Lepus europaeus. Both were partial albinos, the one having patches of white, the rest of the fur being of the normal colour. In the other the whole of the fur was of a uniform shade, giving the animal a bleached appearance. The Rook shown by Mr Robertson was peculiarly interesting from the fact that there was combined on it the two forms, some of the feathers being patched with white, while the others were of an abnormally light shade. Mr Lumsden expressed himself indebted to Mr Martin, Exchange Square, and Mr J. D. Dougall, Gordon Street, for forwarding these specimens for exhibition.

Mr John A. Harvie-Brown, F.Z.S., read to the meeting a circular regarding the "New Falconry Club," which he had been asked by Mr J. E. Harting to bring before the notice of Scottish Naturalists.

APRIL 30TH, 1878.

Mr John Young, F.G.S., Vice-President, in the chair.

Mr Ernest Gibson, Buenos Ayres, was elected a corresponding member, and Messrs. George A. Burns and Alan Cornwall Blackstone, M.A., ordinary members, of the Society.

The Chairman said that since last meeting had occurred the death of Mr Thomas S. Hutcheson, for many years an active and useful member of the Society; and he proposed that a notice of the event should be entered in the record, and a copy of that portion of the minute sent to the brother of the deceased. This proposal having met with the unanimous agreement of the meeting, the Secretary was instructed accordingly.

Mr Hutcheson became a member in 1858, and during his connection with the Society did much to promote its interests and further its usefulness. When in 1860 a library was established, it owed its origin mainly to the exertions of Mr Hutcheson, under whose charge it was at first placed, and he did much to develop it, devoting much time and attention to its management. Of late years he acted as Treasurer to the Society, and besides attending to the duties of that office, he was always ready to give assistance in any other department where his aid might be required. He took a lively and intelligent interest in all that related to his native town, Paisley, being well versed in its history

and literature. He specially directed his attention to everything pertaining to the life and writings of his celebrated townsman, Alexander Wilson, the poet and ornithologist; and he took an active part in promoting the monument to the memory of that distinguished naturalist which was recently inaugurated in Paisley, besides editing an edition of his poems and letters. From failing health, Mr Hutcheson was incapacitated from attending the meetings of the Society for the last two years, and his illness terminated fatally, at Govan, on the 2d of this month.

PAPERS READ.

I.-Notes on the Food of the Long-tailed Duck, Harelda glacialis. By Mr DAVID ROBERTSON, Jun.

The food of birds and fishes often affords much information regarding their habits, and many interesting specimens of natural history have been obtained from their stomachs. The well-known Banff naturalist, Mr Thomas Edwards, and many others, have procured the greater number of their rarest specimens from such sources. Water birds have many opportunities on their feeding grounds of picking up shells not procurable by any ordinary means, the Long-tailed Duck more especially, as it feeds almost exclusively on shell-fish. We have an interesting example of the fact that these ducks are good collectors, in the shells which are now before us, which were taken from the crop of one shot in Skye. It is well known that the Long-tailed Duck is purely a sea-bird, gathering its food wholly beyond tide-mark, and never seen on shore except at the breeding time. It finds most of its food by diving to a depth of from 20 to 80 feet, and remains under the water for a considerable time, picking up the small shell fish attached to the algae and stones on the sea-bottom. I have in my collection several small boxes containing shells taken from the crops of various ducks, and all carefully labelled. When my father was looking over the shells taken from the duck got in Skye, he found two which seemed new to him. He submitted them for examination to Dr Jeffreys, who identified them as belonging to a Mediterranean species, Cyclope neritea, not known to Britain. What makes the fact more interesting is, that owing to one being a young one, he was able to determine them as both belonging to the same species, although formerly considered as two distinct species. As the shells had not

undergone any trituration in the gizzard, it remains for us to suppose either that the duck, after picking up the shells in the Mediterranean, had flown direct to Skye, and was then immediately shot, or else that the shells must have been picked up by the bird near the spot where it was killed. The Long-tailed Duck has very rarely been met with in the Mediterranean, its principal habitat being the northern shores; and taking all the circumstances into account, I think we may allow this bird the undoubted credit of being the means of bringing to light the fact that this shell, hitherto known only as Mediterranean, belongs to the fauna of the British seas.

II.-Notes and Observations on Injured or Diseased Crinoids, also some Short Notes on Fossils. Communicated by Mr JOHN YOUNG, F.G.S. [Second Paper.]

In a short article (read 25th April, 1876, Vol. III., p. 91), descriptions of a series of tumid or barrel-shaped crinoidea, essentially bearing on the various aspects presented during repair of injury and relative phenomena, were given. In prosecuting this subject further, many confirmations of the previous observations were seen, and a few varieties were noted which, perhaps, may be usefully recorded.

Of the specimens referred to, short descriptions follow:

1. A well-preserved specimen of half an inch long,-3 lines diameter at one end, and 4 lines at the other,-attracted notice, as it seemed to have been disturbed in its natural growth. There was, however, no thickening of the apparently involved ossicula, no enlargement of surface ornamentation, no staining of stem,— indications, which, when present, may be pronounced pathognomenic of injured and healing stems. On this account it was about to be thrown aside, when a small neat patch on the stem was observed. This patch was of one piece-not traversed by the separation lines of the individual ossicles, although bearing the same granular character of surface markings.

On examination it appeared to be a specimen of a completely healed-up scar of a broken off branch,-not by attempted reproduction, but by a simple filling up of the gap and its angles, presenting a small elevation on the stem.

2. The above observations brought to memory a little detached specimen, rounded on one side, and flat, bearing joint radiations,

on the other, a specimen that had been often looked at, without suggesting any satisfactory purpose in use. No doubt this is a detached patch similar to that above noticed. Little acquainted with the observations of others, or with the special literature regarding crinoids, one may possibly be dealing thus, innocently, with well known facts; but what is seen among thousands of fragments only once in fifty years, gives a kind of guarantee for claiming such facts to be new or rare.

3. A markedly tumid specimen, depressed and incurved on one side, seemed a good example of an injured or diseased stem, the depression being filled up with a sort of plug of mineral matter. There is no decided thickening of the tumid ossicles, nor any decided enlargement of surface ornamentation, but staining of the stem around and under the depression is distinct. The plug, doubtless, has nothing to do in the production of the observed tumidity.

4. This specimen distinctly, though slightly, tumid, with little depression on one side, is also a diseased production. The slight swelling seems to have been less gradual than common. Two ossicles curve rather abruptly outward, including three others somewhat raised and slightly thickened, but little rounded or bulged. The under part of one of the union scars of a now detached branch indicates that it had been connected to the living animal, and so far involved in the diseased and healing process, the process of union of the branch bearing the marks of altered form, or of repair, if not of symmetrical restoration. It is evident that destruction and healing of parts existed partially under the branch when attached, which is exceptional. In this instance, the surface markings are enlarged near the injury, and the characteristic staining of the stem also exists, with notable restoration of ossicles and lines of separation.

These instances, with those formerly given, present all the features that the specimens collected and preserved afford of the varieties of the "tumid," "swelled out," or "barrel-shaped" crinoidea.

In the former paper the sockets, cup-shaped cavities, or variously formed fixed foot, or supporting base of the crinoidea, were incidentally alluded to. A few words now may be added. During long years of observation by the writer, these sockets, with various other adventitious structures, were always seen to

be numerous on broken stems, but bore little evidence to explain their nature to one ignorant of marine organisms other than fossil; and it may be said to be a comparatively recent revelation that determined positively these sockets of crinoids.

A. Is a type specimen of a socket of a crinoid, one may suppose, from its rarity. It is an inverted cone, in a mass of calcareous matter, wider than deep, with ratch-like work inside of the rim, smooth sides, expanding at the bottom somewhat. Suppose a pivot adapted to work in this socket attached to the bottom by a ligament, and the fixture and movements may be thoroughly comprehended. The pivot supposed above needed little farther illustration, but since the reading of the former paper, that, too, has absolutely been found.

B. In this confused-looking specimen, covered almost with the numerous basement portions of crinoids, there is one easily observed to be dislocated, the socket and pivot being appositely seen. Another shows the pivot, in situ, with ratch-work corresponding to the socket. The demonstration, therefore, may be pronounced satisfactory.

Adventitious structures on crinoidal fragments.

The stems of crinoids, in countless numbers, are often peopled strangely, constituting, in a sense, a little world for study. A few observations relating to these, restricted at present to Stenopora Diastopora, and Archaeopora, so plentifully found on the stems of crinoidea in limestone strata of the Carboniferous epoch, may be made, with the view of pointing out certain characteristic habits.

1. Stenopora tumida.-Observing for long years this coralloid, and carefully re-examining thirty specimens attached in clusters to varieties of marine exuviae, but commonly to one side of the larger and much worn or abraded stems of Poteriocrinus crassus (specimen A), facts were noted which merit record. Fifteen of that number present not only these clustered specimens, but specimens with clusters which extend more or less to both ends (specimen B). The clusters, in some instances, appear to spring from several centres, which coalesce (specimen c). The site of the clusters, their extent and behaviour, indicate that the crinoids had evidently been dead, and partially buried, before the little active colony took possession. Nine of thirty specimens occupy only one side of the crinoid. Three specimens are