypericola (Magnus) Weber. Bot. Zeii. 1884, pp. 369-79. Trail, Scot. Nat. 1884, pp. 241-43. Causes swellings in the tips of roots of Juncus bu/onius. These are usually white, oval, smooth or nearly so, and vary from the size of a pin-head to that of a pea. After a time they become brown. The cells of the inner cortex are en- larged, and are occupied by spores connected by very deli- cate mycelium filaments. The spores are round or oval, and reach 20 by 17. They have a thin endo-sporc, and a yellow or red-yellow epispore bearing low warts. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — ? Clyde — — — — Near Aberdeen, in one or two places. J. W. H. Trail. Prof. B. Balfour tells me that he has found considerably larger branched tumours on roots of Juncus (lamprocarpus f) near Glasgow, which apparently are caused by the same, or by an allied, species of fungus. 3064. Tilletia bullata Fckl. Sym. Myc. p. 40. Grevillea, Vol. V. p. 118. Epiphyllous. Sori bullate, orbicular, purplish-black ; spores globose, purplish-brown ; epispore minutely granu- lated. Caeoma Bistortarum, Libert Exs. 88. A very interesting and apparently rare species, found by The Scott is J i Naturalist. 237 Libert on Polygonum bistorta, and by Fuckel on Polygonum viviparum. Spores 15 diam. On leaves of Rumex obtusifolius. East. — — — — — — West. — Clyde. — — Glasgow. R. H. Paterson. Europe. (This species was inadvertently omitted from former lists.) 3065. T. sphaerococca F. v. Waldh. [Bull. Mosc. 1867,^. 255. Greviliea, Vol. XI I. p. 99. Mycelium black. Spores globose or obtuse-ovoid (26- 30), dark brown reticulations of the epispore more pro- minent than in Tilletia caries. Mem. sur les Ustilag, p. 254. In the Ovaries of Agrostis pumila. East. — — — ? Dee. — — — — West. _____ Glen Cluny. F. C. S. Roper. Europe. BKITISH ASSOCIATION. The meeting of the British Association held in Aberdeen, from 9th to 1 6th September, 1885, was not less successful than its predecessors, coming though it did after such a meeting as that in Montreal the previous year. It is true that it was not dis- tinguished by any startling announcements of new scientific discoveries ; but these are rare at any time, nor does one nowa- days look to a meeting of the British Association as the occasion that will give them birth. But, bearing in mind the real nature and aims of the gathering, that it comes together annually, less with the intention of discussing science than to afford to its members the opportunity of making or of renewing friendships, and to spread among the residents in and around the place of meeting some intelligent appreciation of science, without demanding of them a profound knowledge of any part of it, the meeting of 1885 may be held to have quite fulfilled its aims. The preparations made for entertaining the guests, and for excursions were sufficient ; and seemed to meet the approval of all, save of the usual contingent of grumblers among the too 238 The Scottish Naturalist. numerous c am pfol lowers, who are seldom absent from this their autumn holiday. The only serious contretemps that occurred was that one of the days devoted to excursions proved wet and stormy But supplies for the mind, no less than for the body, were pro- vided ; and the general interest of the papers and their numbers did not in any degree fall short of former years. As was to be anticipated, Scotchmen took a prominent part in the reading of papers. Of course, a large proportion of the papers bore upon subjects not peculiarly Scotch ; but, as will be seen from the list of headings below, a considerable number of papers of really local interest were read, especially in the Geological section. Of Scientific Exhibitions there were several. Besides the Museums in the University buildings, a loan exhibition was shown, restricted to specimens from Scotland north of the Tay. There were many interesting and valuable objects included in it, thanks to the kindness of the directors of the Museums of Forres, Elgin, Banff, and Montrose, the Dundee Naturalists' Society, and many private individuals, through whose generous assistance some idea of the fauna, flora, and geology of the north of Scotland could be gained by the strangers during even the few days spent in Aberdeen. The presidential addresses dealt largely with the educational bearings of scientific studies. Professor MTntosh, of St. Andrews "University, however, took as the subject of his interesting address, the phosphorescence of marine animals ; and Professor Judd, in the Geological section, spoke " On some Great Problems in High- land Geology," summing up the conclusion generally admitted by Geologists within the past year or two, and adverted to in previous numbers of this Journal. In his address he bestowed on the late Professor Nicol the tribute due to him for the accuracy of the conclusions to which he had come in regard to this most difficult problem, and which were for many years not allowed a hearing because of the influence of Murchison in opposition to them. Space will not permit the insertion of more than the headings of the local Scotch papers read before the meeting. geology. Bonney, Prof. T. G. — " On Bastite-Serpentine and Troktolite in Aberdeenshire, with a note on the Rock of the Black Dog." Buchanan, J. T. — " Depth and Temperature of some Scottish Lakes." The Scottish Naturalist, 239 Cadell, H.— " The Oil-Shales of the Lothians." „ " Recent Advances in West Lothian Geology." Davidson, Rev. Dr. — " The Bass of Inverurie, the remains of an ancient alluvial bed." Gunn, John — " A description of the rocks of Central Caithness." Howden, Dr. J. C. — " Notes on the Glacial Deposits of Montrose." Lapworth, Prof. C. — " The Great Highland Controversy, its Causes, Course, and Consequences." Macadam, Prof. W. J. — " The Aberdeenshire Diatomaceous de- posits, their extent, chemical composition, and industrial uses, with notes on similar deposits elsewhere in Scotland." „ „ — " Description of a Mineral from Loch Bruithaic, Inverness-shire." Macfarlane, Dr. J. — "On a microscopic fungus in fossil wood from Bowling." Melvin, J. — " The parallel roads of Lochaber." Mitchell, Rev. Dr. H. — " Exhibition of specimens of Fish from the Lower Old Red Sandstone of Forfarshire." Peach, B. N. and Home, John — " The Geology of Durness and Eriboll, with special reference to the Highland Controversy." „ „ — "Further evidence of the ex- istence of Ice in the North Sea Basin, based on the explora- tion of the Wyville Thomson Ridge, by Dr. John Murray* and on the occurrence of Shelly Boulder Clay in North Ronaldshay, found by Dr. Traill." Phillips, J. Gordon. — " The Elgin Sandstones." Ross, Alexander — " Notes on the Rocks of St. Kilda." Smith, Wm. — " The movement of sand in Aberdeen Bay." Tragnair, Dr. Ramsay — "On a new Reptile, recently discovered at New Spynie, near Elgin." BIOLOGY. MTntosh, Prof. Wm. — " On the structure and arrangement of the Marine Laboratory in St. Andrews." „ „ — " General remarks on 9 months work at the St. Andrews Laboratory." „ „ — " On certain processes formed by Cerapus on Tubular ia at St. Andrews." „ „ — " On a new British Staurocephalus Whit- stable." 240 The Scottish Naturalist. „ „ — u On remarkable structures resembling ova from deep water." „ „ — " On the ova of the Skulpin." Struthers, Prof. John — " On the Tay Whale (Megaptera longimana) and other whales recently obtained in the district." BOTANY. Bruce, Rev. W. S.— "Flora of Banffshire." Grant, James — " Flora of Caithness." Mackenzie, Jas. — " Flora of Elgin." Wilson, William — " On Aberdeenshire plants as food for animals." In the Anthropological section also there were several papers of local interest read ; they dealt chiefly with archaeological subjects. During the week, two conferences of delegates of Corresponding local Societies were held ; but the attendance at both was disap- pointingly small ; and it was resolved to call the attention of the Societies to the need of a more lively interest being manifested in the matter of sending delegates that would take part in the work of the conferences, and to the risk of Societies that were unrepre- sented being cut off the roll of Corresponding Societies. Dr. Garson submitted a request for assistance, such as could be supplied by local societies with little difficulty, to the committee of the British Association appointed " for the purpose of defining tjie Racial Characters of the Inhabitants of the British Isles." Professor Hillhouse represented the danger of extirpation in which rare plants are exposed, and requested that local societies should co-operate to prevent such an evil being done. Mr. de Ranee submitted requests for information regarding boulders, erosion of coasts, and underground waters, all solely in England and Wales. Want of space in this number makes it necessary to hold over to the next number several papers, namely -.—British Marine Algae, by E. M. Holmes, F.L.S.,~F.R.B.S.E., &c. ; Plants of West ROSS, by G. C. Druce, F.L.S. ; Forms of Carex new to Scotland, by Ar. Bennett, F.L.S. ; Mycologia Scotica, Supplement, and conclusion of The Lepidoptera of the Shetland Islands, by A. Hoffmann ; besides several Reports of Local Societies. For these papers and reports we beg to thank our contributors very sincerely, and we venture to hope a continuance of their kind assistance to render this Magazine useful, and valuable. /yff Zs/>A "J. 7 K//Mff /aides .fifter'/. 'Uorea /i#.4r//t>rdsie!/t. OBITUAKY. John Francis Campbell (of Islay), F.G.S., was a well-known geologist some years ago, but for some time he had published little. Born on 29th December, 182 1, he at first seemed likely to in- herit a large estate, but shortly after he came of age he lost it. He therefore studied law, but in 1855 ne became private secretary to the Duke of Argyle, and afterwards to the Mines Commission, and the Lighthouse Commission ; and from 1860-80 he held posts in the Queen's household. He died at Cannes on nth February, 1885. His duties required frequent journeys into Iceland, Scan- dinavia, through Russia, Egypt, Syria, India, and Eastern Asia. His natural taste led him to the study of Geology, for which his journeys afforded him numerous opportunities. His books are, however, more directed to pointing out defects in the work of others than to original investigations. They are, " My Circular Notes," "Frost and Fire," " Glaciation," "Something from the Gold-diggings of Sutherland." In them geological observations are mingled with incidents of his travels. He also interested himself greatly in the folk-lore of the West Highlanders, the results of which were published in well-known books, entitled " Popular Tales of the West Highlands." Besides the above, he occupied himself with solar physics, and invented a heliometer, which has received high praise from eminent physicists. Thomas Davidson, L.L.D., F.R.S., had for years been recognised as the leading authority on " Brachiopoda," and especially on the fossil species. On this group of animals he wrote standard works, several of which were published by the Palseontographical Society, while others were published in France. Dr. Davidson was born in Edinburgh in 181 7, of a good family in Midlothian; but he was taken to France at an early age, and there he was for the most part educated, though for a brief period he was a student in the Q 242 The Scottish Naturalist. University of Edinburgh. Among his teachers were several of the best known leaders of science in Paris. He also studied art in Paris and in Rome, and employed his artistic talents in the illustration of his writings on the Brachiopoda. It is understood that his valuable collections are to be deposited in the British Museum. Dr. J. Gilchrist, for over thirty years superintendent in the Crichton Institution in Dumfries, died on Monday, 7th December, 1885. Throughout his life he took a warm interest in Natural Science, and in antiquarian researches ; and the active part he took in promoting such studies in the south of Scotland, renders his death a great loss to the Dumfries & Galloway Antiquarian Society, of which he was President at the time of his death, and had been so during several years. We quote from the Dumfries Herald a notice of him as a scientist. " Perhaps it was as a scientist we knew him best. His favourite studies were geology and minera- logy, but he had more than a mere general knowledge of most of the principal branches of natural science. His great work in this district was the establishing of a Natural History and Antiquarian Society for Dumfriesshire and Galloway, which was instituted on the 20th November, 1862. According to the first volume of Transactions, Dr. Gilchrist convened a meeting of gentlemen in- terested in the cultivation of natural history and antiquarian re- search, with the result that a vigorous society was started into life, the original committee being Mr. Thos. Aird, Mr. M'Diarmid, Dr. Gilchrist, Mr. Thorburn, Mr. M'llwraith, Mr. W. G. Gibson, Provost Caldow, Mr. M'Dowal, Rev. Mr. Goold, and Dr. Dickson. u The deceased gentleman, who had passed the age of three-score years and ten, lived a life of great activity, and even in his later years he had an elasticity of step and a buoyancy of spirit which might have been envied by much younger men. He was a man of reflective habits, a vigorous thinker, while his quickness of ap- prehension and tenacity of memory greatly assisted him in those scientific pursuits to the study of which he abandoned himself with ardour. As a geologist, he was able to give us much invaluable information relating to our district ; and in him many a young student found a ready teacher in those subjects with which the Doctor had a special acquaintance. Last winter he organised and conducted at his own house classes in natural history, to The Scottish Naturalist. 243 which all members of the Antiquarian Society were most heartily welcomed. Socially, Dr. Gilchrist was of a most genial disposi- tion. He held the respect of all who had intercourse with him, as well as the esteem of all who knew him, and few men will be more generally missed in local intellectual circles." John Watson Laidlay, another Scottish Naturalist, also has died during the recent year. Born in Glasgow on 27th March, 1808, when 1 7 years old he went to India, to his uncles, silk factors and indigo planters. In 1849 ne returned from India, and lived partly in London, partly at SeaclirT in Haddingtonshire. His favourite pursuits were chemistry, geology, meteorology, and the study of oriental languages ; and he published a number of papers on them in the Journal of the "Bengal Asiatic Society." Perhaps the most interesting publication (" Trans. Scottish Archae- ological Society," 1870-71) by him on a purely Scottish investiga- tion related to the supposed rise of the east coast of Scotland. By the discovery of the ruins of a prehistoric dwelling on a rock near Seacliff, only 23 feet above high water mark, he showed that the land could not have been much lowered since its formation, else it would have been destroyed by the sea. He presented a collection of shells, and also coins and other antiquities to the National Museums. He died on March 5th, 1885, leaving five sons and two daughters. Charles William Peach, late of H.M. Customs, and for many years one of the most assiduous and successful marine zoologists of Great Britain, died in Edinburgh on the 28th February, 1886, in his 86th year. A notice of his labours, which added largely to our knowledge of the marine fauna of Scotland, will appear in our next issue. ZOOLOGY, THE LEPIDOPTEKA OF THE SHETLAND ISLANDS. By AUGUST HOFFMANN. {Co?iduded from page 179.) 37. Cidaria Montanata, var. Shetlandica J.W. (Melanippe montanata var. Shetlandica J. W.) Stgr. andWk. Lap.; Wk. Norv. Alp. ; Mosch. Lab. ; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Of this form, called by Mr. Jenner Weir var. Shetlandica, I have seen 4 examples. It is figured in the Entomologist, 1883, pi. 4, figs, 10, n. There occurs in it a darkening of the white ground-colour of the anterior wings, due to suffusion with brownish- yellow ; but the white remains as a border to the sharply defined middle area, which is broken up into bands : and there remain also the wavy white lines : the insects thus have a very variegated bright aspect. It is curious that in the Shetland Islands the colours and marking of this species are more vivid and more dis- tinct ; while the Northern specimens of the same form show a tendency in the markings to disappear, and in the colours to be- come pale (var. Lapponica Stgr.). Montanata is said to appear in the Shetland Islands only in the form described above. The specimens are markedly smaller than ours (Hanover). Time of flight is July. 38. Cidaria Csesiata SV. (Larentia Cwsiata SV.) Stgr. Isl. ; Stgr. and Wk. Lap. ; Wk. Norv. Alp. ; Mosch. Labr. ; Sch. Fen. ; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Unfortunately, I could not examine any specimens of this species from the Shetland Islands. Since Mr. Jenner Weir does not es- pecially mention this species, I conclude that the Shetland speci- mens do not differ in any way from those of the rest of Scotland, and that therefore probably the species will also appear there in all transitions to the aberr. annosata Zett. and aberr. glaciata Germ. Time of flight is July. The Scottish Naturalist. 245 39. Oidaria Adsequata Bkh. {Emmelesia blandiata SV.) Stgr. and Wk. Lap. ; Sch. Fen. ; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. Ordinary form, only with somewhat sharply denned markings. Time of flight is July. 40. Oidaria Albulata Schiff. and aberr. Thules J.W. (Emmelesia albulata Schiff ". and aberr. Thules J.W.) Stgr. and Wk. Lap. • Wk. Norv. Alp. • Sch. Fen. ; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. This species also in the Shetland Islands exhibits a very inter- esting modification. It shows a tendency to a yellowish leaden- gray ground colour, which in some examples supplants the white on the upper and under wings (aberr. Thules J.W.). The figures in the Entomologist 1880, pi. 4, figs 4 and 5, show the commence- ment of a transition to such specimens ; I possess some markedly darker, as well as the ordinary form from the Shetland Islands. Mr. MacArthur writes me in answer to a question — "Albulata varies from the ordinary form up to the dark specimens." I there- fore regard Thules J.W. as an aberr. of albulata. It flies in July. I received from Dr. Staudinger a very pale pair of specimens from the Caucasus. The male especially is almost snow-white, but the yellowish bands are indicated ; and they offer a curious contrast to the deep leaden-gray specimens of the Shetland Islands ; yet even these have the characteristic sheen on the wings which is peculiar to albulata. Dr. Staudinger writes that he has met with the species near Bossekop (Lapland), flying over the meadows in almost fabulous numbers. I also found them, ten years ago, on the meadows of the Upper Harz in millions, but since that time, it has always been rare there ; the insect must therefore appear only periodically in such numbers. 41. Oidaria Bilineata L. (Camptogramma bilineata L.) Stdfs. Sil. Mont. Somewhat more dull-coloured than our specimens (Hanover.) It flies in July. Entomologist, 1880, plate 4, fig. 8. 42. Eupithecia Venosata F. var. ; Wk. Norv. Alp. ; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. I saw 6 specimens of this variety from the Shetland Islands. The insect, at the first glance, gives quite a different impression from our venosata, and yet it is hard to say in what the difference consists. The ground-colour of the wings is less transparent, not reddish-gray but brownish-gray. The two cross-stripes, usually 246 The Scottish Naturalist. white, which bound the middle area, are likewise suffused with clear brownish-gray, thus they are not so distinct, while the middle spot is smaller and more like a line ; and the broad network, which in our venosata is very conspicuous on the front margin, is much finer and less dark in the Shetland form ; so that, on the whole, a greater uniformity in markings and colour is brought about. This form is figured in the Entomologist 1880, plate 4,. fig. 7. It flies in June. 43. Eupithecia ? Nanata Hb. var. ; Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. SiL Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. ; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Fen. I received 6 specimens of this curious form, which were all alike. Dr. Staudinger, to whom I sent a pair, writes, " A form of Eupithecia new to me, perhaps only a dark nanata" This form certainly comes nearest to the nanata aberr. obscurata Stgr. ; but it differs from this in so many important points, that it cannot be united with it. The insect is larger, stronger, and somewhat broader-winged than nanata ; the fringes are very long, especially at the inner angles of the wings ; the colouring is a deep-brown gray, with a somewhat reddish tinge. The wing-scales are coarser and the whole marking more faded ; so that the white cross-lines do not stand out so clearly. The wavy line is very distinct, and has, as in Nanata in cell 1, b., a distinct, white, wider part ; on the other hand, the white oblique line at the point of the wings is wanting, as in hyperboreata Stgr. The bands, which enclose the middle area, are very marked and run straighter, and the outer one does not meet the margin so abruptly. In my opinion, this Shetland form deserves a special name. Whether it should be re- garded as a peculiar species, or should be referred to nanata as a variety, I do not dare to decide. It flies in June. 44. Scoparia Ambigualis Tr. Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. SiL Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Ordinary Form. June and July. 45. Scoparia Alpina Stt. Figured in the Entomologist 1880, plate 4, figs. 1 and 2. It flies in June. 46. Scoparia Orataegella Hb. var. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. A small dark specimen, determined by Dr. Staudinger as be- longing to this species. Probably caught along with ambigualis, as I received the specimen under this name. The Scottish Naturalist 247 47- Crambus Pratellus L. Frey Alp. j Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Ordinary form. It flies in July. 48. Crambus Culmellus L. Frey Alp. ; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. ; H. Here. Mont. Ordinary form. It flies in June and July. 49- Tortrix Musculana Hb., var. (Gnephasia musculana Hb.) Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Lap. I received 6 specimens of this species, which had a curious appearance. The insect is scarcely two-thirds the size of our specimens (Hanover). The ground-colour of the upper wings is a clear silvery-gray, and the basal area is bounded by an angular, brown band. In one specimen, the brown middle-band is much darker and more sharply bordered than usual. It flies in July. 50. Sciaphila Osseana Sc. (Aphelia pratana Hb.) m. Stgr. Isl.; Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Mosch. Labr.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont. I received only 2 specimens ; they are redder than examples from Hanover and the Upper Harz ; yet straw-coloured specimens marked with distinct dark specks are said to occur, like those that Dr. Staudinger has noticed in Iceland. Flies in August and September. 51. Cochylis Thuleana Va. (Eupoccilia ThuleanaVa.) A new species described by Mr. Howard Vaughan, in the Entomologist, 1880, p. 293, and figured, plate 4, fig. 3. In our system it must be ranked in the genus Cochylis, along with affinitana Dbl. Caught in June, in the most inaccessible places of the rocky coast of the Mainland. £2. Cochylis Badiana. (Argyrolepiacnicana Dbld.) (?) var. cnicana Dbl. Frey Alp.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Lap. A single, large, deeply-coloured specimen was caught. Flies in June. 53. Penthina Schulziana F. (Mlrodia Sckulzianct Stgr. and Wk. Lp.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H Here. Mont. Brightly coloured, but somewhat smaller than the Scottish form. Time of flight is June. 54. Aphelia Lanceolana Hb. (Bacha Lanceolana Hb.) Frey Alp.; H. Here. Mont. 248 7 he Scottish Naturalist. In the two specimens that I saw, on the upper wings the spots on the fold and on the cross-vein and the bar from the tip of the wing were very dark, and almost united ; so that the general effect was that of a band running from the base over the cross-vein to the tip of the wing. The time of flight is July. 55. Endemis Littoralis Curt. (Sericoris Uttoralis Curt.) Beautiful red-brown, and brightly marked. Flies in June and July. 56. G-rapholitha Succedana St. (Gatoptria ulicetana Hw.) Frey Alp. This is said to vary more strongly than the English form, but not to be so brightly marked as specimens from some Scottish localities. It flies in June and July. 57- Steganoptycha Mercuriana Hb. (Pamplusia monti- colana Wlk.) Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Frey Alp.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Fen. Dark red-brown, and much more distinctly marked than speci- mens from the Alps. Time of flight is July. 58. Phoxopteryx Unguicella L. (Ph. unguicana Fb.) Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont. Ordinary form. It flies in June. 59. Dichrorhampha Plumbeana Tr. (D. tanacetana St.) Frey Alp. ; H. Here. Mont. Ground-colour somewhat redder than in the English form. It flies in June. 60. Blabophanes Rusticella Hb. {Tinea rusticella Hb.) Stgr. Isl.; Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Moschl. Labr.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont; H. Here. Mont.; Stgr. and Wk. Cat. Fen. Ordinary form. Time of flight is June. 61. Gelechia Ericetella Hb. Stgr. and Wk. Lap.; Wk. Norv. Alp.; Frey Alp.; Stdfs. Sil. Mont.; H. Here. Mont. A somewhat pale form. It flies in June and July. 62. Glyphipteryx Cladiella Stt. Ordinary English form. I have no record as to time of flight. The species described above fall, in respect to the countries referred to, under nine groups, as in the following table : — 9. Agrotis festiva, Chareas graminis, Cidaria csesiata, Blaboph- anes rusticella. 8. Agrotis occulta, Hadena exulis, Sciaphila osseana. The Scottish Naturalist. 249 7. Vanessa Cardui, Hepialus Velleda, Anaitis paludata, Cidaria munitata, C. albulata. 6. Nemeophila Plantaginis, Agrotis hyperborea, Mamestra dentina, Cidaria didymata, C fluctuata, Penthina Schulziana, Gelechia ericetella. 5. Vanessa Atalanta, Hepialus Humuli, Agrotis pronuba, Dianthecia nana, Plusia Gamma, Anarta melanopa, Cidaria adae- quata, Eupithecia nanata, Tortrix musculana, Steganoptycha mercuriana. 4. Sphinx Convolvuli, Agrotis strigula, A. C-nigrum, A. lucer- nea, Luperina Haworthii, Hadena adusta, H. monoglypha, H. basilinea, Caradrina quadripunctata, Dasypolia templi, Lygris testata, Cidaria immanata, Eupithecia venosata, Scoparia ambi- gualis, Crambus pratellus, C. culmellus, Phoxopteryx unguicella. 3. Hadena furva, Cochylis badiana, Aphelia lanceolana, Dich- rorhampha plumbagana. 2. Agrotis cursoria, Hydroecia micacea, Cidaria bilineata, Scoparia crataegella, Grapholitha succedana. 1. Agrotis xanthographa, A. glareosa, Hadena fasciuncula, Scoparia alpina, Cochylis Thuleana, Endemis littoralis, Glyphip- teryx cladiella. In the above arrangement of groups the species brought to- gether under group 9 have the widest distribution, viz., over 9 countries. The species of group 1, which has the narrowest distribution, have been observed only in the Shetland Islands. The preceding table makes no claim to absolute accuracy ; and it has indeed some very grave errors, e.g., Plusia Gamma has certainly a wider distribution than is shown by its place in group 5. But on the whole the list gives a fair idea of the kind of dis- tribution of the species under similar climatic conditions ; and this was, in truth, the chief aim of this paper. In conclusion — the Lepidopterous fauna of the Shetland Islands shows a less northern character than their comparatively high latitude would lead one to expect. All the butterflies of the genera Argynnis, Ei-ebia, (Eneis, &c, characteristic of the north, are absent, as are also the greater part of the northern Agrotidee, Hadenidw, Anartw and Plusice. The fauna of the Shetland Islands seems quite to be an outpost of the peculiarly middle- European fauna of Britain, pushed forward towards the Arctic circle ; a fact which may be most easily explained by the probable 250 The Scottish Naturalist. union in former times of the Shetland Islands to the Scottish mainland, and by the not-to-be-under-valued influence of the Gulf Stream. The importance of the fauna lies in the very interesting varie- ties that it exhibits, and all entomologists must thank Mr. M 'Arthur for his continued and careful researches in this distant locality, carried through under difficult circumstances. A NEW GALL-MIDGE (BormomyU Abrotani sp. n.). By Prof. J. W. H. TRAIL. In October, 1884, 1 found on a plant of Artemisia Abrotaniwi (Southernwood), in a garden in Old Aberdeen, numerous small galls on the leaves, usually on the upper surface near the origins of the lobes ; frequently half a dozen or more occurred on a leaf. They are like a rifle bullet in shape, fixed to the leaf by one side, with the tip free. Their size is only TV by ?V inch. The free wall is thin. The surface is like that of the leaf ; the colour was yellowish-green or dull reddish-green. In each lived an orange-red larva, which almost filled the central cavity. From galls kept in a box during the winter a number of the midges, of both sexes, emerged. They seem to come nearest to Cecidoniyia foliortim H. Lw., but differ in so many points from that species, as described by Loew, that I venture to regard them as unnamed, and propose to call them Hormomyia Abrotani. I subjoin a description. Hormomyia Abrotani sp. n. Male, brown, without red or darker spots, eyes black. Thorax humped in front. Antennae 14-jointed, joints elliptical, stalked, with a circle of long hairs on each. Wings narrow at the base, but suddenly widened at about 5 of their length, grey, concolorous throughout, with darker veins : 1st vein not very near costa, which is not much wider after the vein has joined it ; 2nd vein hardly to be made out at the base, the very oblique pale cross-veinlet looking like the basal part of it ; the 2nd vein is slightly curved in its more distant half, and does not quite reach the outer margin of the wing ; if continued, it would reach this at, or a little behind, the middle ; 3rd vein is distinct in its basal half, but stops abruptly before the point where the fork is usually situated, and shows no trace of either branch. Halteres pale grey. Legs long and slender, uniform brownish. Length of male insect 0*5 inch (1 mm.) Female resembles male, except in larger size {^ inch, or i| mm., with ovi- positor exserted), and in the uniformly brownish red abdomen, with along tele" scope ovipositor, which is red towards the tip. The antenna? are alike in the two sexes. The abdomen in both males and females bears only pale incon- spicuous hairs. The above description is taken from dried insects. PHYTOLOGY. PLANTS OP WEST EOSS. By G. CLARIDGE D R U C E, F.L.S. IN July, 1 88 1, at the request of the late Mr. H. C. Watson, I undertook to make a catalogue of the common plants for the vice county of West Ross, No. 105. This list, after the death ot Mr. Watson, was sent with voucher specimens to the Bot. Rec. Club, and published in their report for 1880. In the second edition of Topographical Botany, it was quoted with a few acci- dental omissions as far as Ericacew. It being slightly difficult for non-members to refer to the Record Club's reports, the plants of the West Ross list omitted in Top. Bot., ed. i j., are enumerated below : — Trollius europceus, L., Mam Ratachan. Nymphwa alba, L. Loch Coulin. Cardamine hirsuta, L., Loch Carron side, t Bar- bar ea vulgaris, L., Strome. Drosera anglica, Huds., locally common. D. obovata, M. and K., Loch Coulin, Kintail, &c. Polygala vulgaris, L., Scuir Ourauch. P. depressa, W., common. Cerastium alpestre, Syme, Scuir na Cairan. t Acer Pseudo- platanus, L., Loch Duich. Vicia syhatica, L., Keppoch. Rubus affinis, W. and N., Strome. Rosa coerulea, Baker, Loch Duich. f Pyrus Mains, L., Strome. Mijrioplujllum alterniflorum, D.C., Loch Maree. Callitriche stagnalis, Scop., Kinlochewe. Galli- triche hamulata, Kiitz., Loch Alsh. C. peduncidata, D.C., Kin- lochewe. f Riles Grossularia, L., Strome. t Chaerophyllum temulum, L., Loch Duich. f Scabiosa arvensis, L., Dornie.. j Doronicum Pardalianches, L., Shiel. Petasites vulgaris Desf., Loch Duich. Leontodon pratensis, K., Mam Ratachan. Scro- phularia nodosa, L, Achnashellach. Digitalis purpurea, L.r Dornie, &c. j Mimulus guttatus, D.C.^ Crowe of Kintail, quite naturalised. Veronica arvensis, I/., Strome. V. L., Glen Shiel, Cham&drys, L., &c. V. officinalis, L., Glen Docharty. common. V. scutellata, L., Loch Clare. serpyllifolwy V. V 252 The Scottish Naturalist. Beccabunga, L., rare, Dornie. Euphrasia officinalis, L., Glen Shiel. Bartsia odontites, Huds., Loch Duich. Pedicularis palustris, L., common. P. sylvatica, L., common. Rhinanthus Crista-galli, L., Kinlochewe, &c. Melampyrum sylvaticum, L., Strome. Mentha hirsuta, L., Glen Docharty. M. arvensis, L., Loch Duich side. Thymus serpyllum, Fr., common. Prunella vulgaris, L., common. Scutellaria galericulata, L., Strome. Stachys palustris, L., Keppoch. S. sylvatica, L., Kinlochewe, rare. Galeopsis Tetrahit, L., Dornie. Lamium purpureum,^L., Dornie, very rare. Ajuga reptans, L., Ben Slioch. Teucrium Scorodonia, L., Ben Slioch. Myosotis casspitosa, Sch., common. J/ arvensis, Hoff., Achnashellach. il/. versicolor, R., common. Pinguicula vulgaris, L., common. P. vulgaris, L., w?r., « v^r?/ large flowered form, the plant itself larger than usual, with petals much more contiguous, occurred on the north-western slopes of Scuir na Cairn, at more than 2000 Jeet above the sea. Primula vulgaris, Huds., Glen Shiel, &c. Lysimachia nemorum, L., Ben Slioch. Glaux maritima, L., Loch Carron. Armeriamaritima, W., Loch Carron. Plantago major, L. P. lanceolata, L. P. maritima, L., common. Littorella lacustris, L., Loch Maree. Chenopodium album, L., Loch Carron Chenopodium Bonus- Henricus, L., Dornie. Atriplex Smithii, Syme, Strome. Atriplex Babingtonii, Woods, Loch Carron side. Bumex con- glomeratic, Murr., Strome. R. crispus, L., Strome. R. obtusi- folius, Auct., Dornie. R. acetosa, L., and R. Acetosella, L., abundant. Oxyria reniformis, Hook, Scuir Ouran. Polygonum aviculare, L., Dornie. P. Hydropiper, L., Kinlochewe. P. Persicaria, L., Strome. P. lapathifolium, L., Kinlochewe. P. amphibium, L., terrestre, Dornie, rare. Empetrum nigrum, L., abundant. Urtica dioica, L., Kintail, rare, j Ulmus suberosa, Ehrh., Strome, one tree. U. montana, Sm., Loch Duich. Quercus sessiliflora, Sal., Loch Coulin. t Fagus sylvatica, L., Loch Duich. Corylus Avellana, L., Strome. Alnus glutinosa, L., common. Betula verrucosa, Ehrh., Loch Duich. B. gluti- nosa, Fr., common. B. pubescens, Ehrh., Ben Slioch. Myrica Gale, L., abundant. Populus tremula, L., Glen Elchaig. \ P. nigra, L., Loch Duich. Salix viminalis, L., Strome. t S. rubra, Huds., Strome. S. cinerea, L., common. S. aurita L., Glen Shiel. S. Caprea, L., Strome. Juniperus nana, W., Ben Slioch. Sparganium ramosum, Huds., Dornie. Sparganium simplex, The Scottish Naturalist. 253. Huds., Loch Maree. &. minimum, Fi\, Loch Alsh. Lemna minor, L., Mollan. Potamogeton polygonifolius. Pour., Glen Docharty. Zoster a marina, L., Jeantown. Triglochin palustre, L., Glen Docharty. Triglochin maritimum, L., Attadale. Orchis mascula, L., Strome. Orchis maculata, L., common. 0. incar- nata, L., Loch Duich. Habenaria bifolia, Bab., Loch Torridon. Iris Pseudacorus, L., Achmore. Scilla nutans,_ Sm., Strome. Allium ursinum, L., Strome. Narthecium ossifragum, Huds., abundant. Luzula pilosa, W., Glen Docharty. L. syhatica, Gaud., Falls of Glomak. L. multiflora, K., common. L. congesta Lej., common. L. campestris, D.C., common. L. spicata, D.C., Ben Eay. Juncus conglomerate, L., abundant. J. effusus, L.,. abundant. J. acutiflorus, Ehrh., abundant. J. lamproccupus, Ehrh. J. supinus, Moench, abundant. J. bufonius, L. J. squarrosus, L., common. J. compressus, Jacq., Attadale. Scirpus acicularis, L., Kinlochewe. Scirpus pauciflorus, Light., Kinloch- ewe. S, ccespitosa, L., abundant. S. fluitans, L., Loch Coulin. S. lacustris, L., I.,och Coulin. #. multicaulis, L., Loch Coulin. >S'. maritimus, L., Loch Duich. Eriophorum vaginatum, L., common. E. august ijolium, Roth., abundant. Carex dioica, L., Glen Shiel. G. pulicaris, L., abundant. C. rupestris, L., Glen Shiel. C. pauci 'flora, Lightf., Ben Eay. C. echinata, Murr., com- mon. C. remota, L., Loch Coulin. C. curta, Good., Loch Duich. 0. oralis, Good., Glen Shiel. G rigida, Good., Ben Slioch. G vulgaris, Pries, common. G glauca, Scop., common. G. pilulifera, L., common. G panicea, L., common. G vagi- nata, T., Ben Slioch. G pallescens, L., Scuir Ouran. C. syhatica, L., Strome. G. binervis, Sm., common. C. Horn- schuchiana, Hoppe, Loch Maree, &c. G. flava, L., common. G. ampullacea, Good., common, and also a variety with involute leaves, Ben Eay. Anthoxanthum odoratum, L., common. Digra- phis arundinacea, Trim, Dornie. Alopecurus geniculates, L., Kinlochewe. A. pratensis, L., Dornie. Phleum pratense, L., Kinlochewe. Agrostis alba, L., Strome. Agrostis vulgaris, With., abundant. Air a ccespitosa, L., abundant. Air a flexuosa, L., common. A. montana, Huds, Scuir Ouran. A. prwcox, L., Keppoch. | Avena fatua, L., Strome. Avena elatior, L., Atta- dale. Holcus mollis, L., Strome. Holcus lanatus, L., common. Triodia decumbens. B., Craig More. Molinia cwrulea, M.r abundant. Glyceria fluitans, Br., Dornie. Poa annua, L., com- 254 Tlie Scottish Naturalist. mon. P. nemoralis, L., Strome. P. pratensis, L., common. P. trivialis, L., Strome. Cynosurus cr (status, L., Kinlochewe, not common. Dactylis glomerata, L., Kinlochewe. Festuca ovina, L., common. F. duriuscida, L., Ben Eay. F. arenaria, Osb., Loch Duich. Bromus giganteus, L., Strome. B. mollis, L., Strome. Triticum canhium, Huds., Strome. T. repens, L.. Dornie. T. acutum, D.C., Loch Duich. Lolium perenne, L., Dornie. f L. italicum, Br., Kinlochewe. Nardus stricta, L., common. Pteris aquilina, L., common. Cryptogramme crispa, Br., Scuir Ouran. Bomaria Spicant, Desv., common. Asplenium JRuta muraria, L., common. Asplenium Trickomanes, L., com- mon. Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, L., common. Athyrium FilLr-fccmina, Bernh., common. Cystopteris fragilis, B., Glen Shiel. Aspidium lobattim, Svr ., Strome. Nephr odium Filix-mas, Rich., Glen Docharty. N. spinulosum, Desv., Scuir Ouran. JST. dilatatum, Desv., common. 2V. nanum, Newm., Strome. N. Oreopteris, Desv., common. N. wmidans, Back, Glen Docharty. Polypodium vulgar e, L., Strome. P. Phegopteris, L., Strome, &c. P. Dryopteris, L., Loch Clare. Osmunda regalis, L., Dun- craig. Lycopodium clavatum, L., Carnasong, &c. B. alpinum, L., common. B. complanatum, L., Scuir Ouran. B. Selago, L., common. Belaginella Seloginoides, Gray, Glen Shiel. Isoetes lacttstris, L., Loch Maree. Equisetum arvense, L., Kinlochewe. E. palustre, L., Loch Clare. E. sylvaticum, L., common. E. limosum, L., Loch Coulin. Nitella opaca Br., Loch Maree. Total number of species and varieties observed, 374. Species previously recorded, ... ... 10 Introduced, marked +, Phanerogams not previously recorded, Filices, &c, Varieties, 24 296 28 [6 374 ON CERTAIN MOSSES OP THE GENUS DICRANUM. By Dr. JAMES STIRTON, F.L.S. DR. BRAITHWAITE, in his admirable work on British Mosses, has rather summarily and, in my opinion, arbi- trarily disposed of a difficulty which twenty years ago exercised; The Scottish Naturalist. 255 for a considerable time, the ingenuity of Mr. Wilson, Mr. M'Kinlay and myself. I allude to the endeavours then made towards re- conciling the curiously graduated forms or varieties (call them what you will) of Dicranum circinatum (Wils.). I trust I may be pardoned if I reopen the whole question, and state candidly the conclusions then arrived at, as well as en- deavour to throw, what I consider, additional light on the subject. Mr. M'Kinlay and myself detected nearly simultaneously a series of forms of what Mr. Wilson determined as his D. circinatum. In order the better to understand what follows, it will be as well to indicate the series of forms by numbers from 1 up to 9, No. 1 indicating the normal condition of D. circinatum. On Ben Voirlich by Loch Lomond, and on Ben Donagh near the head of Lochgoil, this moss was discovered under nearly similar conditions, and generally on the ground beneath shelving rocks. The patches spread continuously inwards from a little beyond the verge of these rocks, to which the sun's rays had direct access, up to where each was in contact with the ground; in other words, they spread as far in as possible. In several in- stances this extension inwards amounted to two feet. So far as I can recall, the shady parts of the ground on which the moss grew were free from any other kinds of vegetation. In the normal form, No. 1, the leaves are strongly falcate or circinate, and the characters, microscopic and otherwise, are such as are described by Dr. Braithwaite in Parts 6 and 7 of his work, with the addition, however, in this form, as well as throughout the series, of a cluster of largish pellucid, generally hexagonal cells with thin irregular walls, disposed between the nerve and the marginal smaller cells, and below the large rectangular cells. This cluster of cells is apt to be lacerated, or indeed, to remain on the stem, unless care be taken to separate the leaf slowly and in a direction gradually backwards. This may be the reason why Dr. Braithwaite has omitted mention of this group of cells, a group, however, of considerable importance in the question of affinities, and one which I shall call the auricular group. In this moss the group is not strictly auricular, but inasmuch as it is the analogue of what is truly the auricular group in others, e.g., in D. longirostre, &c, I shall retain the term ; and, besides, I shall designate it central when situated close to the nerve, and lateral when mar- ginal, or bulging beyond the general margin. I am strongly of 256 The Scottish Naturalist. the belief that the development of this peculiar group of cells has much to do with the deciduousness of the leaves. In No. 1 this group is least developed, and shows itself merely in the narrow interval between the nerve and the sloping base of the large rectangular cells, which occupy much the larger portion of the ex- panded bases of the leaves. In No. 2, bordering on No. 1, but a little further inwards from the light, the moss is quite as robust, and the leaves are not deciduous ; but they are less falcate and are decidedly so only near the apices of stems. The bases are expanded and the auricles are more manifest and have cells with a reddish tinge here and there. In almost ail instances where the leaves are straight the spinous condition of the back of the arista near the apex is shown. No. 3 is similar to No. 2, but the leaves have a slight tendency here and there to become deciduous, and the spinous condition of the arista is more obvious. The upper margin of the expanded base is still entire. No. 4 is similar to No. 2 and equally robust, but the leaves are scarcely at all falcate. The bases of the leaves are much, and even suddenly, expanded, and their upper margin is serrated. The arista is closely spinulose on the back as in D. aristatum. The leaves are slightly deciduous. No. 5 slender ; the leaves are nearly straight and more decid- uous. Nerve broader, being one-third breadth of base. Arista quite as in D. aristatum. In No. 6, the arista bears spines on the back only here and there. The auricles are better developed and more lateral. No. 7 is slender. Auricles much developed, even bulging at times beyond the marginal base, and hollow. Arista more spinu- lose than in the preceding. No. 8 with apices of stems often bare of leaves, and stump- like as in D. lo?igirostre, and otherwise having almost all the characteristics of this moss. The auricles are now much de- veloped, and the arista is smooth (not spinulose) on back, and toothed only near the apex. Perhaps the base of leaf is rather more expanded than in D. lougirostre. It is noticeable in this series that those leaves whose bases have been previously detached from the stem have few or none of the spinulosities so manifest on many of those still firmly adherent The Scottish Naturalist. 257 to it; this holds true also in tufts of D. arisiaium in the usual low- land habitats. Such is a brief outline of the characters observed in the various parts of one of these tufts from without inwards. Besides the gradations indicated, there are others intermediate between them which the eye can appreciate, but which cannot be adequately described ; in fact the transitions are too finely shaded off to admit of a hiatus in almost any direction ; and the mind is almost irresistibly drawn to the conclusion that the series repre- sents states or conditions of one and the same plant. But the series is not yet completed. On rocks fully exposed to the sunlight, and covered by a sprinkling of earth, there grows the most robust form (or species) of all, in situations not far from the other habitats already spoken of. In this, the robust stems which are often dichotomously branched, are, in a dried state, of a tawny colour above, and of a dark, dusky brown, or even black, below. The leaves are not deciduous, but are firmly attached to the stem, are longer than any of the others, slightly secund or even, slightly falcate, especially at the apex of the stem, have no expanded bases, but are lanceo- late throughout or lanceolate-acuminate. The bases are similar microscopically to those of D. circinatum, although the rectangular median cells are fewer and larger, while the marginal cells are similar. The auricles are central, feebly developed, and colour- less. The nerve is broad and flat, being one-third base of leaf, predominant upwards; margin involute above; arista spinulose on back and margin, especially in the younger leaves, and quite as much so as in D. atistatum. In the older leaves these pellucid unicellular spines or teeth are fewer, and at times disappear as in D. longirostre. I distinguish this by the name D. capnodes. It is somewhat extraordinary that in the Lowlands, such as Lennoxtown woods, there occurs a curious form of D. aristatum, analogous to the species just described ; viz., where the leaves are nearly lanceolate throughout, including the base. In this form the irregular auricular spaces are sometimes well developed, although they are much oftener absent, presumably because they remain on the stem in the act of separation. Let this form be distinguished by the name D. notabile. I possess another Dicranum whose characteristics cannot, in my opinion, be reconciled to those of D. arctiami (Sch.), with which, R 258 The Scottish Naturalist. in this country, at least, it has hitherto been identified. Of this moss I have specimens from near the summit of Ben Macdhui, gathered in 1868 by the late Mr. George E. Hunt, from near the summit of Ben Nevis by myself in 1866, and from the Breadalbane mountains by Mr. James M 'Andrew, in July, 1885. This moss differs from all states of D. arcticum that I have seen in respect of the stems, which are much more laxly tufted and longer, varying from 2 to 4 inches in length. The leaves are more distantly placed on the stem, are broader and longer, more longly acuminate, straight, and somewhat spreading when dry, as well as spirally twisted in the upper half. The main distinction, however, between the two is in the areolation, which in the moss under consideration resembles much that of D. scoparium, but has none of the lateral connecting pores. This areolation is narrowly cylindrical throughout, and is in parallel rows, but towards the base is somewhat sinuous, and has several (2-4) minute oil globules disposed pretty constantly, and in linear series, in each cell. In D. arcticum there is only one globule or nucleus seen near one of the angles. The dimensions of these cells vary thus, (#o45--o9) x 0oo55"'oo9) mm- 1 while in D. arcticum they vary, (*o45-'o75) x (*oo9-'oi5) mm., z.e.} their breadth is about twice as much in the latter, whose apical cells become also, as a rule, much shorter and broader. In the moss in question the alar cells are large, and of a deep red colour, while in D. arcticum they are orange or reddish-orange. The nerve is narrow, ,o5-*o8 mm. in breadth, and becomes lost in the upper fifth. The back of nerve and margin are entire throughout, and smooth, not papillose. The margin is involute, and often nearly overlaps in the middle third, while the apex is very fine, and tapering. There is no tomentum on the stem. I propose to distinguish this moss by the name D% hypsclum. BEITISH MAKINE ALGH. By E. M. Holmes, F.L.S., RR.B.S.E. [Note. — Two plates of figures to illustrate this paper are issued with this Number of the Scottish Naturalist.] ON comparing the Marine Flora of the British Islands with that of the neighbouring coasts of Norway and of France, one is struck by the fact that a large number of species occurring on these shores have not yet been detected in Great Britain. A The Scottish Naturalist. 259 few years ago I determined to search for the missing species, and, with the help of a few friends, I have succeeded in adding nearly 100 species of marine algae to the British Flora. To Mr. G. W. Traill, of Edinburgh, and Mr. E. Batters, F.L.S., of Berwick-on- Tweed, I am especially indebted for the assiduous manner in which they have examined the marine flora of the districts in which they live. There are, however, still many species that probably occur on the Scottish coast, but of which I have not yet seen specimens. Believing that there are many algologists in Great Britain who would recognise these plants, if furnished with a description of their characters and an outline of their form and structure, I wish to call attention from time to time, as opportunity presents itself, to the seaweeds likely to occur in Scotland, and I know of no more appropriate means of doing so than through the columns of the Scottish Naturalist. The visit of Dr. O. Nordstedt to this country during the month of July last year, directed my attention to the genus Vaucheria, which, as regards the marine species, has hitherto been very little investigated in Britain. The figures in Harvey's Phycologia Britannica represent plants imperfectly known to that prince of algologists, since, except his V. velutina Ag., they were seen by him only in the dried state. The following remarks concerning Harvey's figures may, per- haps, clear the way for further elucidation of the species of this genus. Vaucheria marina, t. 350. A, represents Derbesia marina, Sol. Ann. Sc. Nat. (3), Vol. V1L, p. 158. Vaucheria submarina, t. 350. B, represents only the fronds bearing antheridia, of V. dichotomy var. submarina Ag. This plant I have seen growing abundantly at Weymouth, where it covers the mud at low water for several acres, near the Isle of Portland. Its habit of growth is, however, different from that of all the other marine species that I have seen. The threads are sparingly dichotomous, quite erect when under water, but running together into points when exposed to the air, so that a tuft of threads can be taken between the finger and thumb and pulled out of the black mud to the length of 2 or 3 inches. It can thus be cleaned with tolerable ease. The threads stand about 1^ inch above the sandy mud, and are coarse and of a dark green colour, and they never form the dense, intricate, velvety cushions so common in 260 The Scottish Naturalist. other species. The capsular fruit, or oogonia, are spherical, and sessile on the side of the erect thread (see Fig. i), and occur often on the same tuft with the antheridia, but on distinct threads. I have already issued this plant with both kinds of fruit in my Fasc. Alg. Brit. rar. II. The fruit in this species, as in most others of the marine Vaucherice, is found from August to November. Harvey's figure of V. velutina Ag., Phyc. Brit., t. 351, is con- sidered by Dr. Nordstedt to represent two species ; the right-hand figure at the base, with sessile oogonia, he refers to V. spJicerophora, Nordst, the left-hand figure to V. Thuretii, but as Harvey does not figure the antheridia, it is impossible to decide this point. Having thus disposed of the marine species already described as British, I may venture to translate, for the benefit of those British algologists to whom the scattered literature on the subject is not easily accessible, Dr. Nordstedt's classification, as given in the Bota?iiska Notiser, 1879, and afterwards to describe more in detail the species which he has discovered during his recent flying visit to this country. The additional species likely to be found in Britain by those that have time and will take the trouble to search for them, may thus be described and illustrated : — VAUCHERIA. I. Antheridia sessile, not separated from the thallus by a short empty cell. A. Tubuligerae. Antheridia not hooked at the end, elongate, cylindrical or barrel-shaped, with an apical pore ; red pigment- body not collected in the middle of the mature oospore. (a.) Oogonia globular. 1. Vaucheria dichotoma Ag. — Dioicous, oogonia sessile, hori- zontal ; antheridia ovate, conical, horizontal. (Fig. 1). 2. V. Thuretii, Woronin. — Monoicous ; oogonia sometimes stalked, sometimes sessile, oospore filling up only the upper rounded portion of the oogonium. (Fig. 2). II. Antheridia separated from the thallus by a short empty cell. A. Androphoreae. Antheridia numerous and hooked, ses- sile on an enlarged chlorophyll cell or androphore, which is attached by a short empty intervening cell to the side of the thallus. The Scottish Naturalist. 261 3. Vaucheria synandra, Woron. — Oogonia globular, with an elongated decurved (lateral) mouth. (Fig. 3). B. Piloboloidese. Antheridia not furnished with an inter- vening chlorophyll cell, but only with the short empty cell, (a.) Oogonia attached directly to the thallus. 4. V. coronata, Nordst. — Oogonia crowned with several tubular mouths • antheridia with one, or rarely two, lateral openings. (Fig- 4). 5. V. intermedia, Nordst. — Oogonia nearly sessile, globular . oospore globular ; antheridia numerous, obtuse at the apex. (Fig- 5)- 6. V. sphcerospora, Nordst. — Oogonia globular, with an elon- gated cylindrical base ; oospore spherical, antheridia acute at the apex. (Fig. 6). Var. diotca, Rosenv. — Antheridia on distinct threads. (Fig. 6 a). 7. V. piloboloides, Thur. — Oogonia globular, with an elongated cylindrical base; oospore lens-shaped, not filling the upper portion of the oogonium ; antheridia long, cylindrical, with one or two short conical tubular openings on the side, and one on the apex. (Fig. 7). 8. V. litorea, Hofm., Bangia Ag. — Dioicous, oogonia at the apex of a curved branch, often containing between the oospore and the thallus a chlorophyll cell, which often contains a brown pigment. (Fig. 8). There are two other species which differ from the foregoing in the di-poly-chotomous branching of the thallus, but their organs of fructification are unknown ; these are V. tuberosa, A. Braun, and V. trifurcata, Ktz. Dr. Nordstedt also characterises the following species, V. aversa, Hass., V. omithocephala, Ag., V. pachyderma. Walz., V. sessilis, D.C., V. geminata, Walz., V. hamata, Walz., V. terrestis, Lyngb.f V. uncinata, Ktz., and V. Debaryana, Woron. ined. These are, however, not marine species, except V. hamaia, which has been rarely found intermixed with V. Thuretii. But this species is more frequently found inland, and, as it belongs to the same section as the other terrestrial species, it need not be described here. The following species have been detected in this country by Dr. Nordstedt : — V. Thuretii, Woron. (Fig. 2). Portree, Skye ; Brough. near Hull ; Ballachulish ; Greenod, near Ulverstone ; in fruit, Aug., 1885. 262 The Scottish Naturalist. This species grows in spreading, short, dense turfs in salt marshes, amongst grass which is sometimes entirely submerged. It is monoicous, the oogonia are either sessile or on short lateral branches, and are obovoid or pear-shaped. The antheridia are sessile, lancet-shaped, and scattered along with the oogonia near the tips of the branches. Farlow believes that he has seen on this species the asexual fruit, in the form of oval spores, smaller than the oospores, borne at the tips of short branches given off at right angles to the main filaments. The short branches fall off with the spores, and the latter after some time escape from the ruptured end of the cell. They are motionless, and are destitute of cilia. V. synandra, Woron. (Fig. 3). Greenod, near Ulverstone ; Dr. O. Nordstedt, Aug., 1885. This species grows near high-water mark, on soft mud, in exten- sive patches about 1 inch high. The oogonia occur on the same threads as the antheridia, and close to the latter. The species is easily recognised when in fruit by the enlarged chlorophyll cell attached to the thallus by a short empty cell, and bearing a number of hooked antheridia on its surface. The oogonium is also fur- nished with a decurved hooked beak. The asexual spores are densely ciliated. Vaucheria sphserospora, Nordst. Dr. Nordstedt does not appear to have found the typical plant in this country, but he met with the var. dioica, Rosenv., abundantly, at Maldon, in Essex ; in fruit in Aug., 1885. (Fig. 6 ; var. dioica Fig. 6 a). The description given by Harvey of his V. velutina, Ag., applies tolerably well to this plant. It forms a short, pale green, dense, spreading turf, on sandy mud in creeks, where the water is some- what brackish. The tufts are densely intricate, with short erect lateral ramuli. It is visible about \ inch above the mud. The oogonia are pear-shaped, tapering into a well-marked pedicel, the oospore being globular, and nearly filling the swollen head of the oogonium. The antheridia in the var. dioica are scattered on distinct threads, sometimes several near together, and sometimes two, or even three, on one transparent intervening cell. The antheridia are irregularly lancet-shaped, acute, with one terminal, and one or two lateral openings. It differs from all the other marine species in containing a chlorophyll cell in the pedicel of the oogonium. The oogonium generally terminates in a short recurved branch, and is separated from the thallus by a colourless The Scottish ATaturalist. 263 intervening cell ; oospores obovate or subglobose ; antheridia cylindrical, erect, scattered on distinct threads, with an apical, and two or more lateral openings (see Fig. 6 a). The plant grows generally in ditches overflowed at high tide by sea water. Vaucheria litorea, Hofm. (Fig. 8). Dr. Nordstedt met with this species at Inverness, at Greenod, near Ulverstone, and in Caermarthen. It differs as follows from Vaucheria piloboloides, Thur. The latter species, as seen growing at Weymouth, forms small loose patches a few inches in extent, on the edge of sandy ledges, in pools near low water mark, each thread standing up distinctly like so many pins in a pin-cushion, the stems, however, are matted below, so that it is very difficult to wash clean, so as to preserve its habit of growth. The antheridia I have not observed, although the asexual reproductive organs, or propagula, appear to be not uncommon (see Fig. 8). The oogonia are distinct from those of V. sphcerospora by being lens-shaped, instead of globular. The antheridia are described as terminating short branches, cylindrical, with an apical, and several lateral, shortly conical apertures. The marine species which may yet be discovered in Britain are as follows : — V. intermedia, Nordst. This much resembles V. sphcerospora, but has nearly sessile oogonia, with obtuse, cylindrical antheridia, either immediately beneath, or attached to, the oogonium itself (see Fig. 5). V. coronata, Nordst. (Fig. 4). This species is easily recognised by the circlet of short prominent apertures that exist on the apex of the oogonium, which is nearly sessile, the oospore occupying the centre of the cavity, but not filling it ; the antheridia are sometimes close to the oogonium, and sometimes at a distance from it, but on the same thread ; they are cylindrical, with one, or sometimes two, lateral openings (see Fig. 4). V. coronata has a csespitose habit like V. sphcerospora, but it grows in wetter places, and is often intermixed with V. intermedia. It is less compact than V. synandra. The majority of the maritime species of the genus form dense spreading green turfs, extending for several feet over the muddy sloping sides of estuaries or creeks, into which a small fresh-water stream enters. Some form patches among grass and thrift in mudflats, and a few are found at lowest tide mark (V. dichotoma, 264 The Scott is J 1 Naturalist. V. piloboloides). They are generally rooted in black mud, which is full of worms and other animals, from which it is exceedingly difficult to free them. I find the most convenient plan to mount them for the herbarium is to cut a square piece out of the turf with a sharp knife, and to hold it with the lower side upwards under a tap till washed fairly clean ; it is then laid on paper, pressed lightly under bibulous paper, and then allowed to dry. For purposes of microscopical examination one or two fruit-bearing branches may be teased out on mica. In the turfy species the fructification is generally at the base of the green portion, or even hidden in the mud. In V. dichotoma it is on the upper portion of the threads. But in order to make out the structure well the best plan is to immerse a small piece as soon as cleaned in a saturated solution of picric acid in water. This acid is easily obtained from any dealer in chemicals. I shall be glad to receive any fruiting specimens of this genus found in Great Britain for identification. Such specimens should be sent in a tube, and preserved in a solution of picric acid as above described.* MYCOLOGIA SCOTICIA (Supplement). By Rev. J. STEVENSON and Prof. J. W. H. TRAIL. {Continued from S.N., 1886, p. 237.) {All measurements, except where specified, are in thousandths of a millimetre.) 3066. Chondrioderma (Leangium) Trevelyani (Grev.) Scot Crypt. Flora, t. 132, Cke. Hbk. 11 n (sub nom. Diderma Trevelyani Fr.), Cooke, Myxomycetes oj Great Britain, p. 40, Rostafinski's Monogr., 182. On Mntum undulatum ( = Bryum tigulatum Schreb.), Autumn. East. — Forth. — — — West. — — — — * Bottles in wooden cases, suitable for sending by post, can be obtained at a cheap rate at Messrs. H. Roths & Co., Mitre Court, Fenchurch St., London, E,C. The Scottish Naturalist. 265 ''Woods about Edinburgh, exceedingly rare." — Gre- viile. Omitted from Mycologia Scotica. England (Northumberland). 3067. Phoma Strobi (B. and Br.) Sacc., Syll. Fung. III., No. 603 ; = Sphceropsis Strobi (B. and Br.) ; Ann N.H., No. 421; Cke. Hbk., 1246; Grevillea XIV., p. 29, No. 82. In leaves of Pinns Strobus. East. — — Tay. — — — — West. — — — — Glamis. England. 3068. Neottiospora Oaricum Desm., Cke. Hbk., 1360. Grevillea XIV., p. 33, No. 165. Sacc. Syll. Fung. III., 1294. In dead leaves of Carices. East. — — — — Moray — — — West. — — — England, Continental Europe. 3069. Cytispora Chrysosperma (Pers.), Fr. S.M. II., p. 542 ; Cooke in Grevillea XIV., p. 69, No. 332. Saccardo Syll. Fung. III., No. 15 19; a state of Valsa sordida Nit.,_/&& Saccardo I.e. Stroma sub-dermal, subconical, rather large, olive grey. On the epiderm bursting, the stroma appears as a small dull-coloured, irregular disk, with a black central cstio- lum, through which there protrudes a gelatinous golden- yellow thread of sausage-shaped (allantoid) hyaline sporidia, each obout 4x1. On decorticated branches of Populus alba, &c. East. ________ West. — Clyde — — Glasgow. England, Continental Europe, North America. 3070. Oeuthospora phacidioides, Grev., Scot. Crypt. Flora, V., t. 253, Saccardo Syll. Fung. III., No. 16 18, Cke. Hbk., p. 465. Grevillea, XIV, p. 70, No. 360. On leaves of Holly (Ilex Aquifolium). Believed to be an imperfect condition of Phacidium Ilicis Fr. {Mycologia Scotica, No. 1781). 266 The Scottish Naturalist. East. — Forth ______ West. _____ Edinburgh. England, Continental Europe. 3071. Ooniothyrium conoideum, Sacc. Michel, I., p. 203, Syll. Fung., III., No. 1780. Perithecia scattered, sub- dermal, becoming bare by falling off of epiderm, conical, about 180 diam., black, shining; sporules elliptical or sausage-shaped, 5-7 by 2J-3 (described by Saccardo as 3! by 2 J), pale yellowish brown. On dead stems of Angelica silvestris, associated, in the same perithecia, with Leptosphceria Doliolum, var. conoidea, of which it is evidently a condition. December. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — Near Aberdeen— J. W. H. Trail. Europe (Italy and France). 3072. Stagonospora arenaria Sacc, Michelia, I., p. 124, Syll. Fung. III., No. 2476, var. minor. Perithecia in groups, at first subcutaneous, elliptical, about 240 by 200, dark brown, ostiolum very short, spores fusiform or subcylindrical, straight or curved slightly, ends blunt, 3-septate, hyaline, with a faint yellow tinge, 22-25 by 3Sh 0-11 the tvPe the measure- ments are given as 30-35x31-4.) In stem of Elymus arejiarius. June. East. — — Tay — — — — — West. — — — — Lunan, near Montrose — J. W. H. Trail. Europe (Denmark). 3073. Camarosporium Laburni Sacc. and Roum, Syll. Fung., III., No. 2496. Perithecia crowded in groups, at first subdermal, afterwards bursting through, and becoming exposed, globose, about 300 to 400 diam., shortly papillate, sporidia oblong, much like those of Pleospora herbarum, multiseptate, 28-33 by 9-10, brown. This is an incom- plete stage of Cucurbitaria Laburni. On branches of Laburnum. The Scottish Naturalist. 267 East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — Near Aberdeen — J. W. H. Trail. England, France. 3074. Camarosporium metableticum, Trail, sp.n. — Peri- thecia innate, scattered, subglobose, about 250 diam., ostiolum very short ; sporidia sooty-brown, very variable, ovoid, elliptical or trapezoidal, not or scarcely con- stricted in the middle, ends pointed or round, usually about 30 by 12 or 13 (three sporidia from a single peri- thecium measured respectively 20 by 12, 30 by 9, and 33 by 15) ; septa usually 5 or 6 transverse (may vary from 3 to 7), and 1 lengthwise in from 1 to 4 of the cells in the middle ; some of the narrower sporidia have only transverse septa, and the broader ones may have 2 longi- tudinal septa in one or more cells. In dead leaves of Ammophila arundinacea. Dec. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — On the Links, near Aberdeen — J. W. H. Trail. 3075. Septoria Anemones Desm., Exs., No. 940, Sacc.r Syll. Fung., III., p. 521, No. 2828. On leaves in a dry brown spot ; perithecia gregarious, distinct, sunk in the tissues, dark brown, rather thin, nearly spherical, diameter about 100, opening by an ostiolum, with very short neck, on upper surface of leaf. Sporidia hyaline, 20-21 by 1, filiform, not or faintly septate. On Anemone nemorosa. June. East. — — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — Near Aboyne, on leaves in which were resting-spores of Peronospora pygmaea, Berk. ; found by Mr. G. Brebner. Europe. 3076. Leptostroma donacinum, Sacc, Michel, II., p. 35 Syll. Fung., III., No. 3417, var. majus. Perithecia, 1 to 2 mm. long, by i to 1 mm. broad, elliptical, or slightly irregular, shining black, with a hardly perceptible slit (when dry) ; sporules, 4-5 by 1-1 J. 268 The Scottish Naturalist. terete, hyaline, supported on basidia twice or thrice as as long as themselves. (The type has perithecia \-\ by tV mm.). On dead culm of a grass. December. East. — ' — — Dee — — — — West. — — — — Near Aberdeen— J. W. H. Trail. Europe. This agrees so well with L. donacinum, as described • by Saccardo, except in size of perithecia, that I cannot venture to regard it as more than a variety of Saccardo's species. FOEMS OF OAEEX NEW TO SCOTLAND. Oarex rigida Good. var. inferalpina, Lcest, Among a fine series of Carices gathered in Forfar and Aberdeenshire last July by Mr. F. J. Hanbury, I found specimens of the above variety from " the little Culrannock, Forfarshire." It occurs in Lapland, scattered over the upper Alpine region. Carex aquatilis, Wahlb. pars, cuspidata, Lcest., epigejos Lcvst., and virescens And. The var. cuspidata occurs in Caithness, on the banks of the Wick river, along with C. salina and C. aquatilis var. Watsoni. To the former of these it bears much resemblance. It was gathered in Tornea Lappmark by Lsestadius (Bidrag till kannedomen om vtixt i Tomeo Lappmark, i860), and by Lundeberg in Western Bothnia, whence I have seen specimens in Dr. Almquist's herbarium. It may be satisfactory to state that Dr. Almquist concurs in the determination of the specimens. Dr. White has sent me specimens from Perthshire of the varieties epigejos Laest. and virescens And. Carex helvola Blytt. A plant gathered by the late Prof. Balfour, on Lochnagar, on nth Aug., 1846, and regarded as C. curta var. dlpicola, proves to be C. helvola. Dr. A. Blytt has confirmed this identification. ARTHUR BENNETT. Possible New Scotch Betula. — Scotch botanists should look out for a Betula " forming low bushes about a foot high, at 1500 feet above the sea, on Ben Vachart, near Struy, Inverness-shire" (J. Ball, 1839 !), and found also, perhaps, by myself on Ben Aven, Braemar, in 1842. In both cases bad barren specimens were found. It may be B. humilis Schrk. I would especially direct attention to Mr. Ball's plant. C. C. BABINGTON. The Scottish Naturalist. 269 MEETINGS OP SCOTTISH SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. THE CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY OP SCOTLAND held its eleventh Annual Conference at Corrie, Island of Arran, on the 29th ult. and succeeding days. The weather was unfavourable throughout. Fungi were not abundant. This, however, was owing rather to a continuation of barren seasons than to soil or climate. Arran is rich in ferns. Trichomanes radicans has been gathered on the island. Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, much less frequent in Scotland than in England, was found growing luxuriantly. Hymenophyllum unilaterale, more extended in its distribution, was also abundant. Some idea of the climate of the island may be formed from the fact that Palms, Camelias, Myrtles, Heaths, Fuschias, &c, have been grown in the open air, uninjured, through a long succession of winters. At the business meeting of the Society — Dr. Flaxman Spurrell in the chair — it was resolved to publish a volume of " Transactions " after the next Annual Conference, which will take place at Aberdeen in the autumn of next year, under the presidency of Professor }. W. H. Trail. DUMFRIES-SHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.— Session 1SS5-86. Oct. 2nd. — The opening meeting was held in new rooms acquired by the Society by arrangement with the Presbytery and the Town Council of Dumfries. We are glad to learn that the Society has been able to provide accommodation of the formation of a museum, and that the local products of the district are to receive special attention. A library is also in course of formation by the Society, From the reports submitted we observe that the business of the meetings is shared in by an increasing number of members, 2t communications, by 14 members, having been read at the seven winter meetings. These papers included local antiquities as well as the local fauna and flora. Six summer field meetings were held ; and attendances at both summer and winter meet- ings was larger than in any previous year. Arrangements were made during the year whereby the new rooms were obtained on a 15 years' lease, at a nominal rent. The papers read at the various meetings during 18S1-S3 were published in November 18S4, and those of 1883-85 are ready for being put into the printer's hands. The Treasurer reported a satisfactory balance sheet. November 6th. — The following papers were read : — List of Kirkcud- brightshire Mollusks, (L. & F. W.) with remarks, by Mr. F. R. Coles ; Notes on Local Ornithology, Mr. W. Hastings ; A Day on Ben Lawers, Mr. J. M 'Andrew ; The Botany of Sanquhar District, Dr. A. Davidson. No report on these has been received. December qth. — Mr. T. Brown read a paper on the Birds of Tyndroil Parish, 86 in number, and exhibited one or more eggs of all but five of the species. The writer's personal observations on the birds were of great interest ; but they cannot be condensed ; and our space unfortunately does not allow of quoting them at full length. We understand that the Marsh tit, the Pied fly. 270 The Scottish Naturalist. catcher, and the Stockdove, are additions to the county lists ; the two latter were found nesting in Tyndron. Mr. George F. Black read an exhaustive account of Notes on the Ruthwell Cross, in Annandale; and Mr. W. Hastings gave an instalment of Notes On local Ornithology, made during the year. He notes scarcity of swifts ; while sandmartins and cuckoos were unusually numerous. An unfledged woodcock was obtained from Galloway in June, a ruff from Carlaverock, and a quail, in October, a grey grouse-hen, a duck, resembling a Pochard, but apparently not described as British, and several gannets from various parts of the country are among the birds noted. We are glad to see that he has observed a great increase in the number of the small birds since they were thinned by the severe winter some five years since. INVERNESS FIELD CLUB.— A meeting of this Club was held in the Free Library on Thursday evening. Mr. William Mackay, solicitor, occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance. Mr. Mackay, in delivering his retiring address, took for his subject " Certain Superstitious Customs noticed in Highland Church Records of the 17th century." He gave an account from the Presbytery records of Dingwall, of the custom of sacrificing bulls to St. Mourie, or Maolbhrubha, at Mourie's Island in Loch Maree ; and in doing so, he took occasion to point out that the "poore ones," who were in the habit of receiving the sacrifices of offerings made to Mourie, were im- properly called "deviles" by Dr. Kennedy in his " Days of the Fathers in Boss-shire," and "devilans" by Dr. Arthur Mitchell in his "Past in the Present." These gentlemen, Mr. Mackay remarked, had misread the record, for the word therein applied to the "poore one " — fi derilan " — was, he thought, an old Gaelic word meaning the poor or afflicted ones. In the vocabulary appended to Kirk's Bible, "deireoil" is given as Gaelic for afflicted, and that, Mr. Mackay was of opinion, was the word that applied to the receivers of the sacrifices. He also gave instances of traces of fire worship. On the 26th June, 1655, tne Presbytery of Dingwall ordained " that the several brethren intimate to their congregations that they desist from the superstitious abuses used on St. John's Day by burning torches through their corns, and fire in their towns, and thereafter fixing their stakes in their kail yards." Mr. Mackay then referred to the adoration of holy wells, and quoted from the Presbytery records of Dingwall and Inverness, and from Synod records of Moray to show hew prevalent the custom was, and what difficulty the clergy had in putting an end to it. — At same meeting, Mr. Ross laid before the members some beauti- ful bronze ornaments and articles found near Croy by Mr. Shearer. They were, 1st, Portions of penannular brooches made of bronze with the sunk pannels filled in with solid plates of gold, ornamented with fillagree work. One specimen was really exquisite in its workmanship, and rivals the Dunbeath one now in the Antiquarian Museum, Edinburgh. 2nd. There was a bronze ornament in fragments like a buckle or bracelet. 3rd. An amber ring seven- eighths of an inch in diameter. 4th. Portion of an Anglo-Roman bead and a silver coin of Coenwalff or Mercia. 5th. A blue glass ring seven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. He also showed a splendid bronze dagger or javelin - head found at Clava. The blade was about 15 inches long and 2 wide. There The Scottish Naturalist. 271 was also exhibited a finely carved iron stirrup found on Culloden Moor. These two articles were sent -for the Society by Mr. Snowie. Mr. Ross also exhibited a splendid collection of 41 Mexican arrow heads of quartz, obsidian, and flint. They were sent by Mr. Douglas of Ballin- dalloch. On the New Station for Zoisite at Garve, by Dr. Aitken.— After mentioning Mr. Bell's discovery of the mineral in a Quartz block by the side of the road, and Mr. Ivison Macadam's analysis of it, Dr. Aitken went on to point out that the mineral really occurred in a Quartz vein in the Gneiss. He then indicated the conditions under which the mineral had been found in the district — always in relation to limestone — and the geological relations of the vein at Garve, in which, however, it did not seem to stand in relation to lime. The point of interest, therefore, in connection with the mineral in this locality is the condition under which it has been found — that it is not to be looked for merely associated with limestone, but in any vein of segregation in rocks, pro- vided the materials exist for its formation in the surrounding rocks. PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OP NATURAL SCIENCE. Thursday ', Nov. 12th, 1885. — The President, Dr. Buchanan White, 'read an open- ing address, in which he reviewed the work of the previous summer. He noticed the discovery, by Mr. James Brebner of Dundee, of Schoenus ferrtigineus L., in Strathtummel, Carexustulata Wahl. on Ben Heargarnich in Glen Lyon, of Poly- podium flexile Moore in Glen Lyon, and of Astragalus alpinus L., in flower on a hill in East Perthshire ; and by Mr. Meldrum, near Perth, of Cynoglossum montamcm, Erythraea Centaurium\ Carex remota, Pammculus arvensis, &c. Other scarce Perthshire plants observed during the summer are Campanula glomerata, and Carex laevigata, the former near Linn of Campsie, the latter on the Earn below Crieff. He then went on to bespeak assistance from the mem- bers in preparing specimens for the herbarium, the geological collections, &c. ; and quoted very favourable opinions of the museum expressed by Prof. Flower of the British Museum, and by Canon Tristran. Dr. Trotter then read a paper on " The Fossil Diatoms of the Tay Basin," being an account of the alluvial beds of the Perth Basin, and of the microscopic organisms, chiefly Diatoms, found in them. From an examination of these organisms and beds he concluded that for a very long time the basin of the Tay was the estuary of a large river, opening to the sea by a narrow mouth, and that there had been two successive rapid upheavals of about 25 feet each. December 3rd. Mr. Coats exhibited several scarce species and varieties of marine shells from the Firth of Forth, amongst which were Natica Islandica, Trophon trzcncatus, Solen pellucidus, Purpura lapillus var. imbricata, and Mytilus edulis var. pellucida. Mr. Pullar gave a report on the meeting of the British Association in Aberdeen, and Dr. Buchanan White on the meeting of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies at Kirkcaldy, in September. Dr. White called special attention to the prosecution of the local bibliography of the East of Scotland, and to the necessity of co-operation in effecting the work. Rev. R. Graham, LL.D., read a paper on The After-glow, or Extraordinary Sunsets of 1883-84, in which he reviewed the various theories proposed to account for the colours ; and upheld the theory 272 The Scottish Naturalist. that our whole solar system was passing through a gigantic cometic field, the matter in which occasioned the glow. Thursday, Jan. Jlh, 1886, was devoted to The Natural History of Kinnoull Hill, which was ti-eated very exhaustively, as follows : — Intro- ductory by Dr. F. Buchanan White ; Geology by Prof. James Geikie ; The Flowering Plants by Mr. James Coates ; The Ferns, Mosses, and Fungi by Dr. F. B. White ; the Insects by Mr. S. T. Ellison ; the Molluscs by Mr. Henry Coats ; and the Vertebrates by Dr. F. B. White. The idea seems a good one ; and the results were such as might have been looked for in such a method of treatment. Thursday, Jan. 21st. — An enjoyable conversazione was held from 7 to to p.m., by members and their friends. PUBLICATIONS OP SCOTTISH SOIENTIHC SOCIETIES. PROCEEDINGS OP THE BERWICKSHIRE NATUR- ALISTS' CLUB. Of the new volume of these valuable proceedings, acon- siderable part is, as usual, occupied with papers of antiquarian interest, but there are a number relating to the sciences included in our pages, and these we shall now enumerate. The presidential address, by Commander F. M. Norman, deals with, first, Darwinism and Revealed Religion, from the point of view that these are opposed to each other (a point of view which we believe erroneous) ; and then passes on to the Salmon Disease, insisting on the necessity of the complete destruction of the bodies of diseased fish. Next follows a report of 52 pages on the Meetings of the Club in the year 1884, by the President, who also contributes a paper on Embedded Reptiles, with reference to frogs and toads found living in cavities of rocks, and other massive bodies. The other papers in this part may best be grouped according to their subjects. The first is an Obituary memoir of Ralph Carr- Ellison of Dunstan Hill and Hedgeley, with a list of papers written by him, Botanical.— List of Fungi found in 1884, and not hither- to recorded from the Border District, by Rev. David Paul, recording 16 additions to the Hymenomycetes of the district. Notes Oil the Marine Algse of Berwick-on-Tweed, by E. A. L. Batters, records 18 species new to Berwick; of which Elachisla Areschougii, Cladophora arctiuscula, and Codiolum longipcs are new to Britain. Allimouth list of Marine Algae, by Andrew Amory. Zoological.— On Lepidoptera in Roxburghshire, Part II., by Adam Eliiot. Records of the Migrations, Local Movements, and Occurrence of Birds on the Borders for 1882-83 and 1884-85, a series of reports by James Hardy, Robert Kenton, Dr. Charles Stuart, John Aitchison, and George Bolam. Ornithological Notes, The Scottish Naturalist. 273 t>y George Bolam. On the occurrence of the Diving-spider {Argyroneta aquatica) in Haddingtonshire, by Archibald Gray. Geological.— On the finding of Shells in the Boulder-clay near Berwick-on-Tweed, by William Gunn. Mr. Hardy contributes notes on the plants and birds of Henderland, and of St. Mary's Loch, in a paper entitled The tomb of Cockburn of Henderland and its ^Vicinity ; and in a paper of Miscellanea he mentions Motella tricirrhata from the Berwickshire coast, Coccus Fagi in Rovensworth Woods, Attaints laevis at Gibside, Boreus hyemalis in Berwickshire, Linnaa borealis near Long- formacus (with a comparison of the plants with others from Mellerstane, Strath- Spey, and Canada), Trimtalis Europaea as a Lammermoor plant, Splachnum sphcerkum on Greenlaw Moor, and Andrecea ruptstris^ on Lammer- moor hills. Want of space forbids a notice of the antiquarian papers ; but they also •deserve perusal. We are glad to see that Mr, Hardy is, as ever, well to the front among their authors. TRANSACTIONS OP THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OP GLASGOW. Vol. VII. Part II., 1882-83, 1883-84.— We have received the new part of the excellent Transactions of this Society. We must not attempt to do more in our limited space than to indicate the papers that deal with Scotland, leaving a closer acquaintance with the contents to be gained by a reference to the volume itself. It may be noted in passing that this part completes Vol. VII., and that it contains the index of the volume. The articles on Scotch subjects are as follows : — Volcanic Disturbance of the Ironstone Measures in the vicinity of Dairy during the Carboniferous Period,by Robert Craig ; Biographical Sketch of the late Robert Slimon, L.R.C.P. and S., by John R. S. Hunter LL.D. ; On the Identity of Ceramopora (Berenicea) megastoma, M'Coy, with Fistulipora minor M'Coy, by John Young ; A Bed of Post-glacial Clay, exposed by dredging in the harbour of Girvan, Ayrshire, by David Forsyth ; Notes on lire's Millepore, Tabulipora Urii J. Young (Cellepora Urii Flem.), by John Young ; Three Month's Tent Life among the Silurian Hills of Logan Water, Lesmahagow, by J. R. S. Hunter ; Notes on the occurrence of Leda arctica, Lyonsia arenosa, and other Organic Remains in the Post-Pliocene Clays of Garvel Park, Greenock, by Thomas Scott and James Steel ; Cleaves Cove, Dairy, Ayrshire, its Explorations and History, by John Smith; Geological Observations, in the Parish of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, by Andrew Patton ; On the Geology of Androssan and "West Kilbride, by Dugald Bell ; Notes on the Sphaerulite Rock of Corriegills, and the Banded Pitchstone of Invercloy, Arran, by D. C. Glen, and John Young ; The Silurian Rocks of the Girvan District, by David Forsyth; Note on Favosites (?)(Calamopora) dentifera Phillips, by John Young ; Review of the Southern Silurian question. by Ar. Macconochie ; The Silurian Districts of Leadhills and s 274 The Scottish Naturalist. Wanlockhead, their early and recent Mining History, by J. R. S. Hunter ; On a Specimen of Psephodus magnus Agass. from the Carboniferous Limestone of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, by R. H. Traquair, M.D. ; Notes on a Fossiliferous Shale, a little way below the Cloch Lighthouse, by Thomas Scott. PROCEEDINGS OP THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. Vol. I. Part V., 1884-85.— We ha\e already in this Magazine, in the numbers for April and July, 1885, noticed the papers read at several of the earlier meetings of this energetic Society, and published in the part of the Proceedings now under review; hence we shall now only mention the titles of these papers, viz., Museum Notes,— I. Perthshire Mam- malia, by Dr. Buchanan White. Report of Delegates to the Meetings of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies (Dr. Buchanan White), to the Montreal Meeting of the British Association (Mr. Robert Pullar), and to the Philadelphia Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Mr. Rufus D. Pullar). Comparative Anatomy of the Teeth, by James Stewart, L.D.S. The Diatoms of the Tay, by Dr. Trotter. Shells, their Structure, Growth, and Uses, by Henry Coates ; who also exhibited Testacella haliotidea, var. scutulum from Kirkcaldy, a remarkably repaired shell of Helix nemoralis, and contorted variety of Plan- orbis vortex from Errol. Presidential Address by Dr. Buchanan White, on the Museum belonging to the Society, and the urgent need of extension. The Climate of the British Islands, with special reference to Perthshire, by Rev. A. Campbell. On some Fresh-water Annelids {Tubifex), by Prof. Allen Harker. Note on a supposed New British "Willow (probably Salix spuria Schleicher, a hybrid between S. lapponum and S. arbuscula), by Dr. Buchanan White. The Native Timber Trees of Perthshire (19 species), by W. Lindsay. The Museum is still being rapidly added to, alike in the local and in the index col- lections; and we observe that the need of increased accommodation is much felt. The following excursions were made : — On May 21st, to the lower end of Glentilt. On June 13th, to Ardoch, near which were found Carex irrigua, Eriophorum vaginalum, and Stellaria nemorum. On June 27th, to Acharn and the shores of Loch Tay. The party had an opportunity of seeing, in Mr. D. Dewar's collection of Perthshire mammals and birds, a wild cat, obtained near Remony in the spring of 1885. Among the plants found during the day were Festuca sylvatica, tubularia aauatica, Carex vesicaria. On July 18th, to Stuc-a- chroin, one of the peaks of Ben Voirlich ; in this excursion were found Saxi- fraga nivalis^ Juncus biglumis, Hieracium (?) holosericeum. The rare moth, Scoparia alpina, also turned up. On July 25th, to West Bank of Tay, from Grandtully to Dalguise. On August 8th, to the Linn of Campsie, when several rare plants were observed, including Neottia Nidus-avis. On August 22nd, to North Bank of Earn, from Forteviot downwards ; on this day were observed Epipaclis latifolid, Erythraea Centaurium, Limnanthemum Nympha- oides, Carex paludosa and C. remota. The Scottish Naturalist. 275 SCIENTIFIC JOUKNALS. ZOOLOGIST (1885).— (P. 69) Night Heron in Scotland, and (p. 72) Rossia Macrosoma in Argyleshire (both from Loch Creran), by J. M. Campbell ; (p. 97-100) Habits of the Limpet (observed at Granton Marine Station), by J. R. Davis; (p. 114) Marsh Harrier in Dumbartonshire, by James Lumsden ; (p. 190) The Glaucous Gull in Skye. by H. A. Macpherson ; (p. 386) Ringouzels in Gardens (abundant in Strathnaver, Sutherland), by S. G. Reid ; (pp. 408-414) On some Variations in Helix arbustorum Linn., by B. B. Woodward, is a paper on the chief variations detected in a collection from Brora in Sutherland ; (p. 434) Pied Flycatcher and Might Heron in Clackmannanshire (near Alloa), by W. Erskine ; (pp. 492-496) Sixth Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1884, relates to several lighthouse observations, &c, from Scotland, as well as from England. It confirms earlier reports on the same subject. 1886 {January).— American Golden Plover and Richard's Pipit in Scotland (in Perthshire), by J. Guille Millais. {February) Glau- cous Gull in Skye, by H. A. Macpherson. {March) Ivory Gull and Little Auk in Caithness, by W. Read ; Pine Marten in Scotland, a specimen shot in the Black Mount Forest, exhibited by Mr. James Lumsden. JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY, 1885. -(January) Clausilia rugosa monstr. dextrorsum 'in Stirlingshire, at Slamannan ; Variation in Lehmannia arboreum, by Wm. Denison Roebuck, records this slug from Berwick (81), Sutherland East (107), and Caithness (109), April and July (pp. 319-336), Census of the Anthenticated Eistribution of British Land and Freshwater Mollusca, by John W. Taylor and W. Denison Roebuck, enumerates the counties and vice-counties for which these authors have " authenticated records, that is, such as are verified by specimens which have passed under our own examination. This process secures uniformity of value in the results." They conclude with the words : " It will be seen on perusal of the above census that the principal places to be regarded as among the uninvestigated and dark corners of the kingdom are Scotland and Ireland, Mid-Wales and the eastern and south-western counties of England, specimens from any of which districts will be of unusual value and importance." The decision to rely solely on specimens examined by the authors themselves, to the extent of omitting all mention of such careful work as that recorded in Mr. H. Coates' report in our January number, is to be regretted, as such records might be easily indicated without risk of confusion with those authenticated by the authors. We cordially commend to our readers in Scot- land to aid the authors of the census by sending specimens from Scotland for their examination. Marine Mollusca at Oban, by R. D. Darbishire. October. In Proceedings of the Conchological Society are recorded Helix Jiortensis and H. nemoralis from Maybole in Ayrshire, H. lamellafa from 276 The Scottish Naturalist. Inverary, H. nemoralis and H. ericetorum, with the var. minor, from the Island of Islay, and Sphaerium corneum from Alford, Aberdeenshire. ENTOMOLOGISTS' MONTHLY MAGAZINE {July).— Beraea pullata and Cruncecia irrorata bred (from Scotland), by Kenneth J. Morton. A Synopsis of the British Species of (saw-flies belonging to the groups) Cimbicidina, Hylotomina, Lophyrina, and Lydina, is published by Peter Cameron, because of inevitable delay, for at least three years, in the publica- tion of vol. III. of his Monograph of British Phytophagous Hymenoptera. This paper runs on through the numbers for August, September, October, and November, but will not be referred to again. {August) On the Occurrence in Britain of Ornix fagivora and Nepticula Nylandriella (in Suther- landshire, rather common in May on trunks of mountain-ash), by A. F. Griffith. On the Larvae of Coccyx tsedana and Euchromia flamme- ana and arbutana (all from Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi in Sutherland), by A. F. Griffith. {September) The Nitidulidse of Great Britain (concluded this month), by the Rev. W. W. Fowler, notes Ips 4-pusiulatus L., Pityo- phagus ferrugineus Fabr., and Rhizopha^us dispar Gyll., from several Scotch localities, R. ferrugineus Payk. and R. bipustulatus Fabr., as widely dis- tributed ; R. nitiduhis Fabr. at Rannoch, and R. politus Hell, at Aviemore. A Great Swarm of Hydropsyche instabilis Curt, in Inverness-shire, by J. J. King, the insects extended in a cloud for five miles down Glen Tromie. {November) Drepanopteryx Phalaenoides L. in Scotland: a Re-discovery (near Cleghorn, Lanarkshire), by Kenneth J. Morton. {Dec.) Pterostoma palpina in Roxburghshire, by A. Elliott (recorded errone- ously as new to Scotland), see Scott. Nat. II. p. 87. {January, February, March, 1886.) A Hundred New British Species of Diptera, by G. H. Verrall. Many of the species are from Scotch localities, and these we enume- rate below as follows : — Boletina trivitlata Mg., Loch Maree and Tongue, in June ; Scatopse inermis Ruthe, Gairloch : Antocha opalizans Ost. Sack., at Tongue ; Empeda nubila, Arran ; Rhypholophus similis Stseg, Braemar ; Limnophila punctum Mg., Rannoch ; Rhamphomyia spissirostris Fin. , Tongue ; Rh. fumipennis, Muchalls and Rannoch; Rh. plumipes Fin., Rannoch; Rh. simplex Ztt., Aberlady and Inverness; Oreogeton flavipes Mg., Braemar; Clinocera plectrum Mik, Braemar; Tachydromia stigmatella, Ztt., Braemar; Micromorphus albipss Ztt., Aberlady; Syrphus lapponicus Ztt., Pitlochry; Chrysogaster virescens Lw., Rannoch and Loch Maree ; Pyrellia cyanicolor Ztt., Loch Maree and Rannoch ; Plaematobia stimulans Mg., Rannoch, Gair- loch, and Arran ; Spilogaster trigonalis Mg., Tongue; S. pertusa Mg., Brae- mar ; Anthomyia sylvestris Fin., Aberlady; A. striolata Fin., Aberlady; A. disci-eta Mg., Aberdeen and Tongue ; Chirosia albitarsis Ztt., Loch Maree and Tongue ; Themira spinosa n.sp. (described), Loch Maree and Tongue ; T. minor Hal. , Loch Maree ; Spilographa hamifera Lw. ; Tephritis vesper- Una, bred by Dr. W. A. Vice from heads of Hypochceris radicala from Ban- chory, also at Rannoch ; T. conura Lw. , reared by Dr. Vice from heads of Carduus palustris from Banchory, also from Pitlochry ; T. conjuncta Lw., Aberdeen and Rannoch. {January) London Entom. Society {Dec. 2nd, 1885), Mr. Porritt exhibited a melanic variety of Luperina testacea from The Scottish Naturalist. 277 Glasgow. {March) South London Entom. and Nat. Hist. Society (21st Jan. 1886), Mr. South exhibited Noctua tieglecta, with its variety castanea Esp. from Perthshire. (4//* Feb.), Mr. South exhibited Emmetesia albulaia from Dumbarton, Rannoch, and Shetland. SCIENCE GOSSIP [March to December, 1885).— (P. 68) Dolerite and Horneblende-schist, being notice of a paper read by J. Harris Teale, in reference to the transition from dolerite into horneblende-schist at Scourie, in Sutherland ; (p. 92) notice of a paper by Prof. J. F. Blake, in the *' Pro- ceedings of the Geologists' Association," on the Archaean Rocks of the North-West Highlands; (p. 131 and p. 159) Holiday Rambles through Wigtonshire, by J. Claridge Druce ; (p. 213) Fossil Algae at Kirkcaldy, by John Sang, relates to fossil stems found at Kirkcaldy in an excavation. Mr. Sang proposes to name the plant Halophy'is magnum. Microscopic sections are very like those of Laminaria ; (p. 280) The Geology of Cor- storphine Hill, near Edinburgh, by Alexander Johnstone, stated to show the close relationship of diorite to gabbro ; (p. 281) Andersonian Natural- ists' Society. On 25th August a meeting was held in Anderson's College, Glasgow, at which a Society was formed under the above name, with Mr. Wm. Cumming, West End College, Chryston, by Glasgow, as secretary. Starling eating Earwigs, by F. Brebner. {January to March, 1886). (P. 19) The Bottle-Nose Whale {Hyperoodon rostratus) by Js. Simpson ; a specimen stranded near Dunbar, 5th Dec, and purchased for Edinburgh University. GREVILLEA {Sept. and Dece?n., 1885).— British Sphaeropsidese, by Dr. M. C. Cooke, is a list of species found in the British Islands, and amon^ them are some not recorded — in the Mycologia Scotica and its supplements in the Scottish Nahualist. Phoma Strobi, B. and Br., on leaves and cones of Pimts Sirobus, Glamis ; Neottiospora Caricum, Desm., on dead Carices, Moray ; Cytispora chrysosperma, Pers., on Populus alba, Glasgow; Ceuihospora pha- cidioides Grew, on Holly leaves, Edinburgh. In Synopsis Pyrenomycetum (Vol. XIV. pp. 46-47), Dr. Cooke records Valsa {Chorostaie) punctata, Cooke, on branches of Tilia and Salix, Edinburgh, and Valsa {C.) olivcestroma, Cooke, on branches of Prunus Avium, Jedburgh (Jerdon). THE GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE {March).— On the recent dis- covery of the Wing of a Cockroach and two Scorpions in Rocks of Silurian Age, by Herbert Goss, refers to the Scorpion found by Dr. Hunter, in the Ludlow beds of Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire. On some recent views concerning the Geology of the North-west Highlands, by Dr. Henry Hicks (read 2d January, 1885, to Geologists'' Association). {April). The Tertiary and Older Peridotites of Scotland, by John W. Judd (read nth February, 1885).— {June) Abstract of paper read (12th March) before Geological Society of Glasgow, by John Young, F.G. S., on Cone-in-Cone- structure. {August) On a Specimen of Psephodus magnus Agassiz, from the Carboniferous Limestone of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, by R. H. Traquair, M.D., F.R.S. : On a New Species of Helmintho- 278 The Scottish Naturalist. chiton from the Upper Bala (Silurian) of Girvan, Ayrshire, by Henry Woodward, F.R.S. (named here H. Grayiae). Abstract of paper in Tram. Roy, Soc, Edinburgh (XXXII., pp. 359-388, with 2 plates), on The Old Red Sandstone Volcanic Rocks of Scotland, by B. N. Peach and John Home. " The authors observe that the most interesting feature connected with the Old Red Sandstone formation in Shetland is the evidence of prolonged vocanic activity in those northern isles. . . . The absence of any inter- calations of sandstones, flagstones, or shales, save near the fault at Brei Wick and Rooeness Voe, indicates that the subaqueous eruptions must have been well nigh continuous for a time in that portion of the basin." REVIEWS. OUTLINES OF GEOLOGY.* Under this title Professor James Geikie has published a text-book for the use of "junior students and general readers," and as, doubtless, many of the readers of the Scottish Naturalist are inclined to place themselves in this class, they may be glad to hear of a work which, while giving them all the latest informa - tion, is not so abstruse as to deter them from the study. Beginning with the phenomena most familiar to him, the reader is made acquainted with the various agents which have acted and are acting upon the earth's crust, and is shown the various modifications brought about by the in- strumentality of the atmosphere, of water in its various forms, and of animal and plant life. Having studied these, a classification of the modern products of these surface agents is presented to him ; a comparison made with the rocks whose origin is supposed to have been similar ; and their practical identity pointed out. From the more familiar phenomena the reader passes on to those less familiar to him, and is introduced to the action of modern volcanoes and the products resulting from them. The latter are shown to have all the essential characters of the crystalline igneous rocks, and the deduction follows that these must have had a similar origin. A description of some other crystalline rocks of a different character is then given, with reasons for their origin. A chapter on earth movements (earthquakes, &c. ) concludes the account of Dynamical Geology. To Structural Geology, or that part of the science which deals with the architecture of the earth's crust, six chapters are devoted, and the subject is very fully considered and well illustrated. The effects produced by " faults " upon outcrops at the surface are often rather puzzling to beginners. Dr. Geikie explains the matter very lucidly, illustrating it by a series of original models which will enable the student to readily comprehend the effects of the action. From the value of these alone, apart from its other merits, the " Outlines " ought to have a place in the library of every teacher, as well as student, of geology. * Outlines of Geology : an Introduction to the Science. By J. Geikie, LL.D., F.R.S. London : Stanford. 1886. The Scottish Naturalist. 279 In the department of Historical Geology the chief feature of the work is the summaries of the climatic and geographical conditions which obtained during ■each period. Without going into too minute details — which are rather too apt to confuse a general reader — a broad view is given of the kinds of life which successively existed, of the climate, and of the distribution of land and sea. The great aim of the author throughout the book has been to attain clearness and to keep up the interest of the reader ; and we think we can congratulate him on having succeeded in doing so. We should not omit to notice that -which always adds to the attractiveness of a book — namely, the numerous illustrations, about 400 in number. OUR INSECT ENEMIES. By THEODORE WOOD. The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge has for many years done good work in promoting the dissemination of greater facilities for gaining a know- ledge of the objects that surround us on every side. By means of publishing very useful and cheap small books upon various branches of sciencej the Society has earned a claim to the goodwill of the community. The little work now under review is not unworthy of its predecessors ; and though a good many books have been written to popularise in some measure the very important subject of which it treats, this addition is likely to be of real use in extending a truer understanding, and in raising the popular belief in the value of a knowledge of our insect foes. A few more illustrations might have aided the tyro in difficulties, even though there are numerous woodcuts given in the work. The letterpress is interestingly written, and shows that Mr. Wood inherits the powers of his father, the well-known popular writer on Natural History. Those desirous to possess a good check list of British Marine Mollusca will find their wishes met in a list just published by A. Somerville, B.S.c, F.L. S. It follows closely Jeffrey's British Conchology, but has alterations and additions to 1885. The varieties of each species are mentioned in smaller type. Indenting the varietal names would facilitate reference to the list by bringing the specific names into more prominence. The price of the list is 3d., or 2s. 6d. per dozen, from A. Stenhouse, University, Glasgow. ADDITIONAL RECORDS OF PLANTS PROM SCOTLAND. Since the publication of " Topographical Botany, Ed. II, with occasional notes. By Ar. Bennett, F.L.S. I HAVE endeavoured in these records to bring together the scattered notices of Scottish plants up to the end of 1885. Of very many of the species mentioned below, specimens have 280 The Scottish Naturalist. passed through my hands as indicated by the mark ! ; many have been recorded in the Reports of the Botanical Exchange or Record Clubs ; and are from sources believed to be trustworthy ; and for a large number of records I am indebted to the Rev. W. W. Newbould. Other records have been rejected, on various- grounds ; though they may ultimately prove, on further evidence, to merit a place in the Scotch flora. In regard to several of the species I have added notes, which in many cases are suggestive rather than affirmative. The nomenclature and the sequence of species are the same as in "Topographical Botany." So, too, the counties and vice- counties into which Scotland is divided are the same as in that work. For brevity it has been found necessary to denote them by the numbers there employed for them. The utmost care has- been employed to prevent errors arising from the use of numerals instead of names. To facilitate reference I subjoin the list of counties and vice-counties with the number for each. As the numbers for Scotland in " Topographical Botany " run from 72 to 112, there is no risk of confusion by making use of the numbers 1 to 12, merely for those above 100, hence this is done for brevity. The numbers run as follows: — 72 Dumfries, 73 Kirkcudbright, 74 Wigton, 75 Ayr, 76 Renfrew, 77 Lanark, 78 Peebles, 79 Selkirk, 80 Roxburgh, 81 Berwick, 82 Haddington, 83 Edinburgh, 84 Linlithgow, 85 Fife and Kinross, 86 Stirling, 87 West Perth, 88 mid-Perth, 89 East Perth, 90 Forfar, 91 Kincardine, 92 South Aberdeen, 93 North Aberdeen, 94 Banff, 95 Elgin, 96 Easterness, 97 Westerness, 98 Argyle, 99 Dumbarton, 100 Clyde-isles, 1 Can- tire, 2 South Ebudes, 3 mid-Ebudes, 4 North Ebudes, 5 West Ross, 6 East Ross, 7 East Sutherland, 8 West Sutherland, 9 Caith- ness, 10 Hebrides, 11 Orkney, 12 Shetland. The chief sources of information have been as follows, — Papers in the "Journal of Botany," the Reports of the Record Club (quoted R. C) for 1881-82, and 1883, and of the Botanical Ex- change Club (quoted E.C.), and MS. lists from Messrs. Newbould, Linton, and others who are quoted in the subsequent lists. Cer- tain counties and vice-counties appear very frequently in these lists; and the information in regard to several of them is taken so much from one source for each, that, to save space, this has not been repeated ; and the number of the county or vice- county is given alone, except when the information for it is drawn The Scottish Naturalist. 281 from some other than the usual source. The numbers with which this is done, and the authority for each are as follows : — for 72 (Dumfries) Dr. Davidson is the chief authority ; records for 73 (Kirkcudbright), and 74 (Wigton), are taken chiefly from lists supplied by Rev. W. W. Newbould; those for 87 (West Perth), 88 (mid-Perth), and 89 (East Perth), are chiefly from a paper on '' Perthshire Plants and Topographical Botany," by Dr. F. Buchanan White in the " Journal of Botany ; " those for 90 (For- far), 91 (Kincardine), 92 (South Aberdeen), 93 (North Aberdeen),. 94 (Banff), and 95 (Elgin), mostly rest on two papers, entitled " Scottish Plants and Topographical Botany," by Prof. Trail and John Roy, in the "Journal of Botany" for 1884 (August), and " List of Introduced Plants and Casuals observed in N.E. Scot- land," by Prof. Trail; records for 97 (Westerness) rest chiefly on a paper by Revs. W. R. & E. F. Linton, in " Journal of Botany" for 1884, and upon M.S. of Rev. E. F. Linton ; of 98 (Argyle), on information from Mr. Newbould; of 100 (Clyde Isles) are due to Rev. A. Ley, in Record Club Reports for 1883 ; of 2 (South Ebudes), to Mr. Grieve in ''Journal of Botany" for 1884 of 4 (North Ebudes), to same source as for 97 ; of 5 (West Ross) and 6 (East Ross), to information from Mr. Newbould ; of 8 (West Sutherland), to Messrs. Fox and Hanbury in "Journal of Botany," for 1885; an(l f°r 9 (Caithness), to Mr. J. Grant of Wick. + signifies that the plants under notice have been introduced into the district to whose number it is affixed. Dicotyledons. Thalictrum minus (agg.), 74, R.C. 1883, 89. T. maritimum (seg.), 94, 5 & 7, R.C. 1883. T. montanum (seg.), 88, 89. T. majus, 74. Ranunculus aquatilis (agg.), 74, 88, 89, 5, 8. R. heterophyllus, 88, 89. R. peltatus, 72 and 73 Coles, 74, 88, 89, 91, 93, 6 Dmcc R. trichophyllus, 72 and 73 Coles, 88, 89. R. Drouettii, 73 Coles, 88, 89, 2, 8. R. penicillatus, 74, 88, 89. R. Baudotii, 89. R. circinatus, 87, 88, 89. R. fluitans, 94. R. hederaceus, 74, & Miller. R. Ficaria, 74, 2. R. Flammula, 74. R. reptans, 93- R. Lingua, 89. R. auricomus, 89. R. acris, 74. R. repens, 74. R. bulbosus, 8 Miller. R. hirsutus, 74 (93 casual). R. sceleratus,. 88, 89. R. arvensis, 89. Caltha palustris, 74, var. Guerangerii 89, C. radicans, 90. 282 TJie Scottish Naturalist. Trollius Kuropaeus, 74, 5. Berberis vulgaris, 2 Ley, R.C., 1883, t. Nymphaea alba, 74 Druce, R.C, 1883, 88, 89, 5, Nuphar lutea, 74, 88, 89, 5. N. intermedia Auct. angl., 72, 92. N. "pumila," 89, 9, Grant J Hanbury! Our smaller yellow Water-lilies want careful examination and comparison, and materials must be got together. I have invoked the aid of Dr. Caspary ; and I have some interesting notes from him. He has my own specimens at present for examination, and I hope to give a note on them at some future date. Papaver dubium, 73, 74, 5. P. Lecoquii, 6. P. rhoeas, 88, 89. Corydalis claviculata, 89. Fumaria pallidiflora, 89. F. Boraei, 73 Bruce, R.C. 1883, 74 88, 89. F. confusa, 89, 100. F. officinalis, 74, 2, 7. F. micran- tha, 89, 91, 92, 93. Coronopus Ruellii, 94. Thlaspi arvense, 73 Coles, 89. T. alpestre, 88, 89. Capsella bursa-pastoris, 74, 97, 8. Teesdalia nudicaulis, 72 Coles, 73 M' Andrew, 89. Lepidium campestre, 88, 89. Cochlearia officinalis, 74, 98, R.C, 1883, 6 Druce. C. alpina, 94, 4, 8 Miller \ C. Danica, 73 Fraser. Subularia aquatica, 73 Coles. Draba rupestris, 89 H. T. Mennell 1 D. incana, 87, 89. D. verna, 2. Cardamine amara, 89, C. pratensis, 74, 7. C. hirsuta, 74, 3 Bailey, 5, 7 and 8 Miller. C. sylvatica, 92, 6 Druce, 8. Arabis petraea, 88 recent confirmation, 94. A. hirsuta, 8. Turritis glabra, 88 doubtful native. Barbarea vulgaris, 74, 89, 9 Banbury / Nasturtium officinale, 74, 97, 9. N. terrestre, 74, 88. N. Sylvestre, 73 M' Andrew 1885 !, 88. Sisymbrium officinale, 97. S. Sophia, 88 casual. Sinapis arvensis, 97. S. alba, 73, 74. Raphanus Raphanistrum, 97, 4, 7. Reseda luteola, 9 Hanbury! Helianthemum vulgare, 74, 93. Viola palustris, 74. V. Reichenbachiana, 88. V. canina (seg.) 73 Coles. V. tricolor, 74, 7. V. Curtisii, 92 Trail! 8 !, 9 ! V. lutea, 4, 9. The Scottish Naturalist. 283 Drosera rotundifolia, 74, 7 Grant, R.C. 1884. D. obovata, 4 ' D. anglica, 73 Coles, 74, 89, 5 Druce ! Polygala eu-vulgaris, 87, 90 Druce! 92, 96, 97, 5, 6, all Newbould, 7 and 8 ! Miller. P. oxyptera, 88, zV tf/z erroneous record ; neither Mr. Millet nor myself can tell how Mr. Watson inserted it. P. depressa, 73 Coles, 74, 87, 90, and 92 Druce, R.C. 18S1-82, 97, 2 Ley, R.C. 1884, 4, 5> 6- Elatine hexandra, 92. Dianthus Armeria, 72. Silene inflata, 74. S. maritima, 73 Druce, R.C. 1883, 74. S. anglica, 80 f Brotherston, 88 requires confirmation. Lychnis Viscaria, SS. L. Flos-cuculi, 74. L. diurna, 74, 97, 7- L. vespertina, 74, 2, 8 ! Sagina apetala, 73, 74. S. maritima, 73, 74, 2. S. saxatilis, 89 Mennell ! S. subulata, 74 Bailey, R.C. 1883, 93, 97. S. nodosa, 97. Spergula arvensis, 74 Bailey, R.C. 1883. Honkenja peploides. 74. Spergularia marina, 73. 74. S. marginata 74, 97 and 4. S. neglecta 87 Drummond !, 4. S. rubra, 74 Bailey, R.C 1883, 89, 98 Bailey, R.C. 1883, 2. Arenaria serpyllifolia, 7 Miller. A. verna, 73 Coles! 89 Mennell! A. rubella 89 Mennell ! A. trinervia 9 ! Stellaria media, 74. S. holostea, 74, 97. S. graminea, 74, 7 Grant. S. uliginosa, 73, 74. Cerastium glomeratum, 74, 97. C. triviale, 74. C. semide- candrum 93, 6 Druce, R.C 1881-82. C tetrandrum, 94, 5 Bailey, R.C. 1883, 8 ! C arvense, 74. Cerastium tatifolium Auct. angl. It seems clear that our plants are not the true tatifolium L., but some of them may prove to be C. glaciate, as Mr. Back- house is inclined to think. I should be much obliged for good specimens of our tatifolium to submit to Dr. Lange for comparison with his C. arctictim, which is found in Iceland, Greenland, and, probably, the Faroes. Linum catharticum, 74. Malva sylvestris, 73, 74. M. rotundifolia 80, R.C. 1881-82, 90 to 93 not native, 6 t. M. moschata, 90 t, 91 t, 92 t. Hypericum Androsaemum, 80 Brotherston, 87. H. perforatum, 2, 7. H. quadrangulum, 74, 97. H. dubium, 73 H. humifusum, 74. H. pulchrum, 74. H. hirsutum, 72. Erodium cicutarium, 87. Geranium pyrenaicum, 88 and 89 escape. G. pusillum, 88. G. 284 The Scottish Naturalist. molle, 74, 97, 98. G. columbinum, 89. G. Robertianum, 74, 97, G. sanguineum, 93, 2, 9. Oxalis acetosella, 74. Rhamnus catbarticus. 91, t, 92, t. R. Frangula. 93 not native.. Ulex Europaeus, 74. U. eu-nanus, 72 Fingland ! Genista anglica, 74. Anthyllis vulneraria. 74, 5 Bailey, R. C. 1883, 7 Miller. Medicago lupulina, 88, 8 ! Melilotus officinalis, 88 and 89 t. M. vulgaris, 88. Trifolium repens, 74. T. pratense, 74. T. medium, 74, 7 and 8 Miller. T. arvense, 88 delete! T. striatum, 91 delete! T_ procumbens, 73, 74, 4, 7 Grant, R.C. 1883. T. minus, 73, 74, 90, 6 Brace, 7 Grant, R.C. 1883, 8 Miller. Lotus corniculatus, 74. L. tenuis, 92. L. major, 74, 9. Astragalus glycyphyllus, 88. A. hypoglottis, 88, 94, 2. A, alpinus, 89 Brebner, ex Dr. F. B. White. Is it extinct in Forfar f I have a specimefi gathered there in 1872 by the late Mr. Sadler. Oxytropis uralensis, 88, 89 Brebner ex Dr. F. B. White. Ornithopus perpusillus, 89, 90 delete ?, 93 f. Onobrychis sativa, 90 t. Vicia Orobus, 84 Turner !, 89. V. cracca, 74. V. angustifolia, 73, 74. V. lutea, 88 much needs to be confirmed. V. sepium, 7 Miller. V. hirsute, 74, 7 Grant. Lathyrus Aphaca, 88 and 89 casual, 92 t. L. pratensis, 7 Miller. L. sylvestris, 91 ! Orobus tuberosus, 74, 7 Miller. Prunus spinosa, 74, 9 Grant 1 (? wild). P. Padus, 88. P. Avium, 89. Spiraea Ulmaria, 74, 7 Miller. S. Filipendula, " Caithness " in " Topographical Botany." Dr. Lees (R. C.) says "hardly wild, but it grows on the sea cliff among grass and other vegetation." Geum urbanum, 74, 97. G. intermedium, 72. 73, 74, 97. G. rival e. 74, 7 Miller, 8. Sibbaldia procumbens, 93 requires confirmation. Potentilla anserina. 74. 97. P. reptans, 74, 87. P. Tormentilla,. 73, 74. P. procumbens, 72, 88, 89, 92. P. Fragariastrum, 74, 2. Comarum palustre, 97, 7 Miller. Fragaria vesca, 74, 98. Rubus saxatilis, 7 Grant, R.C. 1883. R. Idaeus, 74. Only two of the fruticose Rubi are recorded for the extreme north of Scotland The Scottish Naturalist. 285 in " Topographical Botany," viz. R. adscitus from 7 (E. Sutherland), and ft. fissus from 11 (Orkney). It seems probable that others, e.g., subereedus, fissus, &c, will be found. One of the sub-species occurs at Scourie in 8 (W. Sutherland). R. suberectus, 88, 89, 92. R. fissus, 87, 88, 92. R. plicatus, 89, 91, 92, 2 Ley, R.C. 1883. R. afTlnis, 88, 89. R. hemistemon, 88. R. Lindleianus, 5 and 6. R. rhamnifolius, 73 and 74 R.C. 1883, 88. 92. R. latifolius. 89. R. thyrsoideus, 92. R. hirti- folius, 88. R. villicaulis, 88. R. adscitus, 88. R. macrophyllus, 88. R. Hystrix, 89. R. Radula, 73 Bruce, R.C. 1883, 74, 89, 91. R. Koehleri verus, 74, 82 and 8^ Newbould, 88. R. Koehleri pallidus, 88. R. Lejeunii, 88. R. Balfourianus, 89. R. coryli- folius typical, 73, 74, 88, 89, 91, 92, 4. R. corylifolius var. con- Jungens, 89. R. corylifolius var. purpureus, 89. R. tuberculatus, 88. R. caesium, 74, 91, not known in Perth, F. B. \Y. Rosa spinosissima, 74 Druce, R.C. 1883, 88, 89, 97. R. hiber nica, 88. R. Sabini, 74, 89, 97, 2 Ley. R. mollissima, 72 !, 73 Bruce, 74, 90 Druce, R.C. 1881-82, 97, 4, 6 Bruce, R.C. 1881-82. R. tomentosa, 72, 74, 88, 89, 4, 9. R. micrantha, 9 ! Dick. R. rubiginosa, 89 and 90 " Druce indigenous " ex Newbould. R. can- ma, 74j 97) 4. Agrimonia Eupatoria, 74, 97, 4. Alchemilla vulgaris, 74. 8. A. alpina, 7 Grant, R.C. 1883. A. arvensis, 74, 89, 97. Crataegus Oxyacantha, 74. Pyrus Malus, 74, 87, 88, 89, 2, 6. P. scandica, 6 f Druce, R.C\ 1883. P. Aucuparia, 74, 9 Hanbury. Epilobium angustifolium, 6 Druce. E. hirsutum, 74. E. par- viflorum, 73, 74, 6 Druce, 9 ! E. montanum, 74. E. eu-tetrago- num, 88 requires verification. E. obscurum, 73, 74, 88 Druce, R.C. 1 88 1, 97, 98 Bailey, R.C. 1883. E. alsinifolium. 91. Circsea lutetiana, 89, 92 and 93 require confirmation, 2 Ley, R.C. 1883. C. intermedia, 92, and probably 93. C. alpina delete?, 91 to 94 require confirm atioti. Hippuris vulgaris, 7 Grant R.C. 1883. Myriophyllum spicatum, 73 Coles/. 74, 80 Brotherston, R.C, 1881-82. 87, 90 Newbould, 92 Miller!, 9!. M. alterniflorum, 73 Druce, R.C. 1883. 74 Druce, 90, 91, 94, 5 and 6 Druce, R.C. 1881-82. Callitriche platycarpa, 72, 73 Coles/, 97, 7 and 8 Miller/, 9 Grant !. C. autumnalis, 73 Coles/, 74 Bailey, R.C. 1883, 88, 92, ^94, 5 Druce, ex Newbould. 286 The Scottish Naturalist. Ceratophyllum aquaticum, 88. Peplis Portula, 74, R.C. 1883, 86. Montia fontana, 74, 98. Scleranthus annuus, 74. Ribes petraeum, 9. Sedum Rhodiola. 94, S. Telephium, 74. S. Fabaria, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, all\. S. anglicum, 74, 88, 8 Miller !. S. acre, 74. Saxifraga stellaris, 73 Coles ! S. nivalis, 87. S. Hirculus, 92 is erroneous. S. oppositifolia, 94. S. tridactylites, 87 " still there Vy Parnassia palustris, 74, 7 Grant, R.C. 1883. Hedera Helix, 74, 97, 98, 7 Grant, R.C. 1883. Hydrocotyle vulgaris, 74, 89, 97, 7 and 8 Miller!. Sanicula Europaea, 74, 89, 97, 7 R.C. 1883. Eryngium maritimum, 91 and 93 extinct, 12 delete ?. Conium maculatum, 74, 88. Smyrnium Olusatrum, 94 t. Helosciadium nodiflorum, 74. H. inundatum, 74, 88. vEgopodium Podagraria, 74. Bunium flexuosum, 74, 7 Miller. Pimpinella Saxifraga, 74. P. magna, 87 f, fide Newbould. CEnanthe nstulosa, 72 " not found of late, if ever." CE. crocata 97. ^Ethusa Cynapium, 88, 89. Ligusticum scoticum, 73 Coles and M{ 'Andrew, 8 Miller. Angelica sylvestris, 74. Daucus Carota, 74, 87, 97. Torilis Anthriscus, 97. Scandix Pecten-Veneris, 88. Anthriscus vulgaris, 94. A. sylvestris, 73, 74. Sambucus nigra, 74, 89, 7 and 8 Miller, "near houses" 9 Hanbuty. Viburnum Opulus, 91 t, 92 +. Lonicera Periclymenum, 7 Grant, R.C. 1883. Linnaea borealis, 89 delete ?, 93. Galium verum, 74. G. palustre 74. G. uliginosum, 73, 74, 2, 9 instead of 6. G. erectum, 88, 89. G. Mollugo, 72 Fingland !, 73, 74. G. Aparine, 74. G. boreale, 73, R.C. 1883, 74. Sherardia arvensis, 74, 8 Miller ! Asperula odorata, 74, 97, 8 Miller ! Valeriana officinalis, 74, 8 Miller ! Valerianella olitoria, 8. Dipsacus sylvestris, 89. Scabiosa succisa, 74, 4. The Scottish Naturalist. 287 Knautia arvensis, 2. Leontodon autumnalis, 72, 73, 74. L. hispidus, 88 needs con- firmation, 8 and 9 Hanbury. Hypochoeris radicata, 74. Lactuca virosa, 85. Sonchus arvensis, 74. S. asper, 89, 92, 93, 6. S. oleraceus, 73, 74) 97) 98 all Newbould. Crepis virens, 73, 74. C. paludosa, 73 Druce, R.C. 1883, 97, 2 Ley, R.C. 1883, 7 and 8 ! Miller. Hieracium, in this genus B signifies that the specimens were named by Mr. Backhouse. H. Pilosella, 74. H. holosericeum, 89 in " Topographical Botany," is erroneous, 94. H. nigrescens, 89, 94. H. chrysanthemum, 88, 5 Druce ex Newbould. H. murorum (seg.), 88, 89, 94, 100 Ley, R.C. 1883, 7 Miller I H. caesium, 88, 89, 94, 5 Newbould. H. vulgatum (seg.), 73 M'Andretv, 94, 6 Druce, R.C. 1881-82, 7 Miller/, 9!. H. gothicum, 88, 89, 4 B. H. pallidum, 85 Boswell ! ', 4 B, 8 ! B. H. anglicum, 4, 5, 8 B, 9 ! B, n Johnston. H. iricum, 88, 89, 90 ! Ewing B, 4. H. prenanthoides, 89, 90, 91, 94, 95 Gordon. H. strictum Auct. angl., 89 Linton, B. says " /£ strictum L believe" 9 ! H. crocatum, 72 ! B, 73 Colts, 96 Townsend /, 97 !, B, 4, 5. 9 ! B. H. tridentatum, 73 Coles !, 88. H. corymbosum, 73 M' 'Andrew, B, 85 Jftofcy, ^.C. 1881-82, 91, 4 !, 7 Miller! B, 9 ! B. H. boreale, 72 ! B, 74. H. norvegicum Fr., 9 Hanbury, deterniined by Dr. Almquist of Stockholm. It is certain that our Hieracia will be added to when the extreme north of Scotland has been thoroughly searched. Several Scandinavian species are likely to occur ; but their correct determination is not easy without access to the Exsiccata of Fries and Lindenberg. I shall be very grateful for good specimens that cannot be determined by the usual manuals. Taraxacum erythrospermum, 92. T. laevigatum, 92, 9 Hanbury. T. palustre, 4, 8 ! Arnoseris pusilla, 88 " not recently " Lapsana communis, 74, 97. Arctium minus (Bab. Manual), 73, 74, 90, and 92 all ATewbould, 97, 6. A. intermedium, 74. Probably alterations in names will be necessary in this genus. Serratula tinctoria, 88 {. Carduus nutans, 89. C. crispus, 73 Druce, R.C. 1883, 74, 88, 89. C. tenuiflorus, 73, 6 Druce, R.C. 1881-82. C. lanceolatus, 73) 74) 98- C. palustris, 74, 98, 4, 8. C. arvensis, 74. 288 The Scottish Naturalist. Carlina vulgaris, 2. Centaurea Cyanus, 87. C. Scabiosa, 8 confirmed by Hanbury. Bidens cernua, 88, 89. B. tripartita, 88, 89. Eupatorium cannabinum, 74. Artemisia Absinthium, 6. A. vulgaris, 74, 97. Gnaphalium sylvaticum, 74. G. supinum, 4. G. uliginosum, 74. Filago minima, 74 Bailey. F. germanica, 72 Coles. Petasites vulgaris, 74, 87, 4. Tussilago Farfara, 74. Aster Tripolium, 74. Solidago Virgaurea, 93, 98. Senecio vulgaris, 74, 97. S. sylvaticus, 74. S. viscosus, ^^ Sg, 94. S. Jacobaea, 74. S. aquaticus, 74, 97. Inula Helenium, 97 "apparently native." Bellis perennis, 74. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, 74. Matricaria inodora, 74. Anthemis arvensis, 6 Druce, R.C. 1881. Achillea Millefolium. 74. Campanula rotundifolia, 74. Jasione montana, 74. Lobelia Dortmanna, 74, 89. Erica Tetralix, 74. E. cinerea, 74. Calluna vulgaris, 74. Menziesia camilea, 88 still there in 1879, Miss A. Crawford! Azalea procumbens, 9 at 2,300 ft. Andromeda polifolia, 74. Arbutus alpina, 88, 90, 92 of very doubtful occurrence in these vice-counties. Vaccinium Myrtillus, 74. V. uliginosum, 89. V. Vitis-idaea, 73 Fraser, n Johnston / V. Oxycoccos, 74, 89. Pyrola media, 89. P. minor, 74, 89. P. secunda, 73 Coles. P. uniflora, 97 ! Pyrola rotundifolia L. v. arenaria Koch {P. serolina Miq) "Scott" in Nyman's Conspectus, p. 492. (Nyman separates this from the Lancashire plant, which he calls P. maritima Kenyon). Where in Scotland does this occur ? Is it on the sands of Barry ? I shall be much obliged to any Scottish Botanist for P. rotundifolia from sands by the sea. Nyman gives for serotina "Ins. Nordern," an island off the German coast, whence I have beautiful specimens from Drs. Focke and Buchanan. lo be co?itinued. OBITUARY. THE present year, 1886, has a melancholy interest to Natural- ists in Scotland because of the death within three months of three men who had distinguished themselves by the assiduity and success with which they pursued the study of the natural pro- ducts of Scotland. All of them were keen observers, and all have by their observations advanced in no small degree those branches of science to which they most devoted themselves. Probably few biographies are read with greater interest than that of Thomas Edward, A.L.S., of Banff. Scarcely less interesting is that of Charles William Peach, A.L.S., as told in Smiles' " Robert Dick, Baker of Thurso." Both published occasional papers ; but the real value of their work can best be judged by references to such books as Murchison's " Siluria," Bate and Westwood's " Brit- ish Sessile-eyed Crustacea," and others, in which the authors ac- knowledge their debt for information supplied by one or both of these naturalists. Not less meritorious as an observer, but with a better basis of education to build on, and giving great promise of eminence in the critical investigation of the Scotch flora, was Abraham Sturrock, whose premature death gives cause to lament the loss of one from whose labours valuable results were to be looked for. Charles William Peach was born at Wansford in North- amptonshire in 1800. His father was then a saddler, but sub- sequently became an inn-keeper. As a child Peach was taught in a dame's school, and afterwards in the village school, taught, or rather not taught, by a sawyer who had had to give up his trade of sawyer and had taken to teaching. When twelve, Peach was sent to school in Lincolnshire ; there he remained till he reached the age of fifteen, when he left school finally, and returned to help with the work of the inn. In 1824, he got a post as private in the coast-guard at Weybourn in Norfolk. He had not previously seen the sea. A very fine example of a zoophyte (Anlennularia T 290 The Scottish Naturalist. antennina), on the chimney-piece in the parlour of the inn at Wey- bourn in which he lived, excited his interest, and turned his tastes towards Natural History, and he began to collect the marine pro- ducts, and the peebles, around Weybourn, attracted by their beauty. He was soon transferred to Sherringham ; where he became ac- quainted with the Rev. J. Layton. This gentleman lent him books, and assisted him in beginning those studies in which he afterwards distinguished himself. Among the books was a work on British Zoophytes, the descriptions and engravings in which Mr. Peach copied for his own use. He also assisted Mr. Layton to explore the cliffs and forest-bed of the. Norfolk coast, and to collect the series of elephants' teeth and bones from that locality now in the British Museum. He had various removes from place to place ; and when about 30 years of age, while at Cley, he married. He had by this time risen to have charge of the station. Soon he was sent to Lyme Regis in Dorsetshire ; and thereafter successively to stations in Devon and in Cornwall. He constantly pursued his investigations of the marine fauna and flora ; and added much to earlier records. Dr. Johnston, in the second edition of his "History of British Zoophytes," bears frequent testimony to the assistance he received from Peach ; and works by various other writers upon the marine fauna bear evidence to his assiduity and success in this field, not a few species bearing his name. Charles Darwin, in his work on British Cirrhipedia, quotes his observations on points in the life- history of the Acorn-shells (Balani) of the Cornish coast. While stationed in Cornwall, he examined the rocks along the coast at east and west Looe, Polperro, Fowey, and elsewhere. It had previously been supposed that they were non-fossiliferous ; but he found numerous fossils in them belonging to the Old Red Sand- stone period ; and correctly determined these to be fish remains. In 1 841, he attended a meeting of the British Association at Plymouth ; and read a paper " On the Organic Fossils of Cornwall." In later years he frequently attended the meetings, and took part in the proceedings. He soon gained recognition by the value and accuracy of his scientific labour. He was promoted to the position of Landing Waiter at Fowey, with a salary of ^100 a year. While there, his scientific merits were recognised by his election as an honorary member of the various scientific societies in Corn- wall, and he added extensive series of Devonian fossils to the The Scottish Naturalist. 291 collections of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. By superintending and adding to the Natural History collections of the Polytechnic Institution in Falmouth, he earned enough to purchase a microscope in 1844, opening up to him new possibilities of work. In 1849 began his connection with Scotland. In that year he was appointed Comptroller of Customs in Peterhead, with a salary of £120; and in 1853 he was transferred to Wick, where he re- mained on duty until changes in the Customs Department caused him to retire in 1867. He removed from Wick to Edinburgh in 1865, and made his home there for the remainder of his long and active life. Peterhead is favourably situated for investigations in marine zoology ; and to these Peach directed his chief attention during his stay in that town ; the neighbourhood being less attractive geologically. He discovered several fishes not previously found off the north-east of Scotland, and watched the habits of such animals as could be observed in the rock-pools with which the coast abounds. From Wick he had to travel round a great extent of the northern coast of Scotland in search of wrecks; and he never lost an oppor- tunity, while on these journeys, of investigating the rocks for fossils. He was intimate with Robert Dick, the Thurso baker, botanist, and geologist ; and kept up a close correspondence with him, much of their work being done in common. Peach's attention was now again specially directed to geology ; though zoology was not laid wholly aside. In 1854 he made a most important dis- covery of shells and corals in the limestone rocks of Durness in Sutherland. Previous to this discovery, it had been supposed that the rocks of the Highlands and of the north-west of Scotland were entirely devoid of fossils ; for though obscure remains had been found by Macculloch in the quartz rocks of Sutherlandshire, their nature had been far too obscure for determination even as of or- ganic origin. The Durness fossils were of such a nature as to show that the formation containing them must belong to the Lower Silurian. This discovery has given rise indirectly to the very interesting controversy carried on for the past two or three years in regard to the Scotch Highlands, which has been noticed on several occasions in this Magazine, from 1883 onwards. In 1858 he accompanied Sir Roderick Murchison to the Orkney and' 292 The Scottish Naturalist. Shetland Islands ; and on the return journey went with him to the Durness limestone. Sir Roderick in a paper, read in the same year at the meeting of the British Association in Leeds, drew at- tention to the importance of Peach's discovery as giving a clue to the age of the strata ; though the true succession of the formations was misinterpreted by him and by most geologists, owing to causes that have been finally rendered clear in the controversy above re- ferred to. On Mr. Peach's retirement in i86i,the change rendered him very seriously ill ; but after a time he recovered, and applied him- self with vigour to his favourite pursuits. He shared in Gwyn Jeffreys' dredging voyages to the Shetland Islands, and collected the Polyzoa. x\fter his removal to Edinburgh, he made valuable discoveries among the plant-remains of the strata of the Lothians and Fife. For a time he was President of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh ; and in 1871-74 he was presented with the Neill prize, in the gift of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in recog- nition of his discoveries, and of the addition by his labours of about 20 species of Echini, Medusce, and Sponges to the Biitish fauna. In 1868 he was elected an Associate of the Linnean Society. His published scientific papers have been numerous and valuable. He died in Edinburgh on 28th Feb. 1886, in his 86th year, leaving a son, Mr. B. N. Peach, well known for his work in the Geological Survey of Scotland, and for his papers on Geology and Paleontology. Thomas Edward is a name widely and honourably known, thanks to the biography by Dr. Smiles ; which is read, not only in English-speaking countries, but also in translations into more than one European language. The history of his life teaches, like that of C. W. Peach, how true it is that the progress of science can be advanced, and the most unfavourable conditions overcome, and even turned to account, by ability and resolution. In many respects these two men resembled one another. In the strength of their love for all the productions of Nature, and in their excellence as observers, as well as in the width of their investigations, they were much alike. Though Peach's discoveries were largely made in the strata of the earlier geological formations, and comparatively little among land animals and plants, while Edward's related in great part to the latter groups, yet they both made im- The Scottish Naturalist. 293 portant additions to the British marine fauna ; and these additions have been frequently acknowledged by specialists, to whom assistance of the utmost value was rendered by both of these naturalists. Of both it may be said, with truth, that they were born natural- ists, with whom the love of Nature was a ruling and uncontrollable passion. In Thomas Edward it showed itself at an extremely early age, if his biography is to be fully relied on ; and even if some of the earlier stories in it have to be discounted a good deal, to make allowance for unconscious exaggerations, yet the ruling passion was evident long before the age when any very strong taste can usually be recognised in boys. Of him it may truly be said that he loved Nature not wisely, but too well ; since his irresistible inclination to make pets of creatures (such as newts, caterpillars, and the like), dreaded and abhorred by the general community, frequently brought him into disgrace in his early years ; and interfered, directly and indirectly, with his education. Nor were his troubles at an end after he had grown up ; for his pursuit of knowledge under difficulties occupied far more of his time than a tradesman could well spare with due attention to health ; and also led him into financial difficulties, that proved nearly ruinous to him. He was born on Christmas Day, 1814, in Gosport ; where his father was serving with the Fifeshire militia, during the troubled times that preceded Waterloo. His father was a native of Fife ; his mother belonged to Aberdeen. His father, after his return from military service, settled in Kettle, in Fife ; but in a short time he removed to Aberdeen, where he continued to work as a linen-weaver. iVberdeen then, was a much smaller town than it is now ; and the railway stations and reclaimed ground now cover what was then open ground or tidal mudflats. These formed Tom Edward's favourite hunting-grounds. Here, or in the Denburn, a stream now covered in, he used to find insects, horse-leeches, and other creatures even more dreaded by his neighbours. These creatures he was in the habit of bringing home ; but they used to escape, and roused such wrath in those whose houses they invaded, that he was forbidden to bring them home ; and those that he brought were destroyed, and thrown out of doors. Often he visited the woods and dens, e.g., Rubislaw Den, in his search for nests or for rarities ; and whenever he could, -94 The Scottish Naturalist. he beguiled school-fellows to accompany him on these expeditions ; but usually, he found it hardly possibly to induce other boys to go with him, after they had experienced the punishments to which they were treated on their return home. The efforts to restrain his wandering habits, and to make him attend school, and the failure of every attempt of the kind, are amusingly told in Smiles' book. In fact, he came to be regarded as incorrigible ; and his parents must have been sorely tried with him. Even by the age of six, it is said, he was dismissed from three schools. The pets he brought with him were the cause of disgrace in two schools ; and the suspicion that he had brought a " Maggie monyfeet," or centipede, that bit his teacher one day when Edward happened to be at school, led to his being severely thrashed, and then to his expulsion on his persisting in the assertion of his innocence on this occasion. This seems to have terminated his education at school; and what he learned afterwards, he had to pick up as best he could. This subsequently stood much in the way of his studies, when it would have been of inestimable value to him to have been able to make use readily of such scientific works as he could obtain access to ; but the means of proper elementary training were never again within his reach. While a mere child, he was employed in a tobacco-spinner's at wages beginning at is. 2d. a week ; in the two years he was there, his wages were raised to is. 6d. He then got employment at Grandholm mills on the Don, near Aberdeen, at a considerable rise of wages, but with long hours of work. Despite the long hours, he continued to spend a good deal of time in the woods and waste-ground for several miles around the works. In the mills he remained for about two years ; and he used to look back to this as one of the happiest periods of his life. When eleven years old, he was bound apprentice for six years to a shoemaker, Charles Beggs, in the Gallowgate, Aberdeen, a man who could do his work well, but who was very frequently drunk, and was often cruel. He had a special aversion to Edward's tastes ; and used to destroy such specimens as he brought into the shop in his pockets. He twice killed the boy's pets ; and on the second occasion Edward went home, and re- fused to return to the shop, despite the threat of a prosecution for his broken indenture. He next tried to get away as a cabin-boy, but could not do so The Scottish Naturalist. 295 without his father's consent ; and that he could not obtain. At last, he returned to shoemaking, under a new master of a kindlier disposition than the last one. Having a good deal of spare time, he continued his rambles ; and he also made a garden of a bit of waste-ground at the back of the house in which he lived. He also read all the books that he could obtain ; and he began to stuff animals ; the first he operated on was a mole. Work became difficult to get ; and Edward tried one shop after another. When he was about seventeen years of age, he attempted, unsuccessfully, to go to America as a stowaway. Tn 1 83 1, he enlisted in the Aberdeenshire militia ; and went through his training with only one misadventure. A scarce butterfly hav- ing passed while he was on parade on the links, he left the ranks in chase of it ; but soon found himself under arrest. The offence was excused with only an admonition. When about twenty years old, he settled in Banff, in which town he spent almost all the rest of his life. His tastes brought difficulties upon him there also, as his landlady would not allow him to keep caterpillars or other vermin in his lodgings, and his shopmates were as little partial to them in the shop. When twenty-three years old he married, though his wages were only about 9s. 6d. a week. The step proved fortunate for him. When he had a pleasant home, he began to collect specimens, which he had before been unable to preserve. A gun was bought for 4s. 6d. ; it was so rickety that he had to tie the barrel to the stock with twine. His rambles had to be made at night, after his day's work was over; and he snatched a few hours' sleep wherever he happened to be, when the night was too dark for him to be able to continue his observations. Sometimes he took shelter in unused houses, at other times in the old castle of the Boyne, or in other ruins, or in holes in banks (occasionally the lairs of foxes or of badgers), or under tombstones, or he slept unsheltered on the open shingle or sandy beach. In these night-quarters, he was often visited by strange bed-fellows ; and in his rambles he had frequent opportunities of observing habits of creatures seldom to be seen in the light of day. He was, however, much hampered by the difficulty of getting information as to the names of the creatures he was observing, as he had no friend able to assist him with information or with books. He had three favourite rounds from Banff, one eastward, 29*5 The Scottish Naturalist. and another west along the coast, and the third inland. Along his routes, he was accustomed to place numerous traps for insects, in the form of dead moles, fish, or other animals : and these yielded him a plentiful return. His collections suffered grievously at times. Nearly 1,000 insects were destroyed by mice or rats on one occasion ; and about 2,000 dried specimens of plants, the result of eight years' work, were ruined by cats, which had got into the box. The preparation of his numerous specimens was carried on at odd times, and in the intervals between jobs ; and in these inter- vals, also, he made cases for holding them. He exhibited his collections in Banff on Brandon Fair day, 1845. They included animals of all kinds, terrestrial and marine, as well as plants ; all collected by himself in his rambles. The exhibition left him a small profit. He exhibited the collec- tions again next year, and obtained a larger return ; and he resolved to try his success in the same venture in Aberdeen. With this view, he rented a shop in Union Street, and removed his collections, which now filled six carts, to Aberdeen in 1846. The venture failed, owing to the want of appreciation of such objects in Aberdeen. Ruin seemed imminent; and in despair he thought of drowning himself, and went towards the mouth of the Don, along the beach. But on the sands, he observed, almost unconsciously, a bird unknown to him among some sanderlings. Old habits reasserted themselves, and he followed the birds ; and while doing this the despair passed off, never to return. He sold his collections for £20 10s., and returned to Banff. There he resumed shoemaking. In the following year he began again to collect the products of the district. Once more he followed his well-known rounds, and spent such time as he could spare from his trade among the beasts and plants ; and gradually he accumu- lated a new collection. In these expeditions he met with many strange and disagreeable experiences ; and occasionally risked his life ; but space forbids entering on these here. By a fall from a cliff at Tarlair, he sustained injuries that rendered him unfit for work for two or three weeks ; and he had to sell a part of his new collection to obtain a livelihood for himself and his family during this time. He was encouraged by the Rev. James Smith of Monquhitter to publish accounts of his experiences ; and was assisted by him with books and information. He sent frequent short articles to the local papers ; and these brought him speci- The Scottish Naturalist. 297 mens of rare animals or plants from persons desirous to have them named. Among them were various rare birds. In 1850, Mr. Smith sent to the Zoologist a notice of sanderlings shot by Edward on Boyndie sands, and other notes re-written from material sup- plied by him. Edward himself afterwards contributed articles to the Zoologist, the Naturalist, and other scientific journals. De- spite the disadvantages of want of early education, his style of writing was vivid and interesting; and the fact, that what he wrote was founded on personal investigations, gave it reality and value. One of his great defects, due to imperfect education, was the liability to identify his captures wrongly ; hence the names given by him, if not authenticated by his scientific correspondents, are not to be wholly relied on when they relate to rare species. In 1858, he was again unable to work, this time through an attack of rheumatic fever with ulcerated throat, and he had once more to sell part of his collections. He then gave up the idea of forming another collection ; and resolved to devote his attention to the marine fauna of the Banffshire coast. By setting traps in the form of old pots, kettles, and such like, filled with rags, straw, or other rubbish, and sunk in rock-pools, or in deeper water, he caught many creatures. Watching the incoming waves, searching shore debris, opening the stomachs of fish, and examining the lines of fishermen, all added to his knowledge ; and he accumu- lated large numbers of crustaceans, fishes, zoophytes, and other marine animals, many of which were new to science. He corres- ponded largely with Mr. Jonathan Couch upon fishes, with Mr. Spence Bate and Mr. Norman upon Crustacea, and with other naturalists on other groups ; and many are the references in works on marine zoology to specimens and information derived from him. Several species bear his name, in recognition of his labours. In 1866, he was admitted Associate of the Linnean Society; and several smaller societies followed suit. In 1868, his health, which had been long and severely tried by the exposure incurred in his nocturnal rambles, failed altogether for a time ; and he found himself forced to give up his favourite pursuits. But he could not remain idle ; so he turned his attention to antiquities. He discovered a large "kitchen midden " at Boyndie, near Banff, from which he unearthed a number of curious and interesting relics. 298 TJie Scottish Nattiralist. In 1876, Dr. Smiles published his biography; and soon circum- stances changed with Edward. He received a pension of £50 for life ; and considerable sums were sent to him by readers of the book. In 1877, he was presented with £333 in Aberdeen. For thirty years he was connected with the Banff Museum, and did much to increase the collections in it. His salary in it was little more than nominal ; but on resigning his curatorship, a piece of plate was presented to him in recognition of his services. To the last, he retained his keen powers of observation. Latterly, he devoted his attention chiefly to plants, and found a number of local and rare species near Banff and Aberdeen. His habits were very temperate ; and he was a good husband and father. He died of bronchitis, on 27th April, 1886, leaving a family of one son and ten daughters, eight of whom have been or are married. Abraham Sturrock was an excellent example of those students who struggle successfully with early difficulties, and raise them- selves to honourable positions — a class, fortunately, in which Scotland has never been wanting. He was born in September, 1843, at Padanarum, near Forfar. Though one of a family of fourteen, and the son of parents in poor circumstances, he received a good elementary education at Craichie School. He then spent five years as a pupil-teacher in the East Borough School, Forfar. Thence he went to the Free Church Training College in Edin- burgh ; and gained honourable distinction there. To obtain the sum required to pay his expenses during his training as a pupil- teacher, and afterwards, he was accustomed to hire himself out as a scythesman during harvest. Five years were spent as assistant in schools, and in 1866-69 ne attended the Arts Curriculum in the University of Aberdeen. He then got the charge of a school at Ladybank in Fife, and about 1872 he was appointed to the Parish School of Rattray, where he remained till his death. He had never showed any special inclination for scientific pursuits be- fore he went to Rattray. Here, by the advice of the Rev. Mr. Herdman, who strongly urged him to do so, he began to study the botany of the parish. In August, 1874, along with Mr. Robb, he discovered in the Loch of Cluny, Naias flexilis^ a. plant till then known in the British Isles only from an Irish lake. This discovery probably decided him to devote his time to the fresh The Scottish Naturalist. 299 water flora of Perthshire and Forfarshire ; and he obtained results of the utmost value, several additions being made by him to the Scottish fresh-water flowering plants. Two of his discoveries were named in his honour — Potamogeton Sturrockii, and Ghara fragilis var. Stnrrockii. He also collected and investigated the very diffi- cult genus Rubies, and other groups with critical species. About ten years ago he endeavoured to save two of his pupils from being drowned ; and in consequence he suffered severely from a rheumatic attack. He seems never to have fully re- covered from this. After an illness of three weeks, he died on 13th March, 1886, leaving a widow and seven children. He was a most useful member of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science for several years ; and the Society at its meeting on 1st April recorded its sense of the great loss it has sustained in his death. The loss to the progress of botanical investigation in Scotland is not a small one; for there was reason to expect valu- able results had Mr. Sturrock's life been spared. Mrs. Sturrock has generously presented his herbarium to the P. S. N. S. Museum, in which its contents give it a special value. George Ogilvie Forbes, M.D., for seventeen years Professor of Physiology in the University of Aberdeen, died on the 25th June at his residence of Boyndie, near Banff. He resigned his professorship in 1877 because of ill-health, which became confirmed, and rendered him unable to continue the scientific pursuits to which he devoted his earlier years. We shall give an account of his life and work in our next issue. ZOOLOGY, LIST OF SCOTTISH OYNIPID31 THAT POEM GALLS ON OAKS. {Extracted from " The Fauna of Scotland, Hymenoptera" Tart II.) By PETER CAMERON. [As the subject is one to which special attention has been paid in the Scottish Naturalist in past years, we have extracted Mr. Cameron's list of the Cynipidse that form oak galls as being the latest and most complete summary of the subject by the ento- mologist best acquainted with the British gall-flies and their galls. The nomenclature is in accordance with Dr. Adler's conclusions in regard to dimorphism among gall-flies and their galls, and the names adopted are those sanctioned by Dr. Mayr of Vienna, so well-known for his labours in this field of study. The same name is given to both forms of the dimorphic species, being determined by priority, to whichever of the two forms it was first applied. It is, however, convenient to denote the galls by differential names ; hence, the name formerly regarded as specific, but now sunk, is given in brackets in each case for the gall which it was used to indicate. Mr. Cameron does not indicate in his list whether he has obtained examples from Scotland of both forms of each of the dimorphic species, or whether any are inserted because one of the forms has been found, and the other may be assumed to exist in the same localities. — Ed. Scottish Naturalist.] i. Neuroterus baccarum L., " currant gall " on leaves and catkins. (N. lenticularts, Oliv., "spangle gall" on leaves.) Abundant everywhere. 2. N. fumipennis, Htg., on leaves. {Spathegaster tricolor, Htg., on leaves.) Local, but wide- spread. The Scottish Natwalist. 301 3. N. numismatis, Oliv., " silk-button gall," on leaves. {Hpath. vesicatrix, Schl., in leaves.) Abundant. 4. N. laevitlSCTllus, Schenck, on leaves. (S. albipes, Schenck, on leaves.) Common in Clyde district. 5. N. aprilinus, Gir., in buds. Rare in May, Cadder. 6. Dryophanta folii L., on leaves. Local, chiefly in South Scotland. 7. D. divisa, Htg., on leaves. Common. 8. D. longiventris, Htg., on leaves, never showing red rings. Common, but local. 9. Biorhiza aptera, Fab., on roots. {Dryoteras terminalis, Fab., " oak apples," on branches.) Common, but local. 10. Trigonaspis megaptera, Panz., on trunks. {Biorhiza renum, Gir., on leaves.) Common. 11. Andricus gemmae L., ;' Artichoke gall," on branches. (A. fiilosus, Adler, on catkins.) Common. 12. A. inflator, Htg., in terminal buds. (A. globuli, Htg., in buds.) Local, but wide-spread. 13. A. radicis, Fab., on roots and stems. {A. noduli, Htg., in twigs.) Common in Clyde district. 14. A. testaceipes, Htg., swelling of mid-rib. (A. Sieboldii, Htg., on young branches, under earth or vegeta- tion.) Local, not uncommon. 15. A. COrticis, Htg., in bark of roots, or of wounds in trunks. (A. gemmatus, Adler, in buds.) Local, but wide-spread. 16. A. collaris, Htg., in buds. (A. curvaior, Htg., in mid-ribs or twigs.) Abundant. 17. A. ramuli L., "cotton gall," on catkins. (A. aidwnnalis, Htg., in buds.) Local all over Scotland. 18. A. cirratus, Adler, on catkins. (A. callidoj?ia, Mayr, in buds, stalked.) Apparently rare. 19. A. Malpighii, Adler, in buds. (A. nudus, Adler, on catkins.) Rare, in Clyde district. 20. A. amenti, Gir., on catkins. Rare, Ballater. 21. A. OStreus, Gir., on leaves. Common (perhaps is agamic form of N. aprili?ius.) 22. A. seminationis, Adler, on leaf margins. Rare, at Cadder. 23. A. albopunctata, Schl., in buds. Common. 302 The Scottish Naturalist. 24. A. solitaria, Fonsc, spindle-shaped bud-gall. Rare, in Clyde district. 25. A. marginalis, Adler, on edges of leaves. Common. 26. A. quadrilineatus, Htg., on catkins. Common. SCOTTISH OAK GALLS- By Professor JAMES W. H. TRAIL. THE following is an attempt to supply a useful key to deter- mine to which species of the gall-makers any of the galls likely to be found in Scotland belongs. It is confined to those of the Cynipidae, with the exception of two galls of gall-midges at the head of the key. In it are included the galls of all the insects in Mr. Cameron's list, in both forms ; though I am not aware that both forms have been detected in Scotland in all the species in which they are believed to occur on the Continent. In construct- ing the key, I have made considerable use of Mr. Cameron's synopsis in the " Fauna of Scotland, Hymenoptera ; " but I have endeavoured to work out a more simple and complete arrange- ment than it follows. I trust that this effort may assist beginners in the fascinating study of the oak galls. As regards those names with one word in brackets, e.g. A. (noduli) radia's, the name in brackets is that by which the form of gall under notice was originally named ; and the last name is that by which both broods of the insect are now known. 1. Open pseudogalls in leaves and leafy buds (of Gall midges), 2. True galls, with closed cavities (of Cynipidae), 3. 2. Leaves of bud stunted and twisted, with larvae between fhem. Cecidomyia Quercus Binnie. Lobes of full-grown leaf folded backwards, and slightly fleshy, and pale. C. (Diplosis) dryobia F. Lw. 3. On roots, 4- On stems, 5. In twigs or young branches, 6. In buds, 7. On leaves, 22. On catkins, 37. The Scottish Naturalist. 303 In acorns, distorted and stunted. Andricus sp. ? 4. On main root near ground, brown, roundish hard, one or two inches across, many-chambered. Andricus radicis. Sunk in groups in bark of main root, conical above, the top falling off when old ; autumn and winter. A. corticis. In clusters on side roots, soft and red when fresh, brown and hard when dry, from one to ten chambers in each ; autumn and winter. Biorhiza aptera. 5. In bark, or in young wood of stems, where wounded, Gall like form on roots ; autumn. A. corticis. Swellings at wounds in stems, like the gall of this insect on roots ; autumn. A. radicis. 6. Sunk in substance of twigs, causing gouty swellings ; July. A. (iiodidi) radicis, and A. testaceipes, rarely. On young branches covered with earth or vegetation, galls crowded, but distinct, conical, hard, woody, furrowed and brown when old, but fleshy and reddish when young. A. [ {Sieboldii) testaceipes. 7. On very small buds on trunks, almost seeming to be stem- galls, 8. In lateral or terminal buds on twigs, 9. 8. Globular, pea-sized, fleshy, red or yellowish, among moss near base of stem ; May and June. Trigonaspis megaptera. Oblong, about 2 mm. long, greenish, but covered with rather long white hairs ; May and Jun. Dryophanta (similis) [longiventris. Oblong, rounded at tip, 2 or 3 mm. long, violet, with short velvety white hairs; in adventitious buds near base of trunk ; June. D. ( Taschenbergii) folii. 9. Many-chambered, large, often over 1 in. across, yellowish or reddish, spongy and soft when fresh, terminal ; May and June. Biorhiza {terminalis) aptera. One-chambered (rarely with two or three inner galls), 10. ic. Small brown inner gall, lies in the large chamber of, and separate from outer, except at one point, n. Yellow globular inner gall nearly fills cavity of brown, rather hairy, outer gall, which is size of a pea, on buds ; autumn. Andricus Clementina:. No separable inner gall, 12. 1 1 . Terminal swellings of twigs, central cavity covered above with 304 The Scottish Naturalist. thin membrane ; inner gall egg-shaped, at bottom of cavity ; June. Andricus injlator. Terminal, closed all round, rather twisted ; inner gall (or occasionally 2 or 3 galls), somewhat kidney-shaped ; May and June. A. curvator. 12. Galls on distinct stalks, spindle-shaped, 13. Galls sessile, 14. 13. Peduncle about as long as the gall, thin, 7 to 12 mm. long, green ; June to August. A. callidoma. Peduncle very short, otherwise as in last species ; October. A. Malpighii. 1 4. Gall enclosed in enlarged bracts or leaf scales, like a small artichoke, the mass being about 25 mm. long ; autumn. A. gemma. Leaf scales not enlarged, surrounding ripe gall, at least to hall its height, 15. Leaf scales small, hardly concealing any part of gall, 20. 15. Oval or spindle-shaped, longer than broad, 16. About as broad as long, 19. 16. 5 to 8 mm. long, surface covered with yellowish-brown woolly hairs ; July. Andricus solitaria. Bare, not hairy, 17. 17. 5 or 6 mm. long, oval, green, spotted with white; May and June. A. albopunctata. Not spotted, or with only minute white dots, 18. 18. 6 or 8 mm. long, green, with red longitudinal ridges ; October. A. Malpighii. 2 or 3 mm. long, oval, pale yellow or red-brown, ending in a nipple-like tip, which is often darker; autumn. A. [collaris. 2 or 3 mm. long, ovate, brown, tip not nipple-like or darker ; autumn. A. autumnalis. 19. Irregularly pea-shaped, 5 to S mm. long, yellowish or pale green, thin walled, with one or few chambers : April and May. Nenroterus aprilinus. Globular, 3 or 4 mm. across, ends in a blunt yellow or red cone above, which alone projects from leaf scales, green and smooth, surface reticulated when dry ; autumn. A?idricus [globuli. The Scottish Naturalist. 305 2 or 3 mm. across; other characters as given under 18. A. collaris. 20. Globular when mature, brown, firm, about 12 to 25 mm. diameter, not falling off when dry, very thick walled ; autumn. Cynips Kollari. As broad as long, globular or slightly pointed, pea-sized, fleshy, red or yellowish, bare ; May and June. Trigo?iaspis \i?iegaptera. Longer than broad, ovate or oval, not over 4 mm. long, 21. 21. About 4 mm. long, broader above, yellowish green or reddish, with minute white dots, bare ; May. Dryoplianta (verru- cosa) divisa. About 3 mm. long, ovate, rounded above, violet, covered with short, velvety, whitish hairs; June. D. (Taschenbergii) [folii. About 2 mm. long, ovate, pointed above, dull greenish, covered with rather long white hairs ; May and June. {D. similis) \longiventris. Very small, 1 or 2 mm. long, oval, very thin, green, then brown ; June. Andricus (gemmatus) certicis. 22. On the lower surface, not showing at all above ; autumn, 23. Showing on both surfaces through the lamin?e ; May and June. 29. Swellings of petiole, mid-rib, or larger veins ; June, July, or August. 31. On margins of leaf, 32. 23. Attached to mid-rib or chief veins, often solitary, 24. Attached to leaf surface between larger veins, gregarious, 27. 24. Situated between two brown scales, which remain on vein after gall has fallen ; oval, about 2 mm. long, pale green or yellow, with small red spots, smooth, brittle. Andricus osireus. Not situated between membraneous scales, 25. 25. Globular, 8 to 12 mm. diameter, yellowish-green or red on one side, soft and fleshy when fresh, thick walled. Dryopha7ita [folii. Depressed spheres, hard and woody, from 4 to 7 mm. diame- ter, 26. Kidney-shaped, 1 or 2 mm. long, pale green or yellowish, crowded. Trigonaspis (renum) megaptera. 26. 5 to 9 mm. diameter, pale yellow, with red side or red belts, u 306 The Scottish Naturalist. skin rough, with small prominences. Dryophanto \longive?itris. 4 to 5 mm. diameter, pale yellow, or one side reddish or brown-red, shining, bare. D. divisa. 27. Flattened, lenticular, circular, becoming more convex after falling from the leaves, 28. Circular, about 2 mm. across, depressed in centre, covered with adpressed silky brown hairs. Neuroterus numisniatis. 28. Nearly hairless on both surfaces, pale green to red, margin turned up, often scattered. N. Iceviusculus. Side next leaf smooth, other side covered with rusty brown hairs, edges flat. N. (Jenticularis) baccarum. Side next leaf hairy, edges curled up, red. N. fumipennis. 29. Pea-sized, irregularly globular, green, with small brown inner gall in large chamber of outer gall. Andricus curvator. Globular, projecting much on lower, slightly on upper surface, 30. Circular, about 4 mm. across, no inner gall, sunk in leaf. scarcely projecting on either surface, green, no inner gali. N. {vesica trlx) numismatis. 30. About 5 mm. diameter, green, streaked with red or purple, juicy and soft, smooth, bare. N. baccarum. About 4 mm. diameter, soft, covered with long white hairs. N. ( tricolor) fa m ipen n is. 31. Inner gall in pea-sized swelling, as under 29 ; June. Andricus \c iterator. Oval swelling on mid-rib, 2 or 3 mm. long, green, no inner gall ; August. A. itestaceipes) Sieboldii. Similar galls (fide Mayr) often produce A. (noduli) radicis. 32. On margins of leaf, sessile, ^. Spindle-shaped, 6 to 8 mm. long, on short stalk, green, with red longitudinal lines ; June to October. A. seminaiionis. $5. Smooth, ovoid, 1 or 2 mm. long, greenish yellow ; June and July. Neuroterus (albipes) Iceviusculus. Oval, broader above, 4 mm. long, granular, shining, greenish yellow or reddish, with pale dots : May. Dryophanta {verrucosa) divisa. Oval, or ovate, 3 or 4 mm. long, irregularly ribbed lengthwise, green or red-brown ; J une and July. Andricus marginalis. 34. Hairy, 35- The Scottish Naturalist. 307 Bare, 37. SS- Concealed by white hairs, forming a mass like cotton wadding, 36. Hairs not long enough to conceal the galls, which remain dis- tinct, and are about 2 mm. long ; June. A. amenti. (The galls of A. pilosus cannot be distinguished from these by means of Adler's description.) 36. In small groups, cottony tufts of hairs, small ; June. A. {cirrhatus) callidoma. Crowded in masses, 20 to 25 mm. in breadth ; June. A. \ramuli. 37. Globular, pea-sized, succulent, green, with red or purplish streaks ;'May and June. Nntrotems baccarum. Spindle-shaped, 6 or 8 mm. long, pointed, green, with red ridges ; June. Andricus se?ninationis. Oval, or oblong, obtuse, 3 or 4 mm. long, green, or dull red- brown, keeled along the sides ; June. A. quadrilineatus. Oval, pointed, 1 or i1/^ mm. long, bare, or with a kw small hairs at tip, green, becoming yellow ; June. A. {nudus) \_Malpighii. OCCUEBENCE OF THE EED-SHQULDEBED STAELLTC IN EAMOCH, PEETHSHIEE. On the iothof this month (May, 18 t>), Donald Cameron, who is employed on the property of Sir Robert Menzies, Bart., in watching a young plantation on Loch Ericht side, observed a strange bird, which he first saw near his bothy door, among the grass and heather ; and which he afterwards shot close to the shore of the loch, where a small burn, which passes the bothy, enters the loch about a mile from its north-west end. The shot used was, unfortunately, so large that the bird was considerably damaged for preservation, the tail feathers being much cut, and the bill injured. The head-keeper at Rannoch Lodge writes to me that he believes he had seen the same bird, or one like it, once or twice flying about the same place previously, but could not make out what it was. vSir Robert Menzies, who happened to be up at the loch a day or two afterwards, sent me the bird in the flesh, and it turned out to be a female of the Red -shouldered starling of North- America ( Agenrus phizniceus ) No male bird was seen to accompany it. Knowing the bird in that country, I was at once enabled to identify it. A remarkable character in this species is the great difference in size and colour in the sexes. The female is a very 308 The Scottish Naturalist. much smaller bird than the male, and of much more sombre plumage, the whole length being only 74 inches, with an expanse of wing of 9 inches ; whereas the male is fully 9 in length and 14 in extent, with the plumage glossy black ; and across the lesser wing coverts passes a rich band of reddish cream, shading into brilliant scarlet, from which it takes its name. In the female sent me (which may be taken as a type-specimen, as it was an adult bird), the plumage is brown, much streaked underneath ; the upper parts dark brown, with the exception of the tail, which has the feathers broadly margined with light brown, and a yellowish streak passing over the eyes. The plumage has thus rather a mottled appearance. On the smaller wing coverts exists merely the slightest rudiment of red in the situation where, in the male, this colour is so brilliant. Though these birds have much of the true starling in their habits, they differ greatly in the form of the bill, which is conical and sharply pointed, a form seeming to approach that of some of the finches. It is not easy to account for the appearance of this bird in the locality in which it was found — a wild spot in the middle of the Highlands, without an inhabitated house for miles, if we except a shooting lodge at some distance, the bothy above mentioned, and a shepherd's hut on the hill-side. What could have brought it there ? The prevailing winds for some time past had been strong from the eastward, so it is not likely to have been driven recently across the Atlantic during its northern migration. Nor is there any appearance of its being an escape from confinement ; nor is that very likely to be the case, the males being generally the ones in demand as cage-birds, from the beauty of their plumage. Could it have been driven out of its course in the autumn during its southern migration, and have remained all winter? Yet it scarcely seems probable that it should have survived our last severe and cold winter, vinless it had moved further south. It was, however, in very poor condition, though quite healthy, with the ovary scarcely, if at all, developed. In the eastern States, during winter, the red-shouldered starling does not remain north of Virginia or Maryland, which, it must be recollected, though in a latitude corresponding to Central Portugal, is sometimes visited with severe frosts, as was the case in this present year. In conclusion, I may state that this interesting specimen will be placed in the Perthshire Society's Museum in Tay Street, Perth, where anyone may have the opportunity of seeing it. H. M. DRUMMOND HAY. Seggiedex, 20th May, 1866. TBNGMALM'S OWL (Noctua Tengmalmi).—K specimen of this rare visitor was killed near Peterhead, on the 3rd February. The extreme length of this, an adult female, was 9 inches ; the breadth, from tip to tip of the wings, 21^ inches, and the weight 3f ounces. March 13M, 1SS6. G. SIM, Fyvie. PHYTOLOGY, ADDITIONAL EEOOKDS OF PLANTS FROM SCOTLAND. By AR. BENNETT, F.L.S. ( Continued. ) Ilex Aquifolium, 74. Ligustrum vulgare, 74, 87 to 89 " always planted." Fraxinus excelsior, 74, 87, 4 t, 7 t Miller, 8. Vinca minor, 88 f, 89 f. Gentiana amarella, 88, 89, 94, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883; G. cam- pestris, 74. Erythraea Centaurium, 74, 88, 89, record in " Top. Bot." for 92 is founded on error. E. littoralis, 6 Druce, B.C. 1883. Menyanthes trifoliata, 74. Convolvulus arvensis, 87, 88, 89; C. sepium, 74. Solatium Dulcamara, 74. Verbascum Thapsus, 89, for 88 recorded as doub ful native, n in Millers catalogue. V. nigrum, S9 casual. Veronica arvensis, 74; V. serpyllifolia, 74, 05 Bruce, 7 Miller ; V. humifusa, S9 and 5 Druce, R.C. 1883 ; V. saxatilis, 94 Croall; V. scutellata, 74, 97, 5; V. Anagallis/74, 88,89; v- Beccabunga, 74, 5, 8 • V. officinalis, 74, 7 Miller ; V. montana, 88, 89 ; V. Chamaedrys, 74, 5 ; V. agrestis, 74, 4 |, 7 Grant, B.C. 18S3, 8 ; V. polita, 74, 88, 89, 92, 100 ; V. Buxbaumii, 74, 89, 91, 93. 94. Bartsia Odontites, 74, 5, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883. Euphrasia officinalis, 74. 5 Bailey, B.C. 1883. Rhinanthus crista-galli, 74, 5, 7 Miller, 9 ! R. major, n. Melampyrum pratense, 74, 7 Miller ; M. sylvaticum, 87, 5. Pedicularis palustris, 74, 5 ; P. sylvatica, 74, 5. Scrophularia nodosa, 97 ; S. Baibisii, 74 ; S. Ehrharti, 85 Bailey, B.C. 1881-82. Digitalis purpurea, 74, 5, 7 Miller. Einaria vulgaris, 74, 87, 89, 94 f ; L. minor, 72 Coles. 310 The Scottish Naturalist. Orobanche rubra, 73 3T Andrew, 2. A species occurs in 98 (Argyle) which is not 0. rubra, but my specimen is too bad to allow of certainty, though I think it may be 0. elatior. Lathrsea squamaria, 88, 89. Lycopus europaeus, 88, 92. Mentha sylvestris, 88 ; M. piperata, 73 Coles S t, 88, 89 ; M. aquatica, 73 Coles/ 74, 87, 7, B.C. 1883 ; M. sativa, 74, 88, 89 ; M. arvensis, 74, 5. Thymus serpyllum, 74, 4 (form Chamcedrys). Origanum vulgare, 74, 89. Calamintha Acinos, 88, 89. Teucrium Scorodonia, 74, 5, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883, 9! Ajuga reptans, 74, 5. Lamium album, 88, 91. 92, 94; L. amplexicaule, 74, 89; L. intermedium, 73 and 89 Druce, B.C. 1883, 91, 3 {-Iona" Straker ! 8 ; L. purpureum, 74, 97,5 ; L, incisum, 87, 88, 89, 11. Galeopsis Ladanum, 89 ; G. Tetrahit, 73 Druce, B.C. 1883, 74? 5> 7 Miller; G. versicolor, 95, 4, 11. Betonica officinalis, 88. Stachys palustris, 74, 98, 5, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883 ; S. ambigua, 82, 2, 4, B.C. 1883, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883 ; S. sylvatica, 74, 5 ; S. arvensis, 74, 88. Giechoma hederacea, 89. Prunella vulgaris, 74, 5. Scutellaria galericulata, 74, 87, 89, 5. Myosotis palustris, 74, 87, 88, 91, 93, 2 j, 9; M. repens. 74, 97, 3 Bailey, B.C. 1883, 4, 5 Bailey I.e., 8 ; M. caespitosa, 74, 5 ; M. alpestris (90, "sown in Caenlochan Glen") ; M. arvensis, 73, 74, 5, 7 Miller and Grant ; M. collina, 88, 89, 2 ; M. versicolor, 74, 4, 5, 7 and 8 Miller. Lithospermum arvense, S8, 89 ; L. officinale, 1 1 (? native, Ar. B..). Symphytum officinale, 88, 91 j, 9? +, 93 t ; S. tuberosum. 88, 89. Asperugo procumbens, 93 t. Cynoglossum officinale, 88, 89, 94 t ; C. sylvaticum, 89. Echium vulgare, 88, 89, 11. Pinguicula vulgaris, 74, 5. Utricularia vulgaris, 88, 89. U. neglecta should be sought for The Scottish Naturalist, 311 in Scotland. I have it from Cheshire, and have seen it from Anglesea in Dillenius' Herbarium. U. intermedia, 73 Coles, 88, 89, 2 Ley, B.C. 1883 ; U. minor, 88, 89, 8 Miller ! Primula vulgaris, 74, 5, 7 Miller ; P. veris, 74, 87, 88 !, 89. Trientalis Europaea, 9 ! Lysimachia Nummularia, 89 j ? L. nemorum, 74, 5, 7 Miller. Anagallis arvensis, 89, 2, 11 ; A. tenella, 88. Centunculus minimus 73, 87, 89, 97. Glaux maritima, 74, 89, 5. Armeria maritima, 74, 89, 5. Plantago major, 74, 5 ; P. media, 87, 88, 89, 92,' 93, casual in all of them; P. lanceolata, 74, 5; P. Coronopus, 74, 89, 97, 4. Littorella lacustris, 74, 89, 97, 5. Chenopodium album, 73, 74, 97, 98, 4, 5 ; C. Bonus-Henricus, 74, 88 and 89, " scarcely indigenous," 5. Atriplex Babingtonii, 89, 96 Druce, B.C. 1881-82, 5, 6, 8, 9 ! A. patula, 73 Bruce, B.C. 1883 ; A. deltoidea, 73 Druce l.c> 74 ; A. angustifolia, 73 Druce, l.c, 87, 88; A. erecta, 73. Salsola kali, 74. Salicornia herbacea, 73, 74. Polygonum Bistorta, 88 and 89, " only as an outcast ;" P. am- phibium, 74, 5, 8 ; P. lapathifolium, 74, 89, 5 ; P. Persicaria, 74, 89> 9s, 5, 7 Grant, 8 Miller; P. Hydropiper, 74, 89, 5; P. minus, 88, 89 ; P. aviculare, 74, 97, 5 ; P. Convolvulus, 74, 97, 4. Rumex Hydrolapathum, 89 ; R. crispus, 73, 74, 5 ; R. aquati- cus, 73; 74, 5; R. conspersus, 88, 91 Nicholson! R. pratensis, 88, 89 ; R. obtusifolius, 73 Druce, B.C. 1883, 97, 5 ; R. nemo- rosus, 89, 92, 93, 94 ; R. conglomerate, 73 Coles, 89, 5 ; R. acetosa, 74, 5 ; R. acetosella, 74, 5. Oxyria reniformis, 5 Druce, 8. Hippophae rhamnoides, 73, B.C. 1883. Euphorbia Helioscopia, 74; E. Peplus, 74, 91, 7 Grant. Mercurialis perennis, 74, 97. Urtica urens, 73, 74, 8 Miller ; U. dioica, 74, 97, 5, 7 Miller. Humulus Lupulus, 74, 90 j, 91 f, 92 f. Ulmus montana, 73, 74, 5, 9 Hanbury ; U. suberosa, 7. Quercus pedunculata, 73, 74, 97 ; Q. sessiliflora, 74, 89 Druce, 5. Corylus Avellana, 74, 98, 5. Alnus glutinosa, 74, 5. 312 The Scottish Naturalist. Betula verrucosa, 88, 89, 5, 6 ; B. glutinosa, 74, 88, 97, 5. Populus Tremula, 73 Coles, 5. Salix pentandra, 5, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883; S. alba, 73, 74, 88, 89, 4T Linton ; S. triandra, 89; S, undulata, 77 M'Kay, B.C., 1872-74, 88; S. Capraea, 11; S. cinerea, 73, 74, 4, 6 Bruce, 7 Miller I 8 and 9 £raw£ / S. aurita, 73, 74, 5 ; S. nigricans, 72, 74, n ? S. laurina, 97 ! 4 ; S. phylicifolia 7214, 9 fide Leefe ; S. ambigua, 92, 4 Grieve ! 6 Bruce ; S. repens, 74 ; S. Lap- ponum, 94. Myrica Gale, 74, 98 Webb. Conifers. Pinus sylvestris, 74, 2. Juniperus communis, 5 • ]. nana. 88. 89. Taxus baccata, 74, 89. Monocotyledons. Neottia Nidus- A vis, 95. Listera ovata, 74, 93, 4, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883, ii. Orchis mascula, 74, 4, 5, 8 ! 11 ; O. pyramidalis 73 fide Coles ; O. maialis, 74, 90 Newbould, 8 Miller ! 9 Hanbury ! O. incar- nata, 74, 91, 92, 93, 5, 6 Bruce, 8, 9 ! O. maculata, 74, 5 ; O. Conopsea, 74, 5 Bailey, R.G. 1883, 7 Grant, B.C., 1883. Habenaria bifolia, 90, 91, 4, 5, 6, 8! Hanbury; H. chlor- antha, 80 Brotherston, 90, 97 ; H. viridis, 9 ; 96 Grieve, Ex. Club, 1882 ; H. albida, 7 MJfer, 8 ! Ophrys apifera, 77 Newboidd. Malaxis paludosa, 73 M'Andreir, 95, 8 ; delete 7 in " Top. Bot." Iris Pseudacorus, 73, 74, 89, 5. Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus, 88 t, 92 f, 93 f. Allium oleraceum, 91 ! A. carinatum, 72, ''planted some years ago" 73 Coles, " seemingly well established ; " A. vineale, 93 ; A. ursinum, 74, 97, 5- Gagea lutea, 92, 95. Narthecium ossifragum, 74, 5. Hyacinthus non-scriptus, 74, 97, 5, 8 Miller. Paris quadrifolia, 9 ! Tofieldia palustris, 87 ; 95 requires confirmation. Anacharis Alsinastrum, well established in 90, 91, 92. Alisma Plantago, 74. The Scottish Naturalist. 313 Butomus umbellatus, 88, "probably native.'' Triglochin maritimum, 74, 97, 5 ; T. palustre, 74, 5, 7 Miller. Scheuchzeria palustris, 88, '' probably extinct." Under the genus Potamogeton, I have enumerated all the counties and vice-counties from which I have seen specimens, putting those not recorded in " Top. Botany " in italics, with the names of the collectors of the specimens seen by me from each of the latter. Potamogeton pectinatus, 80 Brotherston, 83, 84, 95, 9, n ; P. filiformis, 81, 83, 85, 88 Sturrock, 90, 06 Graces, 8, 9 ; P. pusillus, 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 87, 88, F. B. White, 89, 90, 91, 92, 98 Bailey, 99, 100 Hunt, 9, 11 ; P. cora- pressus, 73, 77 in Herb. Trin. Coll., Dublin, 8^, 90, 99 ; P. obtusifolius, 72 Fingland, 73, 80, 81, 82, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92 Trail ; P. zosterifolius, 90 {any information regarding this as a Perthshire plant will be acceptable to Dr. Buchanan White and to myself); P. crispus, 72, 73, 74 Druce, 76, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86 Coles, 88, 89, 90, 92, 9, 11 ; P. perfoliatus, 73, 76, 79 Brotherston, 80, 81, 84 Webb, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92, 95, 96 Stables, in Glasgow Herb., 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 ; P. lucens, 80, 81, 83, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 98 ; P. decipiens, 80, 81, 88 Sturrock, 90 ; P. pnelongus, 73, 80, 85, 88 Linton, at 2500 feet, 8g, 90, 96, 4 Grieve (Isle of Rum), 9; P. heterophyllus, 72, 73, 74, 79, 81, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94 Miller, 95, 96, 98, 100, 8, 9, n ; P. mtens, 88, 89, 90, 92, 8 Hanbury, 11 ; P. Zizii, 73, 79, 80, 89, 90 (87, "no record," F. B. White); P. rufescens, 72, 73, 7 4 Druce, 77, 81 >. Benton ! 83, 85, 87 F. B. White, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93, 100 Hunt, in Dr. Moore's Herb., 9 ; P. natans (true), 74 Druce, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, 83, 8Jf A. C. Christie, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 98 Bailey, 100, 6 Bailey, 7 Grant, 8, 9, 11, 12; P. polygonifolius. 78, 74 Bailey, 81, 83, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 96, 97 Linton, 98, 100, 4, 5 Bailey, 6 Druce, 8, 9, 11, 12 ; P. planta- gineus, 72 F. B. White, 80 Brotherston, 82, 100. Zanichellia palustris, 88; Z. pedicellata, 90 Druce. lt.C, IS83. Zostera marina, 74, 5. Naias flexilis, 88, should be sought elsewhere also in deep lochs, and will almost certainly be found in them. Last autumn it was discovered near Killarney by the Rev. E. F. Linton. Lemna minor, 74, 88, 89, 5. Arum maculatum, 88 f, 89 f. 314 The Scottish Naturalist. Sparganium minimum, 73 IT Andrew, 87, 89 F B. White, 91 Croall .' 9; S. affine, 74, 98 Grieve, 2 Ley, B.C. 1883, 4; S. simplex, SS, 89, 5 ; S. ramosum (agg.), 74, 88, 89, 5 ; S. ramosum {excluding 8. neglect nm Beeby), 85 Trail, 86 Kidston, 2>% F. B. White, 92 Trail Mr. Beeby has as yet seen no specimen of S. neglectum from Scotland. The whole of our Spargania need to be collected with well-ripened fruit ; it is probable that we possess the true S. fluitans Fr., as well as, perhaps, one or two other Scandinavian species, but they can be discriminated only when the fruit is ripe. Typha latifolia, 88, 89, 92 f, 93 +, 9. Juncus conglomerates, 74, 97, 98, 5, all Newbould, 8; J. effusus, 74, 5 ; J. glaucus, 74, B.C. 1883. 8 ; J. balticus, 9 ! Grant and Hanbury ; J. acutiflorus, 74, 4 Grieve! 5, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883 ; J. lamprocarpus, 74, 97, 4, 5 ; j. supinus, 73 Coles, 74, 5 ; J. Gerardi, 89, 97, 2 Ley, 6 Bruce, 8 Miller ! The specimens that I have seen from 8 and 9 are true J. Gerard? ; I have not seen true J. compressus from Scotland. J. bufonius, 74, 4, 5 ; J . squarrosus, 74, 5 ; J. castaneus, 96 Dr. Barry ! J. trifidus, 89 ; J. triglumis, 94 Croall I Luzula sylvatica, 74, 5 ; L. pilosa, 74, 5 ; L. campestris, 74, 5, 7 ! L. congesta, 74, 89, 4, 5, 6, 8 Miller ; L. arcuata, 89 ; L. spicata, 5. Cladium Mariscus, 73 Coles. Schoenus nigricans, 74 and 89 Druce, B.C. 1883 ; S. ferru- gineus Linn., 89, found in 1884 by Mr. Brebner beside Loch Tummel, and determined by Dr. F. Buchanan White in 1885, Scot. Nat.j 1885, p. 130. Rhynchospora alba, 86 Croall/ 90 to 95 require confirmation; strange if it is really absent from these districts. Blysmus rufus, 97, 6 Bruce. Scirpus lacustris, 74, 87, 97, 5 ; S. maritimus, 73 and 74 Druce, 89, 5 ; S. setaceus, 74, 97, 4, 7 Grant, B.C. 1883 ; S. acicularis, 74, 5, 12.? A. C. Christie, in Trans. Ed. Bot. Soc. ; S. palustris, 74, 97, 8 ; S. uniglumis, 97, 4, 9 ; S. multicaulis, 74, 97, 5 ; S. pauciflorus, 97, 4, 5, n Johnston; S. csespitosus, 74, 5 ; S. fluitans, 87, 89, 94. Eriophorum alpinum. In the herbarium of Rev. Hugh Davies, the author of " Welsh Botanology," there is a specimen of this plant The Scottish Naturalist. 315 labelled " Glamis Bog near Forfar.'' Is this the same locality as Restennet moss ? E. vaginatum, 74, 5 ; E. angustifolium, 74, 5 ; E. latifolium, 88, 97. Carex dioica, 74 Bruce! 2 Ley, E.G. 1883, 5 Bruce ; C puli- caris, 74, 5, 7 Miller; C. pauciflora, 87, 5 Bruce ! 11. "Mr. Grant of Wick writes that Robert Dick's specimens of C. pauciflora are from " Dunnet Sands, Caithness," Unfortunately he has not had an opportunity of examining them carefully. The locality is unusual in Britain ; and I should not be surprised if they prove to be C. microglochin. C. incurva, n; C. stellulata var. Grypos, 89 Linton, probably elsewhere on mountains; C. stellulata (type), 74, 5, 7 ; C. leporina, 94; C. curta, 74, 89, 96 ! 97 Bailey, 5 ; C. helvola, 92 Balfour ! C. elongata, 73 M' Andrew : a good addition to the Scotch flora ; it will not improbably be found still further north ; C. remota, 74, 92, 97, 5 ; C. intermedia, 72 Finglandl 92 ; C. are- naria, 73, 74, 5 Bailey ; C. muricata, 74, 7 Miller \ C. vulpina, 72 Fingland, 74; C. teretiuscula, ^, 8 ! C. paniculata, 89, 91, 94; C. vulgaris, 73 Mc Andrew ! 74, 9! C. rigida, 4 Grieve ! 5 Bruce, B.C. 1 88 1-2 ; C. rigida var. inferalpina (Laestad, Nov. Act. Upsal. 11, 90, at Little Gulrannoch, Hanbury and Fox ! This is liable to be passed over as G. aquatilis, and I suspect the plant mentioned by Syme (Eng. Bot., Ed. III.), from "Little Graigendal" is this plant). C. salina, var. kattegattensis (Fr.), 9 Grant ! (Scot. Nat., 1885, p. 68), very plentiful, growing with C. aquatilis, var. Watsoni, and other Gyperacew. C. aquatilis, 72 Coles and Mt Andrew, 73 Ml Andrew. "s9& Moray" in "Top. Botany," is an error, aud should be "95 Elgin." Some ideaof the rapid progress made inrecording thedistributionof this speciesin Scot- land may be formed on contrasting the records in " Cybele Britannica," 1850. p. 310 (where it stands for Forfar and Aberdeen only, the then known stations being separated by the boundary of the counties, and by the bridge of Clova), with our present records for 15 counties. I have not been able to obtain the mountain form to cultivate besides the var. Watsoni. Contrasting the Dumfries and the Caithness specimens, they prove to differ in the length and thickness of their spikes, the northern plants approaching the sub-sp. obtusa Blytt, from the Sogne Fjiord in Norway. There is less difference between th- Caithness specimens and plants from Lough Allen in Ireland, far less than between specimens from the Varanger Fjiord in Finmark, and others from the South of Norway. In Scandinavia it is very variable. In the " Botanical Gazette" for 185 1, p. 23, Mr. M'Laren suggested the division of C. aquatilh 316 The Scottish Naturalist. into three forms. It would be well if some Scotch botanist would examine his specimens- in Edinburgh: as, doubtless, when he read his paper before the Edinburgh Botanical Society he presented specimens. Is the Elgin plant aquatilis ? I should be much obliged for specimens from that country. The variety, or form, cuspidata Laestad occurs in Caithness, Hanbury sp. ! C. stricta, 90 Groall! 92 Miller / from Glen Gallater, named by Almquist. C. acuta, 100 Ley, E.G. 1883. (9 Dick?) Mr, Grant tells me that there are specimens in Dick's herbarium at Thurso, that he believes to be true acuta. It has been recently recorded from Iceland by Stromfelt. Mr. Bailey of U. S. A., records it from Greenland, but I do not know his authority ; it is not accepted by Dr. Lange. C. eufiava, 90, 91, 4, 6, 8 ! C. lepidocarpa, E.B. non Tausch, 90 '. 91. C. lepidocarpa Tausch, 9. C. CEderi, 91, 97, 98 Linton I 9 / C. extensa var. minor 8 ! C. pallescens, 72 Fingland, 74. 5. C. fulva, 4, 5 Druce, 9. C. binervis, 72, 74, 5, 7 Miller! C distans, n confirmed Boswell, 1875. C. laevigata, 98 Bailey ! C. panicea, 74, 100, 5, all B.C. 1883. C. vaginata, 94, 5 Druce, 9 ! I was disposed to name Mr. Grant's specimens C. pelia F. O. Lang (not Lange, as Dr. Christ writes in his " List of European species of Carex "), but Sir J. D. Hooker was inclined to name it vagmata. The subsequent receipt from Dr. A. Blytt of beautiful specimens of C. pelia has led me to agree with Sir J. D. Hooker. A specimen from Perth was named C. pelia by Dr. Christ, "a dep. var. of panicea," but Dr. Blytt's specimens show that the true pelia looks fairly distinct as a sub-species. C. limosa (seg.), 72 Fingland! 89 Sturrockf 4 ! 8 Miller! C. rarinora. The Sutherland plants referred to this are limosa from 6 stations. " C. limosa, Ben Loyal, 1833, W. H. Campbell ! " has the spikes shorter and darker than usual, yet there is no real difference between them and others from Badcall Moss, and from Ben Hope, 1S83 ! Certainly no specimens yet seen from Sutherlandshire are C. slygia Fr. C. ustulata, 88 Brebner, ex Dr. F. B. White' C. sylvatica, 74, 88, 89, 91. C. pendula, 72. C. glauca, 74, 5, 8 Miller! C. pnecox, 74, 2, 4, 8 Miller ! C. pilulifera, 74, 97, 5, 7 Grant ! C. pilulifera var. Leesii, 92. Babingtons Manual, StJi Ed. 18S1. < Encalypta vulgaris var. pili/era, and E. streptocarpa, the latter from near Killin. 31st March ; Mr. T. Scott exhibited some Crustacea from Greenock District ; and Mr. Boyd showed Mosses (enumerated) from Kilbride and Milngavie. Mr. King showed Boreus hyemalis from Killin, and Hydroptila longispina M'Lach, (new to Scotland) from Loch Awe, Lochgoilhead, and Fortingal. NEW WOEKS ON BRITISH CRYPTOGAMS, We are rejoiced to see the first volume of the long-expected British Fungi, Hymenomycetes, by Rev. J. Stevenson. There was great need for the work ; which in the execution does not fall short of the high expectations entertained in anticipation. Space unfortunately prevents a review of it in this number. A work on British Desmidieae has been commenced by the indefatig- able Dr. M. C. Cooke, uniform in style with his British Fresh-water Algae. It will contain coloured figures of the species on 80 plates ; and will, doubtless, be very useful to students of the group. Intending subscribers should communicate with the author. EAST OF SCOTLAND UNION OF NATURALISTS' SOCIETIES, ABSTRACT MIHUTES. THE Council of the Union met, on the 26th June, 1886, in Aberdeen. The Secretary intimated that during the year the Aberdeen Philosophical Society had joined the Union. He read an intimation that the Committee respecting Corresponding Societies of the British Association had recommended the Union as a Corresponding Society. It was agreed to elect Dr. Howden, or, failing him, Mr. Pullar, as Delegate for the year. The Secretary intimated a desire on the part of the Kirkcaldy Naturalists' Society that Clause 4 of the Constitution of the Union should in future stand as follows: -"The business of the Union shall be conducted by the President, along with a Council of Representative Members. Each Society shall be represented by two Delegates if its membership is below 100, and by one addi- tional Delegate for each additional hundred or fraction of one hundred members — the Delegates to be elected annually by each Society in F.the Union. The Council shall appoint one of its members to act as Secretary and Treasurer." The Council unanimously resolved to recommend the change to the considera- tion of the next General Meeting. It was resolved to arrange for a three days' excursion to Braemar on 3rd, 4th, and 5th August, and the Secretary was instructed to obtain the names of those members desirous to join. It was resolved to undertake the preparation of a Bibliography of the Fauna, Flora, and Geology of the East of Scotland, and that, with this view, a list of the more important periodicals and works in which information is contained should be drawn up and circulated among the members, with a note, asking each member to mark the book or books he is willing to index for the Biblio- graphy. 6th August, 1881. — The Council met in Aberdeen, Prof. Trail Y 338 The Scottish Naturalist. in the Chair. A Committee (Dr. Buchanan White, Prof. Trail, and Mr. W. D. Sang, Convener) was appointed to co-operate with the Secretaries of the various Societies to ascertain what steps should be taken to improve the distribution of Reports, Notices, and Circulars among the members. Prof. Trail was reappointed Editor of the Transactions. It was agreed to continue the arrangements for publication with the Scottish Naturalist. The assessment for the year was fixed at 4d. per member. The Secretary intimated that few replies had been received in answer to the circular requesting aid in the preparation of the Bibliography of the district ; — and further arrangements were post- poned to a future meeting. Dr. Buchanan White, on behalf of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, cordially invited the Union to meet in Perth in 1887, and it was agreed to accept the invitation. The Annual General Meeting was held in the Anatomical Class- room in Aberdeen University, at 14 o'clock (2 p.m.) Prof. J. W. H. Trail in the Chair. The minutes of all meetings since the last General Meeting having been read and approved, the President delivered his Address to a fair audience. Dr. Struthers gave a discourse on the Tay Whale (Mcgaptera longi??iana), and other whales that have been taken on the Scotch coasts ; and dwelt largely on the numerous rudimentary structures met with in whales. His lecture was copiously illustrated with diagrams and preparations. Dr. Buchanan White reported on the Braemar excursion, and on recent discoveries among the Flowering Plants of Perthshire. Col. Drummond Hay intimated, by letter, that his report on the Birds of the East of Scotland would be ready for printing this year. Dr. Howden reported on the Fishes of the East Coast of Scot- land ; and as Delegate of the Union to the British Association in 18S5, reported on the work of the Association. Notes on Mosses of the North of Scotland, and specimens to accompany them, were sent by Mrs. Farquharson of Haughton. Mr. Roy reported on the progress of his Catalogue of Algae of the district ; and the President submitted a report on additions to the records of Fungi of the district made since December, 1885. The recom nendation from the Kirkcaldv Naturalists' Society The Scottish Naturalist. 339 relative to the Constitution of the Union, was unanimously adopted. A vote of thanks to the President closed the proceedings. In the evening, the Aberdeen Natural History and Philoso- phical Societies entertained their friends at a conversazione in the University Buildings in Aberdeen. The University Museums were thrown open ; and numerous microscopic objects and other articles of interest were exhibited in the large hall and in the Anatomical rooms. Among these were a very fine series of anti- quarian relics from the North-East of Scotland, exhibited by Mr. John Rae ; rare mosses, lent by Mrs. Farquharson of Haughton ; botanical models, and a beautiful series of sections of wood so thin as to permit of being exhibited by transmitted light; a large collection of Crustacea, and another of food of fishes, both from the North-East of Scotland, and both exhibited by Mr. Sim ; and a collection of Lepidoptera from Aberdeen and Kincardine, presented to Aberdeen University several years ago by Prof. J. W. H. Trail. KEPOKT OP THE EXCUKSIOtf TO BEAEMAR. By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. F.L.S. THOUGH the excursion of the Union did not properly begin till August 3rd, when the members met in Braemar, yet as some of those who took part in it did some botanising on August 2nd, I purpose beginning this report with an account of that day's work. August 2nd. — Arrived in the afternoon at the Spittal of Glen- shee, and ascended Meal Odhar, in search of Garex rariflora. My companion, Mr. Peter Ewing, believed that during a previous excursion he had seen this interesting sedge within the Perth- shire boundaries ; but as he was not sure of the exact line of the march, it was desirable that, if possible, we should verify the occurrence of the plant in Perthshire. This we succeeded in doing. On the same hill we observed Veronica alpina, Loisel- -euria procumbens, Sibbaldia procumbens, Poa alpina, &c. On another hill Mr. Ewing showed me Epipactis ovaiis, which we 340 The Scottish Naturalist. had discovered in this, its second Scottish station, the previous year. Near the same place, I found the pretty and rare moss, Anacalypta latifolia, and the local Galium sylvestre, a plant very liable to be passed over as a hill form of G. saxatile. August 3rd. — Having a few hours to spare before starting for Braemar, we visited the station for Thlaspi alpestre, and saw a few plants of it. As this plant appears to be very scarce in Glenshee, it is to be hoped that botanists will give it a chance of becoming more abundant. After making some observations on the altitudes attained by some common plants, we crossed the Cairnwell to Braemar, and met the rest of the party. In the evening we visited the old station for Galium Mollugo, which still retains its ground ; but searched in vain for Air a uliginosa in a place where it used to be abundant. August 4th. — Making an early start, we drove to the foot of Lochnagar, on which we spent ten hours. After picking up Betula nana, which some of the party had not seen before, we explored a burn on the White Mounts, near which Carex vaginata was noticed growing in large beds on flat ground. Many of the specimens belonged to the so-called var. borealis, of which the chief distinction is that the male spike is bent at right angles to the stem. Descending the rocks on the north side of the hills, we proceeded to Loch an Eoin, finding in one of the other lochs Isoetes lacustris~2X an elevation of about 2,750 feet, a much higher altitude than is given for it. Ascending the burn from Loch an Eoin, a careful but fruitless search was made for Carex helvola, which is supposed to have been found in the neighbourhood. Carex lagopina was found in the well-known station, but not much of it was seen. Carex rariflora was also found. Passing over the summit of Lochnagar, the great ravine was descended, and the rocks in it were explored. The special plants of the hill were observed, including Saxfraga rivularis, Mulgedium alpinum (which is, we are glad to say, still abundant), Gnaphalium norvegicnm, Poa laxa, &c. Amongst the debris the Parseley Fern was in great beauty, as, though so late in the summer, many of the fronds were just beginning to uncurl. As the mist showed signs of descending, a rush was now made to regain the ridge, which was done by ascending the rocks on the southern side of the corrie. Without further adventures, save that in the mist, the road to Ballater instead of that to The Scottish Naturalist. 341 Castleton, was nearly taken by mistake, the party descended the hill. August 5th. — Drove again to Loch Callater and went up Glen Callater to the corrie of Loch Kandor. In Loch Callater a quan- tity of Isoetes echinospora was observed. On entering the corrie of Loch Kandor one of the first plants to attract attention was Rhinanthus crista-galli, var. Drum?nond-Hayi, recently described (from Ben Lawers) in the Scottish Naturalist. This variety, which seems to be constant in its characters, has this year been observed on several hills in Perthshire, Aberdeenshire (it occurs on Lochnagar), and Inverness-shire. The whole day was spent in the corrie. Amongst the plants noticed were Salix lanata (several forms), S. lappomun (also in variety), S. nigricans, several forms, and S. reticulata, which seems to retain here more of its wooliness than in Breadalbane. Carex atrata, which was common, seems to be less dark in hue than in Perth- shire. Other species seen were Carex rupestris (which is widely spread in the corrie), C. vaginata, Veronica alpina (with Puccinia saxifragarum infesting it), Gri??imia atrata, a pretty crisped form of Pseudathyriu??i alpestre, &c. With the Corrie the excursion may be said to have terminated, as the party went to Aberdeen early on the morning of August 6th. It may be added that some specimens of Hieracium and of Carex yet await examination. EXCURSIONS. Os August 7TH. — The heavy rain in the morning threatened to prevent the excursions arranged for under the auspices of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies from being held, but by nine o'clock the sky gave promise of a fine day, and the excursionists assembled at the times and places announced, in connection with the trips to Scotston and Whitestripes, and Stonehaven and Dunnottar Castle. An excursion to Ballater, for which Mr. Roy had under- taken to act as guide, had been contemplated, but as no one appeared to take advantage of the opportunity of visiting Beeside, this excursion fell through. The party for Dunnottar, with Professor Trail, numbered ten. Leaving Aberdeen at 9.45 they reached Stonehaven about 10.30, and took the oppor- tunity, not before enjoyed by several of the party, of passing through the in- teresting old town of Stonehaven, and visiting the harbour, where a busy scene was presented, as is usual at this period of summer. The vicinity was redolent of ancient and fish-like smells, and the quays crowded with barrels and other characteristic features of a thriving fishing port. Leaving the harbour, the 342 The Scottish Naturalist. party arrived in no long time at the historical ruins of Dunnottar — ruins that excite the admiration of even the most prosaic in the magnificence of their site and in their extent, and appeal far more powerfully to the imagination of every one acquainted with their connection with the history of Scotland, from the days of Wallace onwards through many a stormy century of struggles for existence and for liberty. The sufferings of the martyrs for conscience sake, and the constancy to their convictions of these earnest men, came vividly before the mind's-eye of those who stood within the miserable dungeon into which forty-two prisoners were lowered through a hole, and in which they were confined. It is difficult, however, to realise how life could be sustained when one looks at the only inlets for air, and at the filthy floor, with its oozing pool of water, and thinks of what it must have been, crowded with so many persons that there could scarcely have been even standing-room for all. The chapel, the kitchen, the bakery and brewhouse, the reception rooms, the officers' room, the wells, and all the other buildings of interest were in turn visited. A considerable part of the armoury has of late years fallen ; and the action of the weather has so worn many of the softer stones of which the walls are built that probably no very long time will be sufficient to bring about the fall of large portions of the ruins. The black henbane {Hyoscyamus niger) formerly grew about the ruins in some abundance ; but a search failed to disclose it on this day. A few plants of the wallflower and of the clustered bell-flower {Campanula glomerate), and profusion of the Burnet saxifrage {Pimfiimlla, saxifraga) were observed growing upon the ruins. Having completed their survey of Dunnottar, the party proceeded to the beach, noticing with interest the conglomerate of which the rock is composed. The wonderful hardness of the matrix in which the pebbles are embedded is very remarkable, but still more remarkable is the fact that many of the pebbles have been crushed or broken, apparently under great pressure, and the frag- ments, after having slid a little way over one another, have been recemented. A heavy shower fell between one and two o'clock in the afternoon ; but, fortu- nately for the excursionists, shelter was at hand in one of the caves near the castle. The rocks in the bay to the north of Dunnottar were visited after the shower ceased, and as the tide was low, seaweed-collecting was actively proceeded with. The rock pools were full of a considerable variety of formSj most of them frequent along our rocky coasts, but a good many of considerable interest. Among those gathered were several kinds of Fucus, the curious Himanthalia lorea with its frond much like a Scotch cap attached by the tassel to rocks, and bearing fixed to its middle, long, thong-like, reproductive organs, often nearly covered with parasitic Elachistae, the rounded yellowish masses of Leathesia tuberiformis, from the size of a pea to that of a walnut, and like soft cartilage in consistence. There were many graceful green or red species, e.g. , Cladophora glaucescens, recently added to the flora of the east of Scotland, Ceramium rub mm, varying extremely in appearance, Dcsinareslia aculeata, and many others. The following is a complete list of the species picked up in the course of the afternoon by Dr. Crichton : Halidrys siliquosa, Fucus vesiculosus, F. serratus, F. canaliculars, F. nodosus, Himanthalia loi-ea, Desmarestia aculeata, Lami)iaria digitata (washed The Scottish Naturalist. 343 ashore), L. flexicaulis, L. saccharina, Chorda filum, Dictyosiphon foeniculaceus, Asperococcus compresses, Chordaria fla°elliformis, Mesogloia virescens, Lealhesia tuberiformis, Elachista fucicola, E. scutulata (on H^nanihalia), Ectocarpus littomlis, Polysiphonia ?iigresce?is, P. urceolata, and var. patens (on Laminaria digitata), P. fastigiata, Laurejicia caespitosa, Corallina officinalis, Melobesia polymorpha, Delesseriaalaia, D. {Mangeria) sanguinea (washed ashore), Rhody- ?nenia palmata, Plocamium coccineum, Gy?n7iogongrus (A hnfeldtia) plicata, Chondms crispus, Chylocladia articulata, Furcellaria fastigiata, Iridtea {Schizymeuia) edulis, Dimiontia filiformis, Ce7-amium rubrwn, Ptilota plumosa, Callithamnion polyspermwn, Enlerumorpha compressa, Ulva latissima, Clado- phora rupestris, C. glaucescens, with Ectocarpus siliculosus growing upon it. The conglomerate does not afford the crevices suited to the habits of most marine animals ; and the pools proved less rich in them than in sea-weeds ; anemones, hermit and other crabs, two or three kinds of sponges, sea worms, some kinds of shells, small fishes, and a fine seaurchin {Echinus sphosra) were turned out in the search for seaside treasures. The heavy rain rendered botanising on the sloping sea-braes impracticable till it was nearly time to return to Stonehaven ; but a short search on them disclosed several interesting flowering plants, such as the Hemp agrimony {Eapatorium cannabinum), a handsome composite plant with pink flowers, the Wood Vetch, and the Common Agrimony. The rain had brought out several kinds of snails to enjoy the moisture. The most interesting of these was the Bristly Snail {Helix hispida), a small species which has the shell covered with short erect pale hairs. After a most enjoyable day, the excursionists returned to Aberdeen about iS o'clock (6 p.m.) The party that visited Scotston Moor and Whitestripes Moss, under the guidance of Mr. Murray, were nine in number. They enjoyed glorious weather, and had a successful day's botanising over the best ground for the purpose in the vicinity of Aberdeen. The variety in the nature of the moor, from swampy ground to dry heaths, affords suitable conditions of growth for a very consider- able diversity of plants. In the woods near at hand grow the beautiful little Linncza borealis (the plant selected by the great naturalist Linnseus as his emblem and to bear his name), Goodyera repens, and other plants much in request by southern botanists. On an old road across the moor those initiated may find the two smallest British flowering plants— viz., the Chaffweed (Centunculus minimus) and the Flax-seed [Radiola millegrana). The be- ginning of August is too late for many of the plants on the moor ; but the excursionists found in flower the Red Bartsia (Bartsia Odontites), the Grass of Parnassus {Parnassia paluslris), the Knotted Pearl-wort [Sagina nodosa), the Field Gentian {Genliana campestris), the Black Bogrush [Schcenus nigricans), and the English Sundew {Drosera Aivjlica), one of the fly-eating plants. Three other insect- eating plants grow on Scotston Moor, viz., the Round- leaved Sundew (Z). rotundi 'folia), the Butterwort {Pinguicida vidgaris), and the small Bladderwort (Utricularia minor). Several mosses were also picked up in fruit, including Dkran urn squarrosum, Leucobryum glaucum, Hypnum aduncum, Atrichum undulatum, and Bartramia fontanel. In "Whitestripes moss the old peat-holes weie found of much interest. In one the small Bladderwort {Ctricidaria minor) was in fine flower; and in several the 344 The Scottish Naturalist. common Bladdervvort ( U. vulgaris) was seen, though not in flower. These plants seem frequently to pass years without flowering, and then to burst into abundant blossom. The Water Milfoils {Myriophyllum alternifolium), and Marestail {Hippuris vulgaris) are plentiful and flower freely in many of the holes, and show well the distinction in appearance between submerged and aerial leaves. The very local Small Burreed {Sparganium minimum) grows in one or two holes, and there is plenty of the Branched Burreed {S. ramosum). PKESIDENT'S ADDKESS. By Prof. TRAIL. ON THE WORK OF THE UNION. In the present address, I will not attempt to rival the admirable addresses of our first president, Dr. Buchanan White, and of my immediate predecessor, Professor Geikie ; but will follow in their footsteps in endeavouring to suggest methods by which the members of the Union can, if desirous, carry forward the work which all have at heart, and to indicate how with most success an abundant and fruitful harvest of knowledge may be reaped. The selection of subjects has been made solely because it is necessary to limit attention to a few at present, and in full recog- nition of these being but a few out of many. There is room and there is work for all who seek to discover and to spread abroad a knowledge of the mysteries of the Universe. We heartily wish that every Association formed for similar ends with our own should spread and be fruitful and do good work in its own special line. Archaeology is a study of the utmost interest for local societies, and we rejoice that it is proposed to form a society in the north-east of Scotland for the investigation and publication of archaeological materials in the widest sense. If it preserves to posterity the folk-lore, and the traditions and historical records of this district, it will deserve well of the community. But, however wide one's sympathies may be, one's ability for useful investigation lies within but a narrow range ; and it is right that each one who addresses this Union should confine hmvselt to matters with which he has made himself, at least in a measure, familiar, and in treating which he is entitled to hope that he may aid the work of his fellow-members. The Scottish Naturalist. 345 There is complete agreement among all interested in the welfare of societies such as form the East ot Scotland Union, that the great objects for which the societies exist are to afford all practi- cable encouragement and facilities for the acquirement of know- ledge to each of their members, and to advance the sum of human knowledge as a whole, in so far as that can be accomplished by original investigations, carried on in connection with the society, and facilitated by co-operation of the members. Only by such co-operation is it possible to gain the full benefits of work in societies, as contrasted with work done by isolated individuals. It is cause for regret that this beneficial effect of societies is only an ideal in most provincial societies. The work to which a society devotes itself may be literary, or may be in great measure confined to some physical science ; or it may be antiquarian \ or more generally it relates to the sciences of geology, zoology, and botany, often associated with archaeology. It is seldom that any discovery of a very far-reaching kind is first made known in any local society or published in its transactions ; since such discoveries tend to be brought forward in large societies, or in journals important enough to secure for them a wide and general circulation. But while startling discoveries are not to be looked for in the publications of provincial societies, good work of permanent value may be, and often is, done in them in adding to human knowledge by the careful and minute investigation of the district in which each society is situated, whatever be the science or sciences that find most favour among its members. It is well that the progress of human knowledge in all depart- ments should be made known very widely, and that those persons in each society best fitted to do so by their special studies should call attention to, and should explain to their fellow-members, the nature and scope of the great discoveries made by the great leaders of progress. But if the work of societies is confined to acquiring a knowledge of the results attained by others, without an effort to advance the sum of human knowledge by thoir own labours, or to repay In some measure the obligations undei which they lie, the effect will be of necessity evil to the highest aims of the societies ; and the original interest in their welfare will rapidly diminish, and will die out wholly in no long time. Societies, if healthy, will manifest their vitality by the value of the original 346 The Scottish Naturalist. work done by them, and not merely by the amount of intellectual food consumed in them without visible result. In the case of provincial societies there can be little doubt that, at the present time at least, among the most productive subjects of study is the wide field afforded by the exhaustive investigation of what lies closest at hand. There is no need to search painfully for something to investigate. The materials are everywhere around us with which to build up a portion of the great edifice of human knowledge ; but the builders are few and weak. Among the data from which information in regard to the laws that rule living organisms may be gathered are the existing distribution of animals and of plants, and the variations that follow changes in the en- vironments amongst which they live. It is not easy to solve such problems ; yet on their successful solution there will follow a very great advance in the clearness of our conceptions of the laws that regulate or modify the form and the structure of living beings. But to comprehend fully the nature of the problems to be solved, and to discover their solution, will necessitate long-continued and most careful observations, and far-reaching conceptions of the physical and chemical forces, both in their present manifestations and in their modes of action in the past history of our globe, and, it may be, of the whole universe. Such observations can be carried to a successful issue, and can lead to well-founded con- clusions only when they are undertaken by many observers, working under various conditions. Hence careful observations from any area, however limited, will add to the material ready to the hands of builders of the future temple of science. No field is too barren to yield a harvest in the realms of natural science if it be but thoroughly wrought ; nor may any society plead with truth that it is not in a position to do good and en- during work. Let each society undertake earnestly and con- scientiously to learn what can be discovered of the products of its own neighbourhood ; and, however poor the fauna and flora may- seem, or however little interest may seem to belong to the geology or to the antiquities of that neighbourhood, a short experience will suffice to prove how erroneous were first estimates, and to suggest subjects of inquiry sufficient to engage the members of the society in long-continued original observations, productive of valuable results, and far surpassing in interest any mere attempts to com- prehend the work of others, apart from original investigation.' The Scottish Naturalist. 347 To render the work of local societies as important as it ought to be, it is desirable either that each society should publish papers, or else that several societies should unite to publish in common the papers selected by a Publication Committee as worthy of permanent preservation. Much useful work is lost sight of if no record of the papers read is kept, save in the minutes of each society ; and there is far less inducement to careful preparation of the papers read at the meetings if it is known that they will never come before a public larger than the few who hear them read. On the other hand, it is very unadvisable to publish everything that is brought before a society. This is very evident from an inspection of the transactions of such bodies as do so, whether from the desire to produce a large record of work, or through un- willingness to offend contributors. It is a heavy tax on one's time and patience to wade through page after page of chaff to pick up the few grains that are worth the storing. To render the work of local societies of value it is very desirable that certain prepara- tory work should be carried through, and that certain accessories fitted to promote the successful issue of their labours should be first attended to. To one or two of these I have now to ask your attention for a little ; and I shall deal with them as if they related solely to the biological sciences that are most familiar to myself ; but they apply equally to all other branches that are usually in- cluded in the programmes of such societies as form this Union. In pursuing original investigations of any kind it is, of course, most desirable to possess a full knowledge of what has been already made public in regard to it. It has doubtless happened to many of us that we have sought to procure such information, to prevent the loss of time consequent on doing over again what has been already done by others. One early experiences the diffi- culty of gleaning from scattered books and periodicals the infor- mation desired, and one often finds that interesting matter has been overlooked in some work that has escaped notice, which, had it been discovered in time, would have saved a good deal of labour. Such experiences soon press upon the more earnest workers the conviction that among the most valuable aids to progress in any branch is a good bibliography, or classified index to all the sources of information upon that branch in books and magazines. For example, the student of the Mollusca of the East of Scotland will 348 The Scottish Naturalist. find an excellent Bibliography of the Land and Fresh-water Shells among the "Transactions of the Union for 1885." Mr. Henry Coates deserves very hearty thanks for the labour expended upon this list, and also for having made a beginning in so desirable a direction ; and it is earnestly wished that similar bibliographies of other groups should follow with as little delay as possible. To some it may seem that the work of the bibliographer is hardly more than mechanical, and that it is beneath the dignity of scientific students ; but in truth this view is very erroneous. A well-prepared index greatly facilitates, if it is not indispensable to, the work of students. To prepare such an index in the very nature of things requires a wide acquaintance with the sources of information upon the subject in question. If each specialist does the work wholly for himself, he might well despair in contemplation of the mass of books to be consulted, often with little, if any, return for much labour. If prepared by a single observer un- assisted, the index, must remain defective and unsatisfactory, alike to its compiler and to those who make use of it. But index-making can be rendered at once more pleasant and more thorough by division of labour. If the books and periodicals that must be consulted are portioned out among a number of workers, the share that falls to each can quite be overtaken ; and in a comparatively short time the work will be completed, and a reliable index be placed within reach of all. A circular has been issued by the Council of the Union speci- fying the more important works and periodicals in which informa- tion is contained relating to the biology and geology of the East of Scotland ; and volunteer compilers have been asked for, to per- mit of the work being completed in these departments. The list in the circular is by no means complete, but it is a beginning ; and additions can readily be made to it ; and suggestions towards rendering it more complete are much desired by the Council. Each of the works named in the list, or to be added to it, should be taken in hand by a compiler, who should note all refer- ences to whatever comes under the scope included in the widest interpretation of the term Bibliography of Biology and of Geology in the East of Scotland. Each separate article should be noticed; its heading should be given in full ; and there should also be a brief indication of the scope and value of the articles. References should be added to notes, however brief, in which any real infor- The Scottish Naturalist, 349 mation is given. The title and page of the book, and the year of publication, should be noted. The references should be as- sorted, and should be distributed to the recorders for the various branches. The recorders, when they have received reports from the com- pilers, should then put the information supplied to them into a systematic form suitable for easy and ready reference. With cordial co-operation on the part of compilers and of recorders, a good index might be prepared, in the course of a year or two, for almost all departments of the zoology, botany, geology, and archaeology of the east of Scotland. There is still need of assistance from compilers ; and help will be gladly accepted if volunteers will communicate with Mr. Sang. Another object of importance urged ably in the first presidental address is the preparation of preliminary lists of the products ot the district, so as to permit of an estimate of how much has yet to be done. The preliminary reports submitted at the meeting of the Union in 1884 should be referred to for what had been done up to that time, and also for a statement of what most requires to be taken in hand in each department. Since these reports were written some advance has been made here and there ; but sub- stantially they are still quite reliable. Now, as then, the recorders will be very glad of any information or assistance from any members of the Union who may be able to give such. The preparation of lists of species is being gone on with, and the varieties met with in our district are also under ob- servation. But even more important than the formation of a complete bibliography and lists of the fauna and flora, geology, mineraology, and archaeology of the east of Scotland, in exerting an influence for good, and in supplying a powerful stimulus towards raising the level of the work done by societies, is the formation of a good museum in each centre of the population, and connected with each society. vSo long as the meetings of the societies are productive of no more permanent result than the reading of papers, even if these are subsequently printed, and afforded the limited circulation which is given in the " Transactions," much work is lost sight of, and does not in any degree tend to place the local students of natural science on a higher level, or to render the way more easy 350 The Scottish Naturalist. to beginners, who, with a little encouragement and aid over their earlier difficulties, would do good work in their turn. To one who is not already a specialist a list of names conveys little infor- mation, and gives little help ; but the study of a carefully-selected and well-arranged museum gives both assistance and pleasure to even the tyro who has the desire to learn from it ; while even the adept finds a visit to such a museum profitable. The value of museums as auxiliaries in public education has been appreciated far more fully in England than in Scotland ; and there are few English towns, even of small size, where there is not one. In a good many towns they are supported by a rate in connection with the free libraries, while in others they depend on voluntary contributions. In the East of Scotland we are not largely provided with museums, and such as exist find it difficult to make headway. Want of appreciation of their value, and want of interest in their welfare among the general public, and conse- quent absence of the support that they require, is the common experience of all who endeavour to promote them. There is a museum in our district which affords an example of what may be done in a few years by energetic and judicious efforts, directed to the attainment of success on a plan not too ambitious to permit of being achieved. That museum is the ex- cellent one formed by the Perthshire Society of Natural Science. It approaches very near the ideal of what a provincial museum should be ; chiefly, because it was begun on a definite plan, and was carried on strictly upon that plan, so that in it everything has its proper place. It is thus free from the heterogenous assemblage of objects so apt to form the contents of museums that grow up by the mere aggregation of the miscellaneous gifts of years — gifts, the motive of which too often seems to be merely to clear houses of accumulations brought together by former generations, but that are felt by their latter possessors to be en- cumbrances. A really valuable gift is made when some person ascertains what is required for the completion of the collections, and then proceeds to fill the blank. Much may be done in this way by any one who selects some group {e.g., grasses, ferns, butterflies and moths, or shells), and endeavours to prepare for the museum a complete collection of that group from his own neighbourhood. Such a method of giving assistance costs the donor little ; whilst The Scotttish Naturalist. 351 it imparts an interest to his leisure and to his rambles that they never before possessed. That this method has been followed by the Perthshire Society in forming their museum is abundantly evident, and an example has been set by its members to all of us. All honour to them for what they have done, and most of all to Dr. Buchanan White, to whose example and care the success of that museum is chiefly due. Every society in the Union may take example by the Perthshire Society, and encouragement also, for what one has done others may surely do. Most of all is there need of so good an example in Aberdeen and in other centres where museums have still to be formed. The fact of there being a University in our midst in Aberdeen seems almost to be a hindrance to the progress of such a movement here ; for too many seem to believe that the exist- ence of the means of teaching in the University is all that can be desired for the city, and that nothing" besides need be aimed at. But in an institution devoted to teaching, the museums must be adapted to the kind of instruction given in the classes in connec- tion with which they are formed ; and their contents are therefore, as a rule, too technical to be of much interest to the general public, who have not had the preparation required to fit them to benefit fully by the instruction that a specialist, or even a student, can derive from them. In Aberdeen there is need of a well- equipped museum apart from the University, and the need is no less in other towns. We have made a commencement in Aberdeen, so far as having obtained the use of a room in the present Free Library Buildings. Cases are now in the room, and a beginning to the collections has been made \ and now it rests with those who believe that a public museum in Aberdeen is a thing worth making an effort to obtain, to contribute the necessary funds and specimens to secure its success. My connection with this movement in Aberdeen has led me to inquire into the question of what a provincial museum should consist of; and in what way a good museum is likely to benefit the public of the district in which it is formed, and what ought to be the relation of the local natural history society or societies to it. It is important that there should be no misunderstanding as to what should be included, for the want of a definite plan of 352 The Scotish Naturalist. development may prove fatal to usefulness and success. It may be devoted to any one of the sciences of botany, zoology, geology, mineralogy, or archaeology, or may include all ; and this latter is probably the better plan, for a time at least, as it permits of collections being amassed, in anticipation of a possible division into two or more museums should the accumulations increase beyond a convenient size. The various departments in a general museum of this kind must, of course, be kept carefully apart, not mingled in one indiscriminate mass of confusion, as is too often the case in collections that aim at including things of every kind, and over which there is no proper supervision. But, assuming that sufficient care is exercised in keeping the various classes of objects apart, there is a yet greater danger to be guarded against in a provincial museum : and that is the effort to include too much. The space that can be devoted to it is never so great as to permit of accumulating very large collections ; and if the attempt be made to include representatives of any group from all parts of the world, this usually means that some other group must remain ill-represented, if represented at all. Hence a false conception of the relative importance of the various groups is. apt to be formed. A still worse effect is that the products of the district in which the museum is situated are apt to be set aside in favour of objects whose chief recommendation is the distance from which they have been brought. In this way some of the most valuable ends that a museum should serve, in afford- ing means for public education, are sacrificed to the desire for novelties. It would be easy to quote the words of Owen, Phillips, Edward Forbes, and other leaders in science ; but it will be preferable merely to summarise the conclusions arrived at by them in regard to the management of provincial museums. They all deprecate efforts to make such museums general, as this is to attempt what is far beyond the power of their promoters to accomplish. Those who wish to see large and complete collections, or to study the minuticz of any natural science, must resort to National Museums such as exist in every civilized capital. These are supported by national resources, and enriched by collections presented or be- queathed to them by men of science, who have laboured and accumulated their treasures in every country and ocean in the world. Only such national institutions can hope to accumulate The Scottish Naturalist 353 with success, or to render available for study the vast materials that the world supplies. No town can, from its own resources, afford to support such ex- tensive collections, nor is it desirable that the attempt should be made. It is well that there should be materials of the most com- plete kind within reach of specialists. But in the interest of the -specialists themselves it is not desirable that more than one or two museums aiming at completeness should exist in a country ; for then they lose their national character ; and type collections, which tend to become absorbed in the national museums on the death of the specialists who formed them, would be apt to be dis- persed, instead of flowing into a readily accessible centre. In this Union we must set aside the thought of large and world- wide collections ; and must recognize that ours must be provincial museums. The unanimous advice of those skilled in the management of public museums is that, in provincial museums, there should be two aims kept always in view. These are, first, the formation, for educational purposes, of a collection confined to certain carefully selected types, illustrated in the fullest detail with preparations to exhibit structure, life history, and every feature that can aid the visitors to the museum in gaining a clear conception of the facts and data of natural science ; and, second, the preparation of purely local series, designed ultimately to be as complete as it is possible to make them. From the latter collections a scientific stranger visiting a district could gain as good or even better knowledge of its products in an hour or two in the museum as could be done from a residence of months without this aid. But a still greater advantage follows the preparation of complete local collections, in that access to them encourages beginners ; who find themselves able to identify in the museum the specimens that they have themselves found ; and the earlier and more arduous portions of the ascent to knowledge are thus smoothed away for them. It is no slight gain to assist in any degree the early efforts of those who may by their labours after, wards materially advance the progress of science. The relations between natural history societies and provincial museums ought to be close and intimate ; and, if they are so, the effects on societies and museums alike will be very beneficial. The museums, being for the benefit of the public, deserve and 354 The Scottish Naturalist. ought to receive, large support from the public ; though, in pro- curing that support, much of the organisation and labour will, in almost all cases, fall on members of the societies. I would still ask your indulgence for a little, while I endeavour to suggest certain ways, in which the societies embraced in the Union can aid each other, or can co-operate with mutual advan- tage in this matter. Our museums would receive valuable assist- ance were specialists in all parts of the district to recognise that each museum in the Union has a claim on every member in it for help, in the form of duplicate specimens, and of assistance in identifying specimens where required. Another matter in which co-operation would help us much, is in papers. Every secretary knows the difficulty of obtaining satis- factory papers for the meetings of his society, and he has to apply to the office-bearers of his society, as a last resource, far too often. A remedy is easy. Why not let the papers read to one society be read to others, in which they would be virtually new to the members. This address has become so discursive that a recapitulation of the points urged in it on the consideration of the Societies may not be amiss. These are — (i) the importance of forming a com- plete bibliography of all that relates to the east of Scotland in so far as falls under the scope of the Union. (2) The preparation of complete local lists. (3) The need of public museums in the centres of population in the east of Scotland, what they should include, what is the true relation to them of the societies, and how the societies can assist each other in forming them. (4) The exchange of papers between the societies. One word I wish to add in conclusion that bears directly upon a hobby of my own. I shall be much indebted to all members of the society who will kindly aid me with information regarding, or specimens of diseases of plants in the district, more especially as they affect farm and garden produce. The value of such informa- tion is very great, and is constantly increasing. REPORT ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OP THE EAST OF SCOTLAND, PROM PIFE TO ABERDEENSHIRE INCLUSIVE. Prepared for the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies. Bv Col. H. M. Drummond Hay, C.M.Z.S. IN submitting the following report of the birds found in the eastern counties of Central Scotland, which I do at the request of the East of Scotland Naturalists' Union, it is hardly necessary for me to say, that to confine such a report to a hard and fast line of any particular county would not be giving a correct view of the bird distribution of the district. To obviate this, I have therefore adhered as much as possible to the several water- sheds, as the great valleys, together with the headlands and coast- lines, are considered by ornithologists to rule migration to a large extent, and should, in drawing up such a fauna, be strictly fol- lowed. Thus, to the North, that portion of Aberdeenshire com- prised in the Buchan district, and which properly belongs to the Fauna of the Moray-Firth, is kept separate from the Dee and Don district, as also to the South, those portions falling within the water-shed of the Forth are kept distinct from that of the Tay. At the same time, I have endeavoured, as much as possible, to con- form with the request made to me, in giving the individual faunas of the several counties ; this is shown in the tables of distribution, as well as in the notes and summary at the end, where particular mention is made of the several species that have been found ex- clusively in the Buchan and Forth districts. In the latter, to avoid breaking the continuity between Perth and Fife, the inter- mediate counties of Clackmannan and Kinross, together with the small detached portion of Perth in the Culross district, have been included in the tables under Fife. 356 The Scottish Naturalist. The following contractions are made use of in the subjoined list : — R. — Denotes residents, or birds living in a locality more or less during the whole year. S. — Summer migrants that breed in the locality. W. — Winter migrants, arriving in autumn and leaving in spring. Sp. A. — Birds that occur only during the spring or autumn migration, or both, but that do not stay in the locality. Oc. — Occasional or periodical, but not quite regular visitants. Ab. — Abnormal or irregular visitants, occurring only at long intervals. Obs. — Doubtful visitants, insufficiently identified. c, —common ; n, — not common ; r, — rare ; 1, — local. a. — Denotes those species that have only been noticed in those parts of the counties not included within the Don, Dee, and Tay basins. b. — See note below. Aber- Kin- Forfar. Perth. Fife. deen. cardine. i Missel Thrush R.c R.c R.c R.c R.c b2 Song Thrush R.c R.c R.c R. ?c R.c a$ Redwing W W W W W.c 4 Fieldfare W W w W W.c 5 Blackbird R.c Re R.c R.c R.c b6 Ring Ouzel ... S.l S.l S.l S.l.c Sp.A.n.l 7 Dipper R.c R.c R.c R.c R.c 8 Wheatear S S S.c S.l.n S.c 9 Whinchat S.n S.n S.n S.l S.n b\o Stonechat S.n S.n S.n S.l S.n bn Redstart S S S S.l S.n 2. Song1 Thrush remains the winter in Aberdeen {fide Mr. G. Sim and Rev. T. Bell, Alford), and in Kincardine {fide. A. H. Simpson, Esq.) Mr. Simpson and Mr. Henderson say that it remains the whole winter on the Forfarshire coast ; but in Perth, as far as I can ascertain, it leaves in October, and returns in February, except in very mild winters ; this certainly is the case in the Carse of Gowrie. 3. Redwing" in very severe winters is driven further south than Perth. 6. Ring" Ouzel. — In the eastern and lowland districts of Forfarshire is seen only on its passage south, late in autumn, often in the beginning of November. In Perth it is common among the mountains. Mr. Malloch says that it sometimes remains all the year in some of its habitats. 10. Stonechat remains in Forfar, Perth, and Fife, if the winter is not very severe. 11. Redstart. — Not uncommon in various parts of the Perth Highlands ; breeds freely near Rannoch Lodge. Ths Scottish Naturalist. 357 Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth. Fife. b\2 Black Redstart Ab.a £13 White-spotted Blue- throat Ab.tf bi\ Red-spotted Blue- throat Ab 15 Robin R R R R.C R.c 16 Whitethroat S S S.c S.c S.c £17 Lesser Whitethroat ... Ab Obs. b\Z Blackcap Oc S.n S.c.1 S.c.1 £19 Garden Warbler S.n S.n S.c.1 20 Golden-crested Wren R R R.c R.c R.c.l £21 Chiff-chaff Oc Oc. Obs. £22 Willow Wren S.n S.c S.c Sc S.c 12. Black Redstart at Kincardine on Forth, Nov. 10th, 1S75, J. A. Harvie Brown, Esq., ipse, Proc. R. Phil. Soc. IV., p. 142. 13. White Spotted Blue Throat (Cyanecula Wolfi). — A specimen of this, the more southern of the Blue Throats, is described by Mr. Harvie Brown in the Scottish Naturalist, of January, 1882, p. 205, as having been got on the Isle of May, on the 22nd September, 1 88 1. 14. Red-spotted Blue Throat (Cyanecula Suecica). — Mr. George Sim, Aberdeen, records the capture of a specimen of the northern Blue Throat at Aberdeen, 16th May, 1872, which flew on board a fisherman's boat. {Scot. Nat.f July, 1872, p. 226.) 17. Lesser "Whitethroat- — Fully believed to have been seen by the late Sir Thomas Moncrieffe, a keen observer, breeding at Moncrieffe, but the nest was unfortunately destroyed before the eggs were laid. In Aberdeenshire, Mr. George Sim, Fyvie, makes mention of an example having been shot at Gourdas, Fyvie, 4th Nov., 1880, and another seen near there. — {Scot. JVat., vol. vi., p. 13.) 18. Blackcap not reported from Kincardine, but probably found. 19. Garden Warbler is reported from Aberdeen by Mr. G. Sim and Rev. T. Sell. 21. ChifP-chaff. — Dr. Macgillivray, in his " History of Deeside," men- tions the bird as found there, but considered as a rare visitor ; and Mr. Gray states that Mr. Angus obtained one, on the 8th May, 1865, and in the May following he saw it at Aboyne, and again in June, 1867, at Wardhouse, near Insch. — (Bds. W. Scot., p. 9S.) Is reported from Montrose by the curator of the Montrose Museum, and from Arbroath by A. H. Simpson, Esq. Nest and eggs reported from Craigie, near Perth, 18S4; but the bird has never been obtained there. It is supposed to have occurred in Rannoch. 22. Willow Wren is the commonest of our summer migrants through- out nearly the whole district. In Perth, I have seen it breeding on the Island in Loch Lydoch, above Rannoch Moor. 358 The Scottish Naturalist. Aber- I Kin- deen. ! carcline, 323 Wood Wren />24 Reed Warbler ^25 Aquatic Warbler 26 Sedge Warbler ^27 Grasshopper Warbler 28 Hedge Sparrow £29 Bearded Tit ^30 Long-tailed Titmouse 31 Great Titmouse 32 British Coal Titmouse ^33 Marsh Titmouse 34 Blue Titmouse Oc S Ab. S. 1 R.c R.c I Ab.tf R R R R R R R R Perth. Forfar. Fife.' S.n S.l.C Obs. Obs. Obs. S.l 1 S.l.c Ab. S.l.C R.c R.c R.c Obs. R R.l R.n R.c R.c R.c R.l.c R.c R.l.c Oc. R.c R.c R.c 23. Wood. "Wren. — Seen abundantly by me in Perth, on the wooded banks of the Lyon, near Cushieville ; common also in some places round Perth, and I have observed it frequently in Athole and Strath tay. Probably overlooked in Fife. For Aberdeenshire, Mr. Horn (Procd. Nat. Hist. Soc, Glasgow), makes mention of the nest and eggs, as also a specimen being pro- cured at Fyvie in 1862 ; and Mr. George Sim states that two were seen at Fyvie, and ona of them shot, in the beginning of May, 1772. — (Scot. Nat., July, 1872, p. 226.) These are the only instances I have been able to ascer- tain of it having been noticed in the above county, it can, therefore, only be considered as an occasional visitor there. 24. Reed Warbler is believed to breed in Perth, on back waters of the Tay above Kinclaven, where the birds have frequently been seen, though never obtained. 25. Aquatic "Warbler. — A nest, suspended among coarse grass and rushes, was found on the banks of the Tay, above Perth, last summer, 1885. The eggs in it corresponded exactly with Seebohm's description ; but the bird unfortunately was not identified. 27. Grasshopper Warbler may occur oftener than is supposed, but from its skulking habits it eludes observation. In Perth, Mr. Malloch obtained a specimen some years ago at Methven, but no others have since been got. In Aberdeen, Mr. Stuart M. Burnett has found this species among stunted fir, heath, and whins ; a specimen was shot near Kintore. — (Scot. Nat., July, 1871, p. 84.) 29. Bearded Tit. — A specimen is recorded as shot in Aberdeenshire by the late Thos. Edward (Zool., 3rd Ser., p. 1255). Mr. Gray alludes to this bird being catalogued as a Forfarshire species in Don's " Fauna and Flora " of that county, published early in the century. 30. British Long-tailed Titmouse, in some parts of Forfar as a winter visitant only. 33. Marsh Titmouse is reported from Fife by Mr. John Gilmour. The Scottish Naturalist. 359 Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. . Perth. Fife. 1 £35 Crested Titmouse ... Obs. Ab.0 £36 Nuthatch Obs. Obs. 37 Tree-creeper R R R.c R.c R.c 38 Common Wren R R R.c R.c R.c £39 White Wagtail Ab.a £40 Pied Wagtail R? R? R?c R.c R 41 Grey or Vellovv Water Wagtail R R R.c R.c R £42 Yellow Wagtail Obs. Ab. ^43 Meadow Pipit R? R? R? R? R.c ^44 Tree Pipit ... S.n S.n S.l S.l.n £45 Rock Pipit ... R R R R.c £46 Golden Oriole Ab. £47 Great Grey Shrike ... Oc. Oc. Oc. Oc. 35. Crested Titmouse is mentioned by Yarrell as found in the Pass of Killiecrankie, but I have never been able to substantiate this, nor have I a notice of it from any other part of Perth, with the exception of two specimens got in the Forth district, in the Blairdrummond woods, by the late Dr. Saxby, in April, 1858.— (Gray, Bds, W. Scot., p. 104.) 36. Nuthatch.— Recorded by Don, in his " Fauna of Forfarshire," as having been got in the Tannadice woods, near Forfar, in the beginning of the century ; and in Perthshire it is enumerated among the rare birds of the parish of Killin by the Rev, Patrick Grant.— (Gray, Bds. W. Scot., p. 200.) 39. White Wagtail. — Mr. D'Arcy W. Thompson makes mention of two of these birds having been got at Burntisland, in Oct., 1875.— (Scot. A at., vol. iv., p. 328). 40. Pied Wagtail, in Perth and Fife, does not always remain during winter. 42. Yellow Wrag'tail. — In Forfar one was seen, in spring of 1872, by Mr. P. Henderson ; I have no authentic record of its occurrence in Perth ; but in Fife a pair were identified near Anstruther, in May, 1883, by Al. Foster, Esq. ; and one was obtained by Mr. Harvey Brown on the Isle of May, Oct., 1884. — (Report on Migration of Birds.) 43. Meadow Pipet does not always remain all winter. 44. Tree Pipet is not uncommon in many parts of Perth ; and it extends to Athole and Strathtay. 45. Rock Pipet is confined to rocky shores. 46. Golden Oriole- — In Montrose Museum, in autumn 1885, I observed a pair of these birds, male and female, in full summer plumage, which Mr Barclay of Inchbrayock informs me were shot near Montrose about the summer of 1855. 47. Great Grey Shrike is not unfrequent in Forfar, Perth, and Fife. 360 The Scottish Naturalist. Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth. Fife. £48 Red-backed Shrike.. . Ab.tf Ab. Ab.a £49 Waxwing . Oc. Oc. Oc. Oc. £50 Spotted Flycatcher.. . S S S S S.c £3 1 Pied Flycatcher . Oc. Ab. Oca- 52 House Swallow . S S S.c S.c S.c 53 House Martin . S S S.c S.c S.c 54 Sand Martin . S S S.l.c S.c S.c £55 Goldfinch R? R? R.n £56 Siskin . R R R.n R.i Oc. 57 Greenfinch ... . R.c R.c R.c R.c R.c £58 Hawfinch . Ab. Ab. Ab O.c 48. Red-backed. Shrike. — A specimen was shot at Charlton, near Montrose, about 1864 or 1865 {fide J. A. H. B.) Mr. Gray (Bds. Scot., p. 67) alludes to one having been got near Peterhead, about the year 1883 ; and states that he has one in his own collection, which was killed near Cupar-Fife, in the autumn of 1861 ; and one is reported from the Isle of May, 5th May, 1885.— (Report on Migration, 1885.) 49. Waxwing". — A female in full plumage was shot at Seggieden, near Perth, on January 28, 1883, out of a small flock of seven or eight, which were feeding on holly berries, in company with redwings. 50. Spotted Ply-catcher is not reported from the upper parts of Aberdeen. 51. Pied Ply-catcher. — Once shot at Moncreiffe some years ago (fide Sir. T. M.) ; and has been got, with nest, in Fife, at Gibston, near Largo. Mr. Geo. Sim, Aberdeen, mentions no less than seven specimens of this species as shot in the county of Aberdeen ; and, doubtless, there have been many other examples unrecorded. In May, 1872, three were shot on the Links by Mr. Alex. Mitchell ; one got on Donside, one at Peterhead, one at Hazelhead in 1842, and another at Bruckley Castle in 1849. — (Gray, Bds. W. Scot., p. 7o.) 55. Goldfinch. — Once plentiful in Forfar and Perth, is now nearly extinct. 56. Siskin. — Found breeding abundantly on Deeside ; probably occurs in Kincardine, though not reported ; breeds in Athole, but is only a winter risitant in Lowland Perth, though pretty frequent where alders abound. 58. Hawfinch has been shot near Montrose ; also near Perth in winter of 1860-61. Mr. Gilmour reports it as rare and occasional in Fife, and Mr. Malloch reports having seen five together near Kinross in the beginning of May, 1885, and Mr. Gray mentions its being found in Aberdeenshire. — (Bds. W. Scot., p. 144.) The Scottish Naturalist. 361 £59 House Sparrow b6o Tree Sparrow 661 American White- throated Sparrow , 62 Chaffinch 56$ Brambling ... 64 Brown Linnet £65 Lesser Redpole £66 Mountain linnet or Twite 67 Bullfinch ... £68 Parrot Crossbill 69 Common Crossbill £70 American White- winged Crossbill Aber- deen. ! Kin- I cardine. R.c S.r Ab. R.c W R.c R R R R R.c S ! R.c w ! R.c Forfar. Perth. Fife. R.c R.C R.c S R.c R.C R.c W.l W.l W.n R.c R.c R.c R.l.n R.l R.n W.n R R R Oc. R.n R.n R.1 Ab. Oc.n 59. House Sparrow in Perth has greatly increased of late years ; formerly absent from, or very rare in, the Highlands, it now abounds everywhere. 60. Tree Sparrow found breeding near Stonehaven by myself, and near Arbroath by A. N. Simpson, Esq. 61. American White-throated Sparrow.— Mr Gray (Bds. W. Scot., p. 132), alludes to an example of this American species having been shot by Alex. Mitchell, on the 17th August, 1867, on the Links at Aberdeen (Zool.. 2nd Sen, p. 1847-49.) 63. Brambling". — Rev. T. Bell suspects this bird may sometimes breed in Aberdeen. 65. Lesser Redpole. — Not reported from Kincardine, but probably found. 66. Mountain Linnet or Twite reported from Aberdeen by Mr. G. Sim and Rev. T. Bell as breeding there. In Perth it breeds in Rannoch {fide J. A. Harvie Brown, in lit.) Appears, in winter only, in large flocks on the braes of the Carse of Gowrie. 68. Parrot Crossbill. — (1880) Several of these birds were seen and shot by Mr. Millais at Murthly, where they were supposed to be breeding. One of these, a female, he kindly presented to the Museum of the P. S. N. S. , Tay St . , Perth. 69. Common Crossbill breeds on Deeside (fide J. A. H. B. , in lit), and in Athole. In 1838 it appeared in large quantities in the Carse of Gowrie, many remaininguntilthefollowingyear; 1838 was remarkable for the super-abundance of spruce cones, which doubtless attracted them — (Scot. Nat., vol. iv. p. 97.) 70. American White- winged Crossbill. — A small flock of seven or eight was noticed by myself in the Kinfauns woods, about 1872. This is not the first notice of these birds having been seen in Scotland, as it is men- tioned by Mr. Gray that a specimen was shot at Jedburgh in Feb., 1841 ; and Mr. Thomas Edward records a large flock as having been seen near the town of Banff in 1859.— (Bds. W. Scot., p. 156.) 362 The Scottish Naturalist. Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth. Fife, j 071 Corn Bunting, R.c R.c R.c R.l.n R.c 72 Yellow Bunting R.c R.c R.c R.c R.c £73 Cirl Bunting Ab. Obs. £74 Ortolan Bunting Ab. Ab.a 675 Reed Bunting R.n R.c R.c l,f]6 Snow Bunting R? W W W VV 77 Skylark R.c R R.n R R.c £78 Woodlark Oc. Obs. ^79 Shorelark ... Ab. 71. Corn Bunting". — This bird is not very common in Perthshire, hav- ing a greater predilection for the lands adjoining the coast line ; hence it is found much more abundantly in all the other counties, near the sea. 73. Oirl Banting. — Mr. Angus obtained a fine male of this species, shot in Aberdeenshire, near Banchory, on Deeside, communicated to Mr. Robt. Gray (Bds. W. Scot, p. 132). The nest and eggs of this species are said to have been found on Moncreiffe Hill, near Perth ; but the bird has never been got (fide Mr. J. Stewart, Perth). 74. Ortolan Bunting". — Mr. Angus obtained a pair of these birds in Aberdeen, captured in a turnip field near the sea side in the end of November, 1863 ; and a pair were got on the Isle of May, Autumn of 1885. A pair also remained some days on the island in the spring of the same year. — (Report on Migration, i885.) 75. Reed Bunting. — Leaves Perth in severe winters. 76. Snow Bunting is believed to breed occasionally on the higher mountains of Aberdeen. A pair were seen by myself, evidently nesting, on the face of Ben Muic Dhui above Loch Avon, on the 21st June. 78. ^vV"ood Liark. — This bird, so rare in most parts, seems to be not un- frequent in Aberdeenshire ; is even said to bred there, near Huntly (fide H. O. Forbes, Scot. Nat., 1871, p. 48.) Mr. George Sim also records the capture of a female at Fyvie, on Christmas-day, 18S0 — (Scot. Nat., 188 1, p. 61) ; and Mr. Gray states that Mr. Angus informed him that in the last week of March he shot a male of this species near Insch, which bird Mr. Gray had seen ; also, in March, 18S5, Mr. Angus had noticed another. Mr. A. Nicol Simpson believes it to have been got at Arbroath. 79. Shore Lark. — Two were caught at a farm near St. Andrews, out of a flock which visited the estuary of the Eden in the winter of 1865 ; and one was shot at Oathead, St. Andrews, on 31st December, iS69, associating with meadow pipits, one of which was killed along with it (fide Robert Walker, Scot. Nat., July 1871, p. 79). This is probably the bird alluded to by Mr. Robert Gray (Birds of W. Scot., p. 118), when he says, "on the 1st January, 1870, a specimen was shot at St. Andrews, and passed into the hands of Mr. T. \V. W-irdUw Ramsay of Waitehill, and was exhibited by him before the Glasgow Nat. Hist. Society. The Scottish Naturalist. 363 Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth. 1 Fife. 80 Common Starling ... R.c R.C R.c R.c R.C £81 Red-shouldered Starling ... Ab. £82 Rose-coloured Star- ling Oc. Oc. Oc. £83 Nutcracker ... Kb. a 684 Jay R.n R R.l.r 85 Magpie R.c R R.n R R 86 Jack Daw R.c R R.c R.c R 87 Carrion Crow R.c R R.n R R 88 Hooded Crow R.c R R R R 89 Rook R.c R R.c R.c R.c 90 Raven R R R.n R.l R.l.n 91 Swift S S.c S.c S S.n 92 Nightjar s S S.n s S.l.n £93 Great Spotted Wood- pecker Oc. Oc. Oc. Oc. £94 Lesser Spotted Wood- pecker Ab. 81. Red-shouldered Starling. — A female of this species was shot in Rannoch, Perthshire, 10th May, 1886, and was forwarded to me in the flesh by Sir Robert Menzies, Bart.— (Scot. Nat., July 1886, p. 307.) This is, however, not the first notice of this bird in Scotland, as two other instances are recorded — a young. male shot near Banff in 1886, and one seen in Hadding- ton in 1871. — (Gray, Bds. of W. Scot., p. 156). 82. Rose-coloured Starling". — A. pair attempted breeding in a bur- row in a sandbank near Methlick in Aberdeen, but the nest was destroyed by boys. This bird has been several times got near Montrose ; and also in Perth- shire, where three were shot at various times at Megginch, in the Carse of Gowrie. One of these is now in the P.S.N. S. Museum. 83. Nutcracker. — Mr. Gray mentions an example of this bird, recorded in the Statistical Account of the Parish of Peterhead, killed near that town in 1833, as being in the collection of Mr. Arbuthnot of that place. — (Bds. W. Scot., p. 188.) 84. Jay. — Is rapidly becoming more scarce from incessant persecution, and will soon be exterminated. 93. Great Spotted "Woodpecker. —Vaguely reported to have bred in 1880 at Kildrummy on the Don, in Aberdeen, by Mr. Robb, gamekeeper {comm. J. A. H. B.), and is believed to have been formerly resident in Rannoch. 94. Lesser Spotted "Woodpecker. — Reported by Dr. Howden to have been more than once seen near Montrose, and has been got at Craigo. 364 The Scott is J 1 Naturalist. Aber- | deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth. Fife. 695 Green Woodpecker Ab. Ab. Ab. Ab. £96 Wryneck Oc.r Oc.r Oc.r Oc.r : £97 Kingfisher . Oar R.n R.r Rn. £98 Bee-eater Ab.a Ab. £99 Roller Ab. Ab. £100 Hoopoe ... Oc. Ab. Ab. Ab. 10 1 Cuckoo S s S S S £102 Barn Owl . . R R R.n R.n R 103 Long-eared Owl ... R.c R R R? R 104 Short-eare 1 Owl ... R.n R.n R?n R ^105 Tawny Owl R.c R.c R.c R.c R £106 Snowy Owl Ab.a Ab. 95. Green Woodpecker. — There are several instances of this bird having been got in the eastern counties of ths Union, from time to time. 96. "Wryneck. — Not reported from Kincardine, but as it occasionally appears in all the other counties of the Union, it is probably to be found there also ; for its appearance in Perth (See Scot. Nat., Oct., 1878, p. 333.) 97. King-fisher. — Used to breed in Perth, on the Almond and the Tay ; but has now become scarce, and is more an autumn and winter visitant. 98. Bee-eater. — Mr. Gray mentions having seen specimens of this bird from Forfarshire and from Aberdeenshire (Bds. W. Scot., p. 203). The latter are probably those alluded to by Mr. Horn as got at Peterhead and Strathbeg (Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc, Glasgow, 242). One was shot near Mon- trose in 1881 (JideMx. Barclay). 99. Roller. — A pair were seen several times in 1823 or 1824, at Megg- inch, in Perthshire ; and in 1882 a specimen was got at Dunkeld by Mr. J. Stewart. It is reported from Aberdeenshire by Mr. Sim. Mr. Angus, as re- corded by Mr. Gray (Bds. W. Scot., p. 203), states that a fine specimen was shot, in April, 1847, at Seaton House, near Aberdeen. 100. Hoopoe. — Reported from Aberdeen by Mr. G. Sim : last example recorded from Forfar, was shot in the spring of 1882 by Captain Stansfeld, at Dunninald, after having been seen flying about for more than a week ; the last from Perth was shot in Craigie Wood, on the Moncreiffe estate about 1S53, ani Rock Dove R R.n R.n £182 Stock Dove Oca S.n S.n £183 Turtle Dove Oc. Oc. Oc. Oc. £184 Passenger Pigeon ... Ab. £185 Pallas' Sand-grouse Ab. Ab. Ab. Ab. Ab. 186 Partridge ... R.c R.c R.c R.c R.c £187 Quail Oc. Oc. Oc. Oc.n £188 Ptarmigan ... R.c R R.c R.c ^189 Red-grouse R R R.c R.c R 190 Black-grouse R R R.n R R £191 Capercaillie R.n R.n R.n R.c R.n these birds, in countless thousands, made their appearance there last season, November 29th — (Migration Report, 1885.) 181. Rock Dove is confined to the rocky coasts. 182. Stock Dove. — In Aberdeen Mr. Horn alludes to its being enumerated in Mr. Arbuthnot's list of birds of Peterhead — (Proc. N.H.S., Glasgow, 18S0, p. 243.) Reported by Mr. Simpson as breeding near Arbroath. It has been got at Alyth and at Callander, from both of which places there are specimens in the P.S.N.S. Museum ; and it breeds at Dunkeld, and it also has been shot at Coupar-Angus, specimens of which I have seen. 183. Turtle Dove. — There are many instances of the occurrence of the turtle dove from time to time, in most, if not all, the eastern counties, but never of regular migration. Mr. A. Nicol Simpson informs me that he ob- tained a specimen this summer, 1886, which was caught by a fisherman on board his boat at Arbroath, and which he tells me, he has still alive and doing well. 184. Passenger Pigeon. — Yarrell mentions a bird of this species shot at Monimail, in Fife, 31st Dec, 1835. 185 Pallas' Sand Grouse. — A most extraordinary irruption of this bird from the plains of Tartary into Great Britain occurred in 1863. Many hundreds reached our coasts, from the English Channel to North Unst in Shetland, and dispersed along our eastern coasts, where numbers were destroyed. Aberdeen, Kincardine, Forfar, Perth, and Fife were all visited that summer. A flock of about thirty appeared in July near Montrose (where eleven were shot), re- maining for several days on the Links, and then passed northwards along the Kincardine coast — (fide Mr. Barclay.) 187. Quail. — Formerly not uncommon in the Carse of Gowrie, where it used to breed ; the last nest known to me was found in 1832, containing six- teen eggs. 188. Ptarmigan is confined to the higher hills. 189. Red Grouse was introduced on Tents Muir in Fife by Admiral Maitland Dougal a few years ago, and have greatly increased. 191. Capercaillie has only of late years appeared in Aberdeen and Kincardine. 372 The Scottish Naturalist. Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth. Fife. 192 Water Rail R R R? R £193 Spotted Crake Oc. Oc. A 194 Land Rail ... S.c S. S.c S S £195 Green-backed Galli- nule (Porphyrio Sma- ragdonotus) Ab. 196 Waterhen ... R.c R R.c R.c R.c 197 Coot R.c R R.c R?c R $198 Common Crane Ab.a £199 Little Bustard Ab. Ab. Ab. 6200 Stone Curlew Ab. 201 Golden Plover R R R.c R R £202 Grey Plover Sp.A.n Sp.A.n Obs. Sp.A.n £203 Lesser Ringed Plover Obs. Obs. £204 Ringed Plover R R R.c S R.c 193. Spotted Crake. — Frequently got in autumn on the banks of the Tay below Perth, and also on the Earn. 195. Greenbacked Gallinule {Porphyrio Smaragdonotus). — A bird of this species in full adult plumage was shot on the reed banks of the Tay near Errol, in the middle of September, 1876, by Mr. M'Innes, a butcher in the village, now, I believe, in the possession of J. G. Millais, Esq. Since then, I understand, several more have been got in England, and Mr. J. H. Gurney, junr., writes to me that he feels no doubt of this Porphyrio being a wild one, in reply to my doubts in this respect ; for a full account of the cap- ture of this bird see Scot. Nat., Vol. IV., p. 37. 198. Common Crane. — A bird of this species is recorded by Mr. Gray (Bds. W. Scot., p. 271), as shot on Deeside by Mr. Francis Anderson, end of May, 185 1, and still in that gentleman's possession. 199. Little Bustard- — One reported by Mr. Sim as shot on 13th No- vember, 1873, near Old Meldrum in Aberdeen; another was shot near Mon- trose, 20th December, 1833, by J. Rintoull, gamekeeper (J. A. H.B. in lit); and another shot near St. Andrews, on 6th March, 1840, by Dr. Adamson, is now in the University Museum. 200. Stone Curlew. — One killed near St. Andrews, on 27th January, 1858, recorded in TurnbulFs " East Lothian," is in the University Museum. 202. Grey Plover. — Reported from Aberdeen by Mr. Sim ; and from Forfar, by Mr. P. Henderson ; a specimen from Lower Tay is in the P.S.N. S. Museum, Perth. 203. Lesser Ringed Plover.— Reported by Mr. D. Malloch from Perth ; and by Mr. P. Henderson, to have been shot in 1872, below Tayport in Fife. These require further confirmation. 204. Ringed Plover leaves Perth in winter, going to the coast. The Scottish Naturalist. 373 Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth Fife. 205 Dotterel Sp.A. Sp.A.n S.r Sp.A.n 206 Lapwing R.c R.c R.c R.c R.c 207 Turnstone ... Sp.A Sp.A R? 208 Oyster Catcher R R.c R.c S.c R.c ^209 Avocet Ab. Ab. Ab. Ab.tf 6210 Black-winged Stilt Ab. Obs. £211 Red-necked Phala- rope Oc. Oc. S.r Oc.r 6212 Grey Phalarope ... Oc. Oc. 213 Woodcock ... R R R R.c R.c £214 Sabine's Snipe Ab. £215 Double Snipe Ab. Ab. Ab. Ab. 216 Common Snipe R.c R.c R.c R.c R.c £217 Jack Snipe R.? W W W W 207. Turnstone. — Mr. Patrick Henderson, Dundee, informs me he had found these birds breeding at the mouth of the Tay, on Tents Muir, and has caught the young. 209. Avocet is reported from Aberdeen by Mr. Sim; a specimen from Montrose Basin is in Montrose Museum ; one is reported by Mr. Malloch from Perth ; and another from Fife, near Kirkcaldy, some years age, shot second week of August, 1862, by Mr. L. Wilson, and reported by Mr. Gilmour. 210. Black- Winged Stilt. — Mr. Angus, in a communication to Mr. Gray (Bds. W. Scot., p. 303), states that he distinctly saw, in the Tileburn, near the mouth of the Don, one of these birds on the 15th Sept. 1867. 211. Red-necked Phalarope.— A colony used to breed in Athole, where I saw them in 1856 and 1857, but I have not visited the spot for some years. 212. Grey Phalarope.— Reported from Montrose Basin, and mouth of the Tay in Forfar. 214. Sabine's Snipe.— A specimen, shot near Montrose in 1872, is in Montross Museum. 215. Double or Solitary Snipe.— Of this bird an example got up at my feet in Elcho Marsh, on the Tay, 3rd Sept., 1874 ; and I am perfectly certain of its identity, since the species is well known to me from my having fre- quently shot it in the Mediterranean region. It has not been seen there since. 217. Jack Snipe has been supposed to breed in Breadalbane ; but this remains as yet doubtful. Mr. Cameron, however, states that he has good authority for the fact that the Jack Snipe is a native in Balquhidder {Scot. Nat.} 1877, p. 10), and on the authority of Mr. H. O. Forbes, this bird breeds near Huntly. This is doubted by the Ed. of Scot. Nat. (1871, p. 45). Stuart 374 The Scottish Naturalist. Aber- deen. Kin- cardine. Forfar. Perth. Fife. ^218 Pectoral Sandpiper Ab. 219 Dunlin R R R.c R.?n R.c . ^220 Little Stint W A.r Ab. also found by the Rev. T. Bell in Keig, is also rare in fruit. Inverness-shire I found one of the most productive moss-haunts. On the south side of Loch Laggan I was fortunate in finding the very rare Hypnum callichroum in fruit, and near it, also in fruit, Hypnum crista-castrensis. Among the other rarieties from the same locality, I may mention Hypnum squarrosum in abundant fruit, Antitrichia curtipendula and Philonotis adpressa, not in fruit, and at a higher elevation. Near Alness in Ross-shire, Hypnum revolvens was the most noticeable moss. 382 The Scottish Naturalist. SOME EEMAEKS ON BRITISH SUBMARINE VAUCHERLE. By Prof. O. NORDSTEDT. IN the "Scottish Naturalist," April, 1886, Mr. E. M. Holmes has published a paper on " British Marine Algae," and, therefore, I may here publish some remarks and additional notes in place of a complete account of this matter, as had previously been my intention. Page 261, I.e. between nos. 7 and 8 there is a line omitted, viz. (b) Oogonia not attached directly to the thallus, but separated from it by a short empty cell. The four lines from the bottom of page 262, and the 4 lines from the top of page 263 : " It differs .... sea water " (except fig. 6 a.) do not belong to V. spharospora, but to V. litorea. It is impossible to decide what species V. vehctina, Harv. really is. The figures and description in " Phycol. Brit," however, do not prevent its being V. sphcerospora. The specimen figured I.e. tab. 321, was gathered at Cushenhall, in Ireland. A specimen from a Scottish locality, mentioned by Harvey, Appin, (on the label, Vaucheria littoralis ; V. velutina, Ag., leg. Capt. Car- michael), I had an opportunity of examining in the Herbrium of the Royal Kew Gardens. In that I met only with V. sphcero- spora. This locality is not far from Ballachulish, where I saw the filaments of V. sphaerospora and V. Thuretii closely woven to- gether. The original specimens of V. velutina, Ag. in Herb. Agardh belong to V. Thuretii Woron. (cfr. "Botan. Notiser," 1878, p. 176). Sometimes the oospore of V. sphceospora is monstrous, not quite globular, but obovate. Being so, it looks like V. subsimplex, Crouan. It is possible that V. sphcerospora and V. subsimplex are identical, but, also, not quite impossible that there is a Vaucheria agreeing with the figures and description in " Flore du Finistere" (1867), p. 133, tab. 10, fig. 1—4. In V. sphaerospora, as in most of the other submarine monoicous species, the antheridia are attached to the oogonium, or some- times immediately beneath it, sometimes at a distance from it, on The Scottish Naturalist. 383 the same thread or less frequently on distinct threads. In the British specimens of V. sphaerospora (as in those gathered by me at Kiel), the antheridia were often, but not always, at a distance from the oogonium. I met with forma monoica as well as f. dioica in Scotland : in the estuary above Portree, in Skye, and at Ballachulish ; in England, at Greenod, in Lancashire (sparingly on sand) ; in immense quantity in the river, one mile on both sides of the bridge at Maldon, in Essex, and in smaller patches on the shore of the Thames at Kew Gardens (consequently in some- what brackish water). In the specimens of V. piloboloides in E. M. Holmes' " Algae Britannicae rariores exsiccatse," No. 50, (from Weymouth), I have met only with V. sp/iaerospora, (the not brownish oospore filling up the oogonium, in one example the curved antheridium was attached directly to the oogonium), and not with V. piloboloides. The latter species also may perhaps exist in the cited No., though I was not able to meet with it there. Filaments of V. sphaerospora 0,35 — 60 m.m. in diam. Oospores o, n — 13 m.m. in diam. Antheridia 0,060 — 75 m.m. broad, by 0,150 — 165 m.m. long. Oospores in the specimens from Appin 0,07 — 0,105 m.m. in diam. V. synandra Woron, in " Botan. Zeitung," 1869. Filaments 0,04 — 9 m.m. in diam. Oospores 0,100 — 125 m.m., broad by 0,125 — r7° m.m, long. The androphore 0,05 — 6 m.m., broad by 0,075 — 9° m-m- long. V. litorea Hofmann Bang et Ag. (in Agardh " Spec. Alg," 1822, p. 463; Nordst. -'Bot. Not," 1879, p. 181, tab. 2, fig. 1—6; V. clavata Lyngb. " Hydroph. Dan.," 1817, p. 78, tab. 21, D exclus. omn. synonym). Filaments 0,05 — 9 m.m. in diam. Antheridia about 0,55 — 65 m.m. long, by 0,055—90 ( — 125) m.m. broad. Oospores, rather small, 0,11 — 15 m.m. broad, by 0,13 — 17 m.m. long. Very few oogonia with oospores were seen by me. I gathered antheridia, but no oospores, in the river, between Dolgelly and Barmouth (near Ferry station), in North Wales, i827/6 85 ; at the other places, both antheridia and oogonia, but very few oospores. In the Herb. Agardh. I have seen a specimen of " V. longipedun- culata " with description and figure, gathered by " David Moore " (in Ireland ?) I never saw a description of that species published. It was the female plant of V. litorea (cfr. "Bot. Not.," 1879). 384 The Scottish Naturalist. V. Thuretii Woron. " Bot. Zeit," 1869. Filaments 0,07 — 9 m.m. broad, Oogonia, inclined, 0,13 — 21 m.m. broad; oospores 0,12 — 20 m.m. broad, by 0,17 — 24 m.m. long. Antheridia oval, sometimes more or less oblique, 0,04 — 5 m.m. broad, by 0,06 — 8 m.m. long. All the submarine Vaucherice can grow together, but often some species (V. dichotoma, (Lin.) Ag., V. litorea) are to be found at lowest tide mark, V. sphaerospora between tide marks, generally above half tide level, V. Thureiti, intermedia and coronata higher up, and V. synandra highest (sometimes among grass). V. sphaerospora can grow in spread threads on sand or in dense masses on mud. According to Woronin, in " Bot. Zeit," vol. 27, V. piloboloides grows in deeper water than the above-mentioned species (probably in quite salt water). All the measures are taken from British specimens. [Vaucheria omithocephala Agardh " Synops. Algar. Scandin," 181 7, is an older name than V. sericea Lyngbye "Hydroph Danise," 181 9. It is not certain that V. sericea, Lyngb. is the same species as V. sericea, Walz, and auct. recent.] EXPLANATION OF PLATE. Fig. 1 — 3. Vaucheria litorea Hofm. Bang et Ag. 1 — 2. With antheridia ; 3, with a long but slender oogonium, 4 — 7. V. sphaerospora Nordst. 5 — 6. Monstrous form of oogonia. 7. Not quite common form of antheridia. 8 — 9. V. Thuretii, Woron. 10 — 11. V. Synandra, Woron. 11. — With two young androphores. Lund, 5th June, 1886. Owing to press of matter we have been forced to hold over till next number Report upon the Fishes of the East Coast of Scotland, by Dr. Howclen ; Report on Fungi of the East of Scotland, by Professor Trail ; A Curious Lichen from Ben Lawers, by Dr. Stirton ; Obituaries of Dr. Ogilvie- Forbes, and of Rev. James leter of Old Deer ; Mycologia Scotica, Supplement ; and several reports of articles in journals, reviews, &c. ERRATA. In the July No. of this Magazine, p. 308, line 8 from top, instead of "brown, with the exception of the tail, which has," &c, read "brown, which, with the exception of the tail, has," &c. P 312, line 14 from top, sub Taxus baccata, delete "89,'' inserted by a copyist's error. — [Ed. Scot. Nat.] mm.. mm. ™ ^-^^ fticE ^r:w ~?^>^§ ^— m - .» ▼ — < • • .-■■. s ► i • m m • '*• •; .off rv ■ ■■m&.