Larus cachinnans, Pall. Is met with here and there on the lakes; a great number have been remarked on one of the islands of Irtiash. Russ., Bolshaja-klusha.

Larus argentatus, L. According to Bogdanoff, it is rather common on the Kama (op. cit., p. 153), but I have not seen it once. Lestris pomarinus and L. parasiticus, according to Nordmann, build in the Gulf of Finland (op. cit., p. 52); Larus minutus (see Eversmann, op. cit., p. 574), according to Lilljeborg, is numerous near Novaya Ladoga (op. cit., p. 110), but in Finland it was killed only once, near Uleaborg (Nordmann, p. 52). I have followed it as far as Pavda. Very strange that Bogdanoff has never met with the Larus canus (op. cit., p. 153), as it is very common in Central Russia. Larus cachinnans, according to Eversmann, is met with on the large lakes of the Kirkiz steppes (op. cit., p. 569). Bogdanoff traced it as far as Samarska Luka Larus argentatus migrates sometimes as far as the Government of Jaroslav, and according to Meshakoff (op. cit., p. 635), even builds in the Government of Vologda.

(op. cit., p. 153).

Sterna hirundo, L. Is met with everywhere; has been also remarked in Pavda, but not common; it is on the lakes. Bashk., Karabash-ak-sardak; Zirián, Voja-kalia.

Sterna nigra, L. It does not go far to the north, and it is not met with higher than 57° N. lat. (on the eastern slope). On the lakes it is more numerous than the Larus minutus. Cherney-rebalow (black-fisherman).

Russ.,

Sterna minuta, L. Much more seldom than the preceding, and does not build on the lakes in colonies. Bashkire, Koba-cash-aksardak. Sterna nigra is very common in the Government of Moscow, and in parts of the Government of Jaroslav. According to Nordmann, it has been only once killed near Abo (op. cit., p. 53). Sterna minuta, according to Nordmann, is distributed as far as the White Sea (op. cit., p. 54). It is not certain whether Sterna leucoptera is met with on the Ural lakes of the eastern slope; it is common on the lakes of the plains in the Governments of Riazan and Tambow, and according to Bogdanoff (op. cit., p. 156), it is met with rather seldom in the Kazan Government. Perhaps Phalocrocorax carbo is also met with on the lakes of the eastern slope.

NOTE.-Owing to the absence of the translator, Mr Craemers, in Russia, this paper may contain some errors in the local names.-ED.

JANUARY 29TH, 1878.

Mr Thomas Chapman, V.P., in the chair.

Captain John William Powlett-Orde, F.Z.S.; Messrs. William Dick Cleland, and William M'Culloch, jun., were elected ordinary members.

The Secretary read a letter from Mr John A. Harvie-Brown, relating to the total wreck of the Union S.S. Co.'s steamer "European" on the Ushant rocks, off the coast of France, in which disaster the vessel foundered with her entire cargo, the passengers alone being saved. Among them was Mr A. J. Grant of New Zealand, who on more than one occasion had sent to the Society interesting papers on the birds of that country, and who had with him two papers intended to form part of the Proceedings of this session. Mr Harvie Brown in his note gave an extract from a letter received from Mr Grant in reference to his loss, as follows:-"Suffice it to say that I have lost everything. Amongst my luggage are things of value I shall never be able to replace: a large box of most valuable books, rare copies, also some very valuable medical books, and a very large collection of beautiful photographs of the scenery of New Zealand, the Sandwich Islands, and Madeira. These things represent only a very small proportion of my loss. Among the things I much regret is a really fine collection of Madeira birds I had made. I had about 130 splendid skins for you, besides a fine collection of plants, etc. All my work for the last six months has gone for nothing. Besides all this, I had worked up a great many of my notes on the birds of New Zealand, and had prepared a number of them ready for printing. I had also numerous notes on the birds of Madeira. It is somewhat disheartening. All has gone! but I am thankful my life has been saved."

Several members expressed their regret at the loss of the valuable papers which Mr Grant intended to have sent to the Society, and the Secretary was instructed to convey an expression of sincere sympathy with him in the misfortune which had caused the destruction of so much valuable property, and by which he was deprived of the results of many years' labour.

It was resolved to enter in the minutes a notice of the death of Mr Charles Malloch, one of the life members of the Society, who, although only lately joining, had previously taken an interest

in the proceedings of the Society, by sending specimens for exhibition. During a recent tour in the United States, he had visited the mammoth caves of Kentucky, and had there obtained specimens of their blind fauna. These were shown by Mr Archibald Robertson, who read a paper descriptive of the caves and their various inhabitants. Mr Malloch was well known in Glasgow, having been prominently connected with several of the benevolent and charitable institutions of the city.

SPECIMENS EXHIBITED.

Mr James Coutts exhibited a number of fine specimens of copalite, a fossil resin from Zanzibar, in which were enclosed insects of various forms, along with bits of wood, leaves of plants, etc. Mr Coutts gave some information regarding the uses to which copalite is applied; and Mr D. C. Glen, F.G.S., also showed a number of examples from the same locality, taken from the collection of Mr James Albert Smith, C.E., one of which enclosed a small and perfect specimen of a scorpion. Mr John Young, F.G.S., made some remarks upon copalite, stating that it was first discovered in the London Clay divisions of the tertiary formation, at Highgate Hill, near London, and named from the locality, Highgate resin. It was afterwards found more abundantly in India. Zanzibar is a third locality for the mineral, where it is found by probing the ground with an iron rod. Mr Young stated that copalite was very closely allied to amber or succinite in its chemical composition and colour, both being resins which had been exuded from various kinds of trees in a semi-fluid condition, and it was while in this viscous state, that insects and impurities got entangled in it. It would be interesting to the members to know that amongst the oxygenated hydro-carbon minerals found in the earth's crust, Bathvillite, named from the Torbanehill cannel, near Bathgate, and even the coal of that locality, approached more closely to copalite and amber in their chemical composition than any other known mineral substance, although the colour and general appearance of the two were very dissimilar.

Dr Francis P. Flemyng, F.R.G.S., exhibited a very fine specimen of the Gar-fish or Sea-pike, Esox belone, which was taken off Dunoon, in the Firth of Clyde, on the 25th of last May. The head and bones were in good preservation. When alive it

measured 28 inches in length and 5 inches in girth. On the back and sides it resembled a very brilliant coloured mackerel, the belly being of a silvery white. The nose ran out to a fine point, measuring 6 inches from the eyes to its needle-like extremity. He likewise showed a very perfect but small specimen of the Spider crab, Naia squinado, found by one of his sons amongst the rocks between Dunoon and Innellan, and the shell of a larger variety, which he had obtained from a fisherman, who had captured it in Lochlong. These were of local interest, especially the Gar-fish, which was one of the largest ever taken in the Clyde. Dr Flemyng also exhibited specimens of the Box-crab, Griphia; the Sponge-crab, Dromia; and the Hermit-crab, Pagurus, from Mauritius; and a very fine skull and tusks of the Babyrussa, Sus babyrussa, from Java; a skull and teeth of a hyaena, the tusks of a wild boar, the tooth and part of the skin of a hippopotamus, the head and horns of a small antelope, and a very fine stuffed specimen of the deadly puff-adder. These, together with a pipe made of assagai wood, and inlaid with lead, and a Kaffir snuff-box of native manufacture, were also from south-eastern Africa. In describing the various objects, Dr Flemyng gave interesting accounts of the incidents connected with the capture of each.

Mr Robert Hill, corresponding member, exhibited a series of finely preserved skins of birds, from Berbice, British Guiana. The collection embraced examples of the Horned owl, Crested eagle, Jay, Climbing bird, Humming bird, etc. With these Mr Hill showed a number of various objects of interest from the same country, Mr John Kirsop and Mr James Lumsden, F.Z.S., making some explanatory remarks on them.

Mr John Kirsop exhibited a fine specimen of a recent brain-coral, Meandrina labyrinthica, from Belize, British Honduras, which measured 18 inches in diameter by 9 inches in height. Mr John Young, F.G.S., spoke of the growth of such corals in the tropical seas in which they are found. Some species of corals grow more rapidly than others. According to Professor Dana, a specimen of Meandrina labyrinthica attained a size of 12 inches in diameter by 4 inches in height in the course of 20 years, while another species only attained a radius of 6 inches in 12 years. The estimated growth upwards of a living coral-reef is apparently very slow, being only one-sixteenth of an inch in the year, or 5 feet in 1000 years.

Mr D. C. Glen, F.G.S., exhibited a number of varieties of coloured sand, which were obtained by Mr James Albert Smith, C.E., during the progress of some engineering operations near Rutherglen, in the old raised sea-beach beds that fringe the shores of the Firth of Clyde at the height of 40 feet above the present sealevel. The sands, which were of varying colours, from yellowishwhite to orange-brown and black, the latter yielding magnetic iron ore in small grains, had evidently been deposited while the sea stood at this former level, as is testified by the occurrence of marine shells in the deposit, such as the common whelk, Littorina littorea and Turritella communis. The beds have also yielded the hinder portions of the skull of a horse, and fragments of ancient pottery.

Mr Peter Cameron exhibited some new or little-known British Hymenoptera, which he described in detail. The collection contained specimens of Nematus dubius, Cam., a new species of the gall-making group, having close affinity with N. pedunculi, but readily distinguishable from it; N. strongylogaster, Cam., a very distinct form, not readily referable to any of the groups into which the genus has been split up; N. crassiventris, Cam.; N. turgidus, Zad.; N. arcticus, Thom.; N. placidus, Cam.; Tenthredo lachlaniana, etc.

PAPER READ.

On the British Phytophagus Hymenoptera. By Mr

PETER CAMERON.

In this paper were enumerated all the British species of the Linnean genera of Tenthredo, Sirex, and Cynips. About 460 species were included in the list, this being more than the number recorded in previous catalogues, in which more than half the species are wrongly identified. As the number stands at present, it compares favourably with that recorded for Continental countries.

FEBRUARY 26TH, 1878.

Professor John Young, M.D., F.G.S., F.R.S.E., President, in the chair.

Messrs. Archibald Campbell and James Archibald Ferguson