«&c * 5§£ s3 THE Scottish Naturalist: A MAGAZINE OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY. EDITED BY F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M. D. Vol u m e I. Gabh fradharc air bad agus sliabh." " FlONNGHAL.' PERTH: Perthshire Society of Natural Science. Edinburgh : MacLachlan and Stewart, South Bridge. Glasgow : J. Maclehose, 61 St. Vincent Street. Aberdeen : J. Wilson, Castle Street. London : E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C. 1871-1872. Perth : Printed by Christie & Tainsh. PREFACE. The Scottish Naturalist having now completed the second year of its existence, the Editor avails himself of the conclusion of the first volume to congratulate his friends — the contributors and subscribers — and himself on the amount of success that their magazine has attained. In the matter of contributions, suggestions have been made that more papers of a " popular" nature should be introduced. The Editor has no objections to insert such papers, always pro- vided that science and truth be not relinquished (as is too often the case) for the sake of " popularity." Complaints, too, have been received from some botanical readers, that their depart- ment is not sufficiently represented. While admitting that such is unfortunately the case, the Editor would suggest that the remedy lies in the complainers' own hands, — let them provide the papers, he will be only too happy to give them admission. Financially The Scottish Naturalist has been also successful. Not only are all expenses of publication defrayed, but, if subscribers would kindly remember that their subscriptions are due in advance, there would be a sufficient surplus to allow of more frequent illustrations, or even of an increase of size with- out an increase of price. In returning thanks for all the kind assistance received, the Editor hopes that the supporters of the magazine will continue their help, and endeavour to increase the circulation more and more. September, 1872. INDEX. Page Preface, General Index Special Index— Mammals Birds . Fishes . Molluscs Insects . Crustacea V. . xi. xi. xi xii xii xii xvii Plage iii. Special Index — Plants . . . x\ii. Genera, Species, &c, new to Science xix ,, ,, Scotland xix List of Contributors . xx. Illustrations . . . xxi Errata .... xxii G E N E R A L I N D E X. Acentropus hiveus in Scotland Additions to the Scottish Insect-Fauna Address, Editorial Affection of Polyommatus Artaxerxes for blue flower Albino Wild Duck Allan-Water, On the "Yellow-fins" of the Altitudes attained by certain plants, The . Anacalypta latifolia in Perthshire, Occurrence of Anthomyia Jacobsese . ,, sonchi Anticlea sinuata taken in Scotland ,, , Another Scottish locality for Araucaria imbricata, Flowering of Arrival of the Squirrel in Sutherland ,, Swallow, Early Association in Edinburgh, The British Aster longifolius Attraction for Moths, On Light as an Baleen Whales of the North-east of Scotland, The Bedeguar of the Rose, The Bembidium paludosum near Gla; Betula Birds at Aberdeen, Rare ,, in Aberdeenshire, Rare 119, Page 20 42 1 269 227 160 272 254 209 215 96, 2 3 5 82 226 129 2 3 212 I02 Il6 177 197 226 154 40152 VI. Index, Birds of Aberdeenshire „ ,, , Notes on certain ,, of the North-east of Aberdeenshire, The ,, in Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, Rare ,, Extinction of rare ,, of the east of Fife, Rare ,, found at Rosslyn and neighbourhood Bohemian Wax-wing in Aberdeenshire ,, >> in Fife Bombus terrestris Breeding of the Jacksnipe in Aberdeenshire British Association in Edinburgh, The ,, Species of Crambus, The Capercaillie, The ,, Note on the Capture of Noctua ditrapezium in Scotland ,, Noctua sobrina ,, Notodonta trepida ,, Xylophasia Zollikoferi Captures of Lepidoptera at Rannoch Early . Carabus nitens Cat suckling kittens, rabbits, and squirrels Cats, Wild . Cause of Deafness, Rare Cerastium triviale var. alpinum . Chaffinch, Early singing of Choerocampa celerio . Coleoptera of Scotland, The ,, the Scotch Fir, The Conyza squarrosa near Perth Correction of Error Corrections to list of Rosslyn Birds Cotton Gall of the Oak, The Crambus myellus in Aberdeenshire ,, The British Species of . ,, Warringtonellus Crustacea of the north-east of Scotland, The Stalk-eyed Crymodes exulis, Note on the habits of Cucullia chamomillce in Fife Cynips lignicola Dasypolia templi, Capture of Deafness, Rare cause of I teilephila livornica at Bridge of Allan Description of a Scottish Fungus new to Science " I )cvonshire Woody Gall " of the Oak at one time, A 19 83 129 135. l6 9 155 155, 182 212 128 1 82 116 202, 242, 35, iSi, 277 36 272 160 181 117 117 169 19 182 266 116 266 20, 42 212 268 Index. VII. Diptera, Memoirs on Scottish Dog, Insanity in a Domesticated Robins . Dyschirius aeneus, Scottish locality for Early arrival of the Swallow ,, captures of Lepidoptera Entomology, Popular ,, The Study of Extinction of rare birds Family, A happy . , Flora, The Student's ; (Review) Flowering of Araucaria imbricata Formica rufa and its Inhabitants, The Nest of Fungi .... Fungus Feast ,, new to Science, Description of a Scottish Flora of the north-east of Scotland, Recent additions to the Gall of the Oak, The Devonshire Woody ,, The Cotton Galls, Scottish . . . 123, 1 ,, in Scotland „ Note on Leaf . General Information . Glaucous Gull, The Greenland Shark, The Grimmia, A new British Habits of Crymodes exulis, Note on Happy Family, A Helix lapicida near Hawick 11 nemoralis, Reversed variety of Hemiptera, Notes on Scottish Hybrid between Capercailzie and Black Grouse Hylophila prasinana, Note on the Sound made by Improved Method of preparing plants for the Herbarium, An Improvement of Loch Trout, A suggestion for the Information, General Insanity in a dog Insecta Scotica, Introduction to Is a Parr a young salmon ? Jack-snipe in Aberdeenshire, Breeding of the Lasciocampa potatoria, Note on Lepidoptera at Rannoch, Captures of ,, Early captures of . 117, 209 nS 268 216, 116 117 56, 192, 234 154 266 20 47 47 23 266 155 268 155 223, 263 96, "5 213 Vlll. Index. Lepidoptera, Notes on ,, of Ayrshire, The . ,, of Scotland . . . 162, „ of the Scotch Fir, The Lepigonum rupestre in Scotland Leucopis obscura Light as' an attraction for moths, On Local Plant-names Madness in Animals Maigre at Aberdeen, The Megachile centuncularis Memoirs on Scottish Diptera Microscopical Puzzles Misletoe in Scotland, The Mixodia Bouchardana, New locality for Mollusca of the North-east of Scotland, The ; (Review) Monstrosity of Scabiosa succisa . Mosses found in the vicinity of Forres, List of Museum of Natural History, Bridge of Allan ,, Paisley Free . Natural Science Chairs in our Universities . Nest of Formica rufa and its Inhabitants, The Nesting of the Ptarmigan New British Grimmia, A Nidincation of the Tree-Sparrow, Note on Noctua ditrapezium in Scotland, Capture of ,, sobrina, Capture of Nocture occurring in Morayshire, List of Note on Acilius fasciatus ,, Lasciocampa potatoria . ,, Leaf Galls ,, the habits of Crymodes exulis ,, the record in Gray'.-, " Birds of the West of Scotland of the occurrence of the Little Crake ,, the sound made by Hylophila prasinana Notes on Scottish Hemiptera ,, Various ... 93, 128, I Notodonta trepida, Capture of . Nuphar pumila Occurrence of the Maigre at Aberdeen ,, Vanessa polychloros in Scotland On light as an attraction for Moths On the "yellow-fins" of the Allan-Water . Ophiodes lunaris, Capture of Origin of Species, The »5 75 198, 238, 273 86 57 256 212 128 49 58 222 77, 209, 254 237 73 176 14 128 54,88 94 5o 2, 60 216, 258 112 23 19, 46 267 42 16 265 176 266 266 269 213 223, 263 60, 197, 236 154 73 58 267 212 227 215 98 Index. Paisley Free Museum Pararge Megaera .... Peewit, The .... Persistent Vitality of a Shark's Heart Plant-names, Local .... ,, Scottish Polyommatus Artaxerxes, Habit of Popular Entomology .... Preparing plants for the Herbarium, An improved method of Ptarmigan, Nesting of Puzzles, Microscopical Pyrochroa pectinicornis 5° 267 5o 49 128 52 43 266 270 112 257 20, 43 Rainfall of Soctland, The Rare birds at Aberdeen ,, ,, Fyvie, Aberdeenshire ,, Cause of Deafness Recent additions to the Flora of the North-east of Scotland Report on the Open-air Vegetation of the Edin. Royal Botanic Garden Reversed variety of Helix nemoralis Reviews and Notices of Books : — " A Gallovidian Encyclopedia," J. M'Taggart, 1824 "Botanical Exchange Club Report for 1871" " Catalogue of the Mollusca of the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray, and of the neighbouring seas," R. Dawson, A. M " Feuille des Jeunes Naturalistes" "Grevillea" .... "Handbook of British Fungi," M. C. Cook, M.A. "Journal of Botany" "Journal of the Scottish Meteorological Society" "List of Fungi collected near Forres," Rev. J. Keith, M. " Petites Nouvelles Entomologiques" "The Birds of Europe," Messrs. Sharp & Dresser "The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," vol. 7 "The Student's Flora of the British Isles," J. D. Hooker M.D. Rose, The Bedeguar of the Rosslyn Birds, Correction to list of Scabiosa succisa, Monstrosity of Scotch Fir, The Coleoptera of . ,, The Lepidoptera of Scotland, The Coleoptera of ,, The Lepidoptera of Scottish Diptera, Memoirs on , , Form of Zygaena exulans, The ,, Fungus new to Science, Description of a Galls C.B. 160 226 226 212 272 95 155 53 92 14 197 197 125 237 160, 237 125 197 93 93 21 116 181 128 36 86 202, 242, 277 162, 198, 238, 273 177, 209, 254 174 192 123, 156, 192, 234 X. Index. Scottish Hemiptera, Notes on . „ Locality for Anticlea sinuata, Another fl ,, Dyschirius aeneus ,, Plants, Notes on Scottish Societies, Proceedings of — Aberdeen Natural History Society . Alloa Society of Natural Science and Archaeology Botanical Society of Edinburgh Dundee Microspical Society Geological Society of Glasgow Natural History Society of Glasgow Perth Literary and Antiquarian Society Perthshire Society of Natural Science Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh Scottish Spiders Sesia bembeciformis in Fife ,, philanthiformis in Aberdeenshire Sound made by Hylophila prasinana, Note on Species, The Origin of Sperm-Whale of the north-east of Scotland, The Sphinx convolvuli in Orkney Spiders, Scottish Squirrel in Sutherland, Arrival of the Squirrels .... ,, in the north of Scotland Stalk-eyed Crustacea of the north-east of Scotland, The Steganoptycha augustana, Capture of Student's Flora, The ; (Review) Study of Entomology, The Sugaring — How, When and Where to do it Sugaring near Paisley Suggestion for the Improvement of Loch Trout, A Swallow, Early arrival of Tetraonidae of Perthshire, The . Trechus longicornis, Capture of Tree-sparrow, Note on the nidification of . Trout, A suggestion for the Improvement of Loch Vanessa Antiopa in Aberdeenshire ,, ,, Berwickshire ,, ,, Forfarshire . ,, ,, Morayshire . ,, ,, Perthshire Various notes Wax-wing in Aberdeenshire, Bohemian Fife, Whale of the North-east of Scotland, The Sperm 24, 154 93, 128, 1 6o, 223, 263 215 212 92, 157 58 28 59,95 27 27 26 60 60, 96 26 191 76 87 213 98 142 118 191 82 19 49 182 176 21 249 29 18 94 226 112 212 19,46 94 267 266 267 267 266 [97, 236 154 226 142 Index. \\. Whales of the North-east of Scotland, The Baleen » Wildcats ..... Wild Duck, Albino .... Wilson's American Ornithology, Original Drawings of Wood Warbler, The . Work and Influence of Local Natural History Societies Xylophasia Zollikoferi, Capture of " Yellow-fins " of the Allan- Water, On the Zelleria, A new British Zoophytes from the North-east of Scotland, Hydroid Zygaena exulans, The Scottish form of 102 155 269 51 269 9 267 227 176 190 174 SPECIAL INDEX. MAMMALS. Page Page Balsena biscayensis 104 Black Tern 26 ,, mysticetus 102 Blue-throated Redstart Baloenoptera musculus 105 Bohemian Wax-wing 154. 226 ,, rorqual 108 Capercaillie 43, 82, 114 ,, rostrata 1 10 Chaffinch 182 ,, Sibbaldii 106 108 Common Bittern 79 ,, sulcata 108 Dotterel 79 Broad-nosed Whale 108 Fieldfare 181 Cachalot 142 Forked-tailed Petrel 81 Dog 118 Fringilla spinus . 181 Greenland Whale 102 Fulmar Petrel 81 Johnston's Humpbacked ' Whale 105 Glaucous Gull 47 Megaptera longimana 104 149 Golden Eagle 85 Physalus antiquorum 104 105 Goosander 80 Physeter cotodon 146 Grasshopper Warbler 84 ,, macrocephalus 142 Great Grey Shrike 79 ,, microps 146 ,, Northern Diver 81 ,, tursio . 147 „ Plover 79 Pike Whale no ,, Shrike 85 Razor-backed Whale 105 ,, Snipe 154 Sperm Whale 142 ,, Spotted Woodpec >> var .Phi Cynips divisa 234 loxenus 201 ,, gemmae . 234 * ,, Typhon 202 ,, Kollari . 117 * Colias Edusa . 75, 241 ,, lignicola (Kollari 1 181 234 * ,, Palaeno 240 Formica congerens 222 Crambus alienellus 139 , , rufa 222 ,, alpinellus 137 Megachile centuncularis 222 ,, cassentiniellus 140 Nematus saliceti 197 ,, cerusellus '37 Neuroterus lenticularis 196 ,, chrysonuchellus 141 ,, numismatis 196 ,, conchellus 169 Rhodites eglanteriae 196 ,, contaminellus . 172 ,, rosae 196 ,, craterellus 140 ft spinosissimae 196 ,, culmellus 171 Index. xv. Crambus deliellus 173 Dasydia obfuscata 115, 117, 118 >f dumetellus 139 Dasypolia templi 20 , 42, 213 >> ericellus 138 Deilephila galii . 24 >» extinctellus • 138 ,, livornica 268 j> falsellus • 136, 141 Ellopia fasciaria 86 »> fascelinellus • 136, 171 ,, prosapiaria 86 ,, fulgidellus 170 Epigraphia avellanella . 176 ,, furcatellus 170 * Erebia yEthiops 238 »> geniculeus 172 * ,, Blandina 76, 117*238 >> hamellus 138 * ,, Cassiope 238 >> Heringiellus 139 * ,, Epiphron 238 >> hortuellus • 136, 140 • ,, Euryale 239 »> inquinatellus 171 * ,, lappona 238 >> jocundellus 171 * „ Ligea . 239 >5 latistrius 170 * ,, Medusa 239 » lithargyrellus 174 Eupithecia abietaria 87 luctiferellus 170 ,, indigata 86 luteellus 173 ,, lanceata 87 maculalis 141 „ togata 87 margaritellus, I 17,136 170 Fidonia conspicuata 117 ,, var. ang icanus 170 ,, pinetaria 117 myellus 117,169 ,, piniaria 86 mytilellus 169 Gelechia confinis 42 pascuellus 138 Gnophos obscuraria "5 pedriolellus 171 Grapholitha coniferana . 87 perlellus 171 ,, cosmophorana 87 permutatellus 170 „ tedella 87 pinellus 136, 169 Heliothis marginata 18, 24 pinetella 169 ♦Hepialusganna 276 pratellus 136, 139 * „ hecta . 276 pyramidellus . 170 * ,, humuli 275 radiellus 171 * „ ,, var. hethlandica 275 ramosellus 171 * ,, lupulinus 276 rhombellus 169 * ,, sylvinus 275 rorella 140 • ,, velleda 276 rostellus 174 * >> 11 ab. gallicus 276 selasellus 173 * Hesperia comma 275 speculalis 170 * ,, linea 274 spuriellus 171 * ,, lineola 275 sylvellus 138 * Hesperia sylvanus 275 tristellus 173 * ,, Thaumas 274 truncatellus 141 Hybernia leucophaearia . 176 uliginosellus 139 Hylophila prasinana 213 Warringtonellu? I9> 174 ,, quercana 213 Crymod es exulis 266 Lasciocampa potatoria . 176 Cucullia chamomillae 116 * Lasiommata Egeria 75. 199 Cym atophora flavicornis 17. 176 * „ Megaera . 75.200 XVI. Index. •Lycaena JEgon 273 * ,, Argiolus 273 * ,, Alexis . 78, 241 * ,, Alsus . . 78, 241 * ,, Artaxerxes 241 • ,, Astrarche 241 * ,, Icarus 241 • ,, Medon 241 • ,, minima 241 Macaria liturata 86 Melanthia rubiginata var. plum- bata 117 * Melitasa Artemis 7 7, 117, 167 * ,, Aurinia 167 Myrmecocela ochraceella 259 * Xemeobius Lucina 239 Noctua depuncta 17,24 „ ditrapezium 267 ,, sobrina . • 42,117 Nonagria fulva . 17, 19, 2ie ,, lutosa . u8 Notodonta trepida 154 Ocnerostoma piniariella 87 CEcophora similella 87 Ophiodes lunaris 215 * Pararge /Egeria var. E gerides 199 * ,, Megaera . 200, 267 * Parnassius Apollo 240 * Pieris brassicae • 75» 239 * ,, napi • 75. 240 * ,, rapae • 75- 239 Phigalia pilosaria 118 176 Phlogophora meticulosa 18, 19,42, 213 Phycis abietella . 87 * Polyommatus Artaxerx es 42, 78, 241 * ,, Ph loeas . 75,273 Retinia duplana . . 87 ,, resinella . 87 Sarrothripa revayana . 176 * Satyrus Hyperanthus . 76,201 * ,, Ilyperantus . 201 * m »» ab. Arete 201 * ,, Janira . 75, 20O * ,, n var. splendida 200 * ,, Semele . 75,200 * Satyrus Tithonus S copula ferrugalis Selenia illustraria Sesia bembeciformis ,, philanthiformis Smerinthus ocellatus Sphinx convolvuli Spilodes sticticalis Steganoptycha augustana 76,200 118 117 54, 176 24,87 117 118 118 176 Bouchardana 87,176 176 87 42 274 274 176 115 • 78, 274 77,H5, 274 77, "5, 273 87 87 18,19,86,176 H7 ,, cruciana ,, Ratzeburgiana Swammerdamia nanivora * Syrichtus alveolus * ,, malvae Taeniocampa cruda Tephrosia crepuscularia *Thanaos Tages *Thecla quercus * ,, rubi Thera firmata , , variata Trachea piniperda Trichiura crataegi Triphaena orbona, var. Curtisii 118 ♦Vanessa Antiopa 199, 266, 267 * ,, Atalanta . 76, 199 * ,, cardui . 76, 199 * „ Io . . 76, 198 ,, polychloros . 267 * ,, urticae . 77, 198 Xylophasia Zollikoferi . 267 Zelleria saxifragae . 176 Zygsena exulans . 174 ,, ,, var. subochracea 175 ,, ,, var. vanadis 175 SPIDERS AND MITES. Batoneus populi . 155 Clubiona reclusa . . 191 Epeira bella . . 19 1 ,, prominens . 191 Linyphia cauta . . 19 1 ,, circumspecta . 191 ,, crypticolens . 191 ,, decolor . 191 ,, ericaea . 19 1 Index. XVll. Linyphia gracilis . 191 t Carduus arvensis 156 Oribata geniculata 155 Carex aquatilis var. Watsoni 93 272 Theridion 191 Carsons 54 Walckensera depressa 191 Centaurea jacea 24 ,, nemoral s 191 ,, praten>is 24 ,, nudipalpis 191 Cerastium triviale var. alpinum, ,, punctata 191 Cheiranthus cheiri 128, 272 22 CRUSTACEA. Chenopodium rubrum, var Acanthocaris 185 pseudo-botryoides 92 ,, Livingstoneana 185 Cleavers 53 Gammarus pulex 94 Coltsfoot 53 Rhoda . 187 Conyza squarrosa 272 ,, Jardineana 187 Coprinus comatus 25 Thysanoessa aberdonensis 188 Cotton Thistle . 54 PLANTS. Crab apple 54 Those marked t occur in the lints of Cranberry 53 Scottish Galls. Crataegus oxyacantha 23 + Abies communis • 194 235 Cuscuta trifolii ' . 92 + Achillea millefolium '57 t Cytisus scoparius 195 t ,, ptarmica 157 Dishalago 53 Agaricus cam pest ris • 2 5 26, Dodjell Reepan 54 ,, procerus 26 I ►oronicum pardalianches 160 , , rubescens 26 Earth-nuts 53 Allium carinatum 93 Echium vulgare 23 f Alnus glutinosa 194 t Equisetum 195 -55 Amanita strobiliformis 25 Eriophorum alpinum 100 Anacalypta latifolia 272 Exobasidium vaccinii 1 Go Araucaria imbricate • 96, 235 t Fagus sylvatica 235 Aster brumal is . 23 Fistulina hepatica 127 ,, longifolius 23 Fows 53 ,, novi-belgii 23 + Fraxinus excelsior 158. 196 ,, prenanthoides 23 French Sourock 53 ,, puniceus . 23 t Galium boreale 156 ,, salignus 23 + ,. palustre 156 Betula humilis 197 f ,. verum 156 ,, intermedia 197 Gall-busses 53 ,, nana 197 Geranium pyrenaicum 23 Bird-cherry 54 ( Irinimia Ungeri 2 3 Boletus edulis 25 , 26 Gowlans . • 53 t Brassica oleracea 195, 235 Gowlins 53 Bullace 53 Kagberry 54 Bullister 53 Hech-how 53 Butomus umbellatus 59 Hemlock 53 Campanula r-apunculoides > 23 Hesperis matronalis 22 t ,, rotund ifolia . 157 t Hieracium boreale 157, 196 Cantharellus cibarius 25 „ collinum 9 2 XV111. Index, Hieracium dubium 92 + Prunus padus . 124 ,, pedunculat am 92 Pyrus malus 23 ,, praealtum 92 „ scandica 92 ,, stoloniferur Q 92 Ragwort 54 Honeysuckle 54 Reseda lutea 22 Homecks 53 ,, luteola . 22 House-leek 53 Rhamnus frangula 23 Hydnum repandum 26 Robin-rin-the -hedge 53 Juncus biglumis 93 Rosa arvensis 23 t Juniperus communis 194 t ,, canina • 124, 196 Lactarius deliciosus 26 „ rubiginosa . 23 Lady's Clover 54 t ,, spinosissima . 124, 196 Lamium album 22 Rumex conspersus 93 Lepigonum marinum 57 ,, hydrolapathum 92 ,, neglectum 57 t Salix alba 159 , , rupestre 57 t ,, arbuscula 193 Lepiota procerus 25 f ,, aurita 192 Ligustrum vulgare 23 f ,, caprea 159 Linaria cymbalaria 23 f „ fragilis • i59. '97 Listera nidus-avis 23 f ,, lapponum 193 Lychnis alpina . 128 f ,, nigricans 192 Maianthemum bifolium 93 f ,, repens 192 Malva rotundifolia 22 f ,, viminalis 193 Marasmius oreades 25 Samphire 53 Meadow-rocket . 54 Saxifraga tridactylites 23 t Mercurialis perennis 158 Scabiosa succisa 128 Monkshood 54 Scheuchzeria palustris 25 Moonog . 53 Schoenus mariscus 160 Morchella esculenta 2 5 " Scotch Thistle" 54 Mountain Ash 54 Scribe Tree 54 Flax . 54 Sedum reflexum 23 Mount Caper 54 Sloe 53 Musk Thistle 54 Solanum dulcamara 23 Myrrhis odorata . 23 Sourock . 54 Nasturtium sylvestre 22 Spear Thistle 54 Nuphar pumila . 93 f Spiraea ulmaria 124, 196 CEnanthe pimpinelloides 24 Sweet-Gale 53 Old Wives' Mutches 54 Symphytum officinale 23 Pasper 53 + Thymus serpyllum 158 Pimpinella magna 24 Tormentil 54 t ,, saxifraga 125 fTrifolium repens 195 Pimroses . . 53 t Triticum junceum 195 Pinguicula lusitanica 23 t ,, repens 194 Plumrocks 53 t Urtica dioica . J 59 Potamogeton nitens 93 Utricularia minor 2 3 Poterium sanguisorba 23 t Vaccinium vitis-idaea . 158, 160 Primrose 53 Venturia atramentaria 192 t Prunus communis 124, 196 ,, Dickei 192 Index. xix. Venturia myrtilli Verbascum thapsus t Veronica chamaedrys + Vicia sepium . 192 t Viola canina 23 Weeby . 158 Woodbine 124 Wood-sorrel [24 54 54 54 LIST OF NEW GENERA, INSECTS. Diptera. Anthomyia Jacobsese Hardy 254 ,, sonchi Hardy 209 Honiptera. Teratocoris viridis£>. &> S. {fern. ) 225 Lepidoptcra- tCrambushortuellus//. , ab. fus- cescentellus Buchanan White . . 140 f Crambus margaritellus //., var. anglicanus Buchanan White . . 170 t Dtscribed but not named before. &*&, described in this Volume. Epinephele Janira L., var. (and ab.) splendida Buchanan White 200 Zygaena exulans Hchwh., var. subochracea Buchanan White . . 175 CRUSTACEA. ACANTHOCARIS Sim A. Livingstoneana Sim . RHODA Sim R. Jardineana Sim Thysanoessa aberdonensi*. Sim 1S5 1S5 187 187 188 PLANTS. Venturia atramentaria Cooke 192 ADDITIOSS TO THE SCOTTISH FAUNA AND FLORA brought forward in t/iis Volume. These marked * are additions to the British list. BIBDS. Honiptera. Sylvia suecica 226 Monanthia humuli 265 * Piezostethus formicetomm 260 MOLLUSCS. * Teratocoris viridis (female) 225 Helix lapicida . 268 * Ulopa obtecta (winged) 263 INSECTS. Hymenoptera. Colcoptera. Andricus curvator 234 Dinarda Maerkeli 261 ,, ramuli. (Cotton Gall) 117 Myrmetes piceus 261 Cynips lignicola (Kollari) 116 Quedius brevis . 261 Rhodites eglanteriae 196 Trechus longicornis, 212 ,, spinosissimac . Lepidoptera . 196 Diptera. Anticlea sinuata 42 * Anthomyia Jacobaeae . 254 * Epinephele janira, var. splen- ,, sonchi 209 dida 200 Leucopis obscura 256 Xoctua ditrapezium 267 Index. ( >phiodes lumaris . 215 moptycha augustana 107 Vanessa polychloros . 267 Xylophasia Zollikoferi . 267 * Zelleria saxifragae - . 1 76 * Zygsena exulans, var. suboch- racea . . 175 SPIDEKS. Clubiona reclusa . 19 l Epeira prominens . 191 Linyphia cauta . . 191 „ circumspecta . 191 ,, crypticolens . 191 ,, decolor . 191 ,, ericaea . . 191 Walckenaera depre.->sa 191 ,, nemoralis . 191 ,, nudipalpis . 191 ,. punctata 191 CRUSTACEA. * Acanthocaris . . 185 * A. Livingstoneana . 185 *Rhoda. . . 187 * R. Jardineana . 187 * Thysanoessa aberdonensis 1 88 PLANTS. * Cerastium triviale, var. alpinum 1 28 Lepigonum rupestre . 57 * Venturia atranentaria, . 192 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. Barrett, C. G. . . 163 Birchall, E. . . 163 Bloomfield, Rev. E. N., M.A. 35 Bold, T. J. . . 212 Bond. F., F.Z.S. . 163 Britten, J., F.L.S. . 128 Brown, J. A. Harvie . 46, 82 Buckler, W. . . 35' l66 Burnett, S. M. . . 83 Buxton, E. C. . . 163 Cameron, P. . 177,265,266 Cameron, W. . . 163 Chapman, Algernon, M. D. 163 Chapman, T. . . 163 Cooke, M. C, M.A. . 192 Cooke, N. . . 163 Cooper, J. . . 163 Dale, J. C, M.A , F.L.S. 163 Davidson. A. . . 1 63 Doubledny, Henry . iSi Drummond Hay, Col. II. M. 269, 270 Duncan, J. P. . . 75, 163 Duncanson, J. J. Kirk, M.D. 212 imore, J. ii, 163, 176, 204 Forbes, 1 1. ( >. 47, 1 16, 190 Fraser, Rev. J., M.A. 235 Garrow, James 82, 154, 267 Gill, Battershell, M.D. 163 Gordon, Rev. G., LL.D. 9.94. 163 204 Gray, Robert 43 >47 Gurney, J. H., jr., F.Z.S. 82, 269 Guthrie, A. 163 Guthrie, W. G. 268 Hardy, J. 116. 163, 167 181, 191 209, 254 Harker, J. Allen 9, 19, 20, 50 > 73 249 Herd, W. . 20, "5 155. 163 Hislop, R. 20, 204, 212 Hodgkinson, J. B. 163 Hutchinson, T. 42 H7, 163 Jamieson, Melville, jr J 54 Jardine, Miss 163 Jardine, Sir W., Bart. , F.R.S. 163 Jenner Fust. H., jr. 163, 176 Keith, Rev. J., M.A. 54 ,88 Kelly, A. 163 Lamb, J. 163 Lennon, W. 163 Lindsay, W. Lauder, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. n ,60 Lumsden, James 269 Marshall, T. 163, 215 Meek, E. G. 163 Moncreiffe, Sir T., Bart. I6 3 , 176 Index. xxi. Morison. D. P. . • ' 6 3 Muller, Albert, F.L.S. . 266 M'Intosh, William C, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. 227 Norman, G. 16, 154, 163, 181, 182 267 Paterson, W. D., M.D. 163, 268 Paton, R. . . 112, 155 Peebles, J. W. . . 163 Robinson, W. Douglas 163,226,260 Roy, John Scott, A. T. Sharp, D., M.B. Shaw, W. Sim, t^. Sim, George Sim, John Simpson, A. Simson, W. B. 3 6 > 43> 242, 272 116, 226 1 1 8, 202 277 I54, 182 266 226 226 272 42, 163 267 Stainton, H. T., F.R.S., &c. 193 Stewart, James . • 43' l6 3 Stewart, John . . 163, 176 Syme, J. Boswell, LL. D. , F. L. S. 20, 42, 116, 154, 163, 176 Thomson, J. . . J 63 Traill, J. W. H., M.A. 48, 87, 117 118, 123, 155, 156, 163, 192, 212, 234, 267, 269 Walker, R.,F.G.S.E. 78, 102, 142 222 Wedderburn, Lieut.-Col. J. M. 192 181 Wilson, A. . 163 White, F. Buchanan, M.D. 29, 42 57,86, 117,119,128,135 157, [61, 169, 174, 176, 198, 204, 213, 216, 238, 258, 263, 266, 267, 273 ILL USTRA TIONS. * Piute I.— North Sea, showing the 40 fathom line along the coasts of Scotland and north of England . 1 5 Plat© II. I. Balaena faemina pinis et cauda sinuatis . 145 2. Balaena Macroccphala in faciem obversa, ut dorsum appareat . . . • 145 3. Eadem in latus decumbens . . *45 4. Pediculus ceti, Bocconi . . . 148 5. Vertebra. Front view . . . 15 l 6. ,, Side view . . . 15 1 Piate III. Map of Scotland showing the divisions adopted in the " Insecta Scotica'' . . . 161 Plate IV. A. 1. Rhoda Jardineana, Sim . , 187 2. External antennae . . . 187 3. Tail .... 188 4. One of the first pair of feet . . 188 5. External pedipalps . . . 188 6. Eye . . . . 187 B. 1. Acanthocaris Livingstoneana, Sim . 185 2. External antennae . . . 185 3. Second and succeeding pairs of feet . 186 " In the 2nd Edition thin plate does not appear. xxn Index. Plate v. Plate VI. 4- Anterior margin of carapace and eye l8 5 5 Telson .... 186 6 Posterior margin of carapace 185 7 One of the first pair of feet 186 !. Thysanoessa aberdonensis, Sim . , 188 2 Internal antenna? 189 3- One of the first pair of feet 189 4- Tail .... 189 5- External pedipalps 189 6. Carapace .... 188 7- Form of second and succeeding pairs of feet 189 8. External antenna; and scale 188 9 Supposed additional species 189 M croscopical puzzles 237 E R R A TA. age 42, line 20 from top, for is to be read is not to be. „ 48. , . 5 , bottom, ,, Larneopoda j, Lerneopoda. ,, 57, . . 4 > >» >> neglecta i» neglectum. „ 84, , , 18 top, >, Gullinago >> Gallinago. ,. 157, . , 8 > >> j> Winnering „ Winnertz. „ 158, , 1 7 , bottom, ,, Brami ,, Bremi ,, 160, , . 3 >> top, ,, Doroziicum >» Doronicum ,, 160, , , 19 , bottom, ,, metereological >> meteorological , , 1 90, , , 14 , , top, >> 6, one >> 7, one. M 191, , , 5 . , bottom, >t ; >> — „ 208, , . 15 , top, >> Dumfrie >> Dumfries. „ 217, , , 7 > >> >? Sesltria >» Moliyiia. THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST. ' ' The hand of Nature on peculiar minds Imprints a different bias, and to each Decrees his province in the common toil." Thomson. "INHERE has never before, we believe, been any attempt * to establish a Scottish Journal of Natural History ; it is therefore with much diffidence that the Perthshire Society of Natural Science has undertaken a task, possibly more suited to the strength of an older and more influential Society. The great tendency of the age is centralization. All infor- mation must be sent to, and emanate from, the metropolis. We do not say that this is altogether wrong, but, at the same time, a necessary consequence is, that many valuable observations and facts relating to Scottish Natural History are scattered in the transactions of the various learned societies, or in the different scientific magazines, and being mixed up with numerous British and Foreign notices, lose much of their local interest, and often altogether escape the notice of Scottish readers. Without trespassing on the fields occupied by the many more or less valuable scientific journals published in Britain, we pur- pose devoting the pages of the " Scottish Naturalist" to the following. objects : — (a) The publication of original articles, either communicated directly to the " Scottish Naturalist" or (if read be- fore any Society) not already, or to be, published* 2 The Scottish Naturalist. These articles in every case to bear upon Scottish Natu- ral History. (b) A record of captures and discoveries made in Scotland, whereby, in course of time, much valuable information regarding the geographical distribution of species in this part of Britain may be accumulated. (c ) Reports of the meetings of Scottish Natural History So- cieties, giving the titles, and, when possible and de- sirable, short abstracts of the papers read ; thus forming an index to the work done by the various societies. (d) General information likely to be interesting or useful to Scottish Naturalists. (e) Correspondence ; Notes and Queries upon Scottish Natu- ral History subjects. (f) Lists of species for distribution or exchange. " In order to make the " Scottish Naturalist" successful, we earnestly ask for the co-operation and encouragement of all who bear the name, in whatever department of the work they may labour ; without this assistance success is impossible, with it, a certainty. Let no one shrink from the task of contributing to its pages, under the impression that he is incompetent to do so. Any observations of Natural Phenomena, if made carefully, truthfully, and simply as they occur, are worthy of preservation, and will assist in filling up the great storehouse of facts, from which at some future time important generalizations may be made." NATURAL SCIENCE CHAIRS IN OUR UNIVERSITIES. BY W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. T N accepting the invitation of the Editor of a new Natural History Serial,t to contribute a Paper to its first number, I have selected — instead of a subject purely scientific and \ To which I cordially wish every success : and whose advancement I am de- sirous of assisting in any way — in which — it may be pointed out by its Editor — it lies in my power to forward its interests. The Scottish Naturalist. 3 technical, that would appeal to but a very few readers — one that I believe to be of interest to all who are concerned in the pro- gress of Science-education in our country : and there are few thoughtful educated men of the present day who are not. A strong public feeling is rapidly growing up — if it has not been already fully developed — in favour of the introduction of Science- teaching into even our elementary schools. The superiority of the cultivation of the Sciences of Observation — not only as a means of mental training, but as tending to lead to the due utili- sation, in commerce, manufacture, or the arts, of the supera- bundant natural products of our own and other countries* — is being fully recognised or admitted. A Royal Science Com- mission is presently at work deliberating on the best means of bringing about a State recognition of the claims of Science. t Oxford and Cambridge, of old consecrated to the Classics and Mathematics, are throwing open their portals to the study of the Natural Sciences, and are bestowing high academic honours on their successful cultivators. The leading Ministers of the crown, and Members of parliament, in giving an account of their stewardship; the Lord Rectors J and Principals of Univer- sities ; Mr. Buckmaster, from the Department of Science and Art ; and many other authorities — as well, unfortunately, as many who are no authorities, — are at present constantly ha- ranguing the public, or select portions thereof, regarding the claims of Science as an element in both primary and higher education, and its importance in relation to a nation's welfare and progress. And throughout the country the Ancient Classics are being at least partially superseded, in all grades of schools, by Natural History, Chemistry and Physics. *I devoted a Lecture to the subject of "The Place and Power of Natural History in Colonisation ;" which was published in Dunedin, New Zealand, in January, 1862, and reprinted (in part), in the "Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal," for April and July, 1863. +"The Royal Commission on Scientific Instruction, and the Advancement of Science" — whose headquarters are 6 Old Palace Yard, London, S. W. (in Nov., 1870,) — contains among its Members men so eminent in different departments of Science as Professors Huxley, and Sharpey, and Sir John Lubbock. X Only the other day, (November 18, 1870,) Mr Grant Duff, M.P., in his Rectorial address before the University of Aberdeen, made a special plea on behalf of Natural History (especially Botany and Geology),— in contrast with the Dead Languages,— as a feature of a general University curriculum. 4 The Scottish Naturalist The present seems, then, a proper time for considering the condition of what are almost the only scientific prizes to which the foremost Naturalists, in this "free and enlightened" country of ours, can aspire. I refer to our University Chairs of Natural Science. It is desirable here to explain that Natural History as taught in our Universities, includes the following Sciences : — (i) Botany : (2) Zoology : (3) Geology : (4) Mineralogy : (5) Meteorology : (6) Hydrology : and (7) Physical Geography. Palaeontology is usually included in Geology, though it belongs equally to Botany and Zoology. Zoology embraces some- times Comparative Anatomy. Meteorology and Hydrology are usually associated with Physical Geography : which again may be included in surface Geology. Mineralogy, too, is fre- quently embraced under Geology. So that the general practical division of Natural History, as regards the teaching of it in this country, is tripartite — into Botany, Zoology, and Geology. In the present Paper I can but outline my subject. It would be unbefitting the character of such a serial as the " Scottish Naturalist" especially in relation to the space that can be al- located to individual contributions, to do more. In so far, further, as the Editor has invited me to discuss certain of the details in subsequent numbers, it will suffice meanwhile to in- dicate the general bearings and importance of the subject to which I am desirous of directing attention, viz.: — the imperative necessity for Reform in the constitution or status of our Uni- versity Professorships of Natural Science, — that is to say, Chairs of general Natural History, or of the special Sciences (such as Botany, Zoology, or Geology,) into which it is conventionally divided. It is pretty generally acknowledged now, that reform is necessary as regards Natural Science teaching in our schools. In other words, it is generally admitted that their educational curriculum should be so enlarged as to admit of the object- teaching of Natural History, as well as of Chemistry, Physiology, and Physics. And there are, perhaps, a few University authori- ties who admit the desirability of changes in the modes of teaching Natural History in our highest seats of learning. But little is, I believe, known of the kind or degree of reform that is imperatively required in our Universities, as regards the status of their Chairs of Natural Science, and their occupants. I have given attention to the constitution of Chairs of Natural The Scottish Naturalist. 5 History for nearly twenty years, — inquiring into their duties and emoluments, on the one hand, and the qualifications of their occupants, on the other, — in a considerable number of Universities, not only in the three kingdoms, but in our Colo- nies, (such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada), and in many continental countries, (such as Norway, France, Prussia, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.) My general conclusions, so far as concerns Great Britain and Ireland, are these — inter alia : that I. Whereas the Qualifications of a Professor of Natural Science shonld consist in, — Essential. Accessory. 1. Knowledge of the subject to be taught. 2. Ability to teach a given subject or subjects. 3. Ability to enforce discipline, and command respect, among students. f 4. Distinction as an author. J 5. Popularity both as speaker and writer. 1 6. The power of pictorial illustration, and of de- monstrational manipulation. II. The real grounds of appointment, or, at least, causes of suc- cess, are too freque?itly the utterly irrelevant matters of- 1. Political influence. 2. Church influence : religious belief : denominational intrigue. 3. Personal influence : partizanship : party rivalry and struggle for power. III. Reform is desirable, or necessary, in the following direc- tions, — a. — As regards the Professors-elect, — 1. The possession of the necessary qualifications. b. — As regards their Chairs, — 2. Classification or subdivision of subjects. 3. Proper endowments and status. 4. Provision of class properties (apparatus : diagrams : specimens.) 5. Provision of the necessary adjuncts and adjuvants of — S The Scottish Naturalist. Museums : botanical or zoological gardens : her- baria : libraries : laboratories. 6. Adequate assistance. 7. Abolition of incongruous duties. 8. Adequate superannuation allowance : and early super- annuation. 9. Mode of teaching : substitution of the tutorial or demonstrational system. c. — As regards the Mode of appointment, — 10. Merit should be the sole ground : selection of the fittest. 11. Provision of adequate holiday leisure, with facility for foreign travel and study. i2. Open competition : abolition of obsolete or mis- chievous restrictions. 13. Invitation or gift in exceptional cases. 14. Abolition of personal canvas. 15. Abolition of the Testimonial nuisance. 16. Appointment of duly qualified, unbiassed, patrons or electors : abolition of close monopolies. 17. Establisment of Fellowships and Special Lecturer- ships. 18. The just appropriation or allocation of Bursaries. 19. Uniformity in the value of Degrees, and in the prin- ciple of their bestowal : abolition of the practice of sale without examination. In all probability, very few educated men will be found who object to the proposition, that it is desirable to appoint the best qualified man to a vacant University chair, as to any other species of appointment. And yet it is a fact, according to my experi- ence — so far as regards Britain and her Colonies — that very rarely indeed are Chairs of Natural Science bestowed on the only ground on which they should be conferred — that of merit :t very seldom does the best qualified man get the appointment for which he is — perhaps eminently — fitted. That he fails to do t The Lancet of November 26, 1870 (p. 749), in commenting on the Testimo- nial Nuisance, remarks, that in medical, as in scientific, appointments now-a-days, " the choice that is made usually turns upon some question that only those un- derstand who are behind the scenes ! " The Scottish Naturalist. 7 so, is usually — or, at least, too frequently — due to some such irrelevant cause as I have above specified under Head II. (the " Real grounds of success") To some such reasons we owe it, I believe, that certain of the foremost Naturalists of the age — (for instance, Agassiz and Huxley) — are not now Professors in Scottish Universities. The best men frequently do not offer themselves as can- didates, because they are unwilling to subject themselves to the humiliation of personal canvass amongst ignorant ill-mannered electors — especially with the probability facing them of being defeated by opponents inferior both in ability and integrity — unscrupulous, perhaps, in the use of the means whereby only they can gain their ends. Or, a candidate, confident in his own qualifications, declines to compete upon other terms than on the ground of merit, — deficient, as he pro- bably is, in the political or church influence that is too likely to carry the day : he refuses his assent even to intrigue, and the unworthy means so usually employed in the contests for suprem- acy or success in professorial vacancies. Or, the emoluments of the Chair are such that all but men of independent means are precluded from becoming candidates. Or, lastly, some ancient restrictions connected with Patrons' or Founders' wills, or University charters, exclude all but the graduates of this or that University — the possessors of this or that irrelevant qualification — from competition. Very different is the condition of matters in America (United States), and on the Continent : where vacancies are frequently offered, in the most flattering way, as honours or prizes, to those who have distinguished themselves in particular walks of scientific research ! I have frequently been much struck, while reading the bio- graphies of eminent scientific men, by the fact of their remark- able defeats and disappointments in contests for University Chairs, at the hands of competitors infinitely their inferiors in ability. There is this advantage in the consideration of such cases, — that the whole history of the contest is generally ex- posed : the actors having themselves disappeared from the scene, their actions have become the subject of public and un- biassed criticism, and we are favoured with a " full, true, and particular" account of the real causes of success and failure. The last case of the kind that occurred in the course of my reading 8 The Scottish Naturalist. was that of Sir David Brewster. His biographer tells us that the keenest disappointment of his life was his failure to obtain the Professorship of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, when his successful competitor was a young man of family, then quite " unknown to fame." It is explained to us, that all Brewster's wonderful scientific reputation failed before mere party or personal influence. This was not, however, one of those cases in which, as occasionally happens, the successful candidate was a comparative nobody : for the late Principal Forbes unquestionably became a Physicist of the first class ; and the reputation he built up for himself subsequent to his appoint- ment may be held in a sense to have justified the selection. None the less, however, was it the case that, at the period of the competition, Forbes' claims were utterly trivial as weighed against Sir David's ; and the cause of his success was not his superior qualifications , but his superior influence. There is nothing, un- fortunately, peculiar in this biographical incident, relating to two eminent Scottish Physicists recently deceased. The same sort of story has been told over and over again, — frequently to our sorrow, and sometimes to our shame ! I have myself been privileged to hear the plaint of some of our most eminent Natu- ralists — living or now dead — as regards their non-success in candi- datures for coveted vacancies — for which they were pre-eminently fitted, — but in which they either failed in, or were deterred al- together from, competition, by some of the irrelevant causes before referred to.t Again, in connection with his Presidentship of the recent meeting of the British Association at Liverpool, (August, 1870,) Professor Huxley's critics and admirers, in their bio- graphical notices of the hero of the day, tell us how he failed in obtaining the Professorship of Natural History in the University of Toronto, which fell to the lot of a much older, though less able, Naturalist ; and they do so apparently in or- der to point out the blindness of the Canadians to their own + It would, however, be invidious and improper to introduce incidents relating to living Professors, or their Chairs, in illustration of my criticisms ; and I confine myself, therefore, to circumstances that are already public property, having be- come the subject of published record, in various forms of Biographical Memoir, in Parliamentary Blue Books, University Calendars, or other printed official documents. The Scottish Naturalist. 9 interests, in the selection made. It is fortunate for Britain that such a disappointment occurred ; for it has secured to his own country the services of one of her most eminent living Natural- ists. Not the less is it the fact, however, that he was beaten in his own particular field by a competitor who has acquired a greatly inferior reputation, though he is nevertheless a Naturalist of whom the Canadians have every reason to be proud. But Huxley's case is not a parallel to Brewster's ; for he had not, when a candidate for Toronto, achieved the same kind or de- gree of distinction to which Sir David could point when he contested with Forbes the Edinburgh Natural Philosophy Chair. On the other hand, the University of Cambridge, Massachu- setts, showed an example to all the world, when it offered its Chair of Zoology to the Swiss Naturalist, Louis Agassiz, and so secured for that enlightened commonwealth the services of a Professor of cosmopolitan reputation ! WORK AND INFLUENCE OF LOCAL NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES.* BY J. ALLEN HARKER. HP HE opening meeting of another session seems a not unfitting •*• occasion on which to set before you a few considerations on the work which local societies for the study of Natural His- tory appear specially adapted to perform, and on the benefits which I consider them capable of conferring, not only on their members, but on those who may be occasionally brought in contact with them, and whom they may in some degree be ex- pected to influence. Having clearly apprehended the nature and extent of the whole work, it will be well further to indicate those methods of employing the resources at our command, which a little experience suggests as best suited to the attain- ment of the objects we have in view. It is not necessary at present to enter into the history of societies of a nature similar * Abridged from a Paper read before the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, \st September, 1870. io The Scottish Naturalist. to our own j it will be sufficient for our purpose to gather from the experiences of the most prominent and successful of our co-temporaries, material wherewith to construct a solid and permanent edifice for ourselves. At the outset I may mention that the following remarks refer more especially to provincial societies, such as the Perthshire Society of Natural Science ; since, in large towns, the seats of universities, or where there are valuable museums, elements enter into the working of Natural History Societies which cannot here be taken into con- sideration, and a different plan of action must obviously obtain precedence. Most, if not all, local Natural History Societies, have had their origin either in the desire felt by a few ardent students for a medium for the interchange of thoughts and experiences, a common ground on which to meet and ask and take assistance from each other ; or in the wish cherished by a few enthusiastic Naturalists, that means should be taken for more generally pro- moting the study of Natural History, and affording to earnest enquirers opportunities of receiving that assistance from the experienced, which in the study of Nature, is so very essential. Already those societies have, in these directions, answered the expectations of their founders and supporters. The monthly or fortnightly meeting is looked forward to with interest by those members who have met with difficulties, which they will then be aided to surmount, or by those who have obtained specimens with which they are unacquainted, and which will then be named and commented upon for them. A proportion of the papers read will be devoted exclusively to detailed directions either for finding specimens, or for manipulating them when ob- tained ; and the exhibition of specimens, and record of note- worthy observations will be a source of interest and instruction to all. These meetings are fraught with valuable benefits to every class of members ; the beginner is encouraged, and in- duced to persevere ; the more advanced are wisely guided, and stimulated to renewed exertions ; while the most learned and experienced are certain to gain some additional information. The subjects which present themselves to the members of a local society for consideration and discussion will naturally have reference to the productions of the immediate neighbour- hood, and the specimens to be found in the district of which The Scottish Naturalist. 1 1 the society is the centre, will come to receive most special at- tention. It suggests itself at once, that the study of the Fauna and Flora of this district is the occupation for which a society is most fitted. A local society should therefore be most ardently devoted to this object, and should not consider its task com- pleted until lists of every species to be found within its bounda- ries have been made, and all facts as to their distribution, times of appearance, &c, are known and recorded. Each member should devote himself to one special group of beings, and work it out ; or, where it is possible, a number of members devoted to the study of the same group, should form themselves into a section, having their own chief member or president, and conduct their labours apart from the general business of the society, occasionally reporting the results of their researches at the meetings. In a large society composed of hard-working members, where this system of labouring in sections could be thoroughly carried out, a very few years of earnest application would produce, at least, an approximation to a knowledge of the Fauna and Flora of a district. The careful compilation of exact lists of the species inhabit- ing different parts of the country, is by no means a work of little account. The science of Zoology, in the directions which it has of late years taken, has thrown new and startling light on the question of distribution of species ; and the solution of great problems may now rest on the occurrence or non-occurrence of particular forms, in this or that region of country. In pursu- ing this line of research, then, you may contribute in some small degree to the general cause and progress of science. The greatest thinkers in Natural Science positively need the assistance of a large number of observers, to enable them to pursue with accuracy their line of thought, and eliminate their theories. Take for example, Mr. Darwin's work on " Animals and Plants under domestication " : see what a vast accumulation of facts and observations are recorded in elucidation of the doctrines he propounds ; one man — ten men— could not in a life time have personally made these observations; they are, in truth, the work- of a varied army of labourers, each member deserving of much praise, which the master-spirit who collected and ar- ranged their contributions in wondrous sequence, is not slow to acknowledge. 1 2 The Scottish Naturalist. There is another sphere of action upon which, it may be submitted, Natural History societies are called at the present time to enter. I allude to the opportunity they have, in the absence of such a course of training in our schools, of imparting a modicum of instruction in Natural History to what we term "the young and rising generation." The gospel of Scientific Education for many years has not lacked able and zealous preachers, but as yet has been received the reverse of gladly. We are all satisfied of the grand truth of Bacon's words, — u Knowledge and power go hand in hand,"* but with singular selfishness people greedily seize every discovery in science which is useful to them, which they can turn into money, but are very loath to render assistance, pecuniary or otherwise, to the cause of scientific investigation. How very many have we known who could, and do, heartily echo Carlyle's words, when he says, " For many years it has been one of my constant regrets, that no schoolmaster of mine had a knowledge of natural history, so far, at least, as to have taught me the grasses that grow by the wayside, and the little winged and wingless neighbours that are continually meeting me with a salutation which I cannot answer, — as things are." Until that time comes which he loves to prophecy of, when every schoolmaster in Britain will be required to possess the power of teaching his youthful charges something of zoology and botany, it is a duty imposed by the very fact of its exist- ence, upon a society of naturalists to strive to cultivate and foster in the young the love of a study of nature. We have now to consider for a little, in detail, the actual pro- ceedings of a local society, which may be summed up under three heads: — its published transactions (the main results of its meetings); its excursions; and its collections. The Papers read at the meetings will consist, for the most part, of contributions to the knowledge of the species existing in the society's district. A proportion will be devoted to instruc- tions and directions to beginners, and a few will be on subjects of more than local interest, and of general scientific value. The excursions made by the several sections, independently of each other, are those best calculated to produce satisfactory results, and cannot occur too frequently during the summer * Scientia et potentia humana in idem coincidunt.— Nov. Org. I. The Scottish Naturalist. 13 months. For on such occasions must be collected all the in- formation necessary to the compilation of the lists already alluded to, and the specimens which are to form the collection of the society. I would suggest that each section should under- take the self-imposed task of making a certain number of excur- sions in the year, and that the presidents of each should give in to the general secretary a report of every excursion so made, and, if possible, a series of the specimens collected. Lastly, a few words on the subject of collections. On the character of these will depend the positon which a society will attain. There are very few museums indeed which entirely answer the requirements they may be made capable of doing. We seem not yet to have learnt that they might become an educational power in the community, instead of a mere indis- criminate show of curiosities, without connection or meaning. The museum of a local society should aim first at a complete representation of the natural productions of its own district ; and the energies of the members should be devoted most ardently to this object. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the kingdom of nature is a grand unit j and if, as may be submitted, the first function of a Natural History Museum is to exhibit the relationship which exists among all forms of life, a collection of the species peculiar to any one district alone would fail to answer this most important requirement. While, therefore, the local collection should have most attention paid to it, no opportunity should be neglected of storing up specimens from districts outside our own, or from foreign countries gene- rally, and in process of time sufficient material will be accumu- lated to form a typical general collection, in addition to the more perfect local one. The work here sketched out for a local Natural History Society, may at first appear a task too arduous for men whose labour in scientific pursuits is but the occupation of their leisure hours — for the majority of the members of a local society must always consist of those who have only a small portion of their time to devote to researches not immediately connected with their every-day business life — but a careful consideration will show, that such a plan of action as has been indicated (perhaps, with slight modifications), must be pursued, if useful and worthy results are to be obtained. fHgO tVt5s&^f8i y*J™ ill 11111 ZOOLOGY. THE MOLLUSCA OF THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND/ ~pO draw up and publish lists of the animals and plants of A their own districts, should be one of the principal objects of all local natural history societies; and the Aberdeen Society by the publication of a catalogue of the Molluscaof the north-eastern counties has shown that it understands what its work is. That this list is sufficiently exhaustive may be judged from the fact that out of 686 species recorded as natives of Britain and the adjacent seas, 374 are included in the catalogue now before us. Of these 71 are land and fresh-water shells, being only 7 less than the number (78) known as natives of Scotland. We notice, however, that of 5 of these 7 1 species no recent captures appear to have been made, but that of 4 other species only one or two specimens of doubtful origin (possibly, as is suggested, intro- duced with ballast) have been found. Mr. Dawson has never- theless thought proper to include these species in case they should hereafter be found alive. In his introductory remarks the author describes the depth of the sea, and the structure of the sea-bottom adjacent to the north-east coast : mentioning where, and what species of, fossil shells are found in it, and giving his opinion as to the various geological changes, to the action of which the present structure of the sea-bottom is due. " Towards the close of the glacial period and during the second condition,, when * ' ' Catalogue of the Mollusca of the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray, and of the neighbouring seas. " A Paper comunicated to the Aberdeen Natural History Society, by R. Dawson, A.M., Cruden. Printed for the Society. The Scottish Naturalist. 1 5 the land was below its present level, and the climate of our country and sea was much colder than it is now. Tellina calcarea, Pecten Islandicus, and other mollusca now living only in the arctic seas, found a climate congenial to their nature ; our brick clays containing the remains of these animals were deposited, and that extensive fossiliferous bed formed, which stretches along our coast and appears again in the Moray Firth. After this state of things had continued for a lengthened period of time, the land emerged, whether gradually or otherwise it is difficult to say, but it appears to have attained an elevation of at least 240 feet above its present level. The forty-fathom line shows what would have been the southern shore of the North Sea at the time when the land was thus elevated. The deep channel stretching out into the Moray Firth would have formed an estuary, or rather a bay, receiving the waters of the Deveron, the Spey, the Lossie, &c. The Buchan deeps would have been another estuary, receiving at its south end the waters of the Esks, and after- wards those of the Dee and Don, &c. ; and the Long Forties would thus have been a peninsula, bounded on the west side by the estuary just mentioned, and on the east by the North Sea. A great extent of the former sea bed being now dry- land, and the climate of the country vastly improved, the Arctic species of shells were exterminated, leaving their remains imbedded in the clay, as one proof of the severity of the former climate. Their places were then occupied by the species now inhabiting the British seas, and the Long Forties, now a shore, was the habitat of the littoral species. That during this elevation of the land, the climate was as warm, if not more so, than at the present time, is, I think, clearly shown by the extensive beds of submarine forest and peat which here and there crop out at the shore from under the waves. These beds', which must have been formed during this period, contain the remains of plants and trees, as the oak, the birch, the alder, &c. , which, in the present day, have a hard struggle for existence along our coast. ' ' The land now became submerged again to nearly its present level, and the shores of the North Sea became almost what they now are. The littoral species of mollusca inhabiting the former shores, being incapable of living in deep water, in their turn died, and left their wasted remains accessible to the dredge, attest- ing their previous existence, and the probable position of the shores of the North Sea at the time that they lived.'' In corroboration of this, Mr. Dawson remarks, — "On examining the dredgings obtained in 1865 by the Rev. Mr. Gregor and ray- elf from different places on the top of this bank [i.e. the Long Forties], we noted at the time that there were none of the Arctic fossils so abundant on the nner plain, but on further examination, we found in a decayed and apparently semi-fossil condition, the following littoral shells, viz. : Purpura lapillus, one specimen ; Littorina rudis, one ; S0U71 siliqua, two ; Mytilus edulis, one large but imperfect valve, and many fragments of the small shore variety. Before it occurred to us that these fragmentary fossils might be interesting in a geological point of view, -the greater part of our dredgings had been examined. It is quite possible, therefore, that other specimens may have escaped notice. All these species are highly characteristic of the shore, Littorina rudis in particular, being only found on rocks at or above high water marks. If only one specimen or one species had been found, it might have been accounted for by a similar 1 6 Tht Scottish Naturalist. accident to that which brought the Lucina Pennsylvanica into the same day's dredgings, but as four species were obtained, and of some of them several specimens, it appears very probable that they lived and died at or near the place where they were found. '' A LIST OF THE NOCTURE OCCURRING IN MORAYSHIRE. BY GEORGE NORMAN. OWING to bad health, some three years ago, I first came to Morayshire, and since then have resided, more or less, at the Cluny Hill Hydropathic Establishment at Forres. For an occupation and amusement I took to my old study, Entomology, after a long lapse of above twenty-five years. For the entomologist — or indeed, I may say, general naturalist — no county in Britain affords a richer, more varied, and beautiful hunting ground. Word painting not being my forte, I refer those who wish to know more about the scenery of this glorious country to tha works of the late C. St. John, in " Murray's Home and Colonial Library," and for more recent Natural History reports, to a few notes of my own occasionally contributed to "The Zoologist." My object in the present notes is to point out to entomo- logists the richness of the country round Forres for Lepidoptera, and more especially the Noctuidcz, to which my attention has been almost exclusively directed. To the admirable list of Morayshire Lepidoptera contributed to "The Zoologist" in 1 86 1, by the Rev. Dr. Gordon of Birnie, I have added many species of Noctuce, bringing the number up to nearly the half of the recorded British species. With few ex- ceptions, the whole of the insects have been obtained by sugar- ing, in the beautiful wooded grounds attached to the Cluny Hill Hydropathic. When the high moors, the Culbin Sands, and the Forests of Darnaway and Altyre, have been more thoroughly explored, beyond doubt the list of species will be considerably augmented. The Scottish Naturalist. 1 7 Thyatira batis, not uncommon, Cluny Hill ; Cymatophora dup/aris, common ; C. or, on aspens, Cluny Hill ; C. fiavicornis, not uncommon ; Acronycta psi, very common ; A. leporina, occasionally at rest, also larvae on birch ; A. ligus- tri, common at sugar, Cluny Hill, Califer, and also near the Ferry ; A. rumicls, very frequent, Cluny Hill, also on the Califer ; A. myriaz, took one specimen at rest, on a house near pallas, and Mr. Longstaff took one larva on the Cali- fer Hill ; Leucania conigera, very common ; L. lithargyria, a perfect pest to sugarers ; L. i?npura, occasionally ; L. pallens, swarming at sugar ; Nonagria sp., I saw several specimens flying over a marshy pond, and fancy it may have been fulva, but did not take the insects ; Hydrcecia nictitans, in profusion, especially at sugar, near the Ferry ; H. micacea, very common at Cluny Hill ; Xylophasia rurea, very common at sugar ; X. polyodon, swarming everywhere at sugar, the dark varieties range in colour from bistre brown to coal black ; Dip- terygia pinastri, taken by Mr. Dunbar Dunbar, of Seapark, near Forres ; Cha- rceas graminis, very common some years, on ragwort flowers, especially near Kinkorth and the sea ; Cerigo cytherea, not unfrequent on a "Cossus" birch, Cluny Hill ; Luperina testacea, everywhere ; Mamcstra abjecta, occasionally ; M.furva, not unfrequent at sugar ; M. brassiccc, common ; M. anceps, not uncommon ; Apatnca basilinea, abundant ; A. gemina, not unfrequent ; A. fibrosa, taken occasionally at sugar, Cluny Hill, also more frequently near the Ferry,— I have not hitherto discovered the food plant in the neighbourhood, but it probably does grow in the low grounds near the " Claddy Moss" ; A. oculea, very com- mon ; Miana strigilis, common at sugar ; M. literosa, common at sugar ; M. faciuncula, swarming at sugar, and often by day on ragwort ; Caradrina blanda, not unfrequent ; C. cubicularis, swarming in the hay fields ; C. alsines, occa- sionally at sugar near the Ferry ; Rusina tcnebrosa, abundant ; Agrotis valligcra, not uncommon at sugar, Cluny Hill,— also on ragwort, near the Culbin Sands ; A. suffusa, common; A. scgetum, common ; A. saucia, taken occasionally at sugar on the Cluny Hills ; A. luuigcra, not unfrequent at sugar ; A. exclama- tionis, common ; A. corticea, common ; A. cursoria, not uncommon, by beat- ing out of the "bents," Culbin Sands ; A. nigricans, common ; A. tritici, swarming some years ; A. aquilina, rare at sugar, Cluny Hill ; A. agathina, very abundant, flying over heather on the Califer Hill, — very rarely at sugar, Cluny Hill; A. porphyrca, swarming wherever heather grows; A. prcecox, occasionally at Cluny Hill, larva? very abundant on Salix repens, on the Culbin Sands, — they require digging up by day ; A. pyrophila, several specimens, " Edgehill," at rest, others by beating the " bents " on the Culbin Sands ; Tri- phcena iantfcna, very abundant, Cluny Hills, and near the Ferry ; T. fimbria, very common ; T. orbona, swarming at sugar, — the beautiful black and red varieties are quite common on the Cluny Hills, and near the Ferry ; T. subsequa, not uncommon at sugar, Cluny Hill, also frequently at a "Cossus " birch near the greenhouse ; T. pronuba, abundant ; Noctua glareosa, plentiful by sugaring ; N. depuncta, some years abundant, — not rare on Cluny Hill, but certainly more common near the Ferry ; N. augur, everywhere ; N. plecta, occasional ; N. C- nigrum, common ; N. triangulum, not common ; N. brunnea, very frequent ; N. festiva, abundant at sugar, Cluny Hill ; N. confiua, very common ; N. rubi, common ; N. -umbrosa, very common, especially on ragwort, near the Ferry ; N. baia, common ; N. xanthographa, swarming ; JV. neglecta, not uncommon at sugar, and on the heather, Califer Hill ; N. Dahlii, swarming at sugar, especially on the Cluny Hills ; Trachea piniperda, swarming in the Chapeltown Muir Wood, — also on sallow bloom ; Tcsniocampa gothica, abundant ; T. rubri- 1 8 The Scottish Naturalist. cosa, not uncommon, especially on a large sallow on the Califer Hill ; T. insta- bilis, abundant ; T. stabilis, abundant ; Orthosia suspecta, rare ; Anchocelis ru- fina, abundant ; A. litura, abundant ; A. macilenta, common ; Cerastis vaccina, in the utmost profusion, — some very pretty varieties, suffused with black blotches, or relieved with lake blue, are common on the Cluny Hills ; Scopdosoma satel~ litia, very common ; Xanthia cerago, common at sugar, especially near the Ferry,— the pale variety, fiavescens, also common; X. silago, occasionally on the Cluny Hills ; X. ferruginea, everywhere ; Eupena fulvago, not uncommon, on the Cluny Hills, at sugar ; Cosmia trapezina, abundant ; Dianthcecia copsin- cola, abundant, flying over the flowers of Lychnis vcspertina, — the larvae abun- dant in the capsules ; D. cucubali, larvae on Silene infiata, near the Bay of Findhorn ; Folia chi, abundant, very conspicuous by day at rest on the pine trees ; Epunda lutulenta, several on flowers of heather, and one under a stone on Scrapehard Farm ; E. nigra, abundant at sugar, Cluny Hill ; Miselia oxy- acanthce, abundant at sugar ; Agriopis aprilina, frequent. Cluny Hill ; Phlogo- phora meticulosa, abundant ; Euplexia lucipara, not unfrequent, especially on the Califer Hill ; Aplecta occulta, occasionally on the Cluny Hills ; A. nebulosa, not uncommon ; Hade?ia adusta, not uncommon ; H. protea, abundant ; H. glauca, occasionally ; H. dentina, not unfrequent ; H, pisi, larvae near the Water Reservoir,— also the moth, at Edgehill ; H. ohracea, common ; H. tha- lassina, common ; H. contigua, at sugar occasionally, near the Ferry; H. recti- linea, at sugar on the Califer Hill ; Calocampa vetusta, common at sugar, Cluny Hill ; C. exoleta, swarming, as many as ten on one tree ; Xylina rhizolitha, rare, Cluny Hill ; Cucullia umbratica, over flowers. Cluny Hill ; Heliothis marginata, at sugar, near the Ferry, — Ononis arvensis, the food plant, grows in profusion there ; Anarta myrtilli, very frequent wherever heather abounds ; A. cordigera, recorded from "Knock Frink" ; Brephos parthenias, very common, flying over birches in Altyre Woods ; B. notha, with the preceding ; Habrostola urtica>, rare, Cluny Hill ; Plusia chrysitis, occasionally ; P. bractea, taken by the Rev. Dr. Gordon at Birnie ; P. festuctz, over flowers of Lychnis vespertina ; P. iota, rare, Cluny Hill ; P. V.-aureum, common over Lychnis; P. gam?na, abundant ; P. interrogations, took a specimen on the Califer Hills, — no doubt it is more common on the high grounds near Dallas ; Gonoptera libatrix, has occurred in the district ; Amphipyra tragopoginis, common ; Mania typica, very abundant near the Ferry, but has not occurred on the Cluny Hills ; Stilbia anomala, abundant, Cluny Hill ; Phylometra xnea, on the Califer Hill, also among heather near the Culbin Sands. ' — " Sugaring" near Paisley — The following is a list of Noctuce, which came to sugar between the middle of June and end of October this season. A. pisi, common ; A. rumicis and L. impura, not rare ; pallens, common ; H. nictitans, several; petasitis, one specimen; micacea, not rare; A. putris, several ; X, ru- rea, liihoxylea, and folyodon, in swarms ; M. anccps not rare ; brassier, A. basilinea, gemina, oculea, M. strigilis, and fasciuncula, all common ; areuosa, rare (at sugar) ; C. blanda, rare ; cubicularis, abundant ; R. tencbrosa, A. suf- fusa, segetum, and exclamationis, common ; porphyrea, not rare ; T. orbona, pronuba, N, augur, plecta, C-nigrutn, abundant ; brunnea, several ; f estiva, The Scottish Naturalist. 19 not common ; conflua, rubi, and umbrosa, rare ; xanthographa y common ; T. piuiperda* one specimen ; O. lota, not rare ; macilenta, rare ; A. litura, swarming ; ruftna, rare ; C. vaccinii, not rare ; S. salellitia, several ; X. si~ lago and cerago, rare ; ferruginea, swarming ; C. trapezina, rare ; M. oxyacan- thLER. assistant to Proviso r IlAi.Koii:, IMinburgh, entitled 'Contributions to the Flura of Perthshire,' and one by DR. BUCHANAN WHITE, President of the Society, on 'Sugaring for Moths! After the meeting, the members adjourned to the Moncreiffe Anns Hotel, where supper was prepared, consisting of different species of funguses, cooked in almost every conceivable manner. The dishes most relished were Buk>t»> crftdis, Coprinus coyiatui, and Aanriru.i cayvp&ftrfs. ''Sunt tibi boleti,fu nio suillos." Your friend Martial (I don't mean Captain I )yn<;\vi i.r) drew a distinction not understood by modern mycologists and mycophagists. Every boletus nowadays is a fundus, though not every fungus is a boletus. Of course you know that a great variety of funguses are eatable ; but few Britons dare venture upon any but the Common Mushroom [Agaric us campc.slris above named.) Very likely their fear may be heightened by apprehension of injury to their teeth in table-talk over things with such crackjaw names as those of which the foregoing are mild ex- amples. It is an exertion, for epicures at least, to articulate them. You may find no difficulty in saying Triih.<>loma gainiw.us, Amanita strobiliformis, or Lcpiota procerus. But some of your readers will have a little. However, there is no help for it. Wo have hardly any trivi.il name for any fungus but the Com- mon Mushroom aforesaid. The Marasmius Oreades is called in English-French "Champignon," the Cantharellus cibariu;, in the same tongue, " Chantarelle" ; we name the Morchella esculenta " Morel," and the Tuber cEstivum "Truffle,'' but otherwise almost every fungus which the people do not call a Mushroom, they call a toadstool. The: Boletus edulis enjoyed by the Perthshire naturalists would be "to the general " a toadstool of the fattest and most, frightful species ; the more knowing inhabitants of Bordeaux regale themselves upon it as a delicacy under the name eep, so called, I fancy, because thereabouts it likes to grow at the foot of the vine. They, you see, don't make a mouthful of the word, bu they eat the thing. Do likewise if ever you have a chance, which you may have early next summer, please Jupiter Pluvius, and if you like, you can also explore the woodlands and see where it grows, with other things of the same sort equally good, no less tough to the organs of speech, and equally tender to the nerves of taste, if you will vouchsafe to be guided by your ancient SMl-I fungus." 26 The Scottish Naturalist. 3d November.— Dr. Buchanan White, Preside?it, in the Chair.— The Chairman exhibited specimens of Limncea glabra, found near Perth. This shell had not been detected in Perthshire before. Mr. T. Marshall read a Paper entitled "Is a Parr a young Salmon?" The author traced the history of the young salmon from the time when the ova were taken out of the adult fish, up to the period when, as a smolt, it went down to the sea. He noticed the curious fact that the young male parr had often fully- developed milt, but that the young female parr had never been seen with devel- oped roe, though several anglers (not naturalists) had stated that they had seen parr with developed roe. So sure was he of this, that he had no hesitation in offering half-a-sovereign for every specimen of parr with mature roe. As for the parr bred naturally in the rivers, they were zoologically identical with the parr bred artificially, and were one and the same species. In Mr. Marshall's opinion, it was fully proved that a parr was a young salmon. At the conclusion of his paper, Mr. Marshall pointed out, in recent examples, the dif- ference between a parr and a young yellow-trout. In reply to enquiries as to whether parr had ever been seen in rivers to which salmon had no access, Mr. Marshall stated that he knew of no instances in which it had been proved that parr had ever been seen in rivers where there were no salmon, though such had been stated. In the Tummel, above the Falls, parr were found, and salmon were said not to be found, but he had himself watched salmon getting over the Falls. Mr. J. M'Farlane read a Paper upon "Certain Fungi found near Perth." He remarked that Fungi, in addition to the interest which they possessed in common with all plants for the botanist, had a special one of their own,— namely, the esculent properties of many species. Mr. M'Farlane then proceeded to give the names, localities, and properties, of several species which he had found in the neighbourhood. Among those mentioned were, —Agaricus rubescens, A. cam- pestris, A. procerus, Coprinus comatus, Boletus edulis, Hydnum repandum, Lycoperdon giganteum, and Lactarius deliciosus, most of which he had eaten, and thought highly of. Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, 29th November, 1870.— Pro- fessor Duns, President, in the Chair.— The retiring President, Professor Duns, gave his valedictory address, in which he traced the history of the Society from its commencement, and mentioned the names of many illustrious men of science who had been members. He referred to the loss the Society had sustained in the death of Sir James Y. Simpson. In conclusion, Professor Duns made some remarks on the methods of pursuing the study of Natural Science. Natural History Society of Glasgow, 29th November, 1870— E. R. Alston, Esq., F.Z.S., in the Chair. — Mr. Alston exhibited a specimen of the Barbastelle Bat from Norfolk, and a Black Tern ( Sterna Jissipes J from the Firth of Forth. In the opinion of Mr. Gray, this bird was a regular spring and autumn visitant to our shores. It had been obtained in the following counties in Scotland, — Dumfries, Berwick, Haddington, Fife, and Aberdeen, The Secretary, Mr. Gray, exhibited a young Red-necked Phalarope ( Phalaropus hyperboreus) shot near Aberdeen. M. J. A. Harvie Brown exhibited two specimens (females in breeding plumage) of the Purple Sandpiper ( Tri?iga maritima) obtained in May last, in the Outer, Hebrides, by Captain H. W. Fielding, who thought The Scottish Naturalist. 27 that a few bred there. Mr. Gray made some remarks on the shell mounds of the Outer Hebrides, and mentioned some grounds for suspecting that these mounds might not be of greater age than 200 or 300 years, Mr. J. S. Dixon read a notice of an ancient canoe found near Kirkintilloch. The notice was illustrated by drawings. Geological Society of Glasgow, 3d November, 1870.— J. Young, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. — Mr. J. Thomson, F.G.S., exhibited three fossils, new, at least, to the west of Scotland. These were Acanthoides Wardii from Airdrie, Athyris pisum from Brockley, and Anomia corrugata from Dairy. Mr. Thomson pointed out the distinctive characters, (fee. Mr. D. C. Glen, C.E., communicated notes upon a shell-bed found in the boulder-clay in excavating a new dock at Cartsdyke, near Greenock. From certain appearances presented by the bed, he was inclined to think that it was not in its original position but had been dug from some neighbouring part of the shore and laid down in its pre- sent position many years ago, when the policies, where the excavation occurred, were formed. The chairman remarked that the boulder-clay and shell-bed in question were of great interest. The boulders were sand-stone of local origin, and granite, trap, and schist, from distant localities. Many of these boulders were beautifully smoothed and striated by ice-action. The bed was very rich in organic- remains, —about 140 species, including some rare, and many well- known Arctic forms, having heen found in it. After some further discussion, arrangements were made for an excursion to the excavation. 1st December.— J. Young, Esq., Vice President, in the Chair.— Mr. Young exhibited a block of Carboniferous Sand-stone from Gilmorehill Quarry, about nine inches in thickness, and showing in that space thirty- two well-defined alternate white and dark brown stripes. The brown stripes were caused by the sand having become mixed with bituminous matter previous to its disposition, and the layers of white and brown sand had evidently been deposited as such at irregular intervals over the area in which this striped sandstone is found. Mr. T. Naismith exhibited several drawers of fish remains, principally from the coal- fields near Glasgow. Among these were specimens of Rhizodus Hibberti from the iron-stone at Possil, Megalichthys Hibboli and Af. rngosus from Airdrie, and a few fragments of reptilian crania, vertebrae, etc., from Airdrie and Hamilton. The Chairman made a few remarks on certain specimens in the collection, and Mr. J. Thomson, F.G.S., called attention to the reptilian remains, which he said belonged to two new species of Labyrinthodon, specimens of which, found by him, were at present in the hands of Professor Huxley for examination. Mr. Thomson further remarked that the Labyrinthodons were Batrachian reptiles, and had been, from the singular combination of batrachian and crocodilian forms, termed sauroid batrachians. The genus got its name from the singular structure of the teeth, whose curious convolutions Mr. Thomson described. Mr. D. C. Glen, C.E., exhibited specimens of oil shale from Canada, and also samples of petroleum distilled from it. These shales received their bituminous ingredients from the immense quantities of trilobites, entomostraca, and other organisms contained in them. Dundee Microscopical Society, 31st August, 1870.— Mr. Adie read a paper upon " Local Diatomaccce, Specimens of various species of Diatomactee found in the district, were exhibited. 28 The Scottish Naturalist. 14th September — The subject of discourse at this fortnightly meeting, was "The Theory of the optical part of the Microscope." 12th October. — Mr, Dingwall read a paper on the " Hive Bee." Specimens of various species of bees and their combs were shown in illustration of the paper. 26th October.— Mr. J. Brown, Inland Revenue (late analyst in the Inland Re- venue Laboratory, London), read the first of a series of papers on " Adulteration. " The subject of Mr. Brown's remarks this evening, was the adulteration of starch, and in illustration, about fifty varieties of starch were exhibited under the microscope. These specimens had been mounted by Mr. Brown about six years ago, in diluted glycerine, and had undergone little change since. The author alluded to the well-marked characters afforded by the various varieties of starches, and said that microscopists, instead of almost entirely confining their studies to the examination of diatoms, Arc, might profitably turn their attention to the detection of adulterations. He would therefore be happy to teach the members of the society to detect adulterations, and purposed devoting several evenings to the examination of teas, coffees, mustards, tobacco, &c, procured by the members from the dealers in these articles. 9th November.— Subject of discussion : " The Laws of refraction." 23d November.— Mr. Brown read the second of his papers upon adulteration, the subject of which was "Tea, Coffee, Chicory and Cocoa." As tea was often imported in an adulterated state, it was difficult to bring proof of adulteration by persons in this country. Specimens of pure and adulterated teas were shown— one of the latter being a green tea, in which the green colour had been produced by some mineral colouring matter, as was shown by rubbing the damped leaf on white paper. Other examples were exhausted teas re- dried and made up,— these have been sold either alone or else mixed up with good tea. The microscopic characters of coffee were very distinct, and thus it could be easily distinguished from chicory, dandelion root, beet-root, locust beans, etc., with all of which it was sometimes adulterated. Specimens of roasted and un- roasted coffee were exhibited under the microscope, as well as examples of the various substances used to adulterate it. Cocoa was generally sold as a manu- factured article, and purposely adulterated, and little could be done by the members in detecting the adulteration, so long as the public preferred to buy cocoa in the form in which it is commonly sold. Mr. Brown exhibited specimens of theine and caffeine, the alkaloids of tea and coffee, under the polariscope. Alloa Society of Natural Science and Archaeology, Sept. 6, 1870.— The Rev. A. S. Matheson, President, in the Chair.— Mr. Borthwick read the first of a series of papers on injuries caused by insects. This paper, which was on "Our garden pests," treated of the ravages caused in gardens by various insects, among which the author mentioned the larvae of Abraxas grossulariata, which during the past season had been very abundant in Alloa, and done much damage in some gardens to the gooseberry and other bushes. Still more destructive had been the larvae of the gooseberry saw-fly. The best means of preventing their ravages is to examine well the leaves in spring, for the eggs of the fly, which are laid along the veins on the underside of the leaf, or, when the caterpillars had appeared, to dust the leaves with hellibore, or water them with a strong decoc- tion of digitalis. Among other insects referred to were various species of beetles, attacking different kinds of fruit trees, the apple moth, the American blight, etc. The paper was illustrated with diagrams. The Scottish Naturalist. 2 9 4th. October— A. F. Paton, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair.— Dr. Dun- canson read a paper upon " Some points of similarity between children and savages." 1st November.— The Rev. A. S. MATHESON, President, in the Chair.— Dr. Brotherston read a paper entitled " Our Holiday in the Harris," and exhibited specimens of birds obtained during his excursion to the Western Isles. SUGARING'-HOW, WHERE, AND WHEN TO DO IT. BY F. BUCHANAN WHITE. M.D. Firstly, — How to Sugar. — Some thirty or fort> years ago, collectors observing that some kinds of moths resorted to various wild berries, such as those of the yew and service tree, for the purpose of feeding on the juice, be- thought them that sugar might possess some similar attractive power, and tried the effect of placing an empty sugar barrel in the woods. The sugar barrel having been found successful in attracting insects, but at the same time, rather too bulky to form part of the usual equipment of a collector, some one li to fame unknown" (at least I have never seen any record of the discovererf of "sugar"), invented a composition which would have all the attractive qualities of the sugar barrel, but at the same time be more portable. This composition is known to lepidopterologists by the name of "sugar," and many receipts exist for the manufacture thereof. With these I need not trouble you further than to mention that into their composition enter,- -sugar, " foots," honey, ale, rum, whisky, water, essential oil of bitter almonds, ratafia, aniseed, spruce beer, birch wine, essence of jargonelle pears or of ginger grass ; and that, as substitutes for ; ' sugar," rotten apples, dead cats, and putrid soapsuds, have been recommended. One of the most highly commended receipts X f° r making sugar runs thus : — Boil up equal weights of foots, sugar, and treacle, in a sufficient quantity of stale beer to bring the mixture to the requisite consistency ; udd a small quantity of rum immediately before use. I find, however, a more simply compounded sugar very efficacious. To some coarse treacle add a very little whisky, four or five drops of essential oil of bitter almonds, mix well, and, //'necessary, dilute with a little water. Having made your sugar, the next thing to be considered is how to convey it to the sugaring ground. This is a matter of no great importance, the chief *An abstract of a paper communicated to the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, 7th October, 1870. t Since writing the above I have seen it stated that Mr. Doubleday was the inventor of "sugar." t Those who are acquainted with Dr. Knaggs' excellent " Lepidopterist's Guide," will perceive the use that I have made of his advice on sugaring. I can corroborate from my own experience most of bis statements. 3° The Scottish Naturalist. things to be looked to, being to prevent the scent evaporating, and to ensure as much cleanliness to one's hands as is possible in laying on the sugar. For my part, I prefer a tin of a flat oval shape (so as to fit the pocket), pro- vided with a handle, and having a brush attached to the lid, inside. The brush should be about an inch in diameter, and not too soft. Having then made our sugar, we will discuss the next point. Secondly, — "Where to Sugar.'' This admits of two divisions. — (i) The localities most likely to be productive. (2) The objects best suited for placing the sugar on. (1) The localities most likely to be productive- are, I think, beyond doubt, the neighbourhood of woods. It is of little use sugaring in the thick parts, but along the edges, or in. the glades or drives, a very large harvest may be reaped. Then for particular species (or if we have no other choice), we may try moors, marshes, sandhills, or any uncultivated pieces of ground. In selecting the scene of our operations, it should be borne in mind that ground over which we may find it easy enough to walk in daylight, may be quite the reverse at midnight ; therefore, we should make a mental note of any obtrusive stumps or stones, — such things, when run against forcibly, being by no means conducive to the preservation of one's temper, or of the skin of one's shins (not to mention the chance of frightening some rare moths by the bad language probably elicited thereby, or of squashing one's lantern by falling heavily upon it. ). If possible, therefore, remove the obstacles, or avoid places likely to lead to such sad results. When bracken, or other high plants, impede the progress, it is well to devote a little time in daylight to get rid of them — the path thus formed being, moreover, useful in guiding us from one patch of sugar to another. (2) The objects on which to place the sugar.— Of these by far the best are tree trunks with a rough bark, (on a smooth bark he moths are not able to sit so well, and the sugar runs off, or dries up sooner Select trees about five or ten yards apart, following the edge of the wood, a path or other line that may be easily detected in the dark, and if necessary, distinguish the sugared trees by pieces of white paper, or other conspicuous marks. This is a good plan to adopt when sugaring on new ground ; after a night or two one does not readily forget the sugared trees, and thereby waste time by looking for them, or lose some good moths by not examining them at all. Having fixed upon your trees, clear away, with an axe or strong knife, any twigs, leaves, moss, or loose bark, likely to interfere with your operations. As we have now to put the sugar on, we must return for a moment to the first point of consideration,— "How to sugar." Having then the sugar pot in one's left hand, the brush in the right hand, and the net under the left arm (for often a moth maybe distuibed, and we should be prepared to capture it) we proceed to apply the sugar to the bark ; first, how- ever, making sure that we do not sugar some desirable insect at rest upon the tree — a not unlikely circumstance, especially if the tree has been sugared before. Selecting then the sheltered side of the tree, we should put on the mixture in long narrow perpendicular stripes, say from two to three feet long, .and at a convenient height for examination. One stripe will generally be found sufficient, especially if we put a dab slightly exposed to the wind, so as to insure the carriage of the odour of the sugar ; but if any particular tree is on experience found to be very productive, we may place four or five stnpeb on the different The' Scottish Naturalist. 31 sides. On putting on sugar for the first time on a tree, it should be well rubbed into the crevices of the bark, but afterwards a less quantity of the compound and a slighter brushing will do. I may mention here that trees which have been frequently sugared are generally more productive than trees sugared for the first time : it follows, therefore, that we should not change our sugaring ground too frequently, or without good reason. If we can find no trees, we must sugar some other objects, such as flowers, leaves, posts, or stones. * Of flowers, ragwort and thistles are about the best ; and on them the sugar may be dabbed, while on stones it may be applied in stripes. If none of these can be found, it has been suggested that bunches of grass, such as bent on sandhills, should be tied together and sugared, but in pre- ference, I would be inclined to try the effect of rags soaked in the mixture, and tied to short sticks. Thirdly, — "When to Sugar." This may be considered under several aspects : — (1) The time to put on the sugar. (2) The time to examine it. (3) The seasons most productive. (4) The weather best suited, (5) The occasions on which not to sugar. (1) The time to put on the sugar should be immediately before dark. It is possible (if we cannot do otherwise) to put it on several hours before dusk, and to find the sugar productive, but as the scent is likely in a great degree to be dispersed in that case, it is better to wait until the last moment of daylight. Sugar put on after dark is probably (I say "probably" for I have not tried it), still less productive than that put on too soon, for the reason that the scent has not time to be spread about enough, not to mention the obvious difficulties attendant on the application of the mixture. That sugar put on some hours before dark is not unproductive, is evident, because ' ' old sugar'' {i.e., sugar put on the previous night) is often worth examining. (2) The examination of the sugar may begin as soon as it is pretty dark, and be carried on at intervals till dawn. Different moths have different hours of flight, and up to midnight we find a constant succession of new arrivals. After midnight, (according to Dr. Knaggs), the order of arrival is reversed, till just before dawn we find the same species that came just after dusk. As few of us, however, have sufficient energy to continue examining the sugar all night, two, or perhaps three rounds, will be sufficient, especially if we begin our examination not immediately, but half or three quarters of an hour after dark. My usual number is two rounds, except when a very productive night tempts me to try more. (3) "Which is the most productive season?" is a question not very easily answered, as opinions differ thereon. In every month in the year I have taken moths at sugar, but of course some months are much more productive than others, The question arises, " Which are these months?" If I was to answer from my own experience, I should say June and part of July, but I know that while I have been finding moths abundant at sugar during that period in one locality, friends in others have been experiencing the reverse, — their sugar being ' I have counted forty-seven moths on a single stone. 3 2 The Scottish Naturalist, unproductive till the end of July and August, when mine had become unprofit- able. It therefore depends, in some degree at least, on the locality, and each one's experience should teach him what the best time is in his own neighbour- hood. One thing, however, must not be forgotten, and that is, that the most productive time is not always the same every year. I would recommend that sugaring should be begun in March, left off during the time the sallows are in bloom, resumed in May, and continued till the ivy comes into blossom in October. During that time sugar should be tried at least once a week, and when found productive, prosecuted with energy. (4) We must now consider the great question of "the weather;" upon the state of which greatly depends whether our labours will be in vain or not. The most favourable combination of circumstances is a S., S.W., or W. wind, not too strong, nor veering from one point to another, but blowing a gentle steady breeze ; a moist warm atmosphere, but clear near the ground, and not muggy ; a cloudy sky, and no moon. Rain (if warm and not too heavy), though inconvenient to the collector, is often accompanied by ' ' shoals" of moths, and even during a thunderstorm many specimens have been obtained at sugar. Thirty examples of Diphthera Orion were taken by an entomologist in the midst of a severe thunderstorm, and though he tried for more on several nights apparently more favourable, he did not see another specimen. Another moth, Dasycampa rubi- ginea, has on several occasions been taken at sugar on cold nights, when not another species was present. It follows, therefore, that sugaring on nights which do not present the above mentioned favourable combination sometimes "pays well." We must not expect always to have everything favourable, and should perhaps consider it an occasion suited for sugaring that does not pre- sent any symptoms decidedly bad. These we will treat of under — (5) When not to sugar. As a rule, then, the sugar will be of little or no use when there is — fa) An easterly " touch'' in the wind (b) Frost, or unseasonably cold weather. (cj Strong moonlight. (dj No wind. While the following are not quite so adverse, but still bad — ■(e) An unclouded sky, (often, but not unvariably bad. ) (/) A sultry muggy atmosphere. (g) After a thunderstorm, (according to Dr. Knaggs.) (h) Too many attractive flowers. Sometimes, however, I have seen flowers swarming with one set of moths, and the sugar with another. When we find that the flowers are attracting all the moths, we should sugar the flowers ; by this their attractions are increased, and we are able to reap a large harvest off them. Occasionally we find our sugar taken possession of by mice, toads, beetles, ants, &c, which deter the moths from coming. In such a case we must change our sugaring ground, or try some method of getting rid of the invaders. Mice are seldom so numerous as to do much damage ; beetles and toads I generally transfer to some other locality ; to the ants, if very numerous, it is perhaps better to yield the ground. We must now return to the first division — " How to sugar ;" and see how we are to reap the harvest of moths. First, then, we must provide ourselves with a lantern. This should be something like a policeman's, but with a piece of plate glass instead of a "bull's eye." It should be also furnished with a cord, by which it may hang from the neck, or with a hook to fasten it to a belt round the The Scottish Naturalist. ^ waist. The wick should be flat, and made of "swan's-down, or " moleskin, ' while the best fuel is colza oil. We should always be sure to attend to the trim- ming and filling of the lamp before setting out, and not forget to take a good supply of lights. A great deal better than the colza oil lamp appears to be the sponge spirit lamp, which Mr. James Stewart has tried and found to work well. Its superior advantages are better light, greater cleanliness, and less trouble in trimming. I have not yet tried it myself, but have every intention of doing so.* As important as the lantern is the supply of chip-boxes, which should be placed in an accessible right-hand pocket— a pocket on the left being reserved tor the boxes containing our captures. We should also be provided with a killing-bottle and with a corked box and pins. Then we must not forget to take a net, — an ordinary butterfly net will do ; but as its shape admits of contact with the tree at one point only of its circumference, many moths in falling from the sugar — a trick to which many (and, of course, generally the rarer) species are unfor- tunately addicted — manage not to tumble into the net. To circumvent these species, Dr. Knaggs has invented a triangular-shaped net, the base of the tri- angle being made of cat gut, or other flexible materia 1 , which can adapt itself to the tree trunk. The bag of this net may be shallower than that of an ordi- nary net. Having, then, got everything in readiness, we procee 1 to look at oar sugar. In approaching a sugared tree, be careful to conceal the light, — either by turning on the dark slide, or (as is my usual plan) by putting the glass against one's breast, — then, having placed the net in position below the sugar, turn on the light, and examine the tree. If there are any moths there that are needed, do not lose any time in boxing them. This is easily done by placing a box immediately below the moth, and then pushing the box gently upwards till the moth falls in ; if, however, it is unreasonable enough to object to do so, it can Le knocked in by the finger, or better still, the lid of the box. If the insect trie, to come out of the box before the lid is put on, place a finger across the opening. In all cases, however, when the moth is at all lively, it is better to place the lid above, and the box below it, and shut it up without delay. Some species wid not remain quiet in a box, and should therefore be taken off the su<;ar into the killing-bottle, and when dead, pinned into the corked box. Experience will show what species require this treatment : Cymatophora duplaris, Mania maura, aid perhaps Aplecta occulta, A. tincta, and Hadena recti tinea are a few of them. As a rule, however, moths get so perfectly intoxicated that they remain quite quie-, both on the sugar (for a few minutes), and in the boxes ; though at some seasons of the year they seem to be rather restless and apt to fly off when disturb- ed on the sugar. In taking the moths off the sugar, precedence should be given to the liveliest, if desirable, species ; then to the rarest ; and finally the commoner ones may be lookel over, and those needed taken. If there is any doubt as to what a specimen is, it is better to take it (even if it is worn), for ex- amination by day-light, when, if found worthless, it can be set at liberty. Having thus looked rapidly over the moths that are on the sugar, wc should next examine the net, and then different parts of the tree, for moths after having had a feed often crawl oft a little way and take a siesta — going, as my friend Mr. Norman pointed out to me, even several feet from the sugar, and hanging on to any little twigs that project from the tree. Bear in mind t.vo things, in * These lamps will require to have a lantern made to fit them, which any tinsmith can do. As more heat is produce! than by the colza lamp, it may be advisable to pro- vide more air holes than in an ordinary lantern. 34 The Scottish Naturalist. looking at the sugar :— ist, To be "sharp" in doing so ; and 2d, not to mix empty and full boxes. Having done with one tree, go on to the next, always remem- bering not to throw light on the sugar before the net is in position. It is there- fore advisable to know the path well, and to cultivate the habit of feeling one's way quickly with the toes. When we have boxed all the moths that have come to the sugar, or when we are satisfied with the quantity and quality of our cap- tures, we may go home, and the first thing we should do, if it is not intended to set them at once, is to place our captures in a dark room or press, where neither artificial nor day light can reach them, as thereby they may be roused and spoil themselves by fluttering. The pinned moths may be either set at once, or placed in the relaxing jar till we have time to attend to them. If eggs are wanted, female specimens of rare moths should not be killed, but placed in a suitable box, (with a little " sugar" for food), and kept till they lay, an event which will usually take place in a few days. The following are some details of my experience in sugaring during the last three years : — The statistics are derived from a "Record of Sugaring," in which par- ticulars of each night's sugaring is entered. The record is kept thus : -a series of parallel columns are ruled off, and each has a heading indicating the observation to be recorded. The following are the headings, — ist, Date ; 2nd, Wind ; 3rd, Weather and Sky ; 4th, Moon ; 5th, Hour of examining the Sugar ; 6th, Number of trees, &c, sugared; 7th, The Results ; 8th, Number of species of Noctuce; 9th, Number of other species of Lepidoptera ; 10th, Greatest Num- ber of Moths on one Tree ; nth, Number of Hours (limited to 12) within which rain may fall after Sugaring ; 12th, Hour of concluding the examination ; 13th, The Locality ; 14th, Remarks, —such as the composition of the sugar ; the sup- posed reason of the success or non-success, &c. On another page is written the name of every species (common or rare) that is observed on the sugar each night. From the above mentioned record I find that between June 4, 1868, and August 31, 1870, I sugared 119 times,* on, altogether, 7615 trees or stones. The following were the results :— On 7 occasions, no moths ; on 57 occasions, few moths, i.e., under 40 spe- cimens ; on 39 occasions, many moths ; on 16 occasions, swarms of moths. The greatest number of species of Noctuce taken on one night was 35 ; the greatest number of species of Noctuce taken on one night, on one tree, was 27 ; the greatest number of specimens of Noctuce seen at one time on one night, on one tree, was 200. In the three years, 93 species of Noctuce came to sugar. An analysis of the results of each month shows the following— Number 1 of times of Sugaring. RESULTS. Blank. Few. Many. June, 5i 2 19 30 July, 35 1 18 16 August, 20 2 12 6 September, 10 2 8 October, 3 3 1 AH in Scotland. The Scottish Naturalist. 3 5 The 7 " blanks" were caused by bright moonlight on 2 rights ; prevalence of attractive flowers on 2 nights ; cold east wind on 1 night ; frost on 1 night"; bad locality on 1 night. The 57 "fews," by bright moonlight on n nights ; prevalence of attractive flowers on 10 nights ; cold east wind on 16 nights ; want of wind on 5 nights ; unseasonable cold or frost on 4 nights ; bad locality on 2 nights ; obscure causes on 9 nights. In conclusion, I give some remarks made upon the first half of this paper :— " In July (towards the end), and for the first ten or twelve days of August, before the autumnal change of temperature makes itself fait, (here, in the south), strong moonlight nights are particularly good ones for sugaring ; and, if it were not for very weariness, collecting might be successfully pursued, I have no doubt, until dawn of day. On the few similar occasions I have been sugaring, one's whole stock of boxes have been filled by half-past one o'clock, and the arrivals still going on ; but after the period I have named, moonlight only insures one a bad night. I have tried sugared rags many times, but never found a moth come to them ; but ragwort and yarrow flowers, cut and kept in water, and taken out — tied on a stick, and sugared— to barren places attract wonderfully; and, with care, they will keep good for three nights nt least. Another thing I must tell you is, that he who uses a drop of aniseed in his sugar mixture might as well stay at home, nor attempt (even with the proper sugar) again until he has thrown away his pot and brush, and taken to new ones without the least trace of the abominable oil. This suggestion of aniseed was originally made, I always thought, to prevent any captures, and was truly a very wicked one. Having proved it, I have always been content with sugar or treacle, or both, mixed with a little rum to perfume and stupify, without trying any other material, beyond beer or water for dissolving the sugar." — W. BUCECLRR, Lumley House, Ems- worth, Hants, Jan. 13. " I find that on moonlight nights the moths come freely at dusk, but leave very soon, so that many (or most) are gone away again in three quarters of an hour ; and any one waiting as you recommend would go home almost with empty boxes. Perhaps this is more especially the case with autumn sugaring." E. N. Bloomfield; Guestling Rectory, Hastings. ' We were scarcely prepared, even in a Scottish Journal, to find whisky men- tioned as a probable substitute for rum, in concocting the bait ; but, possibly, Scottish NoctucB have Scottish peculiarities. "We are careful not to say that the " Dew of Ben Nevis" is useless, because when we recently suggested to a Ger- man friend that " beet-sugar" was of little avail, we were met by the sarcastic remark (Stett. Ent. Zeit. 1871, p. 95) thac, "Die englischen Xoctuen bewiesen aber darin sehr feine Nasen, dass sie zwischen Runkelruben und Rohr Zucher sehr genau unterschieden.'' [English Noctuce showed very fine noses in this, that they discriminated very accurately batwaen beet and cane sugar.]" — Ento- mologist' s Monthly Magazine, Feb., 1871. T&gSg HH^g^g^^^^^^ W4 §y| \^^^^^^ illiR V>5 •V' 'f 11118 \bfci^# t" '^^'^'^iMu^iLL r ^ffit^^MB^N'Ji fie *tSA\j|jfe]l rilM^ i^^s^^a ZOOLOGY. THE COLEOPTERA OF THE SCOTCH FIR. By D. Sharp, M.B. EEING that the Scotch fir is among the most striking and w -' best known of the indigenous trees found in the Highlands of Scotland, it has struck me that a list of the Coleoptera depen- dent on it for their existence in this country may be accept - able to Scotch naturalists. I have appended a few remarks to the list, and shewing, as these do, how much has still to be done to work out the Natural History of the insects alluded to, 1 hope they may be the means of inducing the entomologists of Scotland to further elucidate this interesting subject. The insects of an allied species of pine, the Pinus maritimns of the Landes, have been studied and described by M. Perris, with a care and completeness worthy of all praise, and I am sure that any Scotch naturalist who has the means of observing and studying the insects of the Scotch fir, and will give us the results of his observations, will at the same time find a most agreeable occupation for himself, and render a real service to science. One of the most important of the remaining ancient forests of this tree in Scotland is to be found at Rannoch, in Perthshire, and this locality, (possessing so many charms for the lovers of the beautiful, as well as for the student of nature,) having been well worked by entomologists, has afforded a large proportion of the rarer of the species here enumerated. No doubt if other forests of this tree were well searched many of the species as yet supposed to be confined to Rannoch would be discovered elsewhere, and it may confidently be expected that others quite new would be added to the list. The Scottish Naturalist. 3 7 The Scotch fir gives nourishment to insects of various orders, notably Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Diptera,but I must leave to naturalists more conversant with these orders than I am, the task of particularly enumerating their species. Placusa PUxMiLio, Grav. — Found under the bark of felled trees at Rannoch and elsewhere ; its larva is described by Perris. Quedius l/evigatus,- Gyll. — Found in numbers under the bark of felled trees, stumps, &c, at Rannoch, and near Loch Africk : the metamorphoses are not yet described, but the lar- va, as well as the perfect insect, is undoubtedly carnivorous. Q. xanthopus, Er. — A few individuals of this very rare species have occurred under fir bark at Rannoch ; nothing is known of its history. Xantholinus lentus, Grav. — Only a single individual of this species has yet been found in Britain ; it was captured near Loch Africk by Mr. Crotch, in my presence, under the bark of a fir log. The larva has not been described; Thom- son says, that in Sweden this insect " inhabits trees, parti- cularly fir trees." Baptolinus alternans, Grav. — Is frequent under rotten bark of fir trees throughout the country ; I have not remarked it in other situations, though Thomson says of it " It frequents trees, particularly conifers" ; metamorphoses not described. Homalium pineti, Th. — Found under the bark of the fir stumps at Rannoch and Strath Africk; it is closely allied to H. planum, a species confined to sap trees ; earlier stages still unknown. H. pusillum, Grav. — Common throughout the country, under the bark of decaying fir trees. Thomson has recently pointed out that the specimens inhabiting sap or leaf trees are a distinct species. It is found also in connection with the Pinus mariti/nus, and its metamorphoses have been described by M. Perris. H. inflatum, Gyll. — The few British specimens of this rare insect that have occurred have all been taken at Rannoch, where it is found under the bark of the logs and stumps ; its convex form renders it apparently little adapted for loco- motion in such spots. The larva is unknown. 3» The Scottish Naturalist. Liodes GLABER, Kug.— Frequents a peculiar fungus growing on the old stumps at Rannoch and Strath Africk ; the larva has been described by Schiodte. L. castaneus, Herbst. — Found with the above at Rannoch, in similar circumstances ; larva described by Perris. Agathidium rotundatum, Gyll. — Sparingly under the bark of the fir at Rannoch and elsewhere \ larva unknown. A. rhinoceros, Sharp. — This was once found by me in abun- dance under the bark of a dead fir at Rannoch ; besides these specimens only one other is known, which was captured by me with the sweeping net at night, in Strath Africk, in a locality where the Scotch fir grows \ hence, I suppose it to be attached to this tree. The earlier stages are unknown. A. nigrinum, Sturm. — Found with the species of Liodes at Rannoch. Thomson says it inhabits, in Sweden, leaf trees (in opposition to fir trees), but I am not quite sure that there may not be two species yet confounded under the name of nigrinum ; observations of the history of the species would help to clear up this point j the earlier stages are un- known. Pteryx suturalis, Heer. — This little creature is found under the bark of the fir stumps at Rannoch ; its life history is unknown. It is the only bark Trichopterygian as yet found in Scotland. Epur.«a angustula, Er. — Found under the bark of fir at Ran- noch ; its larva and habits are quite unknown, but I suppose it to live at the expense of Xylotcrus lincatus. E. pusilla, Herbst. — Abundant through the country, under the. bark of felled Scotch firs ; the larva of this, and also of the following species, are quite unknown. E. oblonga, Herbst. — Only a very few examples of this species have occurred in Britain, all found under bark of Scotch fir. First taken by myself and others near London, and subse- quently by Mr. Crotch, on the Cheviots, near Yetholm. Ips quadripustulatus, Fab. — This species is abundant under the bark of the fir stumps at Rannoch, and is found else- where. The larva is carnivorous, and has, I believe, been described by Frisch. Thomson says, that in Sweden this species inhabits leaf trees as well as fir, but my experience The Scottish Naturalist. 39 of it in this country is, that it is quite limited to the Scotch fir. I. ferrugineus, Fab. — Found under the bark of the Scotch fir. This species likewise frequents the Finns maritimus, where it lives at the expense of species of the genus Hylastes ; its metamorphoses have been described by Perris. Rhizophagus depressus, Fab. — This common species also in- habits the Pinus maritimus, as well as the Scotch fir, and its larva, which lives at the expense of Hylesinus, has been de- scribed, as well as its transformations, by Perris. The generic name was given under a mistaken idea of its habits. R. ferrugineus, Payk. — Also a common attache of the fir ; its larva has not been described, but it is undoubtedly carni- vorous. Dendrophagus crenatus, Payk. — Of this species hitherto only a few specimens have occurred in Britain ; they have been found at Rannoch under fir bark. I believe the larva and its habits are unknown. Elater tristis, Linn. — Has been found very rarely at Ran- noch. In Sweden it is associated with the fir ; its larva has not been described. Athous undulatus, De Geer. — I am not sure whether this fine, (and in this country very rare,) species is attached to the fir or the birch ; it has been found only at Rannoch. Out of the United Kingdom it has a very wide distribution, occurring in the Altai, Siberia, and Hudson's Bay ; De Geer described the larva, as well as the perfect insect. Eros aurora, Fab. — This elegant insect has been found in Britain only at Rannoch, where it lives under the bark of the Scotch fir, and especially among the decaying chips, the the accumulation of years, at the saw-pit at Dall, there. The larva has not been described, but I have reared the perfect insect from a larva I took to London with me ; it fed readily on lepidopterous larvae. Thanasimus formicarius, Linn. — This insect is found in various parts, but, I believe, in Britain only in connection with the fir. Its larva is well known, and has been several times described ; it is supposed to be very useful by attack- ing and destroying insects injurious to the tree. 40 The Scottish Naturalist. Pytho depressus, Linn. — Found hitherto only at Rannoch, where it is common, (especially in the larva state), under the bark of felled trees and stumps. The larva is figured in Westwood's Introduction, and is no doubt carnivorous. Ernobius mollis, Linn. — This insect is tolerably common on the Scotch fir, and is another of the species found also on the maritime pine. Its larva is described by Perris, who states that it lives at the expense of the tree, but attacks only sickly and ailing individuals. E. nigrinus, Sturm. — Found by C. Turner, in Scotland, and by Mr. Hislop on the fir near Forres. Ratzeburg has de- scribed the larva. Blastophagus piniperda, Linn. ; Hylastes ater, Payk. \ H. palliatus, Gyll. — These three species are all very abundant, and most destructive to the tree. The larvae are well known. Xyloterus lineatus, 01. — Till lately two species were con- founded under this name, but it is now known that the insect inhabiting the oak is a distinct species from the one found on the pine. The latter appears to be the true linea- tus, and has been found as yet only, I think, at Rannoch. It bores deep cylindric holes into the wood of the felled trees ; but I am unacquainted with the larva. Rhyncolus chloropus. — This also has yet only been found at Rannoch. Its larva, I think, has not been described. From my observations I am disposed to think that Ccrylon his- tcroides lives at its expense. Anthonomus varians, Payk. — A few specimens have been found on the fir, I believe, at Rannoch. Nothing is known of its history. Magdalinus duplicatus, Germ. (?) — This species has been found only by Mr. Hislop near Forres, and that very rarely. It is very doubtful whether it is the true duplicatus \ and I may here call attention to the fact, that a species of this genus allied to duplicatus, Germ., has been recently de- scribed by M. Desbrochers des Loges under the name of M. Heydeni, and is stated by him to occur in Britain. The larva of M. duplicatus is not known, but will closely resem- ble that of Jlf. car/wiarius, described by Perris. The Scottish Naturalist. 41 Rhinomacer attelaboides, Fab. — This curious insect, though not common, has occurred in several localities ; its larva has been described by Perris, it being one of the insects of the Pinus maritimus. Brachonyx indigena, Herbst. — I know nothing of this species except that it has been taken at Rannoch by Turner, and at Forres by Mr. Hislop, and that it is stated to inhabit the fir in Sweden. Pissodes pini, Linn. — Very common at Rannoch, and has occurred elsewhere ; its larva is well known, and considered very injurious to the tree. P. notatus, Fab. — This species has suddenly become common in Britain. Up till five or six years ago but a single specimen was known ; about that time Turner discovered it some- where in the neighbourhood of Inverness, and since then it has appeared commonly in various places in England and Scotland. Can it be that specimens have been intro- duced with trees from abroad ? Its larva is well known, and is considered injurious. Acanthocinus ^EDILIS, L'nn. — This is one of the most striking of British beetles; it is common at Rannoch, where it is called the "timber man," but is rare elsewhere. Its larva is well known. Asemum striatum, Linn. — Found on the fir stumps at Ran- noch, and in Ross-shire. Its larva is known, but not, I believe, described. This list only includes such species as I suppose in this country to be entirely confined to the Scotch fir. Numbers of other species of beetlesare also found on this tree but are not exclusively confined thereto. If any entomologist would give us a like catalogue of the species found on this pine in other parts of Europe, we should have the material for a very interesting and instructive com- parison. I may mention that the pinals of the valley of the Guadarrana, in the centre of Spain, are formed of this tree, and that when I collected there last summer, I found a vast number of species I had never seen alive before, and with them some of our well known Scotch ones, notably Pissodes pini. Amongst the most remarkable of the forms not found in Scotland was the 42 The Scottish Natural is!. genus Brackyderes, represented by four species. As two species of this genus are also found on the fir in Sweden ; there is reason to hope it may be yet discovered in Scotland. Eccles. Thornhill, Dumfries-shire. Capture of Noctua sobrina — My brother and I paid a visit last summer to Rannoch, and were fortunate enough to capture several specimens of the rare Noctua sobrina. — T. HUTCHINS0N, Grantsfield, Leominster. Dasypolia Templi — I see in the first number of the ' ' Scottish Naturalist" that Dasypolia templi has been recorded from only two Scottish counties, — Perth and Aberdeen. I can vouch for its occurrence in Fife. In October, 1868, a boy brought me a male of this moth, taken flying at night about one hundred yards from Balmuto House. In the month of July, 1869, I cut up all the diseased stems of Hcraclcum near the place where the insect was taken ; most of these contained the larvae or newly changed pupae of Depressaria heracleana, but in one I found a flesh-coloured Noctua larva, about i}^ inches long, with black specks on the sides, and a few short hairs springing from these specks, which I suppose to have been the larva of D. templi. I dug up the plant and placed it in a flower-pot, with gauze tied over the cut end of the stem, but on examining it in September no trace of pupa or dead larva was visible. It was not till August, 1869, that I became aware that the pupa of D. templi is to be found in the stem of the food plant. In that month I grubbed up, at Seafield Tower, near Kirkcaldy, a large brown Noctua pupa, somewhat like that of Phlogophora mrticulosa, from which a fine female Dasypolia templi emerged about the middle of September.— J. Boswell Syme, Balmuto, Kirkcaldy. — Since Mr. Herd's notice of the capture of this moth, nine other specimens have been found near Perth, all, I believe, at rest on stones. —A. Simpson, High Street, Perth, Feb., 1871. Anticlea sinuata taken in Scotland.— In looking over Mr. T. Anderson's collection of insects, recently, I noticed a specimen - of the above which had been bred by him from a larva found near Forfar. Mr. Anderson did not know the name of the moth, but remembered that the caterpillar which produced it was a yellowish looper, and fed upon Galium verum. From Mr. Jenner Fust's •' Distribution of Lepidoptera in Britain," it would appear that this species has never been previously recorded from any locality in Britain north of Cambiidge. - F. Buchanan White, Perth. Additions to tbe Scottisb Insect-]!rauna.— The following species are noticed in the "Entomologist's Annual " for 1871 as occurring in Scotland. In COLEOPTERA, — A mar a Quettscli, Schon., (Braemar, Hislop, ) ; Ocalea lati- pentiis, Sharp, (Sharp and Hislop); Aleochara fungivora, Sharp, (Dumfries- shire, Sharp) ; Oxypoda longipes, Mulsant, (Aberlady, Sharp) ; Placusa denticu- lata, Sharp, (Rannoch and Strathglass, Sharp); Xantholiiius distans, Muls., (Rannoch, Rye); Homalium brevicome. F.r., (Balmuto, Syme); Anacccna variabilis, Sharp, (Sharp) ; Tomicus nigritus, Gyll., (Strathglass, Sharp). In Lepidoptera, — Swammerdamia nanivora, Stainton, (Strathglass, Buchanan White) ; Gelechia confinis, Stainton, (Perth, Buchanan White). Further parti- culars will be found in the " Annual. " — Id. The Scottish Naturalist. 43 Habit of Polyommatus Artaxerxes — I have noted, and Mr. W. Herd tells me that he has done the same, that this butterfly has a particular affection for blue flowers. While collecting near Kinfauns one day, I was much struck by the attraction a tall plant with blue flowers seemed to possess for P. Artaxer- xes. Over and over again I took specimens off this plant, and in a very short time fresh individuals would arrive and settle on the flowers. Not being a bota- nist, I regret that I am unable to give the name of the plant. — James Stewart, High Street, Perth. [From Mr. Stewart "s description to me, the plant is proba- bly the Field Scabious ( Knautia arvensisj, and another blue flower, the Bugloss {Lycopsis arvensis), seems also to be attractive to the little Artaxerxes.— Ed.] Pyrochroa pectinicornis.— Though I cannot give an accurate answer to the query of Mr. Hislop as to the time of appearance of Pyrochroa pectinicornis^ I think I can give some indication on the subject. Its two English congeners both appear in the Spring in the perfect state ; one of them often in April, the other in May. Turner certainly captured his specimens of pectinicornis in the Spring ; and I think it probable that the first spell of fine weather in May would see it about in the localities where it occurs. I may add that Turner told me it was a nocturnal species, and that he found it "coming to light" when he was sugaring for moths ; but I should hesitate to accept this without confirmation. — U. Sharp, Eccles, Thornhill, Dumfries. THE CAPERCAILLIE.* Tcfrao Urogaiius i Cabar Coille. By Robert Gray. "PERTHSHIRE and Forfarshire are at present the strong- -*• hold in Britain of this fine game bird. In these counties it breeds extensively, and has become so firmly established that proprietors of the forests in which it is found do not now object to its falling to the sportsman's gun. In some places, indeed, it has been thought prudent to thin the Capercaillies where they have become numerous. Mr Geikie, factor to the Earl of Airlie, lately informed me that he has seen as many as fifteen brace killed in a day by one shooting party. These birds are also abundant on the estate of the Earl of Breadalbane, where of late years they have increased to a great extent Stray birds are often seen in the counties adjacent to the two just mentioned. Numbers are sent to the Glasgow poulterers, but from the rank- ness of their flesh they are not much esteemed for the table — a * From Mr Gray's forthcoming work on the Birds of Scotland, noticed at p. 20. 44 The Scottish Naturalist quality which in these degenerate poaching days must materially lessen the chances of their destruction. Mr Elwes, whose interesting notes are now before me, remarks that as they are not included in the game laws, and can be shot at any time of year, it is a favourite plan in some places to reserve them until January and February, when with a few roe- deer and woodcocks, they help to make up a very good day's sport. As they keep mostly in high Scotch-fir woods, and are very wary, it is necessary to drive them with beaters, and though from their great size very easy to hit, a hard blow and large shot are necessary to bring them down. They are said to drive the black game very much away from the woods they frequent, and in some places are not much liked on this account. * On consulting some of the older records respecting the oc- currence of this "chieftain of the grouse tribe," I find that as far back as the early part of the seventeenth century its head quarters had been almost where they now are, and that it had spread from this centre northwards. t In Inverness-shire it had * On one estate in Perthshire when Capercaillies are abundant, they are not encouraged, I understand, because they frighten the Pheasants. Ed. Sc. Nat. fAs an exception to this rule it may be mentioned that the Rev. J. Headrick, in his "View of Arran," published in 1807, remarks that the Capercaillie "formerly abounded" in that island, but seemed tnen to be extirpated. I have the satisfaction, however, of stating that the bird has been again introduced into the island, and is now (1870)' observed in considerable numbers. From this district eggs have been obtained by parties at a distance, and experiments tried in Dumfriesshire and Galloway with a view to the re-estabhshment of the bird in the firwoods of these counties. These experiments have been so far suc- cessful that several broods have been dispersed throughout the south of Scotland, but from the want of sufficient cover it is extremely doubtful if the species can increase in that direction. Indeed, judging from newspaper records, it would appear that in several instances the birds have wandered from their native woods, and been destroyed by grouse shooters. In December, 1868, a fine male, in beautiful plumage, was shot in Lanarkshire by Henry Lees. Esq., on his moors at Auchengray, near Airdrie; and in the last week of November, 1869, two specimens — both females— were killed in Galloway: one in the neighbour- hood of Newton-Stewart, the other at Auchencairn, Kirkcudbrightshire. Again, writing from Dunipace, in Stirlingshire, Mr Harvie Brown says, ''You will, I think, be glad to hear that the Capercaillie may now be considered as fairly established in this part of the country. Last year several birds bred in Torwood, and are now seen not only by the keepers but also by the gentle- men who shoot over the covers. They are also not unfrequently seen in the adjoining cover of Dalcswood, both males and females. They are not of course The Scottish Naturalist. 45 lingered until 1745. Writing in 1794, the Rev. John Grant says: — "The last seen in Scotland was in the woods of Strath- glass about thirty-two years ago;" but the bird must then have been but a rare straggler, as is evident from a note by the minister of Kiltarlity, written about the same period, in which he says: — The Caperkaily, or king of the wood, said to be a species of wild turkey, was formerly a native of this parish, and bred in the woods of Strathglass ; one of these birds was killed about fifty or sixty years ago in the church-yard of Kiltarlity, 1 ' — an ominous haunt, indeed, for the last of his race. Besides these notices, mention is made of the species in the statistical account of Urquhart and Glenmoriston, and other parishes — all records agreeing in the fact of the bird being extremely rare between the years 1745 and 1760, when it apparently became extinct. The following is a copy of a letter written in 161 7 by the royal sportsman, mentioned in the account of the Pheasant to the Earl of Tullibardine, ancestor of the Duke of Athole : — " James R., " Right trustie and right well beloved cosen and counselled We greet you well. Albeit our knowledge of your dutiful affection to the good of our service and your countrie's credite, doeth sufficientlie persuade us that you will earnestlie endeavour yourself to express the same be all the meanes in your power; yet there being some things in that behalf requisite, which seem, notwithstanding of so meane moment, as in that rcgaird both you and others might neglect the same, if our love and care of that, our native kingdom, made Us not the more to trie their nature and necessity, and accordingly to give order for preparation of everything that may in any sort import the honour and credite thereof. Which consideration, a?ni the known commoditie yee have to provide, capercaiUies and termi- gantis, have moved Us very earnestly to request you to employ as yet in any numbers, but three or four are often seen together. They have doubtless spread in this direction frum Tullieallan through Dunmore, where a nest cf eggs was found some years ago, though not hatched on account of an accident." R. G. 46 The Scottish Naturalist. both your oune paines and the travelles of your friendis, for provision of each kind of the saidis foules, to be now and then sent to Us be way of present, be means of our deputy thesaurer, and so as the first sent thereof, may meet us on the 19th of April at Durham, and the rest as we shall happen to meet and rancounter them in other places on our way from thence to Berwick. The raritie of these foules will both make their estimation the more pretious and confirm the good opinion con- ceaved of the good cheare to be had there. For which respectis, not doubting but that yee will so much the more earnestlie en- deavour yourself to give us good satisfaction anent the premises, as yee will do Us acceptable service, we bid you farewell. At Whitehall, the 14th Marche, 161 7." From this letter it would appear that the capercaillie had been one of the delicacies of the royal table during the reign of James in Scotland; and it is amusing to observe the somewhat im- patient directions given to have birds forwarded to Durham to meet him there on a certain day, and others as he should "happen to rancounter them" in his route northwards. Modern taste would hardly seem to confirm the good opinion "con- ceaved" by his Majesty of these birds, but their " raritie" was perhaps more esteemed than the flavour of their flesh. The species, as we have seen, probably continued scarce for another century, and finally disappeared about the year 1758. It is not quite so certain that " termigantis " have ever been in danger of extinction. The Nidification of the Tree-Sparrow.— In connection with the breeding habits of this bird as- observed in Scotland, I cannot speak from personal ex- perience, but in one of the eastern counties of England— Cambridgeshire — I have taken a considerable number of their eggs. In that country the favoured site for their nests is in the holes of pollard willows, and other trees by the banks of rivers, ditches, &c. On both sides of the River Cam above Cambridge- town, long rows of pollard willows extend, and nearly every one of these trees contains— or at the time I was in the county, five years ago, contained — one, two, or more nests of the Tree Sparrow [Passer montan us.) Mr J. Allen Barker's note, therefore, on the nidification of this species in Scotland is all the more in- teresting, as showing how these birds, like many other species, are influenced in their choice of a nesting site by the opportunities afforded to them in different The Scottish Naturalist. 47 localities. Whereas Mr J. Allen Harker has in Scotland only heard of a "single instance of one nesting in a hole in a decayed trunk,"' we in England have never met with a Tree- Sparrow's nest in any other situation. May this differ- ence in habit in the same species not be partially accounted for by the fact that whereas pollard— and, consequently, hollow — trees are exceedingly common in England, — in some districts at all events, — they are rare in Scotland. It is perhaps noteworthy, also, that in such districts of England where pollarding is most practised, there the Tree-Sparrow appears to be most abundant. Is it not also possible (I will not say probable) that were we in Scotland to practice pollarding, and thus allow the moisture to eat holes into our willow and other trees, that the Tree-Sparrow might not become a more abundant species than it at present is, upon thus finding places congenial to its habits prepared for it ? The fact of the distribution of many species northward is well known, and can be traced in many, if not in most cases, to changes in the aspect of the country ; conversely in the year 1690 the Green Woodpecker (Gecinus canusj " made place for its nest with its beak in the oak tree, " in the far northwest of Sutherland, as we are informed by Sir Robert Gordon, in his " History of the Earldom of Sutherland." Now that great forests of wood have disappeared, the Green Woodpecker likewise has departed. — John A. HARVIE Brown, Dunipace House, Falkirk, Jan. 12, 1871. The Glaucous Gull.— [Larus glaucus,}— This beautiful gull has appeared on the Eastern shores of Scotland in unusual numbers this winter. Though gene- rally regarded as a somewhat rare British bird. I have of late years observed that it regularly frequents the coasts of Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross, making its first appearance in September or October, and departing early in the month of April. It is perhaps nowhere more numerously met with on the mainland of Scotland than in Aberdeenshire. Two very fine specimens were sent to me, in the flesh, in the last week of December, 1870, by Mr. Alex. Mitchell, who in- forms me that young birds especially are this year very plentiful. Another correspondent in that quarter writes, that he never goes along the shore with his gun in quest of birds without seeing several glaucous gulls. The two birds now before me present the following measurement, — Adult male, length, 32 inches ; extent of wing, 66 inches. Young of second year, length, 27 inches; extent of wing, 61 inches. In other parts of Scotland this conspicuous sea-gull is occa- sionally observed. In the outer Hebrides it occurs sometimes in considerable numbers, and when two or three old birds are seen together, they form a splen- did sight as they wheel round in their flight, and sweep their snow-white figures athwart the dark clouds during a Hebridean storm. — Robert Gray, Glasgow. Jan. 16. Birds of the Northwest of Aberdeenshire.— A complete list of Scottish breeding birds would be hailed with satisfaction by, I am sure, most of those taking an interest in Scottish Natural History. But such a list cannot be com- piled by one individual, or even by a few, however observant, and however as- siduous in their task they may be ; it requires one to be intimately acquainted with, and to be resident for years in, a locality, to become thoroughly acquainted wit h its natural' history — each parish, or at most one or two parishes, requires a natural historian for itself, and if those interested in this pursuit in different lo- calities of Scotland would but keep their eyes and ears open, and keep a register of what passes under their notice, and send in, after a time sufficient to verify 48 The Scottish Naturalist. their individual observations, these registers to be published in Journals such as the " Scottish Naturalist,"* the end desired would soon be accomplished. The following is a list of the breeding birds in two parishes— Drum blade and Huntly — in the N. W. of Aberdeenshire, the eggs or young of all of which I have found, with the exception of one or two, and the eggs of these I know from the highest authority have been found : — Teal [Anas crecc'a) ; Wild Duck (A. BoscAas) ; Moorhen (Gattinula chloro- pus) ; Landrail [Crex pratensis) ; Jack Snipe* [Scolopax Gallinula) ; Common Snipe (S. GalHnago) ; Woodcock (.S". rusticola) ; Con'imon Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucos) ; Red Shank ( T. calidris) ; Curlew (Numenius arquata) ; [Heron [Ardea cinerea), doubtful] ; Peewit (Vanellus cristatus) ; Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis) ; Partridge (Perdix cinerea) ; Red Grouse (Lagopis Scoticus) ; 1 heasant (Phasianus colchicus) ; Rock Dove {Columba livia), in the common domestic pigeon ; Ring Dove (Cclumba palumbus) ; Swift (Cypselus apus) ; Sand Martin (Hirundo riparia) ; Martin (H. urbica) ; Swallow (H. rnstica) : Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) — I have never found its egg, but from its very frequent occurrence it is highly probable that it breeds here ; Wren ( Trog- lodytes europa'us) ; Creeper (Certhia familiar is) ; Magpie (Pica caudata) ; Jackdaw (Corvus Monedula) ; Rook (C.frugilegus) ; Hooded Crow (C. Cornix) ; Carrion Crow (C. coronc) ; Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) ; Bullfinch (Loxia Pyrrhula) ; Mountain Linnet (Linota montium) ; Linnet (L. cannabina) ; Goldfinch (Carduelis elegans) ; Greenfinch (Coccothraustes chloris) ; House Sparrow (Passer domeslicus) ; Mountain Finch (Fringilla montifringilla) ; Chaffinch (/''. Calebs) ; Yellow Bunting (Emberiza citrine/la) ; Blackheaded Bunting (E. scha:niclus) ; Bunting (E. miliaria) ; Wood Lark (Alauda arborea) \ Sky Lark (A. arvensis) ; Meadow Pipit (An thus pratensis) ; Grey Wagtail (Moticillaflava)\ Yellow or Ray's Wagtail ( M. boarulaj; Pied Wagtail (M. alba\) ; Longtailed Tit (Parus caudatus) ; Cole Tit (P. ater) ; Blue Tit (P. ccerw leus) ; Golden crested Regulus (Regulus cristatus) ; Willow Warbler (Sylvia Trochilus) ; White Throat (Curruca cinerea) ; Wheat Ear (Saxicola CEnanthe)-, Whin Chat (S. rubetra) ; Red Start {Ruticilla pliarnicurus) ; Red' Breast (Ery- thaca rubecnla); Hedge Accentor (Accentor modularis) ; Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) ; Blackbird (T. Merula) ; [Red Wing (T. Jliacus), and Field Fare (T. pilaris) ; winter visitants] ; Song Thrush (7". music us) ; Missel Thrush (T. viscivorus) ; Dipper (C/nclus aquaticus) ; Tawny Owl (Syrnium Aluco) ; White Owl (Strix flammed) ; Shorteared Owl (Otut brachyotus) ; Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter Xisus) ; Kestrel (Falco tinnun cuius) ; Merlin (F. ^Esalon.) — H. O. Forbes, Aberdeen. The Greenland Shark.— (Scymnus horealis.) — Three specimens of this fish, usually rather rarft on the British coast, have been caught in the bay at Aberdeen, within the last year, two having been caught in March, 1870, the largest of which was 10 feet long. It is now in the University Museum. The third specimen was caught on 26th January, 1871, but was quite small, being only $}4 feet in length. It was much infested with parasites, having an /Ega attached to its skin, a Larneopoda elongata on each eye, close to the pupil, and on the gills many specimens of an Entosoon, I think a species of *A very doubtful breeder in Britain. What grounds has Mr Forbes for thinking that the Jack Snipe breeds in Aberdeenshire? Ed. Sc. Nat. \ Otherwise called M. Yarellii. Thi Scottish Naturalist. 49 Tristoma. The chief remarks I have to make refer, however, to the continuance of the heart's action, even after it was removed from the body. The fish was to all appearance dead, on the evening it was caught (Thursday) ; next morning it was opened, when the auricle was found to be still beating strongly and regularly, four times per minute. It seemed to contain only air, and a very little fluid. The contraction seemed to begin behind, and to be continued forwards towards the ventricle, and it was followed by a recoil, seemingly due to the elasticity of the muscular fibres of the auricle bringing it into its former position. The regularity of the movement did not seem to be affected by pricking with any sharp instru- ment. The ventricle was not seen to move from the time the fish was opened. On cutting out the gill arteries from among the flesh, the heart began to beat faster, and at last reached seven beats per minute, but after the heart and vessels were cut completely out, the motion became slower again — four to six beats per minute. It continued to beat till Monday evening, but became more and more feeble, though still very regular, and the intervals between the beats shorter, but by nine a.m. on Tuesday it had stopped. It had thus continued to beat nearly four days after it was cut out of the body of the fish, viz., — from Friday forenoon till Monday evening. The only precautions taken were to cover it with a glass shade to keep it moist and to keep off dust. — J. Traill, Univer- sity, Old Aberdeen, Feb. 17. Squirrels in the North of Scotland.— In connection with Dr. Gordon's note on Squirrels in Moray (p. 19), we give the following cutting from the Elgin Con rant : — "Squirrels, we believe, first appeared north of Spey some twenty years ago. Writers of natural histories, not so long ago as that, tell us that squirrels were unknown in "the north, and they certainly were very few. Half a century has, however, elapsed since there were squirrels in Roxburghshire, into which a nobleman is said to have introduced them. In that country, as also in Perth- shire, they are now a great pest, and hunted down without mercy. The squirrel is a creature known to have a propensity to migrate, persistently pur- suing its course over river, mountain, and moor. They came here from Perth- shire, by the way of Glentruitn, getting to the top of that glen we know not how, through the wilderness on both sides of Dalwhinnie. At all events that was the route of the squirrel invasion, for they made their first appearance among the trees about Invereshie and Aviemore, and the woods of Rothiemurchus. From Badenoch, or rather Strathspey, they crossed into Nairn or Morayshire, and their multiplication has been so rapid, that now scarcely a wood in the two counties is free from their ravages. In the woods of Cawdor, Darnaway, and Altyre, they were numerous fifteen years ago, but it is not jnore than five years since they came to the woods on Heldon Hill, and the Oak Wood, near Elgin. From Elgin they have gone to the woods about Gordon Castle, and the exten- sive plantations about Cullen House will soon receive a visit from them." Madness in Animals.— We have frequently been asked, Hozv and what to observe and record, so that persons of ordinary capacity and opportunity— aspi- ring to become naturalists, or simply desirous of aiding in the development of local Natural History— may contribute their quota to the real progress of scien- tific knowledge. Let us indicate one of the directions in which all who have an opportunity of observing the habits of the domestic animals — [and indeed all who are in the practice of reading newspapers and serials, and have the taste and 50 The Scottish Naturalist. leisure for making "cuttings"- as we editors are given to do -relating to a particular group of subjects] — may become of real service to science. We hear constantly of Madness in Animals. Bulls, cattle, dogs, horses, and even pigs, are frequently said to become mad ; and their madness is usually supposed, though erroneously so, to be dependent on, or part of, the specific contagious disease technically known as Rabies or Hydrophobia. Many — perhaps the majority of— cases of so-called Madness in Animals are, however, quite un- connected with Rabies ; but such madness is nevertheless wrongly spoken of as Rabidity. Now, it is of importance to collect authentic records of cases of animal madness, in which Rabies can be proved not to exist. Such non-rabietic madness is comparable with what is called Insanity in man. That animal madness and human insanity are essentially mental affections — functional cere- bral derangements — of the same kind, there is every ground for believing. But sufficient proof is yet required to carry conviction to minds that are prejudiced against the belief or admission that other animals besides man have minds ; and that their minds are equally subject to disturbance or derangement by many of the causes that produce insanity i?i man. If this latter double proposition be capable of proof- as there is every reason to believe it is— the fact will necessarily tend to loosen and lessen the distinction that is presently supposed to exist be- tween man and other animals. Believing that there are few problems in Comparative Psychology, or Compara- tive Pathology, of greater interest than that which relates to the Physiology and Pathology of Mind in the Lower Animals, we gladly throw open our columns for the record of illustrations of non-rabietic madness,— of insanity in animals comparable with that which exists — alas ! only too commonly — in man. And we invite the attention in particular of our zoological readers to the subject, con- vinced of the promising and important — as well as comparatively novel — field it offers for original observation and investigation. The Peewit.— An outcry is very properly being made in the north of England against the wholesale destruction of the eggs of the plover, or "peewit," which occurs every March. The eggs are- considered a delicacy, and command 3d. to 6d. each. The nests of all birds, sitting or not, are ruthlessly robbed, until the bird — the best of farmers' friends — is now almost extinct. The war against the plovers is held by some to be one great cause of the difficulty of raising a turnip crop, and of the great increase of insects and slugs. It is proposed to petition for a Plovers' Bill.— Times. GENE RAL INFORMATION. Paisley Free Museum.— By the time the second number of the " Scottish Naturalist" is in the hands cf its readers, it is anticipated that the labour in- cidental to the formation of a library and museum will be so far advanced, as to admit of the opening of this building to the public. It may interest naturalists in distant parts of the country to hear what has been done towards forming a natural history collection for it. The museum proper is a large and handsome room, rectangular in form, and admirably lighted from the roof ; a gallery run- ning round this room is the portion of the building devoted to natural history. The specimens are disposed in wall-cases on the west, south, and east walls, in six large table-cases, three at each end of the gallery, and in a series of narrow The Scottish Naturalist. 5 1 table-cases, extending round the front of the gallery. These latter contain the insects, and there is ample space beneath tiiemlorjfrtting up tiers of drawers as the specimens increase. The walls en each' side^T entrance (by a flight of stone steps) are hung with photographs of local interest. The wall- cases dontaln the vertebrata. On the west wall are, -a case, illustrative ion a small scale, of the com- parative anatomy of the vertebrates, including a fine series of human skeleton?, from the infant to the adult ; and two cases of British Mammals. The whole of the south wall, and part of the east, are taken up by a fine collection of British birds, mounted on plain wooden stands, and disposed on brackets fastened to the backs of the cases. The Falconidae, presented by Mr. Bell, (a member of the Paisley Philosophical Society,) are a very fine group, and the case of Ducks is deserving of special notice. Indeed, with but very few exceptions, the whole of the birds are in good condition, and reflect credit on the taxidermist. The desiderata are still many, especially among the sea-birds, but doubtless they will gradually diminish after the opening of the museum. The remaining cases on the east wall are to be occupied by British reptiles and fishes. The large table-cases contain collections of Mollusca, Crustacea, Echinodermata, &c., specimens of Rocks, Ores, and Chrystals. There are also small collections of Fossils, (principally Mollusca) and Prehistoric remains of urns, ornaments, &c. Not the least interesting case, at least to the good people of Paisley, is one which contains among other things, portions of the manuscript, a few plates and original drawings, of Wilson's American Ornithology. Wilson, it need scarcely be mentioned, was a native of Paisley. The collection of insects (Mr. Morris Young's) is a very valuable and interesting one ; and, considering the poverty of insect collections in almost all local museums, may be said to be the most at- tractive feature of the gallery. The orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidop- tera, Diptera, Xeuroptera, Orthoptera, and I lemiptera, are represented; and a large proportion of the specimens have been collected either in Renfrewshire or the surrounding counties ; furnishing a pretty complete series of the insect fauna of the district. On this account the collection will prove very serviceable to youthful students of entomology in the town, in assisting them to name and classify their captures, always a trying and disheartening task to beginners. The cases which contain the insects are only temporary, and it is very desireable that they should, at the earliest convenient moment, be removed to the new and more suitable cases prepared for them. A great deal remains to be done in the way of filling in blanks, and completing nomenclature, &c , but as the managing committee have secured the services of Mr. Young as curator, there is no fear of this portion of the museum being neglected. The lowest forms of animal life, the Protozoa and Ccelenterata, are entirely without representatives, but it is the intention of the curator to supply this defect when time and space permit. The small botanical collection is displayed to the best advantage. A cabinet of i-;o shallow glazed drawers, each containing a specimen mounted on tinted paper ; a number of herbarium books, and a portion of one of the table-cases (for the fruits, seeds, and more unwieldy dried plantsj have been provided for the recep- tion of British plants. It must be remembered that a large proportion of the collections have been presented by the Philosophical Society, and that many of its members hate given valuable assistance in the work of gathering together the many objects of interest The inhabitants of Paisley are to be congratulated on the possession of a collection representing so well the natural history of the country, and which may reasonably be expected to be productive of no small benefit to the community at large— J. Allen Hakkkk. PHYTOLOGY, SCOTTISH PLANT-NAMES. "TT seems desirable," writes Dr Prior in the introduction to ■*■ the second edition of his interesting work on the "Popular Names of British Plants," "that these old names [of plants] should be preserved, but there is already much greater difficulty in obtaining a correct list of those of any particular district, and the meaning of them, than there was a generation ago, from the dying out of the race of herb-doctors, and of the simplers, gene- rally females, who used to collect for them. It is doubtful, indeed, whether any one of this class could now be found, who has learnt them from tradition, and independently of modern books." "In the northern counties and Scotland, the nomen- clature is very different from that of the middle and south of England, and contains many words of Norse origin, and many of Frisian, but unfortunately these have been so vaguely applied that nobody knows to what plants they, any of them, pro- perly belong." "Popular plant names, quite as much as popular tales, superstitions, ballads and remedies, arise with a higher and more educated class of society, and merely survive in a lower after they have elsewhere become obsolete. We can scarcely read without a smile of scorn the meaning of such names as Fumitory, Devil's Bit, Consound, and Celandine. But it is to men of great celebrity in their day, to Greek and Latin writers, such as Theophrastus, Aristotle, Dioscorides, and Pliny, to Arabian physicians, the most accomplished men of their time, and to the authors and translators of our early herbals, that we are indebted for nearly all such names as these. We are not to criticise them, or attempt to explain them away, but honestly to trace them back to their origin, and in doing so to bear in mind, for our own humiliation, that those who have betrayed The Scottish Naturalist. 53 such astonishing ignorance and superstition passed in their day for philosophers and men of letters." Most Scottish botanists will probably agree with us in think- ing that something might be done to rescue from that oblivion to which an increasing knowledge of modern botanical nomen- clature, and greater contact with the world at large on the part of dwellers in hitheruo secluded districts, is fast hurrying the local names of Scottish plants, and we will with pleasure publish from time to time in the "Scottish Naturalist" any lists that are forwarded to us. In such lists may be noted : — 1st. The local name (with its scientific equivalent.) 2nd. The district where it is, or was, in use. 3rd. Whether the use of the name is common, or becom- ing obsolete. 4th. The probable derivation or origin. 5th. Any economic uses (for medicine, dyes, &c.,) to which the plants are put by the inhabitants of the district. In the meantime we give as examples a few local names that we have met with : — The first few we give are, or were, Galloway Plant-Names, and are extracted from a " Gallovidian Encyclopedia," published in 1824 by John Mactaggart, who seems to have derived much of his plant information from the "Yirb- wives '' or herb gatherers. The etymology of some of these names seems to be rather obscure, and we should be obliged to any one who will assist in ex- plaining them. Hech-how, is Hemlock ( Com tun macula turn. J Moonog is the Cranberry (Vaccinium oxyeqecos). It is perhaps worth mentioning that in Inverness-shire V. Vitis-Idy Prof. Seeley of Cambridge, that I venture strongly to commend the whole of the said chapter to the careful perusal of all who are interested in the Reform of Science teaching in British Universities. The Scottish Naturalist. 61 II. What are the qualifications desirable, or necessary », in their occupants? III. Whether, or how far, do their occupants possess the re- quisite qualifications? It appears to me desirable to regard our University Chairs of Natural Science, from at least three different points of view, viz., a. In connection with their primary and most ostensible object, the Education of youth. b. In relation to the Advancement of knowledge; and c. As rewards for Distinction already achieved. Unquestionably the Education, instruction, or training, of youth is the first and most important object of Natural Science Chairs. But what is the proper education of a University Stu- dent in Natural Science ? We must bear in mind that a Univer- sity is not a mere School, nor are its Students mere boys ; and that the sort of teaching which is suited to the latter is not adapted to the former. A mere schoolmaster need not be deeply learned, and seldom is so ; though he must, if he is to be effi- cient, have tact and firmness. Moderate learning will command the respect of boys, and satisfy their requirements. But the qualifications most important in a Professor are altogether differ- ent. " In order," says Professor Seeley (speaking of our two grandest Universities, Oxford and Cambridge, and especially of the latter) " to be a useful guide to the cleverest young men at their most impressionable age, he must be before all things a man of power and learning. .... A man, as compared with a boy, re- quires above all things learned and profound instruction. . . . Even if University teachers devote themselves absolutely to the work of Education, they will find the way to influence the Students most powerfully is by becoming as learned 'as possible," (p. 191.) The primary ambition of a Professor of Natural Science is, or ought to be, to make each of his students, or as many of them as possible, and to as great an extent as possible, themselves Naturalists. With such an obj ect, it is not enough to acquaint them, by a series of dreary, meaningless Readings, with the con- tents of some text-book, or its equivalent a volume of MSS. Notes. It is infinitely more important that the Student should 6 2 The Scottish Naturalist. be led to cultivate his powers of observation and of generalisa- tion ; that he should be taught the imperative value of accuracy in the one, and of cautiousness in the other ; that he should be trained in a practical way, by laboratory and field work, to col- lect, preserve, experiment, describe, and classify. Every endeavour should be made to impart enthusiasm in the study of Nature, its objects and phenomena; to infuse a love of Science and of study for their own sakes, as means of culture, and as valuable mental acquisitions, as well as for their ultimate technical or economical applications. Now all this cannot be achieved by the current " Professorial system," by class-room harangues however eloqu- ent, by mere rhetorical display. It can only be the fruit of object- teaching — of the demonstrational, experimental, or practical system — in which the example^ of the Professor is of infinitely greater importance than his mere precept. Unless, therefore, the Professor's own acquirements are genuine, it is simply im- possible he can train up race after race of enthusiastic young Naturalists. We have only to compare ourselves with Germany, as regards the character of the Natural Science Students sent forth from the Universities of the respective countries, to see what are the fruits of real teaching qualifications on the one hand, and of spurious ones on the other. We cannot for a moment, compare ourselves favourably either as to the number, or the character, of her naturalists, with Germany. In our own country the number of Naturalists manufactured by our Univer- sities is very small compared on the one hand, with the number of Medical or other Students who attend Natural Science Classes, and on the other, with the number of Non- academical Naturalists, men of strong Natural History tastes, and of substantial acquirements among the general popula- tion, who have had no School or University teaching in Science at all.J Next to the training of youth, our University Chairs of Natural Science ought to be what they certainly are not — centres for the general Cultivation of Science — for the extension of the bounds of Scientific Knowledge — the diffusion of Scien- ■f Exanplo plusquam ratione vivimus. X Of this class of self- trained Naturalists, the late Hugh Miller may be fitly taken as a type. The Scottish Naturalist. 63 tific Learning. It is not enough that every effort should be made towards such an end by the training up of ardent and ac- complished young Naturalists, who are necessarily destined to scatter themselves throughout the world, and who will thus dis- seminate the results — whatever these may be — of their own accomplishments. It is highly desirable that the Professor him- self should add directly to scientific progress by the results of origi- nal research. If he is not — he ought to be — in a position most favourable for the production of original work — the conditions for which are, according to Prof. Seeley — " Leisure : special ability^ a limited field : and rewards in reputation and money, proportionate to exertion," (p. 188.) Unfortunately there is no Public opinion in this country demanding original research in our Professors : while in every other country in Europe it is deemed necessary " to encourage thought and study by special arrangements," (p. 190.) Again comparing ourselves with Germany, it has to be confessed that the kind and amount of original work produced by our Professors of Natural History are insignificant. The " insignificance of our Universities in the world of science is explained" — says Prof. Seeley, (p. 189) — " very naturally by the system pursued in them. ... It has quite a different object from the advance of knowledge : and therefore naturally enough does not favour the advance of knowledge" — a conclusion or affirmation as startling as it is nevertheless true ! It is perhaps natural to suppose that there is antagonism between aptitude for original research and for teaching: that the two classes of qualification are of entirely different kinds : that the man who devotes himself to the one will necessarily neglect the other. And to a certain extent this is true. But, that it is not altogether true appears from the evidence again of Prof. Seeley, who assures us that " Where the spirit of original in- quiry is most active among the teachers, there the teaching is best : and on the other hand, that where it is languid or dor- mant, the teacher, however assiduous or conscientious, is de- graded in character, and that such a University tends to become a mere school." (p. 190.) § § Regarding the subject from a very different stand-point, a reviewer in " Nature," Tfor February 2, 1871, p. 263,] expresses his opinion, that in every Science ' ' the widest Culture brings about the most telling and effective Teaching." 6 4 The Scottish Naturalist. In this country, Professorships are almost the only Retvards to which oar young Naturalists can aspire. There are excep- tions in the shape of Directorships of Geological Surveys or Botanical Gardens; but they are very few and far between. University Professorships, moreover, are themselves few : while their attractions — as will appear in a subsequent Paper of the present series — are utterly insufficient to induce any number of our ablest youths to devote themselves to Science ; whose energies are consequently diverted into what are called more " practical " channels, — into the medical or legal professions — the church — the public services — or commerce, — all of which " pay," and provide the means of comfortable livelihood, while Science too frequently offers comparative starvation ! In this view alone — to provide prizes for distinction in the different walks of Science — to attract a greater number of our youth, and a higher class of intellect, to the cultivation of Natural History — it is, as will afterwards appear, desirable, or necessary, that Natural Science Chairs should be multiplied — more adequately en- dowed — and gifted ivith a higher status. There can be little doubt that the fundamental qualification in a Professor of Natural Science is a thorough knowledge of the subject to be taught. Now, there are different kinds, as well as degrees, of scientific knowledge. There is, on the one hand, that sort and amount which the student "gets up" from his class or text-book for his " Pass Examination " : or which the schoolmaster acquires from a similar source, when he is called upon to teach the elements of Science in our schools. This is pre-eminently a superficial knowledge : which, while it may suffice for the purposes of elementary schools, — and for the instruction of mere children, — -is of a kind that can command no respect from University students.* Knowledge is likely to * There is much truth in the poet's distinction between knowledge and wisdom : — ' ' Knowledge dwells In heads replete with thoughts of other men : Wisdom in minds attentive to their own. Knowledge, a rude unprofitable mass — The mere materials with which Wisdom builds — Till smooth'd, and squar'd, and fitted to its place, Does but encumber whom it seems i 'en rich." The Scottish Naturalist. 65 be superficial in proportion as it professes to comprehend an extensive range of sciences or subjects. Concentration is a condition of profound learning. The true sava?it — the man who is learned in the proper sense of the term — concentrates his attention on a specific, or special, limited department of Science. Professor Tait of Edinburgh, in his opening address for 1870, said very truly, —and his opinion will be echoed by all our high- est scientific authorities, in proportion to their own acquirements — "Scientific knowledge hrs reached such an immense develop- ment*, that no one man can now possibly master thoroughly more than one or two of its many branches. There can be no 'Ad mirable Crich tons' in our days!"t As regards Natural History, the further assertion would be strictly true, that no one man of ordi- nary capabilities can master more than a section of one of its const. - tuent sciences. There is, for instance, no living Botanist, who is equally distinguished in Cryptogamic and Phaenogamic Botany; while Botanists are distinguished — if distinguished at all — for their knowledge of particular groups of Phaenogams — such as Rosa?, Salices, Hieracia, Rubi ; or of those of this or that country or county; or of Ferns, Mosses, Lichens, Fungi, Alga?, Diatoms, or Desmids; or of only particular groups of Alga 1 , or Fungi, such as those which are microscopic, or fresh water, or parasitic in or on living bodies. J And yet there are men, who profess their perfect acquaintance with the whole range ot Natural Science — expressing their readiness, and asserting their ability, to teach all its departments : men who are equally ready to accept Chairs of Chemistry, or Natural History ; or Chemis- try and Natural History; or of Natural and Physical Science ; or of Applied Science ; or of the specific Sciences of Botany, Zoology, Geology, and probably all the other "ologies" pertaining *"The Horizon of the Sciences," says the late distinguished Master of Trinity, Dr. Whewell, " spreads wider and wider before us as we advance in our task of taking a survey of the vast domain.'' And long before his day, the Poet wrote— " One Science only will one genius fit, So vast is art, so narrow human wit.'' + As reported in "Nature," December 1st, 1870, p. 90. % Thus, on the continent there are Journals, as well as endless Books and Papers, devoted exclusively to Cryptogamic Botany; or to Entomology, Ornitho- logy, and other departments of Zoology. 66 The Scottish Naturalist. to Natural History ! To give an example of both a recent and a public kind. Only the other day, the University of Otago, New Zealand, advertised for candidates to fill its proposed " Chair of Natural Science." The knowledge required was "an extensive acquaintance with all the departments of Natural Science — as well as with Chemistry ', Mining, and Agriculture — theoretical and practical ! + Moreover, the Professor elect was, and is, to be Curator of a General Museum \ and the University Council intimated, " it is expected the Professor will throw a large amount of enthusiasm into this department of his duty ! ' For this chair there were, I am told, twenty-three competitors. The unfortunate individual, who secures the favour of the Otago University Council, will find himself, I am disposed to think, in a very false position in more ways than one! % In strong contrast to this kind of " extensive acquaintance" with science is the knowledge of the man who makes himself master of a limited subject — whatever it may be — by resolutely studying, in the fint place, all that has been written upon it in the chief European languages. Such knowledge is critical and pro- found: it alone is entitled to the designation of "learning;" and it is of a kind calculated to cemmand the respect alike of the stu- dent and of the public. A profound knowledge of any department of science now-a-days requires, at least, a reading acquaintance with the chief continental languages, — especially German and French, Italian and Danish.' It implies also a familiarity with Latin, and a certain knowledge of Greek. On the other hand, a profound knowledge of a department of science must be based partly, at least, on personal observation and experiment. It almost implies a certain amount or kind of original research. Few of our Professors of Natural Science, however, pos- sess the necessary linguistic qualifications for acquainting t The advertisement in the newspapers of Edinburgh and London, of date September, 1870, bore that, "While an extensive acquaintance with Natural Science is indispensable, the University Council have resolved to give a prefer- ence ceteris paribus to the gentleman who shall produce the most satisfactory evidence of a lility to teach Chemistry and Mineralogy ', and the practical appli- cations of these sciences to Agriculture and Mining respectively." % In the German Universities there is a comparatively elaborate division of labour among a large staff of lecturers— numbering (e.g.,) at Heidelberg no less than sixty. The Scottish Naturalist. 67 themselves with all the literature of any given department of Natural History. The kind and amount of knowledge they do possess is too frequently that which is simply superficial and elementary: "extensive" it may be, but it is usually not 11 profound." Moreover, it sometimes happens that, such as it is, it has to be acquired subsequent to appointment. In other words, be 'ore attempting to teach others, our Professors have first to educate themselves : and they do so to the same degree, and in the same sense, as the mere schoolmaster. Again, only a very few of our Professors have made real contributions to scientific knowledge — contributions that give them a decided place in the general world of science, and attach to their opinions the weight of authority. Some of them, indeed, hew- ever much they may have written of a so-called " popular" kind, have not added a single fact to science, or assisted in the inter- pretation or explanation of a single natural phenomenon ! A man may, however, have a very profound knowledge of a subject, and yet be altogether wanting in Teaching capacity. Ability to teach is indeed frequently a special and valuable en- dowment — combining or involving a number of important qualities. It implies, in the first place, readiness ox fluency in speech : self-confidence and facility in the expression of ideas : command of abundant and appropriate language: clear- ness and attractiveness of style : "Concise bis diction, let his sense be clear ; Nor with the weight of words fatigue the ear " : earnestness, zeal and enthusiasm : patience with the stupid or dull of comprehension, leading to infinite painstaking: and thorough- ness of work. lie must be capable of maintaining discipline ameng an eminently troublesome race — university students : and he can only do so by possessing the qualities that com- mand the resfect of intelligent youth — such as learning, d'gnity, and manliness. A Professor of Natural Science should, more- over, be youngish or middle aged ; fresh, active, in vigorous health, both of body and mind. Much of his work — such as that conducted in the Laboratory or the Field — is physically exhausting, and requires the best of bodily censt'tutions. Ina- bility to teach properly not unfrequently arises from a Professor 63 The Scottish Naturalist. having long survived his youthful or mature vigour and accom- plishments, and from his being nevertheless compelled, by lack of adequate superannuation arrangements, to stick to office long after his services could be of any real use. Under such cir- cumstances, a septuagenarian or octogenarian Professor is apt to become a mere driveller: unable to see to read his old MSS, written perhaps twenty or even fifty years ago : scarcely able to articulate or enunciate distinctly : disturbed, in his efforts at public speaking, by cough or faintness, or other forms of bodily debility — the fruits of age. In such cases, a lecture becomes a mere farce — painful in the extreme, equally to student and Pro- fessor. So far from commanding respect, or maintaining necessary discipline, the old man and his peculiarities serve only as a butt for the amusement or ridicule of his waggish students. There is an utter and mischievous waste of the student's time, and a pitiable sacrifice of the Professor's dignity and reputation. So far from possessing the requisite qualifications for Teaching, our Professors are sometimes scarcely able to speak extempore at all : even their Readings from notes are repulsive on account of the tone of voice, or other peculiarities : occasionally there is some organic or functional defect in the organs of speech. There may be utter want of clearness in exposition — inability to place abstruse or abstract facts or laws in an attractive and in- telligible style before a student: there may be much talk and few facts — great verbosity,* but little impression left on the student's mind, less by far than would be the result of his study- ing a good text-book at his own fire-side. t Frequently there is none of the enthusiasm — the ingenium perfervidum — of the true •What Shakespeare says in " Love's Labour Lost " is too apt to be true of a so-called "eloquent" Professor: — " He draweth out the thread of his verbosity Finer than the staple of his argument , v To a Dr. Elder we owe the following Recipe for "a Popular Lecture " : — " Take one drop of thought, beat it up to a bushel of bubble, and throw rainbows on it for one hour ! " + The teaching of a frothy, imaginative, superficial Professor has been said to produce in the student's mind some such result as that — " In describing our earth, he is apt to conjecture her, As one part pure earth, ninety-nine parts pure Lecturer ! " The Scottish Naturalist. 69 Naturalist : and without this very important quality, it is impos- sible to convert students into zealous naturalists ; the Professor lectures on Botany, Zoology, or other "ology," in a perfunctory way, while his heart is perhaps far away with some other science, or with some occupation or recreation that is not science at all, and has no connection therewith. So far from being patient with the backward or slow, devoting himself to catechetical, or tutorial, teaching, he contents himself with reading his manu- script notes, and with thereby conducting his class through what he complacently calls a " Systematic Course of Lectures " on his speciality. So far from his work being thorough in teaching observation, manipulation, generalisation, description, classifica- tion, and the other accomplishments which go to make up the true Naturalist, he succeeds in developing none of these apti- tudes : but communicates only a series of facts and theories in Natural History, the importance of which the student fails to perceive, and the knowledge of which is dearly purchased by the sacrifice of much valuable time and money. There are yet certain other qualifications, which it is desirable, though not so essential, that a Professor of Natural Science should possess. For instance, the poiuer of pictorial representa- tion is, at least, a very great advantage — a most important accomplishment. He who cannot extemporise chalk figures on the black-board, or execute with his own fingers coloured draw- ings, both on the large and small scale, must depend entirely on the aid of professional artists, who are not generally Natura- lists/' 5 ' and who neverV^/* represent natural objects so accurately as the observer skilled in, from being accustomed to, their ex- amination. Moreover, in such a case, where liberal money grants are not available for class "properties," the Professor's gallery of illustrations is likely to be lamentably meagre and old-fashioned. I have seen some of our University diagrams that looked as if they had been ante-diluvian, so utterly were they behind the age — unworthy of exhibition even in an infant * There are exceptions. Thus Mr. Walter Fitch, of Kew, and Mr. Tuffen West, of London, have become — froir their great experience in drawing, from the life, objects of Natural History - themselves excellent Naturalists, — men whose accuracy of observation, and fidelity of delineation may be thoroughly trusted ; and both of them have well deserved their position as Fellows of the Linnean Society of London. 70 The Scottish Naturalist. school ! The great advantage of ability to execute one's own drawings is constantly being illustrated in the publications of our most eminent Naturalists — some of whose plates, if not works, would never have seen the light had it not been for the possession of such an accomplishment by their authors.* In these days of " Popular" lecturing and " Popular" writing — when a Professor is incessantly called upon to appear before Mechanics' Institutes, and all kinds of Public Assemblies,tas well as more private Societies, and to contribute to a superabundant Periodical Literature, including the weekly and even the daily Press — it is at all events desirable that he should possess the not very common power of interesting the general Public by a popu- lar style of writing and address. Unquestionably our Professors only consult their own interests in developing this class of ac- complishments, to the sacrifice, perhaps, of all that is original or profound : for Popular lecturing and writing — catering for the Public gratification in Winter lectures, and Serial contribu- tions — " pays" infinitely better than original research, which, in nine cases out of ten, not only does not "pay" at all, in the com- mercial sense, but involves the investigator in heavy — some- times ruinous — personal expense. J " Popular" qualifications for lecturing and writing de omnibus rebus are greatly more com- mon than special qualifications for the advancement of different departments of science. Popularisers abound — men having simply the " gift of the gab," as -we call it expressively in Scot- •' Most ignorant of what they're most assured." * For instance, the magnificent works of Harvey (of Dublin), on Marine Algae; or of Greville (of Edinburgh), on Diatomacese. + Including Ladies classes, which are sometimes so well attended [e.g., in Edinburgh and Glasgow,] that they " pay'' better than the university male stu- dents' classes, and offer the strongest temptation to mere Popularisation, rather than to original research. X This may be illustrated by the following incident. Recently a popular article I had written with little trouble for a Provincial newspaper had its des- tination changed, and appeared as a Review in a Metropolitan Quarterly. It was paid for at the rate of £6 ios. per sheet. But an elaborate paper, the fruit, per- haps, of several years' original research, in the same Quarterly is not paid lor at all : and if the subject is very abstruse, or not considered scientifically orthodox, it may not even be accepted for publication ! The Scottish Naturalist. 7 1 land— who are fluent and self-confident with their merely super- ficial knowledge '" — perhaps But originators are extremely rare, — men of profound learning — original thinkers— successful discoverers experienced in rec- ondite research. While the former class of expositors finds an appropriate platform in Mechanics' Institutes, and similar popu- lar assemblies, it is from the other class — the men of original genius — that our Professors of Science should be drafted. The combination, in the same man, of aptitude for original research, with facility in popular exposition, is so rare, that it must fre- quently become a question with the Patrons of a University Chair, whether to prefer to a vacancy the mere Teacher : or the man possessed of great learning on the one hand, and of tried aptitude for original investigation on the other — who is an " au- thority" in the department of science, which he "specially culti- vates. Holding the views I do regarding the position that ought to be occupied by our University Chairs of Natural Science, I am very strongly of opinion that every sacrifice should be made — if it becomes necessary — in favour of the man of original genius. If the rhetorical, harangue, lecturing, or "professorial," system is to be perpetuated, any deficiency of power, on the part of the Professor, in the mere "grinding" of students for examination, could easily be remedied by the appointment of Tutors or Class Assistants possessed of the necessary readiness of speech, facility of popularising dry scientific details, and apti- tude for the drudgery of inculcating and catechising. But the so-called " Professorial" system appears to me to be the worst that could be devised for making men Naturalists : and in what is * There is an aphorism which says that "Much Tongue and much Judg- ment seldom go together : for talking and thinking are two quite different faculties: and commonly there is most depth where there is least noise" ! And long ago Facon said — " There is nothing makes a man speak much more than to know little." In another form Butler puts it : — " All S matt' vers are more brisk and pert Than those who understand an art : As little sparkles shine more bright Than glowing coals that give them light. ' And Roscommon says : — " The men who labour and digest things most Will be much apter to despair than boist." 72 The Scottish Naturalist. contra-distinguished as Practical, Laboratory, or Field, teaching, the man of original mind—who has acquired his own knowledge by personal investigation — would be quite at home— facile prin- cess. If we attempt to ''See ourselves as others see us : " * if we contemplate our University Chairs of Natural Science and their results (e.g.,) through German spectacles, we cannot fail to be humiliated. In Philosophy, Professor Seely asks, " Has not The German School sprung entirely from the Universities ? Were not Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, without exception, University Professors." (p. 215). And it has to be added that the position of German Universities in relation to Natural Science has been similar. The ablest Naturalists of Germany — using the latter word in its widest geographical sense— are, or have been. University Professors. Governments, which are the patrons of the chairs, and which, in some cases at least, have endowed them munificently — compared with the emoluments attached to similar Professoriates in this country — look out for the most dis- Kuished men — inviting them from inferior to superior posi- tions — thus directly rewarding conspicuous merit, and rendering unnecessary the humiliating candidatures to which our own most eminent Naturalists have so frequently to subject themselves. In our own country the most- eminent of our Naturalists are not, and never were, Ujiiversity Professors ; and in the training ot many of them, University Lecturing never had a share.t Thus Darwin, Owen, Huxley, Hooker, Bentham, Berkeley, Murchison, Lyell, Lubbock, Sclater, Wallace, Gwyn-Jeffreys, among the living; Greville, Hugh Miller, and many others, among the dead — do not, or never did — hold University * " O wad some power the giftie gie us To see ourselves as others see us : It wad/me mony a blunder free us, And foolish notion." — Burns. *T Such a man as Hugh Miller was " abnormh sapiens" as Horace calls it; in other words, ''Of plain good sense, untutored in the schools." The Scottish Naturalist. 73 appointments, t On the other hand, some of our Professors of Natural History hold no position whatever in the ranks of real science; the mention of their names merely creates a smile in the genuine Naturalist : their opinions carry no " authority" : and they pass quietly away without leaving a single scientific fact to be identified hereafter with their personality ! They may have done their work decently as schoolmasters : may have expended a vast amount of toil in, and made a goodly sum of money by, Literary hack-work — such as compilations in the form of Text- Books, Encyclopaedia, and Review Articles : may have done, in various ways, much real service of other kinds in their day and generation : but they have not — according to my views—- pro- perly discharged the duties of University Professoriates : have added nothing to the eclat of their colleges : have made no direct or noteworthy contributions to progress in any depart- ment of the very wide domain of Natural Science ! .... "They never say A single thing that's nnv, but all they do Is to clothe old ideas in language new, Turning the san.e things o'er and o'er again, And upside down." .... + 1 have here mentioned only a few of the names, which at present bulk most conspicuously in the forefront of Natural Science in our own country. But there are many other younger men, less known as yet to fame, of whom it is feeble praise to say that, in all that constitutes genuine qualification or accomplish- ment, they are the superiors of most of their more fortunate rivals, who now occupy — though they cannot be said to adorn- our Professional chairs ! The Mistletoe in Scotland.— We understand that for some years at- tempts have been made by Mr. Gowanlock, Gardener to the Murray Royal Institution, Perth, to inocculate various fruit trees in the grounds of that Insti- tution with the juice of the berries — including the seeds — of the common Mistle- toe fViscum album L.J of Shropshire and Herefordshire. He has had various foreshadowings of success, which has culminated in the growth of a handsome vigorous plant, about a foot high, from the upper part of the stem of an apple tree, in an exposed part of the said grounds. There is. however, nothing really remarkable in the growth of the mistletoe in Scotland. The incident in question only shews (as does also the record of the fact in Hooker & Arnott's " British Flora," that mistletoe grows extensively — having originally been introduced in some similar way — at Meikleour, in the neighbourhood of Perth,) that it is a mistake to suppose that this plant does not flourish in Britain north of the mid- land counties of England. ZOOLOGY, THE LEPIDOPTERA OF AYRSHIRE. By J. P. DUNCAN. A YRSHIRE, as a field for entomological research, is very *• extensive and diversified — the coast for miles rocky and precipitous — wild and romantic dells — extensive tracts of heathy moors, with clumps of stunted birches (the favourite food of many of the larvae of our rarer native insects) — extensive ranges of gently sloping hills, stretching onwards for miles, covered over with heath and marshes — fresh-water lochs, and gently flowing streams, with banks adorned with flowers of every hue — large tracts of natural meadows, swarm- ing with insect life — deep and woody glens, admired for their picturesque and romantic- beauty — forests of pine, beech, elm, and sturdy oaks of a hundred years — belts and clumps of other trees of less magnitude, planted both to shelter and to beautify the landscape — hedges of white thorn, intermingled with osiers and willows —old baronial castles and ecclesiastical edifices, of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, whose mouldering piles are mantled over with the evergreen ivy (whose blossoms are so attractive to many of our rarer Noduce). It is quite obvious, then, that such a county as this, with such a variety of localities, and so diversified in its features, must offer to the zealous and persevering student of entomology, a rich and interesting field for investigation. For the last twenty-four years I have been engaged less or more, during my leisure hours, in visiting almost every suitable locality, that appeared to me calculated to produce at the pro- The Scottish Naturalist. 7 5 per seasons, certain species of insects; and in ascertaining what particular species were to be found in our inland and rural district?, as well as on the maritime coasts of the county. The list, when completed, will shew with what success my labours have been crowned. With very few exceptions, the captures have been all my own, and the greater majority of them have been either reared from the ova, or bred from the larvae; the remainder have been taken by the net, and a few by RHOPALOCERA. Colias Edusa. — This butterfly was taken in the month of June, 1854, in a garden at Newfield ; another, the same year, near Fullarton House, and some others in different* localities. No account of its appearance in the county since. Pieris brassic/e swarms in every garden ; the larvae commit great havoc among the cabbages and green kale. P. rap^e. — Abundant in all our gardens. Occasionally vari- eties of this insect are taken. P. napi is abundant in all our turnip fields, and road- sides. We have frequently captured some pretty varieties of this insect, especially in localities where the Nasturtium officinale was growing abundantly. Anthocharis cardamines. — This pretty butterfly is generally distributed throughout the district, and is in some localities rather common, especially by damp roadsides and marshy places, where the Cardamine pratensis is found. Lasiommata Egeria. — This species is rather local, and no- where abundant in the county. The only locality known to me is one near Ballochmyle Bridge, in an open wood. L. Meg/era may be found in almost every parish, by the road- sides, and edges of dry cultivated fields, in June, August, and September. Satyrus Semele is very abundant here, from Ayr to Irvine, all along the sea shore, on the sand hills. The larvae feed on the Triticum repens by night, and have been picked off that plant in dozens, by the writer of this list. S. Janira. — This species is by far the most abundant of our 76 TJie Scottish Naturalist. Diurni. In every natural meadow throughout the county, this sombre-looking butterfly is to be found. Not unfrequently, varieties of this insect are taken ; and, at times, we have taken both the males and females, and have scarcely been able to dis- tinguish the one sex from the other. S. Tithonus.— This butterfly must be regarded as a rare insect in the west of Scotland. There is only one authenticated locality, where a few specimens were taken twenty years ago, on a grassy embankment in the parish of Dundonald, and dis- trict of Kyle. S. Hyperanthus has been taken in different localities here, and is by no means scarce, though somewhat local in its habitats. The larvae will be found, if looked for, feeding on Aira ccesfiitosa by night. Erebia Blandina. — Common in the month of July, on a marshy piece of ground skirting Loch Doon. This is the only locality known to me in the county where it is found. Ccenonympha Davus is far from being uncommon here. It appears on Shewalton Moss, and also on the sand hills, near Monkton, in July. It appears also occasionally on Paisley Moss, in June. C. Pamphilus. — This very common insect is found" in every parish of the county. All along the sea shore from Ayr to Ardrossan it is abundant, and found from May to September. Vanessa cardui is generally distributed throughout the dis- trict of Kyle. It occurs in considerable numbers in some seasons, and then completely disappears in others. The larvae are often found on the Carduus arvensis. V. Atalanta is abundant with us every season, frequenting all the chief gardens in the neighbourhood of Ayr, and other places in the north and south of the county. The larvae are common on the stinging nettle, especially when sheltered by some hedge or fence ; it is easily reared in confinement. V. Io. — This beautiful butterfly — styled by one of our natu- ralists omnium rcgina — is not common in the county. In the parish of Monkton it is more frequently observed than in any other place in the west. About fourteen years ago we took a batch of the larvae — I think about forty — from a clump of nettles growing in the corner of a field and the same year (1857) a The Scottish Naturalist. 7 7 considerable number of the imago were tak^n, near the village of Symington. I have neither seen lo, nor heard of any cap- tures, since the above date. V. urtic^ is abundant everywhere throughout the county ; every season we frequently pass clumps of the Stinging Nettle with batches of from forty to sixty of the larvae feeding on that plant. This insect frequently furnishes beautiful and striking varieties, when reared from the larvae in confinement. Argynnis Aglaia. — This insect is abundantly distributed along the sea-coast, on the sand hills, where not unfrequently the pupae are found attached to the stalks of the bent-grass ( Elymus arenarius).* A. Selene is found in some plenty in a marshy piece of ground near Dundonald Loch, also near Tarbolton Loch, and a few other localities in the county. A. Euphrosyne. — This butterfly occurs in the same locality as the former, but is not so common, and appears rather earlier than Selene. Melittea Artemis has hitherto been considered rare in Ayrshire, and even yet cannot be said to be found in many lo- calities ; it, however, frequents a damp meadow near the farm of Langholm, where we first caught it, in the month of May, sitting on the Scabiosa succisa, (Devil's-bit Scabious). The only other place of its resort is a marsh at the foot of a wood near Hill House. Thecla rubi. — This insect has appeared in several localities here. One season, not many years ago, a few specimens were taken flying among broom ; and on another occasion, in a dif- ferent locality, several worn-out individuals were captured while flying over bramble bushes, in the month of June. T. quercus cannot be said to be a common insect here. One locality only is known to me, where it has been captured ; this was in a wood near the village of Monkton, in 1856. Polyommatus Phl/eas. — This pretty little butterfly is abun- dantly distributed throughout the county, and is nowhere so abundant as on the sand hills skirting the sea-shore. There * The larva? do not feed on this plant, (though it makes use of it in this way), but on species of violeL — Ed. 7 8 The Scottish Naturalist. must be several broods of it throughout the year, for it is found in fine condition from April to September. Lvc/ENA Alsus. — This delicate little butterfly, the smallest of our native species, is rather local, though generally distributed throughout the district. It is in some plenty on the sand hills, and along the banks of the line of railway from Monkton to Troon. L. Alexis is a very abundant insect, and is generally dis- tributed over all the county. Its habitats are grassy meadows and pasture-lands, and it may be found from June to September. L. Artaxerxes is by no means common in Ayrshire, and is local in its distribution. The locality where it used to be captured has undergone considerable alterations, and I fear it has been completely extirpated from the place where we were wont to find it in some plenty. It is also found on the rising ground near Loch Doon. Thanaos Tages. — This species is generally distributed throughout the county and not unfrequently found on dry heaths and commons, in the neighbourhood of Troon, in the month of May ; especially where the Lotus corniculatus (Bird's- foot trefoil), the food of the larvce, grows in abundance, NOTES ON SOME OF THE RARE BIRDS THAT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED IN THE EAST OF FIFE DURING RECENT YEARS. By ROBERT WALKER, F.G.S.E. ALL the birds given in the following list have come under my own observation, with the exception of two which I give on the authority of Mr. R. Gray ; the names are after Yarrell. White-tailed Eagle ( ' Hal'uvctus albicilla). — A young speci- men of this eagle was shot at Kinkell rocks, close to the edge of the sea, on the 29th December, 1866. Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregripus). — Occasionally seen. There was a male shot at Eden, in February, 1864, while making off with a Golden Plover which he had just caught, The Scottish Naturalist. 7 9 — the plover escaped. A pair of these birds had a nest on the Isle of May, in 1869. Honey Buzzard (Perm's apivorus). — One shot near Bal- caskie, in September, 1863. Great Grey Shrike ( Lanius excubitor). — A specimen shot at Kenley, in February or March, 1845. Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio). — Mr. R. Gray states, in Turnbull's " Birds of East Lothian," that an example of this shrike was killed near Cupar Fife, 1861. Shore Lark ( Alauda alpcstris). — Two specimens of this bird were caught at a farm in the neighbourhood of St. Andrews, in the winter of 1865. Another was shot at the " Out-head," St. Andrews, on the 31st December, 1869 : it appeared to be associating with Meadow Pipits, one of which was killed along with it. Rose-coloured Pastor (Pastor roscusJ.—A fine male was shot near Cupar Fife, in August, 1S63. (Mr. R. Gray, in "Birds of East Lothian.") Jay (Garrulus glandarius). — This bird, which was not un- common at one time, has now become rare in the east of Fife. There was one shot at Waterless Wood, in September, 1868. Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pious major). — One shot in Dura Den, in October, 1863. In the autumn of 1868, a con- siderable number of specimens of this bird were obtained in the east of Fife : indeed, that year they seem to have occurred here and there along all the east coast. I examined a number of those from the east of Fife : they were all birds of the year. Little Bustard ( Otis tttrax). — A female shot at Burnside, on the 6th March, 1840. Great Plover ( ' CEdicnemus crepitans ). — A specimen of this bird was shot in a turnip field, at Stravithie, near St. Andrews, on the 27th January, 1858. Dotterel ( Charadrius morincllus). — One obtained at Lar- goward, in the spring of 1866 ; another at Kenley, in the spring of 1868. Common Bittern (Botaurus stellaris). — I have only seen the Bittern once in Fife. This was in the winter of 1858, when one was started, after a good deal of trouble, out of a So The Scottish Naturalist. marshy place, amongst reeds, on Tents Moor. A fine specimen was shot on the estate of Ochterlony, Forfarshire, in the winter of 1866. Green Shank (Totanus glottis). — Occasionally seen. One shot at Eden, in the winter of 1864. Ruff {Machetes pugnax). — I have seen this bird two or three times on Tents Moor ; and there was a Reeve shot there in May, 1865. Purple Sandpiper (Tringa maritima). — Three birds of this species were shot amongst the rocks at St. Andrews, in the winter of 1858 ; and, during the last winter, some two or three were got about the same place. Pink-footed Goose (A/iser brachyrhynchus). — This goose has been frequently obtained in the neighbourhood of St. Andrews in late years. It is either now more abundant than it was formerly, or, what is perhaps not unlikely, it may not have been heretofore distinguished from the other species. Bernicle Goose (Anser leucopsis). — This is a rather rare species in the east of Fife. One was shot near Boarhills, in the winter of 1855 ; another near Eden, October, 1870. Mute Swan (Cygnus Olor). — An individual of this spe- cies was shot at the "East Neuk of Fife," in the winter of 1867. I was told that three of these birds frequented the " East Neuk" for some time that winter; of course, it is quite possible that these birds may have escaped from some preserve, but, if so, nothing whatever could be learned as to the place from whence they had strayed. Shoveler {Anas clypeata). — A female specimen of this duck was shot near Dairsie, in the winter of 1839. Pin-tail Duck (Anas acuta). — A female shot at Eden, in December, 1869 ; and there was a male, in fine plumage, shot at the same place, in February, 1870. Smew (Mergus albellus). — A female shot at Eden, in the winter of 1837; and a fine male shot in the Kenley, 16th February, 187 1, — this bird had ten minnows in its stomach, most of them of full size. Goosander (Mergus merganser). — Has been occasionally obtained. A male, in fine adult plumage, was shot on Loch Leven, in January, 187 1. The Scottish Naturalist 8 r Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps rubricollis). — One killed near the sea, to the east of Kingsbarns, February, 1856 ; another shot at Eden, March, 1870. Great Northern Diver (Colymbus glacialis). — Rarely pro- cured in adult plumage. Two fine males, in splendid con- dition, were caught in the salmon nets at Tents Moor, in the beginning of June, 1870. Fulmar Petrel (Proce/laria glacialis). — I found an adult specimen of this bird on the beach, to the east of St, Andrews, on the 6th July, 1867; a wounded bird was caught on the West Sands, in October, 1868 \ and another was shot at Eden, December, 1870. M lnx Shearwater (Puffiuus Anglorum). — One shot in St. Andrews Bay, in June, 1870. Forked-tailed Petrel {Phalassidroma Leachii). — A fine specimen of this bird was shot, on the 29th April, 1S68, amongst the rocks, nearly opposite the Club House, St. Andrews. Storm Petrel (Thalassidroma pelagica). — Occasionally found dead, or in a dying state, on the beach after storms. University, St. Andrews. Extinction of Bare Birds.— Permit me to say a few words upon the pro- position made by your correspondent — Mr. H. O. Forbes — in the 2d number of " The Scottish Naturalist," p. 47, viz., — That of arriving at a complete List of Scottish Breeding Birds, by giving, from time to time, separate lists of birds found breeding in limited areas, such as parishes. In making the following remarks, I hope you will not consider that I in any way wish to be the means of limiting the information given by your various cor- respondents, further than is necessary for the preservation of our rarer species. Such a plan as your correspondent proposes (and I speak from painful ex- perience) is one which has had, and will again have, the most baneful effects upon the increase of our rarer birds. In thus stating a limited area, or areas, wherein species are known to breed, instead of being satisfied with a more ex- tensive district, your correspondent must surely have overlooked the fact that unprincipled persons, dealers, and others, will be assisted thereby in obtaining, (in some cases wholesale), eggs of many of our rarer birds, and this too in spite of all attempts to frustrate them, by the proprietors or other persons really in- terested in the welfare and increase of our rarer species. The consequences of such minute information are easy to conjecture. In course of time, (and in many cases no great length of time is required to effect it), species, comparatively rare, or local in their distribution, will cea:e to exist as breeding species at all. 82 The Scottish Naturalist. Thus will the interests of all true naturalists, and lovers of British birds, who '* take an interest in Scottish Natural History," be seriously damaged instead of forwarded. The knowledge which naturalists possess concerning the distribu- tion of our rarer British birds in Scotland, is already all-sufficient for scientific purposes. Why then expose localities, and directly or indirectly lead to their extermination ? Why add even one link to the chain of destruction ? — J. A. Harvie Brown, Dunipace House, Falkirk, 2d April. Arrival of the Squirrel in Sutherland.— I may state that the Squirrel has within the last two years made its appearance in the east of Sutherland, as I am informed by Mr. MacKenzie of Dornoch. — Id. Note on the Capercaillie.— The following extract from the first volume of Grave's "British Ornithology" would put the extinction of the Capercaillie at a much later date than 1758. I cannot give the exact date of the publication of Grave's work, but his plate bears date 1813. "This species is nearly extinct in Great Britain; two instances of its being killed in Scotland within these few years are the only satisfactory accounts we have received of its being recently killed in the kingdoms. One was killed by a gentleman (of the name of Henderson) near Fort-William, about six years ago, and sent to Dundee ; but the vessel that conveyed it to London was detained so long on the passage that the bird became so putrid that only the head and legs could be preserved. The other specimen was shot by Captain Stanton, near Burrowstone-Ness, two winters ago ; they were both males. Some few are said to be yet remaining in the pine forests of Scotland, and also in the mountainous parts of Ireland.'— J. H. GuRNEYjunr., 2 Beta Place, Alpha Road, London, April 5th 1871. Birds of Aberdeenshire.— I observe in the "Scottish Naturalist" of April, 1871, a list of the breeding birds of the N. W. of Aberdeenshire, by Mr. Forbes. To prevent repetition I shall here only name what I have got in this lo- cality (Inverurie) in addition to his. Long-eared Owl (Otus vulgaris) ; Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola) ; Sedge Warbler (Salicaria Phragmitis) ; Great Titmouse (Parus major) ; Tree Pipit {Anthus ardor eus) ; Siskin (Carduelis spin us) ; Lesser Redpole (Linota linaria) ; Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) ; Night Jar (Caprimulgus Europaeus) ; Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) ; Oyster Catcher {Haematopus ostralegus) ; Coot (Fulica atra) ; Little Grebe (Podiceps minor) ; Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus). The eggs of the Common Heron (Ardea cinerea) I got at Hatton Castle near Turriff. The egg of the Cuckoo {Cuculus canorus) has been found here, in the nests of the Sky Lark, Meadow Pipit, and Hedge Sparrow. I shall likewise mention a few visitors that I have observed in this locality, but I am not aware of any of them breeding here. Hooper (Cvgnus ferus) ; Cormorant (PhalacrocoraxCarbo) ; Little Bittern (Botaurus minutus) ; Scaup Duck (Fuligula marila) ; Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) ; Green Shank (Totanus glottis) ; Osprey (Pandion Halia'ctus) ; Wigeon (Anas Penelope) ; Pochard (Fuligula ferina) ; Tufted Duck (Fuligula cristata) ; Golden Eye (Fuligula clavgula) ; Goosander (Mergus merganser) ; King Fisher (Alcedo ispida) ; Kittiwake (Larus tridactylus) ; Herring Gull {Larus argentatus) ; Dunlin ( Triuga variabilis) ; Snow Bunting (Plectrophanes nivalis). The The Scottish Naturalist. 83 Green Shank was observed at Kinnord, near Ballater, and one of each of the five prior to it has been shot here, but I am not aware of more. I also observe that Mr. Forbes has got in Drumblade and Huntly the eggs of four birds that J. have not met with here, viz ,— Wood Lark {Alauda arborea) ; Mountain Finch tFringilla montifringilla) ; Short-eared Owl (Oti/s brackyotus) ; Jack Srn; e {Scolopax gattinu la). I am doubtful of the two first named breeding in Scot- land. The Short-eared Owl I have got, but never its eggs ; I have observed the Jack Snipe nere during the summer months, but I have never got its eggs. — James Garkow, 40 Market Place, Inverurie. NOTES ON CERTAIN ABERDEENSHIRE BIRDS. By Stuart M. Burnett. Jacksnipe— (Scolopax Gallinula). — Some of these breed with us every year. Solitary, and never anywhere numerous, they seem least scarce in the end of autumn and during the winter, when sportsmen most observe them, and they then occur chiefly in low spots, ditches, &c. A wet patch in a pasture field, or even in a tolerably open wood, is often a haunt to which one will pertinaciously adhere for a considerable time. The common Snipe (Scolopax gallinago), as is veil known, is not confined in the spring and summer to low- lying lands, but often breeds in wet grassy places, by the sides of hills, and there, too I have flushed the Jacksnipe at the end of May. We have some bogs in which a good many Snipe are bred, and in most of them during the spring you will find a Jack or two I flushed one last year in Borradale Moss in the Parish of Keith hall, on 30th April, as also this year in the same locality on the 1st of May. I have to record a nest and egcis, the only one ever found by me, as long ago as May nth, 1848, and described from notes made at that time. The loca- lity, a marshy hollow now mostly drained, near the junction of the parishes of Kintore, Skene, and Kemnay. The bird sat closer than is even the wont of that close-sitting species. Nest like that of the common Snipe, of dried marsh grass, in the midst of a tussock of the same. Four eggs, proportionally smaller and shorter than the common Snipe's ; somewhat less smooth on the surface of their shells ; of a somewhat different shape, the taper towards the small end beginning lower down, and much more sudden, so that the extremity was proportionally less. A little above it, each egg had a sort of contraction, like what is seen towards the small end of some pears. General ground colours of each egg, a beautiful light olive, tinged with blue, like what is seen in some eggs of the Carrion Crow and Blackbird. The markings varied a little in the different eggs as to density and distribution, but were in all most numerous and distinctly made out towards the small end, and were arranged in masses, spots, and smaller patches of deep dusky brown, intermixed with shades of darker, approaching to black, — the latter colour often disposed in veined streaks and curious serpentine lines, like those on the egg of the Black-headed Bunting f Ember iza SchoeniclusJ, and making with the dark brown a most beautiful sort of marbling. The eggs, indeed, were singularly beautiful ; in that 84 The Scottish Naturalist. respect as superior to those of the common Snipe as the Jack's plumage exceeds in brightness of markings its congener's. Several persons in my neighbourhood, who are interested in its ornithology, have met with the Jacksnipe every spring, during May, June, and even later, though they have not yet found its eggs. This is nowise wonderful in connection with a species not generally numerous, and whose habits render it the very re- verse of conspicuous. But I heard a report of young, nearly full-fledged, found in a bog not far from Aberdeen. One cannot fix the time of breeding on the authority of one nest. I have found the new-hatched young of the common Snipe as early as the 30th of April, and as the eggs of that species take fifteen days to incubate (as I have ascertained by observation), the full number must have been laid on April 15th at latest. Most common Snipes, however, breed rather later — May being the month when most nests are found. They are got during that month and June, and I once found one at the end of the latter month, which would seem to indicate that the birds breed twice. I am not aware that the male Jacksnipe buzzes or hums in spring and summer, like the male of the common Snipe ; at least all the birds I ever saw doing this were males of S. Gtillinago. Indeed, the Jacksnipe's muteness is characteristic. It almost always rises without any call, though I once or twice heard it utter a slight note, weaker than what is uttered by the common Snipe when flushed, almost on every occasion, even when it quits its eggs. I may add that I can be under no mistake as to the eggs described, which were not those of the common Snipe, with which I am well acquainted, and which I find every year. The different eggs could never be confounded by those who had seen both. The difference in size alone would be distinction, and there is much in the shape, though it be difficult to define it clearly in words. The eggs of the common Snipe have more the elongate form, with uniform gradual taper from a little below the large end to the smaller extremity, that distinguishes in a more exaggerated degree than of the Curlew. The tapering in the Jacksnipe's eggs, as already de- scribed, is more sudden, and there is a contraction, or sort of neck, before the ex- tremity is reached. Common Snipe's eggs vary much, but I never saw any that had their ground colour of that blue olive approaching to sea green that the Jacksnipe's had. In the common Snipe's egg the ground colour is rather more of a dun, tinged with greenish yellow, or a sort of yellowish clay colour, in the palest varieties. The dark markings, too. in the eggs of 5. gallinago are less defined, more in large coalescing masses, always densest toward the large end. Grasshopper Warbler (Sibilatrix locustella). — I never but once met with this species. It occurred in a cover of small stunted Scots-firs, rank heath, and whins mixed, in Thorn's Forest, near Kintore. I got the most transient glimpse of the bird while it was alive, but my attention was directed to it by its strange call — like that of a Shrew Mouse, but much louder. As it was killed with No. 6 shot, it was too much battered to be of any use as a specimen, but it exactly answered to the description in Mr. M 'Gillivray's Manual as also to a drawing I had of Sibilatrix locustella. Pied Fly-catcher {Muscicapa atricapilla). — An individual was seen on the 8th of May, 1869, and two or three days after, in the grounds of Manar, near Inverurie. The Scottish Naturalist. 85 Greater Willow-Wren [Sylvia sibilatrix).— Very rare. In some years I have seen several, but none for long. I once got a nest, differing from that of the common Willow- Wren (S. Trochilus), in being lined with grass. Eggs in both very similar. Turtle Dove (Columba Turtur). — In 1869, I heard a peculiar sound from the spruces in Keithhall grounds, like the words chung chung, mournfully pro- longed, altogether unlike any note known to me of the Woodpigeon. On April 30th, 1870, a bird flew slowly past me and then turned on the wing so as to come very near me. It seemed little bigger than a Missel Thrush, but had a Pigeon's flight and appearance, and I could see a black patch on the neck. A few months after I was informed of the curious call of a bird in the woods of Fyvie, which was described to me by the word Chung, the same as that to which I had in my journal compared the Keithhall sound. Black Cap (Sylvia alricapillaJ.—A fine male was shot by Mr. Sym, Gourdas, Fyvie, about the end of last month. I saw the specimen stuffed in Aberdeen. It has once or twice been procured in Banffshire. Quail (Cotumix communis). — An irregular and unusual visitant. I have eggs said to have been found near Banchory Ternan, in Kincardinshire. A party or brood for some time haunted a corn-field not far from Kintore, in Sep- tember, 1869. My attention was drawn to the spot by their curious twittering call. Spotted Crake fCrex porzana). — I am not aware that this bird has ever been seen or identified ; but some eggs were got in a grass field in Manar, near Inverurie, much smaller than those of the Common Landrail, and the markings of a brighter red. One was given me. Water Rail ( ' Rallus Aquaticus). —Supposed to be very rare, and not known to breed here ; but I have seen a specimen shot on the farm of Balhaggardy, near Inverurie, in the autumn, and one was seen on a milldam at the home farm of Manar, in December 1869. Golden Eagle ( Aquila Chrysa'etns). — One frequented the Don, not far from Inverurie, for some days, from February 27th, 1869, when I first saw it. The severity of the weather had probably driven it from the inland mountainous parts. One was seen on the Hill of Bennochie, in the Garioch district, in June, 1870. Pied Woodpecker ( Picus Pipra). — An occasional winter visitant at irregular intervals. I never observed it until 1868, when I saw one in October, and during the winter months 1868-9 they were by no means scarce in this neighbourhood and, by accounts I got, were more plentiful on Speyside. A pair lingered in Manar Woods, till far on in May, 1869, but it was not ascertained that they bred. Great Shrike (Lanius excubitor). -Not ascertained to visit this district every winter, but I have met with it for several different years, and usually in severe or snowy weather. I have seen it as early as October, and once in March, but most commonly in the depth of winter. Balbithan House, Keith-hall, by Inverurie. 86 The Scottish Naturalist. THE LEPIDOPTERA OF THE SCOTCH FIR. By F. Buchanan White, M.D. THERE does not appear to be so many species of Lepidop- tera attached to Piftus sylvestris in Scotland as might hive been expected from the wide distribution of this tree. With the exception of Trachea piniperda, (the caterpillars of which are said to occur occasionally in such numbers as to injure the tree, by devouring all the leaves), and the species of Retinia, (whose larva feeds in the young shoots), none of the Lepidoptera mentioned in this list probably do much harm to the Scotch Fir. It is worthy of note that the colours of many of the species in one or more stages resemble very closely those of some part of the tree. Some of these cases I have mentioned. Trachea piniperda Panz. — This species is common in all Scotch Fir woods, and its larva is said to do considerable damage sometimes to the tree by stripping it of its leaves. The colour of the perfect insect resembles that of the bark of the fir, while the larva is of the same shade of green as the leaves, and is striped with white. Ellopia prosapiaria L. (fasciaria S. V.) — Common in many places. The moth resembles the bark in colour, and the larva is somewhat like a twig divested of its leaves. Boarmia abietaria Hb. — Said to have been taken near Dumbarton, and in Perthshire. The caterpillar resembles a leafless twig. Macaria liturata CI. — Common in many places. The larva is green with white stripes. Fidonia piniaria L. — Abundant everywhere. The underside of the wings, (which is the part exposed when the insect is at rest,) resembles a piece of variegated bark. The larva is green with white and yellowish-white lines. Eupithecia indigata Hb. — Occurs at Edinburgh, Rannoch, Braemar, and elsewhere. The moth rests on the trunks of the firs, and resembles them in colour. The Scottish Naturalist. 87 E. togata Hb. — This pretty species has been taken near Perth. The larva is said to feed on the seeds of the Scotch Fir. The following North European Eupithecice. feed on Pimcs sylvestris and may perhaps yet be found in Scotland, — abietaria Goze, (on the unripe seeds) ; lanceata Hb., (on conifers ?). Thera variata S.V. — Very common everywhere. The moth resembles the bark in colour, and the larva is green with white lines. T. firmata Hb. — Not so common as the preceding (which it resembles in colour), but occurs in various places, Edin- burgh, Paisley, Perthshire, &c. Phycis abietella Zk. — Rare. Rannoch and Ross-shire. The larva feeds in the cones and decaying wood." Steganoptycha Ratzeburgiana Rtz. — Not uncommon. Oc- curs at Rannoch, &c. S. Bouchardana Dbd. — Morayshire : scarce. Grapholitha coniferana, Rtz. — In Perthshire and Braemar. G. cosmophorana Tr. — Rannoch and Braemar : rare. G. tedellaCI. — Common in various localities — Perthshire, &c. Retinia rfsinella L. — Perthshire (Rannoch) and Fochabers. The larva feeds in the smaller twigs. R. duplana Hb. — Rare. Has been taken in Perthshire and Banffshire. CEcophora similella Hb. — Common at Rannoch, and also occurs in Ross-shire. The larva feeds under the bark of dead pines. Cedestis farinatella Dup. — Braemar, &c. The larva feeds in the leaves. C. Gysselinella Dup. — Rannoch. The larva lives in a web between the leaves. Ocnerostoma piniariella Z. — The larva feeds in the leaves. Occurrence of Sesia Philanthiformis in Aberdeenshire.— I have re- cently met with the larvce of this species, feeding in the sea-thrift, on the coast, near Aberdeen.— }. W. Traill, Old Aberdeen, May, 1871. PHYTOLOGY. LIST OF MOSSES FOUND IN THE VICINITY OF FORRES. By the Rev. James Keith, M.A. ( Concluded from p. $j.J 23.-OBTHOTRICHTTM, Wils. 55. O. anomalum, Hedw. — Near Heronry. Not common. 56. O. affine, Schrad. — Very common. 57. O. diap/ia/ium, Schrad. — Greeshop Wood. 58. O. leiocarpum, Br. and Sch. — Birdsyards. 59. O. pulchellum, Sm. — Greeshop Wood. 60. O. crispum, Hedw. — Very common. 61. O. Hutchiusice, Sm. — Above Sluie, J. K. 24.— ZYGGDON", Hook, and Tay. 62. Z. Mougeotii, Br. and Sch. — Banks of Findhorn and Divie, barren, J. K. 25.-TETRAPHIS, Hedw. 63. T. pellucida, Hedw. — Glenferness. Plentiful in fruit in 1868 and 1869. 26.-BUXBAUMIA, Haller. 64. B. aphylla, Haller. — Cluny Hill, Miss Davidson. 27 -ATRICHUM, P. Beauv. 65. A. undulatum, P. Beaur. — Common. 28.-POGONATUM, P. Beauv. 66. P. nanum, Brid. — Cluny Hill, &c. Common. 67. P. abides, Brid. — Sanquhar, Dunphail, &c. 68. P. umigerum, Brid. — Altyre Burn, &c. 29.-POLYTBICHIJM, Brid. 69. P. commune, Linn. — Common. TJie Scottish Naturalist. 89 70. P. juniper inum, Hedw. — Above Findhorn Bridge, &c. 71. P. piliferum, Schreb. — Common. 30.-AULACOMNIOM", Schwaegr. 72. A.palustre, Schwaegr. — Manachie, &c. Common. 73. A. androgynum, Schwaegr. — Sanquhar, Relugas. In fruit at Glenferness, 1868 and 1869. 31.-LEPTOBRYUM, Wils. 74. L. pyriforme, Wils. — Flower-pots at Dalvey. 32.-BRYUM, Wils. 75. B. crudum, Schreb Gran town, Glenferness, Dunphail, &c. Common. 76. B. nutans, Schreb. — Common. 77. B. carjieum, Linn. — Opposite Cothall. 78. B. Wahlenbergii, Schwaegr. — Altyre Woods. 79. B. pseudotriquetrum Schwaegr. — Califer, &c. 80. B. pattens, Swartz. — Around the base of the Knock of Braemoray, J. K. 81. B. inter -medium, Bridel. — Above Sluie. 82. B. capittare, Hedw.- -Common. 83. B. ccespiticium, Linn. — Common. 84. B. julaceum, Sm. — Greeshop Wood. 85. B. argenteum, Linn. — Common. 86. B. roseum, Schreb. — Sanquhar, Altyre, Darnaway. Al- ways barren. 33.-MNIUM, Br. and Sch. 87. M. affine, Bland. — Darnaway Woods. In fruit below Sluie. 88. M. cuspidatum, Hedw. — Loch of Blairs, &c. 89. M. rosiratum, Schwaegr. — Above Sluie. 90. M. serratum, Brid. — Above Sluie. 91. M. homum, Hedw. — Common. 92. M. undulatum, Hedw. — Common; not uncommon in fruit. 93. M. punctatum, Hedw. — Banks of Findhorn, &c. 94. M. subglobosum, Br. and Sch. — Slatesheugh, Rafford. 34.-5 1 TTNABIA, Schreber. 95. F. hygrometrica, Hedw. — Common. 90 The Scottish Naturalist. 35.— PHYSCOMITRIUM, Bridel. 96. P. ericetorum, De Notaris. — Lethen. 97. P. pyriforme, Br. and Sch. — Forres Nurseries. 36.— BARTRAMIA, Hedw. 98. B.foiitana, Bridel. — Common. 99. B. calcarea, Br. and Sch. — Above Sluie. 100. B. pomiformis, Hedw. — Common. 101. B. ffalleriana, Hedw. — Above Sluie, and near Pluscar- den. 102. B. ithyphylla, Brid. — Darnaway, &c. 103. B. araiata, Brid. — Earnside, Alves. 37.-3PLACH]XrTJM, Br. and Sch. 104. 20 March 28 March 8 Puschkenia scilloides, „ 20 April 1 Feb. 29 Scilla bifolia major, . ,, 20 March 24 It 21 Draba aizoides, ,, 21 April 4 March n 9 6 The Scottish Naturalist. Symphytum Caucasicum, ,, 21 »> IO Jan. 10 Ribes sanguineum, . >i 21 >> 6 March 1 Gagea lutea, 5> 21 »» 2 » 5 Adonis vernalis ») 22 >> 8 „ 18 Hyoscyamus orientalis, » 22 >> 11 „ 10 Aubretia grandiflora, J> 22 n 2 Feb. 10 Muscari botryoides . ,, 22 March 30 » 28 Hyoscyamus Physaloides, » 23 M 3i 28 Muscari botryoides alba, JJ 24 April 8 March 5 Mandragora vernalis, 1, 24 j> 3 » 2 Erythronium Dens-canis, ,, 24 5) 2 6 Carex montana, )) 25 j> 14 April 1 Narcissus moschatus, „ 26 j» 13 March 16 ,, Pseudo-Narcissus, JJ 27 — Anemone nemorosa, ,, 28 ,, 12 April 3 Fritillaria imperialis )J 29 >5 IS March 24 Pulsatilla vernalis, > I 30 J> 11 ,, 10 Narcissus bicolor, >? 31 JJ 16 „ 29 Saxifraga virginica, April, I .. 19 April 2 Menziesia empetriformis, >j 2 I? 20 I Primula ciliata purpurata, „ 3 l> 20 » 3 Tritelia uniflora, ,, 5 » s March 28 Epimedium rubrum, >) 6 5> 21 April 2 Ornithogalum montanum, 5> 8 • !• 28 » 2 „ excapum, >> 9 M 3° March 30 Miss Carnegy, Laverock Bank House, Trinity, exhibited a specimen of the young cones of Araucaria imbricata, from Craigo. in Forfarshire. The tree is now 29 feet high, 66 feet circumference of branches ; girth of stem at the sur- face of the ground, 5 feet 8 inches ; and at 4 feet above the ground, 3 feet 2 inches in circumference. It is supposed that the Craigo Araucaria is the first to produce cones in Scotland. Perthshire Society of Natural Science, 2nd March.— Dr. Buchanan White, President, in the Chair.— This being the annual meeting of the Society, the Secretary read the report of the Council for the session, 1870-71. During the past session, thirty-two members had been added to the Society, ten meetings had been held, eighteen papers had been read, and a number of excur- sions made. The Treasurer gave a statement of the funds of the Society, from which it appears that there was a balance of £7 6s 3d in the bank. The reports were unanimously approved of by the meeting. Office-bearers having been elected, 21 gentlemen were balloted for, and admitted members of the Society. 6th April.— Dr. Buchanan White, President, in the Chair.— The Presi- dent read a paper upon the Species of Hemiptera found in Perthshire. The paper was illustrated by specimens and coloured figures. Mr. Robert Paton read Notes upon the Tetraonidae occuring in the county, viz. — the Capercaillie, Ptarmigan, Red Grouse, Black Grouse. The skins of two fine Capercaillies were presented by Mr. Paton to the Society's Museum. 4th May.— The President in the Chair. — Mr. Lamb presented a stuffed specimen of a beautiful hybrid between the Capercaillie and Black Grouse : it was shot in the neighbourhood of Perth. Dr. Buchanan White gave a lecture on the Structure of Plants. THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. 5 'T^HROUGHOUT this volume we have felt considerable in- convenience from the adopted dogmatical classification of plants, and have all along been floundering between species and variety, which certainly under culture soften into each other. A particular conformity, each after its own kind, when in a state of nature termed species, no doubt ex^ts to a considerable degree. This conformity has existed during the last forty cen- turies. Geologists discover a like particular conformity — fossil species — through the deep deposition of each great epoch ; but they also discover an almost, complete difference to exist between the species, or stamp of life, of one epoch, from that of every other. We are therefore led to admit either of a repeated mira- culous creation, or of a power of change, under a change of cir- cumstances, to belong to living organized matter, or rather to the congeries of inferior life, which appears to form superior. The derangements and changes in organized existence induced by a change of circumstances from the interference of man, af- fording us proof of the plastic quality of superior life, and the likelihood that circumstances have been very different in the different epochs, though steady in each, tend strongly to heighten the probability of the latter theory. When we view the immense calcareous and bituminous for- mations, principally from the waters and atmosphere, and con- sider the oxidations and depositions which have taken place, either gradually or during some of the great convulsions, it ap- pears at least probable that the liquid elements containing life *To all who have read (and who has not?) Mr. Darwin's work on the "Origin of Species" this essay (which is mentioned in the " Origin of Species"), extracted from the appendix to Patrick Matthew's work on " Naval Timber" (1831— Lon- don : Longman. Rees, and Co. ; Edinburgh : Adam Black ,) and communicated to our columns by Mr. N. A. Dalzell, will, we think, possess considerable interest. 98 The Scottish Naturalist. have varied considerably at different times in composition and in weight ; that our atmosphere has contained a much greater proportion of carbonic acid or oxygen ; and our waters, aided by excess of carbonic acid, and greater heat, resulting from greater density of atmosphere, have contained a greater quantity of lime, and other mineral solutions. Is the inference then unphilosophic, that living things which are proved to have a circumstance-suiting power (a very slight change of circumstances, by culture, inducing a corresponding change of character) may have gradually accommodated them- selves to the variations of the elements containing them, and without new creation have presented the diverging changeable phenomena of past and present organized existence ? The destructive liquid currents, before which the hardest mountains have been swept and comminuted into gravel, sand, and mud, which intervened between, and divided these epochs, probably extending over the whole surface of the globe, and de- stroying nearly all living things, must have reduced existence so much that an unoccupied field would be formed for new diverging ramifications of life, which, from the connected sexual system of vegetables, and the natural instincts of animals to herd and combine with their own kind, would fall into specific groups ; these remnants in the course of time moulding and accommo- dating their being anew to the change of circumstances, and to every possible means of subsistence, and the millions of ages of regularity which appear to have followed, between the epochs probably after this accommodation was completed, affording fossil deposit of regular specific character. There are only two probable ways of change ; the above and the still wider deviation from present occurrence of indestructible or molecular life (which seems to resolve itself into powers of attraction and repulsion, under mathematical figure and regula- tion, bearing a slight systematic similitude to the great aggrega- tions of matter,) gradually uniting and developing itself into new circumstance- suited living aggregates, without the presence of any mould or germ of former aggregates, but this scarcely differs from new creation, only it forms a portion of a continued scheme or system. In endeavouring to trace, in the former way, the principle of these changes of fashion which have taken place in the domi- The Scottish Naturalist. 09 ciles of life, the following questions occur. Do they arise from admixture of species nearly allied, producing intermediate species?. Are they the diverging ramifications of the living principle under modifications of circumstance ? Or have they resulted from the combined agency of both ? Is there only one living principle ? Does organized existence, and perhaps all material existence, consist of one Proteus principle of life, capable of gradual circumstance-suited modifications and aggre- gations, without bound under the solvent or motion-giv- ing principles, heat or light? There is more beauty and unity of design in this continual balancing of life to circum- stance, and greater conformity to those dispositions of nature which are manifest to us, than in total destruction and new creation. It is improbable that much of this diversification is owing to commixture of species nearly allied : all change by this appears very limited, and confined within the bounds of what is called species. The progeny of the same parents, under great difference of circumstance, might in several generations even become distinct species, incapable of co-reproduction. The self-regulating adaptive disposition of organized life may in part be traced to the extreme fecundity of nature, who, as before stated, has, in all the varieties of her offspring, a prolific power much beyond (in many cases a thousandfold) what is necessary to fill up the vacancies caused by senile decay. As the field of existence is limited and pre-occupied, it is only the hardier, more robust, better-suited-to-circumstance individuals, who are able to struggle forward to maturity j these inhabiting only the situations to which they have superior adaptation, and greater power of occupancy than any other kind : the weaker, less-circumstance-suited, being prematurely destroyed. This principle is in constant action. It regulates the colour, the figure, the capacities and instincts : those individuals of each species whose colour and covering are best suited to conceal- ment or protection from enemies, or defence from vicissitude and inclemencies of climate — whose figure is best accom- modated to health, strength, defence, and support — whose capacities and instincts can best regulate the physical energies to self-advantage according to circumstances, in such immense waste of primary and youthful life — those only come forward to maturity, from the strict ordeal by which nature tests their ioo The Scottish Naturalist. adaptation to her standard of perfection, and fitness to con- tinue their kind by reproduction. From the unremitting opera- tion of this law, acting in concert with the tendency which the progeny have to take the more particular qualities of their parents, together with the connected sexual system in vegetables, and instinctive limitation to its own kind in animals, a consider- able uniformity of figure, colour, and character is induced, con- stituting species j the breed gradually acquiring the very best possible adaptation of these to its condition which it is suscep- tible of, and when alteration of circumstance occurs, thus changing in character to suit these, as far as its nature is sus- ceptible of change. This circumstance-adaptive law, operating upon the slight, but continued, natural dispositions to sport in the progeny (seed- ling variety) does not preclude the supposed influence which volition or sensation may have over the configuration of the body. To examine into the disposition to sport in the progeny even when there is only one parent, as in many vegetables, and to investigate how much variation is modified by the mind or nervous sensation of the parents, or of the living thing itself during its progress to maturity, how far it depends upon exter- nal circumstances, and how far on the will, irritability and muscular exertion, is open to examination and experiment. In the first place, we ought to investigate its dependency upon the preceeding links of the particular chain of life, variety being often merely types or approximations of former parentage, thence the variation of the family, as well as of the individual, must be embraced by our experiments. This continuation of family type, not broken by casual par- ticular aberration, is mental as well as corporeal, and is exem- plified in many of the dispositions or instincts of particular races of men. These innate or continuous ideas or habits seem proportionally greater in the insect tribes, those especially of shorter revolution, and forming and abiding memory may re- solve much of the enigma of instinct, and the foreknowledge which these tribes have of what is necessary to completing their round of life, reducing this to knowledge, or impressions, or habits, acquired by a long experience. This greater continuity of existence, or rather continuity of The Scottish Naturalist. ioi perceptions, and impressions, in insects, is highly probable ; it is even difficult in some to ascertain the particular stops when each individuality commences, under the different phases of egg, larva, pupa, or if much consciousness of individuality exists. The continuation of reproduction for several generations by the females alone in some of these tribes tends to the probability of the greater continuity of existence, and the sub-divisions of life by cuttings, at any rate must stagger the advocate of in- dividuality. Among the millions of specific varieties of living things which occupy the humid portion of the surface of our planet, as far back as can be traced, there does not appear, with the ex- ception of man, to have been any particular engrossing race, but a pretty fair balance of powers of occupancy, or rather most won- derful variations of circumstance parallel to the nature of every species ; as if circumsta?ice and species had groiun up together. There are indeed several races which have threatened ascen- dency in some particular regions, but it is man alone from whom any general imminent danger to the existence of his brethren is to be dreaded. As far back as history reaches, man had already had considerable influence, and had made encroachments upon his fellow denizens, probably occasioning the destruction of many species, and the production and continuation of a number of varieties, or even species, which he found more suited to supply his wants, but which, from the innimity of their condi- tion, not having undergone selection by the law of nature, of which we have spoken, cannot maintain their ground without his cul- ture and protection. It is, however, only in the present age that man has begun to reap the fruits of his tedious education, and has proven how much " knowledge is power." He has now acquired a dominion over the material world, and a consequent power of increase, so as to render it probable that the whole surface of the earth may soon be over-run by this engrossing anomaly, to the annihilation of every wonderful and beautiful variety of animated existence which does not administer to his wants, principally as laboratories of preparation to befit cruder elemental matter for assimilation by his organs. ZOOLOGY. THE BALEEN OR WHALE-BONE WHALES (BAL£NOIDEA) OF THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. By ROBERT WALKER. BAL^NA MYSTICETUS.-THE RlGHT WHALE, OR GREEN- LAND Whale. A S this whale has been included heretofore in all our books on British animals, it may be necessary to state briefly some of the grounds, at least, upon which its claim to a place in the British Fauna is now questioned by many naturalists of eminence. From a commercial point of view, this is the most valuable of all the whales that frequent the Greenland seas j its carcass yielding a greater quantity of oil, and a longer and better quality of baleen, or whalebone of commerce, than that of any other species. In order to supply the demand for these valuable products, the "Whalers" of this and other countries proceed to the Arctic regions every spring : the experience of nearly three centuries of whale fishing having proved this to be the natural habitat of this animal, and that it is to be met with only amongst the ice-bergs of that rigorous climate. That this whale has its regular periods of migration, as well as probably every other Arctic animal — proceeding southward in winter, and returning north again in summer — will be evident enough if we bear in mind the fact, that a great portion of the Polar Sea, in which it roams in summer, is frozen every winter, and the impossibility of the animal breathing under the ice. The question, however, remains — granting this migration — how far south was the whale ever known with certainty to go ? The investigations of Eschricht and Reinhardt, given in their ex- cellent essay on the Greenland Whale,* throw considerable * Ray Society, 1866. The Scottish Naturalist. 103 light on this subject. These authors shew pretty conclusively, from the journals kept at the Danish establishments on the western shore of Greenland, that the whale was never known to leave the neighbourhood of the ice-bergs. These establishments extend from the 60th to the 73d degree, in a direction almost due north. The journal kept at Holsteinsborg, extending from 1780 to 1839, and that at Disco Bay, farther northward, from 1780 to 1837, give the dates every year when the whales arrived at these stations, which was generally in the end of November or beginning of December, some years as late as January ; the dates of their departure to the north again being March, April, and occasionally as late as June : both events depending ap- parently on the temperature of the season. The conclusion arrived at by the Danish authors, apparently after carefully con- sidering all the facts in their possession bearing on this sub- ject, amounts to this, "that the Greenland whale penetrates farthest to the south in winter, although it does not, even at that season, leave that part of the sea which is filled with drift ice, and more or less closed by great masses of ice." The long persecution these animals have undergone has sadly diminished their number. At the same time, they do not appear to have changed in the least their former habits and places of migration, " the original range of the whale remaining perfectly unaltered." Prof. Van Beneden* also states that B. mysticetus is strictly confined in its geographical range to the Polar Sea, extending along the Siberian and Kamtschatkan coasts, but does not reach as far south as the north of Iceland. Scoresby,t who, from personal experience, knew the haunts of the Greenland whale better perhaps than the most of men who have had some- thing to say about it, states that it has never been seen in the European seas, and rarely within 200 leagues of the British coast, and that it was only to be met with in or very near the regions of ice. If we now glance at the evidence as to the oc- currence of this whale in the British seas, we will perhaps find that it is not of the strongest, or to say the least, of the most satisfactory kind. Of course, if the opinions of these dis- tinguished naturalists as to the geographical range of this animal could be implicitly relied upon, we could scarcely expect the *Bull. de l'Acad. Roy. de Belg., xxv,, 1868. f Arctic Regions. 104 The Scottish Naturalist. evidence to be otherwise, as it could hardly, in historical times at any rate, have frequented our seas in company with ice or ice-berg?. Sibbald states in his "Phalainologia" that a specimen of this whale was thrown ashore at Peterhead, in 1682, 70 feet in length. It may be observed that this is a rather unusual size fcr a Greenland Whale, and one would imagine, judging from the size, that it was more likely to have been an example of Physalus a?itiquorum, or other large finner. Of the former Scoresbysays that of 322 individuals he had seen killed, not one, he believed, exceeded 60 feet in length, and the longest to appearance he ever saw measured 58 feet. Sibbald's statement appears to be the main ground on which the whale in question has been admitted into all the works on British animals pub- lished since his time. No doubt Bell* states, on the authority of Mr. Barclay, "that it is occasionally seen on the coast of Zeatland, and several of this species have run aground, or have been found dead at sea." Unfortunately, none of the bones of these whales seem to have been preserved, to decide the question as to what species they really belong. Besides it may perhaps be fairly questioned whether any of these specimens were examined with a sufficient degree of care to establish their identity, and to de- termine acurately whether, for instance, they were Greenland or Biscay whales (Balcena biscayensis Esch.,) which is another finless species. We may, I think, on the whole, dismiss this as an instance of mistaken identity, which in the case of whales, as well as in other things, is apt to happen with the best of people. Although, of course, it is not impossible that the Greenland whale may have accidentally reached the British seas in recent times, comparatively speaking, still it must be confessed that the evidence as to its doing so is of the most meagre kind. In fact, of the two species above-mentioned, biscayensis, from its habits, was by far the most likely of the two to strand on our coast. MEGAPTEBA LONGIMANA Gray.-JoHNSTON's HUMP- BACKED Whale. This whale appears to be somewhat rare on the coast of Europe. * British Quadrupeds. The Scottish Naturalist. 105 So far as I can make out, it has been recognized six times only ; twice on the Scandinavian coast ; one stranded at the mouth of the Elbe, in 1824; another found floating dead in the sea off Revel, in 1851 ; and another stranded in the estuary of the Dee, in 1863. The skeleton of this individual is preserved in the Derby Museum in Liverpool. Another example of this species was thrown ashore about two miles north of Berwick on the 19th September, 1829. This specimen was described by Dr. George Johnston, * who states that it was between 35 and 36 feet in length, the circumference at the thickest part 24 feet, and the pectoral fins 9 feet in length. Lilljeborg, t who also describes this species, states that, according to Holboll and Eschricht, it attains to a length of 55 to 60 feet, and that the latter author considers it the most common of all the whale-bone whales in Davis Strait during the summer. It is said to go south in winter, and that " when near the coasts it generally feeds upon Osmerus arcticus, Gadus agilis, Ammodytes tobianus, and Li ma- rina arctica, and the smaller crustaceans." The contents of the stomach of the Berwick specimen were of a somewhat different nature from this. It contained, according to Johnston, " six cormorants, and another in the throat, so that it was presumed the whale had been choked in the attempt to swallow the bird." BAL^INOPTEIIA. MUSCTJLTJS (Physalus antiquorum Gray).— The Razorback. This appears to be the commonest of all fin-whales. It has been stranded and found dead at sea on the European coast oftener than any other species of baleen whale. It has likewise occurred pretty frequently on the North-East of Scotland. As a species, it ranks amongst the largest of the whale family, and of course is one of the largest animals in existence. Dr. Gray j states that the British Museum specimen is said to have been 102 feet long. This is very likely considerably exagge- rated; at any rate, the majority of examples of which we have any description do not attain to near that length, but range * Trans, of the Nat. Hist. Soc. of Northumberland, Durham, &c., vol. I., 1831. f Cetaceous Mammalia of Scandinavia, Ray Society, 1868. X Cat. of Seals and Whales, 1866. 106 The Scottish Naturalist. from 43 to about 70 feet in length. The latter Prof. Flower t considers to be about the utmost extent to which this species has any claim. Notwithstanding its great size, it is of the least commercial value in proportion to its bulk of all the whale tribe. Sibbald described and figured in his " Phalavwlogia Nova" two fin whales which he regarded as specifically distinct. Dr. Gray and some others seem to be of a different opinion, or at least doubtful as to the correctness of this arrangement, consequently they have placed both animals in the present species. The first of these is Sibbald's De Balcena tripinni quce rostrum acutum habet et plicas in venire, &c. This individual was stranded near Burntisland, on the 17th November, 1690. It was 46 feet long, and 20 feet in circumference ; the pectoral fins 5 feet long; the tail 9 feet broad. The second is Sibbald's De Balcena tripinni quce maxillam inferiorem rotundam, &c. This specimen was thrown ashore near Abercorn, in the Firth of Forth, in Septem- ber, 1692, and measured 78 feet in length, with a circumference of about 35 feet. The pectoral fins were 10 feet long, and the tail was 18^ feet broad. That the first-mentioned of these whales belongs to B. musculus may be readily, I think, taken for granted. The second, however, presents greater difficulties in the way of arriving at a similar conclusion. Irrespective of the large size of the animal, there is the wide under jaw, em- bracing the upper, the length of the baleen (3 feet), the breadth of the tail, and the long pectoral fins. All are characters that appear to me to be more appropriate to B. Sibbaldii than to the species under consideration. Dr. Neill % describes a male of this whale which ran ashore near Alloa on 23d October, 1808. The total length was 43 feet, the circumference where thickest, about 20 feet, the pectoral fins nearly 5 feet long, and tail about 10 feet broad. Dr. Neill states that he had seen a M.SS. account by the the late Dr. Walker, dated 1782, of a whale which was forced ashore near Burntisland on the 10th June, 1761, precisely of the same size as Sibbald's Burntisland whale, and that Walker, who was at the same time clearly of opinion that his specimen was of the same species as that described by Sibbald from the same place, named it Balcefia sulcata. + Proceedings of Zoological Society, 1864. £ Memoirs Wernerian Society, vol. L 181 1. The Scottish Naturalist. 107 Another example of this whale was cast ashore near Kinkell, about three miles east of St. Andrews, on the 8th January, 1848. As no description of this specimen has been published, I will endeavour, as far as I can, to supply the deficiency, chiefly from my own examination of the animal, aided on one or two points by the sizes of some of the parts as taken by the late Dr. Reid, who exhibited specimens illustrative of some of the structures of this animal, and made some remarks upon the Cetacea, to the Literary and Philosophical Society of St. An- drews. It is much to be regretted that Dr. Reid's notes on this whale, if he made any, appear to be lost. The animal, when 1 saw it first, was lying amongst the rocks, with its head sea- ward, and partly on the right side. It was a female, and was observed floating about dead some time before stranding. All the back, and pretty well down each side, was of a greyish-black colour, and the lower hide of a white or dirty ish-white colour. There was a considerable number of longitudinal folds or ridges of the skin on the under anterior part of the body ; those in the middle commenced almost at the symphysis of the lower jaw, and terminated half-way to the tail; those on the sides did not extend quite so far. The extreme length of the animal was 54 feet; the greatest circumference, in front of pectoral fin, 29 feet 10 inches, or thereby; length of the mouth, 10 feet 3 inches; height of dorsal fin, 14 inches; the tail, 10 feet 8 inches broad ; from point of snout to pectoral fin, 6 feet 2 inches ; pectoral fins, 6 feet 2 inches long ; the lower jaw projected about 15 inches beyond the upper. The baleen was of a lightish slate-colour ; the longest plates were situated behind the middle of the mouth, and measured 1 foot 10 inches in length. From this point they gradually diminished in length to both extremities ; those near the snout appeared to me to be the shortest. I could count 14 ribs only on each side, and 59 vertebrae in all ; but as the carcass was a good deal broken up, and not very approachable otherwise before this was possible, the numbers may not be quite correct. Indeed, authors differ some- what in opinion as to the number of vertebrae in this species ; sometimes they are given as high as 63. Professor Reinhardt, however, states that there are regularly only 61 in this whale. I do not know exactly in which of Professor Flower's stages, as to age, this animal should be placed ; it was not, at any rate, past 108 The Scottish Naturalist. the " adolescent," as the disunited epiphyses of the anterior caudal vertebras, now before me, clearly show. The late Dr. Cook read a communication to the Literary and Philosophical Society of St. Andrews, on an individual of this species, which went ashore in a dying state, near Aberdeen, on the 1 8th December, 1847. It was from 46 to 48 feet long; the greatest circumference about 30 feet; and the longest baleen did not exceed 14 inches in length. BAL^JNOPTEHA SIBBALDII (Physalus Sibbaldii Gray). This is a somewhat critical species to meddle with, more espe- cially as scarcely any two zoologists appear to entertain the same opinion relative to which whales should, and which should not, be assigned to it. According to the investigation of Prof. Van Beneden,* four species only of Balamoptera inhabit the North Atlantic. Whatever amount of probability there may be in this, it will be sufficient for our present purpose to state that, in the arrangement proposed by him, he considers B. rostrata as one species, and unites B. borealis Cuv., and B. laticeps Gray, into another. His next species embraces B. musculus (Physalus antiquorum Gray), and B. gigas Eschr., and the last includes P. Sibbaldii Gray, B. latirostris Flower, and B. Carolina Malm. Dr. Gray, t on the other hand, adds B. gigas Eschr., to his Sibbaldus borealis, and in this species, amongst others, he in- cludes the celebrated Ostend whale. This whale, however, Prof. Turner J seems to think — and in this I consider he is in all likelihood right — will likely prove to be the same species as his Longniddry whale, which he names Balcenoptera Sibbaldii (Physalus Sibbaldii Gray). The Ostend whale has had various names, as well as sizes, ascribed to it. .Indeed, both are nearly as numerous as its describers. Dubar states 105 feet long; Dr. Gray, 102 feet ; Van Breda gives 84 feet ; Van Benden, 80 feet ; Dewhurst,§ who describes both the whale and its skeleton (the latter he had examined personally), states that the total length of the animal was 95 feet. He called it B. rorqual, or Broad- nosed Whale, and states that "in Iceland it is called the Steipe ♦Bull, de l'Acad. Roy. de Belgique, t. xxvii., 1869. t Cat. Seals and Whales. % Trans, of the Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xxvi. pt. 1. § Nat Hist, of the Cetacea. The Scottish Naturalist. 1 09 JZeydas, the Broad-nosed Whale of the whalers." This Icelandic name of the whale is no doubt synonymous with Eschricht's " Steypireythr." * Dewhurst gives a lithographic drawing of the whale under consideration, which is said to be the only correct one extant. It is a copy from a larger one presented to him by Mons. Kessel of Ostend, by whose orders the original drawing was made, previous to the dissection of the animal, in 1827. This figure — which seems to me to have been overlooked — represents a rather pretty mottled whale, agreeing, as it appears to me, very closely with Professor Turner's description of the colours of the Longniddry animal. It likewise makes a near approach to Eschricht's " Steypireythr" as given by him. Dewhurst men- tions a number of whales captured or stranded on the coasts, which he supposed to be of the same species as -the Ostend example. In some of these cases, it is more than likely, he was mistaken. Amongst those thus claimed, however, was Sibbald's Abercorn whale, of 1692. In Professor Turner's excellent de- scription of the Longniddry animal, when comparing it with other tinners, he notices the small number of vertebrae (54) which is said to have been all that existed in the Ostend whale. I have in my possession a somewhat large plate, containing figures, by Scharf, of that animal and its skeleton. On this plate the vertebrae are distinctly stated to be 62 in number, and, whatever this may be worth, the figure at all events does not belie the statement. The Longniddry whale was stranded on the 3d November, 1869. The total length of the animal was 78 feet 9 inches. The circumference was estimated at 45 feet (some say 33 feet). The pectoral fins about 12 feet long j the tail probably 18 feet broad ; and the longest baleen, 2 feet 9^ inches long, and of a deep black colour, t The next whale deserving attention in connection with this species is Knox's Balemi maximus borcalis.% It is expected that Turner will definitely settle the place of that specimen, in his forthcoming paper on the anatomy of the Longniddry animal. Meantime, * Vidensk. Medde'lelser fra den Naturhistoriske, &c, 1867 ; trans, in Annals of Nat. Hist. 1868. + Since the above was written, I see from the report of the British Association that Prof. Turner has identified the whale stranded at Aberdour, in July, 1858, with his Longniddry animal. X Rorqualis borealis of Naturalists' Library, vol. xxvi. no The Scottish Naturalist. we may observe that it was found floating dead in the sea, at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, and towed ashore near North Berwick, in October, 1831. It was 80 feet in length ; the cir- cumference, 34 feet; pectoral fins, 11 feet long; breadth of the tail, 20 feet. The only other whale to be noticed, that has occurred on the north-east of Scotland, so far as I know, is Sibbald's Abercorn example, of 1692, which has been already remarked on. It is probable that the whale, 82 feet long, men- tioned by Scoresby as killed in Balta Sound, Shetland, in the winter of 1817-18, may also belong to this species, as he states that the longest lamina of baleen was about 3 feet long. BAL^NOPTERA ROSTRATA.-The PlKE WHALE. This little species was long confounded with the larger individu- als of the family, chiefly with Physalus a?itiquorum of which it was supposed by many zoologists to be the young and undeveloped condition, and that the differences between them, although ap- parent — to some at least — would ultimately disappear with age. This opinion was retained by some long after Fabricius, Traill, Scoresby, and others, had pointed out the fact that it was the smallest of the whale-bone whales, and that it differed other- wise from the larger specimens. Scoresby* figured and described one that was killed in Orkney, in 1808. The circumference of this example, however, was 10 feet, not 20 feet, as stated in his description. Dr. Knox t was the first to point out clearly the difference, anatomically, between this whale and the larger species, mainly from his examination of the skeleton of the Queensferry specimen, in 1834, which, as he showed, contained in all 48 vertebrae; while his Balena maximi/s borealis, the bones of which he had amongst hands at the time, contained 6$ verte- brae. Since Knox's time it has been recognized by all ceto- logists. As stated above, it is the smallest of the baleen whales, and seldom exceeds 25, rarely 30, feet in length. It seems to be pretty generally distributed throughout the seas of. central Europe. Van Beneden's map,J however, shows its occurrence six times only in British waters. Although not very common, * Arctic Regions. f Edin. Phil. Jour. X Bull, dc l'Acad. Roy. de Belgique, t. xxvii., 1869. The Scottish Naturalist. 1 1 1 it has undoubtedly been met with oftener than that. It extends as far north as Greenland ; according to Scoresby, one of this species was killed near Spitzbergen, in 1813. An example of this whale was entangled in the salmon stake nets, and killed, near Largo,* 15th May, 1832. Dr. Knox's "Rorqualus minor" 'f was taken near Queensferry, Firth of Forth, in February 1834- It was 9 feet 11 inches long; the baleen about 2 x / 2 inches in length. Another individual was found, apparently dead, in the sea near the Bell Rock, J 7th September, 1857. Its length was about 16 feet; the longest baleen, about 5 inches in length. Another, about 18 feet long, was stranded near Burntisland, on the 8th September, 1870. Another specimen of this little whale — the skull and baleen of which are in my possession — was stranded near Arbroath, 29 July, 1869. It measured 13 feet in length. The circumference in front of pectoral fins, 7 feet 3 inches. From point of snout to dorsal fin, 8 feet i}i inches; dorsal fin, about 20 inches high. From snout to pectoral, 4 feet. Length of fin, t6 inches. The two blow-holes were situated in a slight depression on the front part of the head, their anterior ends 17^ inches behind the point of the nose, each aperture 3^ inches long, and somewhat crescent shaped; near each other in front, but diverging outward and backward, with the concave side outward. From point of snout to interior edge of eye, 25^ inches. There were two rows of baleen, one on each side of the upper jaw. The longest plates of these measured 3^ inches in length, and were placed about the middle of the posterior half of the length, from which they gradually became shorter toward each extremity ; posteriorly each row was gradually curved inward, approaching the posterior of the palate, until within two inches of each other at the entrance of the oesophagus. The baleen was of a brownish white, or pale horn colour ; the apex and inner edges of each plate were closely fringed with hair-looking fibres of a similar colour. The baleen of each side, measured round the curve, was 26*^ inches in length. The animal was jet black on the back, and about half-way down the sides ; the lower side of a dusky white, and so was about two inches of the upper surface of the pectoral fins. * Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. v., 1832. f Naturalists' Library, vol. xxvi. X Proceedings.Roy.' Phy. Soc, Edinburgh, 1858. Univorsity, St. Andrews. 112 The Scottish Naturalist. NOTES ON THE TETRAONIDJE OF PERTHSHIRE. BY ROBERT PATON. THE PTARMIGAN ( Tetrao albus) TS only met with on the higher mountain ranges, where it dwells amongst the grey rocks and all but perpetual snow of our highest hills. It is no child's play to reach its favourite ground, and quite as hard work to find it after one is there. It pairs very early in the spring, nesting on the bare ground.* During summer ptarmigan are of a uniform grey, but during severe winters they become almost pure white, excepting the tail feathers proper, which remain black. Generally speaking, they cast their feathers, receiving a new coat for the season, either white or grey, as the case may be ; still I do not think they cast all their feathers, as I find them sometimes partly white and partly grey, causing me to think that, to a certain extent, they change their colour without entirely changing their feathers. The ptarmigan is somewhat smaller than the red or common grouse, its length being about 14 or 15 inches, stretch of wings 20 to 22 inches, and weight 1 lb. 2 oz. to 1 lb. 4 oz. * That it is not the invariable habit of the ptarmigan to nest on the bare ground I have reason to believe, having found a nest on Ben Muick Dhu, during the past summer. This nest was at an altitude of about 4200 feet, and was placed among some coarse grass and sedge, close to a patch of snow. It was rudely constructed, the materials being the leaves of some sedge (probably Carex rigida), mixed with pieces of that common mountain lichen, Cetraria islandica. The nest contained four fresh eggs, and the bird sat very close. Possibly this may have been a second nesting, as a few days previously (the time was towards the end of June), I saw a ptarmigan with a brood of young birds on a hill near Lochnagar. This bird displayed far more solicitude for the safety of her young than any other bird I have seen, running along in an apparently disabled state not more than a yard from us, in fact, so near at times, that I believe I might easily have put my entomological net over her, if I had been so disposed. After accompanying us for about fifty yards, she flew off, doubtless congratulating herself on her cleverness. I have never seen ptarmigan at a less altitude, I think, then about 3000 feet. When flushed, they rise with a low hoarse croak, very different from the loud cry of the red grouse. Often, however, they give no cry at all, and hence have been termed the mute grouse. Though generally associated in very small flocks or coveys, I saw a large flock of at least fifty individuals one day early last August.— Editor. The Scottish Naturalist. 1 13 THE RED GROUSE ( Tetrao lagopus ) Is the most common and best known of all our species, and seems to be confined to the British Islands. It is found most abundantly on our high lying moors, still it occurs occasionally quite close to Perth, on such places as Caller Fountain Hill, and westwards about Dupplin, and the Moss of Methven. The male bird is of a rich dark chestnut brown and has the usual red patch over the eye, which adds so much to the appearance of all our Grouse ; the female is somewhat lighter in the colour. It does not change the colour of its plumage as the Ptarmigan does. The Red Grouse feeds upon the shoots of heather, &c, and has no objections to breakfast on the corn stooks of the highland farmer, where it sometimes falls into a rat-trap. The hen lays from 7 to 14 eggs, in a very meagre nest, amongst the heather, grass, or whins. THE BLACK GROUSE ( Tetrao tetrix). This is a very handsome species, and is still plentiful in Perth- shire. It may be met with on the east, about Murray's Hall Hill, but with one exception it has never occurred on Kinfauns, that I am aware of. The male is of a glossy black, with the wing and tail coverts white, and has the peculiar curl on the tail, which most of us, I dare say, have noticed. The female, or gray hen, as she is called in Scotland, wants this peculiarity in the tail feathers, and her name gives a pretty correct idea of her colour. The Black Grouse is quite at home either in forest or moor, being met with frequently in the Black Woods of Dupplin. In this it differs from our Red and White Grouse, which never enter a wood except passing through a strip or outskirt when flying from one part of a moor to another. The male measures about 22 inches, while the female is some 4 or 5 inches shorter. The black-cock is very hard on any intrusion of his feathered neighbours during spring, when he will attack and drive off even a cock pheasant, and should the enemy take refuge in a bush, the black-cock will beat the cover until he shows front, when he is speedily driven off the ground. H4 The Scottish Naturalist. THE CAPEKCAILZIE ( Tetrao urogallus) Is the largest and most beautiful species of all our grouse, and is very abundant throughout Perthshire, occurring quite plenti- fully within two miles of Perth, as on Kinnoull Hill, where it is very common. It is about ten years since first I met with them there. They were introduced at Taymouth in the year 1835, a number of eggs having been presented to Lord Breadal- bane, by Mr. Buxton. The eggs were hatched in the nest of the Black Grouse, and the young were carried about the moors in boxes to feed. The Capercailzie feeds almost entirely on the leaves of the Scotch fir ( Pi?ius sy/vestris), and also in summer on the common fern and other wild plants ; but I have seen them feeding greedily during winter on the corn stooks during a late harvest. This, however, seems to be more a local than a general habit, as I have never heard of it happen- ing anywhere else. The male is a very large bird, measuring 3 feet and upwards, and weighing 10 lbs. to 12 lbs. It resem- bles an eagle a good deal when seen flying between one hill and another, which may account for the name it has earned for being so bad to pheasants. I think, however, the greatest harm it does them is caused by their own stupidity in mistaking it for a bird of prey, and getting frightened. I have seen a good deal of them, but I never even once saw the capercailzie and pheasant fighting ; and it is even difficult for me to believe that they do not agree (excepting in that one point), as it is quite common for the females of both to deposit their eggs in the same nest* This bird must be very destructive to the plants upon which it feeds, the crop, when full, being very large. During the spring time the cock struts about the woods with the hens about him, much as a Turkey cock does in a farm-yard, his wings trailing on the ground, and his tail spread over his back. At this time he gives a peculiar cry, calling on the females. When sprung, he makes pretty long flights, always choosing the highest branches of the Scotch fir to perch upon, and keeping a very strict look-out. A favourite perch • The male bird may also cause some damage by treading the hen pheasants, which he is rather guilty of. The capercailzie is sometimes reared in a pheas- antry along with the other birds, and seems to thrive well.— R. P. TJie Scottish Naturalist 115 of the hen is the very top of the larch, which swings to and fro by the weight of the bird. When sprung, she emits a cry like the syllable whut, repeated rapidly over and over again. The capercailzie flies swiftly, so much so, that I have seen the head of one cut clean off by a wire before it could draw up. The great size of the bird, however, makes the speed of its flight very deceptive, when seen moving through an open space. The hen is only about half the size of the cock. I know of one instance in which the capercailzie and black-cock crossed, a pair of the hybrid* having been shot near Perth a few years ago. * One of the above hybrids is now in the collection of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, presented to it by Mr. J. Lamb.— R. P. Perth, April, 1871. Notes on Lepidoptera.— Thecla rubi.— This species is, I think, certainly only single brooded here ; I have found it in May, but never in August. T. quercus.—l have found this butterfly in every little clump of oak trees round here. One day last summer I watched a group of eight or ten sporting round an oak tree on the front of Moncrieffe Hill. They flew round and round thejtree, sometimes going high up in the air, at another away from the tree, but always coining back to it again, and always keeping out of reach of the net. Tephrosia crepi4scularia. — I find this moth on the north side of Moncrieffe Hill. It appears about the 20th of April, and sits during the daytime on the trunks of the larches, at a height of from one to four feet from the ground, where it strongly resembles a piece of lichen. The female conceals the eggs in chinks of the bark, or in the heart of the buds which are then about half open. The larva feeds on the larch. Dasydia obfuscata. — This species is found among the rocks on Moncrieffe Hill, but is very local. It rests on the rocks with its wings spread wide, and pressed very close to the rock. On the approach of anything the moth starts up and flies high in the air. It is difficult to get specimens in good condition, on account of the force with which they fling themselves by their wings off the rock, which is covered with small, sharp, and hard pieces of lichen, which scratch and cut the wings in a few hours. This insect is greatly overrun with small pink parasites, which stick close to the body, wings, and legs. I have taken from twelve to fifteen of these parasites upon one moth. The caterpillar may be found feeding on heather, from September till June, but when reared in confinement, the moth is generally smaller, and without the beautiful gloss and green brindle. Ants are very destructive to the eggs and young larvae ; I have seen them cut the eggs from the stalk of heather on which they were, laid, and catch and carry off the young larvae to their nests. Gnophes obscuraria — This moth resembles the last-mentioned very much in its habits, but is not so readily disturbed, and does not fly so very far. When 1 1 6 The Scottish Naturalist. going to settle, it drops down all at once. Sometimes there is a slight brindle of green on the wings, but not commonly. The caterpillar feeds on heather. Anisopteryx asscularia. — I find this species commonly on a privet hedge, near my house. The eggs are laid round the twigs like a necklace or bracelet, and covered with the fine down which forms the anal tuft of the female. I once caught a male flying in cop. with the female : this shows how species with ap- terous females spread from one place to another. Chesias obliquaria occurs all round here. It is a very late-flying insect, and there is no use going to look for it before the dark twilight, i.e., about half- past ten o'clock. Geometra papilionaria. — The larvse of this species pass the winter in rather a curious manner. They are generally hatched in the month of August, and feed till about the middle of September, when they are about half or five-eighths of an inch in length. About the middle of September the caterpillar selects a small twig (which it resembles very much in colour), and placing itself close to the point, it puts a few threads of silk round its body, and fastens itself securely to the twig. When the bud begins to swell in spring, the caterpillar eats it up ; then it throws off its fastenings, and after roaming about for a few days, casts its skin, and assumes a different appearance. It has five humps of a rose-pink colour; but the rest of the body varies very much in different individuals : some- times being dull straw-colour, sometimes dull pink, sometimes half-brown half- green, and so on. The larva feeds on the birch or alder. — W. Herd, Scoonie Burn, near Perth, May, 1871. Cucullia cliamomillaB in Fife.— On the 26th May, I took a specimen of C. chamomillce at rest on a paling here. Chcerocampa porcellus has been abun- dant here this season. In the last fortnight I have taken eighteen specimens at the flowers of Rhododendron, while in the three preceding years I have seen but two.— J. Boswell Syme, Balmuto, Kirkcaldy, 20th June, 1871. Chcerocampa celerio.— Spending lately a few days in Peterhead, I called on the Rev. James Yuill, the Free Church minister there, when he kindly al- lowed me to examine his very extensive collection of Lepidoptera, in which he pointed out to me an excellent and finely-conditioned specimen of the very rare moth, Chcerocampa celerio, caught in September, 1868, in Broad Street of that town. Another specimen of this moth has, I understand, been also caught in Aberdeenshire, in the parish of Fyvie. Mr. Yuill has also in his col- lection two specimens, caught in the neighbourhood, of the Convolvulus Hawk- moth (Sphinx convolvulij. — H. O. Forbes, Drumblade. The Bedeguar of the Rose.— I noticed a great abundance of this gall in Ayrshire some weeks ago. In this neighbourhood it is not nearly so abundant. —A. T. Scott, Perth, September, 1871. The "Devonshire "Woody Gall of the Oak."— This has appeared both here in Berwickshire, and in Roxburghshire within the last year. It occurs also in various parts of Northumberland.— James Hardy, Oldcambus, by Cock- burnspath, August 28th, 1871. [Dr. R. C. R. Jordan, writing in the August number of the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine gives an interesting account of the arrival of this gall at Birmingham. He says, " In our own days Dreissena The Scottish Naturalist. 117 polymorpha, amongst molluscs, Cynips Kollari amongst insects, and Anacharis alsinastrum amongst plants, have so naturalized themselves in our island, that it would be utterly impossible to eradicate them. Of these examples, Cynips Kollari is to me of special interest. Although noticed by me in Devon, certainly for forty years at the least (since we used its galls for marbles, when I was quite a child), yet it did not reach Birmingham until i860, when it was first noticed by me in the town— a fact not to be wondered at, considering how often its galls were brought from the south by tourists. It was not, however, until the autumn of 1866 that it was first seen by me invading Birmingham, along the hedges on Worcestershire side. The two streams have since met, and C. Kollari is to be found in both town and country." We shall be glad to hear if the galls of Cynips Kollari have been observed elsewhere in Scotland. As regards the above-mentioned mollusc (Dreissena poly?norpha), the following incident will serve to show how it may easily be accidentally introduced into a locality. Mr. William Herd showed me some shells, which he had found attached to some logs just brought by rail to the Goods Station at Perth. They belonged to this species, and one of them, on being placed in a cup of water, showed signs of life. Now, if these logs — instead of having been placed in the. Goods Station — had been taken to the harbour, and, as might very probably have happened, come in contact with the water, the Dreissena would probably have become naturalized at Perth. Most likely it was in this manner that this mollusc be- came established in the Forth and Clyde Canal, and in other canals. — Ed.] The "Cotton Gall of the Oak."— Mr. W. H. Kidd (of Godalming, Surrey) who has paid much attention to gall insects, had a theory that this was not found north of a line drawn from the Thames to the Severn. I have, however, found it in Perthshire and Inverness-shire, and should like to know where else it occurs in Scotland. The gall cannot be easily mistaken, from its resemblance to a tuft of pure white cotton-wool.— F. Buchanan White. Captures of Lepidoptera at Rannoch.— My brother and I visited this most productive hunting ground again this summer, about the middle of August, and had the pleasure of taking another specimen of Noctua sobrina, together with the following rather local species : -E. blandina ; C. davits; D. obfuscata ; F. pinetaria ; L. olivata ; M. rubiginata, var. plumbata ; C.munitata; C. testata ; C.populata; C. imbittata ; X. rurca, var. combusta; C. graminis ; C. Haworthii ; A. porphyrea ; N, glareosa ; N. co?iJlua ; N. Dahlii ; N. cerasina ( neglecta ) ; O. suspect a ; E. viminalis ; A. occulta ; A. tincla ; H. adusta ; C. solidaginis ; P. interrogation is ; S. ano?nala; S. alpinalis ; C. margaritellus. I may also mention, that from some larvae taken last year, I have reared, amongst other commoner species, one of each of the following : — T. cratcrgi, S. illustraria, and F. conspicuata. — Thomas Hutchinson, Grantfield, Leominster. Crambus myellus in Aberdeenshire.— Of this species I have to re- cord two captures in addition to those already published. Of these one was taken in Glen Muick, in July, 1870, by Mr. Sim, naturalist in Aberdeen ; while the other (verified by Dr. Buchanan White) was taken at Fyvie some years ago, and is now in the University Museum. Both the specimens are somewhat rub- bed, but still distinctly recognizable. In a collection made at Fyvie, besides the above, the most interesting species are the following :— M. Artemis, S.ocellatus 1 1 8 The Scottish Naturalist. (one), S. convolvuli, Chcerocampa celerio (one), Demas coryli (not rare), A. ligustri, A. myricce, N. lutosa, A. pyrophila, T. subsequa, T. orbona, (var. Curtisii), E. lutulenta, A. herbida, A. occulta, H. rectilinea, P. festuccB, S. lunaria, P. pilosaria, D. obfuscata, E. punctaria, E. pendularia, H. auran.- tiaria, L. hexapterata, A. dcrivaia, P. lignata, C. psittacata, C.suffumata, var. and C. obliquaria ; also Stenopteryx hybridalis. Near Aberdeen I last summer took Spilodes sticticalis, and Scopula ferrugalis, but only one specimen of each. All the above are now in the University Museum, and were all undoubtedly taken in Aberdeenshire.— J. W. H. Traill, University, Old Aberdeen. Sphinx convolvuli in Orkney.— I have received information of the cap- ture of Sphinx convolvuli lately at Harray. — Id. Insanity in a Dog.— In a former number of the "Scottish Naturalist" there appeared a request that those who have observed cases of insanity, or mad- ness (as distinguished from rabies) in animals, should put them on record. Such a case came under my own observation some four years ago, and I give accordingly a brief account of it : — Billy, the unfortunate patient, was a favourite terrier dog, of a breed between the " Dandie Dinmont " and Skye Terrier ; he was of very active habits and shewed much affection for all about him ; he was reared by hand from the time he was a few weeks old. When Billy was about fifteen months old we noticed a change in his disposition ; he no longer indicated any desire to ac- company us in our walks, or showed those signs of active pleasure and affection he had been used to display. This increased till he became sullen and morose, and would not even come when called by his name ; and then he used to absent himself from home for a whole day sometimes. The house where he lived was situated at the foot of a hill, in this neighbourhood, and it was discovered that Billy during these absences, used to betake himself to a lonely part of the moor, and there occupy himself with howling in a most persistent and dismal manner. I did not see or hear him myself thus engaged, but have no reason to doubt the accuracy of my informants on this point. Again the illness advanced a stage, and Billy became the victim of a new symptom, — viz., a tendency to turn round in one direction, I think towards the left, but am not sure on this point. This rapidly increased till at last directly he stood up he commenced turning round and round till he was exhausted and lay down again. This turning became so constant that he could not even stand up to eat on account of it, and as he was becoming a wretched object from damage done to himself by knocking against things, I gave orders for him to be destroyed, and this was done the day after I left home for a month. There was accordingly no examination made of his brain ; this is much to be regretted, as it would have no doubt revealed amply sufficient causes for his illness. Some time after being buried he was exhumed, and his skull is now in the museum of Dr. Grierson of Thornhill. It is a well developed skull, and exhibits nothing peculiar. I should think the course of his illness extended over about three months. This case was clearly oneof cerebral disease, accompanied by symptoms quite similar to those which, when occurring in man, are called insanity.— D. Sharp, Thornhill, Sept. 6, 1871. PHYTOLOGY. THE ALTITUDES ATTAINED BY CERTAIN PLANTS. By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. "DOTANY in general, and British botany in particular, owes much to the labours of Mr. Cottrell Watson, whose "Cybe/e" and its "Compendium" are, we imagine, known to, and frequently referred to by, every botanist who is not a mere collector. Not the least interesting part of the ic Cybe/e," es- pecially to the botanist in the Highlands, are the statistics of the vertical range of plants; and the object of the present paper is to call attention to the fact, that certain plants have a higher (or lower) vertical range than is indicated in the "Cybele' or its "Compendium" When we consider, however, the extent of the rocks and corries which, on the hills, are the especial habitats of many plants, and the various circumstances — such as heat and moisture — required for the growth of such plants, it is not sur- prising that some sheltered ledge, concealed perhaps by neigh- bouring rocks, and not very accessible, should have escaped the notice of botanists accumulating statistics on altitude. Such a ledge was shown to me on Lochnagar by Mr. Roy, where, amidst many plants of the rare Mulgedium alpimwi, several species were growing luxuriantly at a far higher altitude than that in- dicated by Mr. Watson. There are some other plants, however, that cannot come under this category, and which either grow in localities readily accessible and easily examined, or which have had their altitudes ascertained and published at a date prior to the publication of the " Competidium? We especially refer to Professor Dickie's "Botanist's Guide," published in i860 — a work which might well be taken as a model for all Local Floras. In several cases Mr. Watson might well have availed himself of Dr. Dickie's observations. 120 The Scottish Naturalist. The origin of the present list was thus. Happening to talk about the altitudes of certain plants with Messrs. Roy and Traill of Aberdeen, we found that each of us knew of some plants with a higher vertical range than is generally supposed. Consequently, we began to take notes in our excursions among the hills, and soon added several more species to the list. In it is included also some altitudes given by Dr. Dickie, and which have not come under our observation ; to these are appended the initials G.D. Plant. Caltha palustris L. Fumaria officinalis L. Nasturtium officinale Br. Brassica sinapistrum Boiss. Cap sella bursa-pastoris D.C. Viola arvensis Murray Lychnis diurna Sibth. Lychnis vsspertina Sibth. Githago segetum L. Stellaria nemorum L. Arenaria trinervis L. Spergula arvensis L. Spergularia rubra St. H. Sclerant/ws animus L. Elatine hexandra D.C. Geranium sanguineum L. Geranium sylvaticum L. Geranium dissectum L. Empetrum nigrum L. Trifolium hybridum L. Trifolium medium L. Astragalus alpinus L. Vicia sylvatica L. Lathy rus macrorhizus Wim. Primus Padns L. jRubus chamcemorus L. Rubus Ld&us L. AJtitude in feet. Locality. Altitude in feet given in Comp. Cybele Britan. 3600 1 1 OO Lochnagar Braemar 3480. 900. I200 G.D. 1 150. I40O Braemar 1200. 145° >> 1200. 145° 35oo 1400 Lochnagar Braemar 1150. 2700. 1150. 1450 2500 Caenlochan 900. 1200. 1200 Braemar 900. 1450 1250 5) 1050. 600. 1200 1627 1200 G.D. 1050. Loch Callater JSZ*. Braemar G.D. 1200? 3200 1250 4100 1450 Lochnagar >> Braemar 2700. G.D. 900. G.D. 4050. 1450 2200 2300 Craigendal Clova 1050. 2400- 2550. I680. 2300 2750 Craigendal Loch Esk 2l6o. IO5O. 3800 2400 Ben na Bhuird 3240. Caenlochan 1 980. The Scottish Naturalist. 121 Plant. Rubus sub erect us And. Fragaria vesca L. Potentilla anserina L. Sibbaldia procumbens L. Alchemilla alpi?ia L. Rosa canina L. Myriophyllum spicatum L. Epilobium angustifolium L. Epilobium montanum L. Satiicula Europcea L. Conopodium denudatum Koch. Meiwi aihamanticum J acq. Angelica sylvestris L. Caucalis anthriscus Huds. Galium saxatile L. Galium mollugo L. Asperula odorata L. Carduus heterophyllus L. Carduus crispus L. Centaurea Cyanus L. Reta sites vulgaris Desf. Matricaria inodora L. Artemisia vulgaris L. Filago minima L. Gnaphalium uliginosum L. Senecio sylvaticus L. Crepis virens L. Mulgedium alpinum Less. Sonchus arvensis L. Pyrola minor S\v. Pyrola media L. Pyrola secunda L. Gentiana nivalis L. Myosotis arvensis Hoffm. Echium v ul gar e L. Lycopsis arvensis L. Plantago lanceolata L. Altitude Altitude in feet in Locality. given 1 in Cornp. feet. Cybele Britan. 1300 G.D. 2500 Glen Callater I950. I 35° Braemar IO50. 4200 Ben Macdhu G.D . 4080. 4170 G.D ,3990. 2300 Craigendal i35°- 1627 Loch Callater 1200. 3200 Loch n agar 2700. 1800 Glass-allt G.D. 1590. 1200 Braemar G.D. 1050. 2400 Caenlochan 1592. 1480 Braemar 1380. 3200 Lochnagar 2700. 145° Braemar i35°- 4000 Ben Macdhu 3S90. 1200 Braemar 1050. 1400 •>•> 1200. 3200 Lochnagar 2160. 1150 Braemar 900. 1386 G.D. 1050. 1250 Ballater G.D. 945- 145° Braemar 1200. 1400 >> 1200. 1000 Inver 75°- IIOO Braemar 900. 1180 G.D. 1050. 1500 Drumochter Pass 1050. 1700 3500 Canness & Lochnagar 2100- 2 700. 145° Braemar 990. 2500 Caenlochan I500. 25OO ?j l800. 2800 Near Lochnagar 2400. 24OO Caenlochan 27CO. 145° Braemar I23O. 1200 G.D. 75°- 1380 Lin Mui G.D. 1050. 2400 Caenlochan 2250. 122 77ie Scottish Naturalist. Plant. Altitude in feet. Altitude in feet Locality. given in Comp. Cybele Britan. Litorella lacusiris L. 25CO Cairn Liath 1650. Veronica hedercefolia L. I2 20 Corgarff G.D. 900. Melampyrum sylvaticum L. 1300 Altguisach G.D, 1050. Euphrasia officinalis L. 3760 Lochnagar 3600. Rhinanthus cristagalli L. 30OO Glen Callater 2 55°- Pedicular is palustris L. 2800 Callater Table-land 1 800. Mentha arvensis L. 145° Braemar 1050. Galeopsis Teirahit L. i45° )> 1200. Latnium amplexicaule L. 1200 >> 600. Ajuga reptans L. 2400 Caenlochan 2190. Utricularia vulgaris L. 1627 Loch Callater 1500. Trientalis Europcea L. 3000 Lochnagar 2790. Polygonum convolvulus L. 1200 Braemar G.D. 1050. Polygonum Persicaria L. 1350 Loch Muick G.D. 1200. Chenopodium album L. 1180 Braemar 900. Euphorbia Helioscopia L. i45° a 1050. Euphorbia Peplus L. 1 100 G.D., 1050. *S# //# pentandria L. 1700 Canness i35o- *S#/w; nigricans Sm. 2900 Glen Callater 2400. •&z//.x arbuscula L. 2550 Little Craigendal 2400. Salix phylicifolia L. 2200 G.D. 2100. »Sa//.£ lanata L. 2900 Above L. Kandor 2700. »S^//x Lapponum L. 3700 Lochnagar G.D. 2700. ,&7//.£ herbacea L. 1660- Bennachie G.D. 1 8 C. 0- 4320. Qiiercus Robur L. 1500 Pannanich G.D. 135°- Malaxis paludosa Svv. 1600 Altguisach G.D. I500. Orchis mascula L. 2500 Caenlochan I500. Habenaria viridis Br. 33oo Lochnagar 2550- Goodyera repcns Br. 1000 Ballochbuie G.D. 600. Juncus castaneus L. 2000- Glen Callater G.D. 2400- 3 0. Juncus trifidus L. 4300 Ben Macdhu 4230. Sparganium natans L. 1627 L. Callater G.D. 1590. Potamogeton lucens L. 1100 River Muick G.D. 600. Potamogeton hcterophyllus Sch. 1627 L. Callater G.D. 900. Tofieldia palustris Huds. 2650 Craigendal 24OO. Eleocharis pauciflora Link. 2600 Glen Callater 2IOO. Schcenus nigricans L. 1600 Glen Callater G.D. IO5O. TJie Scottish Naturalist. 123 Plant. Car ex panicea L. Carey, ampullacea Good. Phkum pratense L. Calamagrostis Epigejos Rot, Air a ceespitosa L. Airaflexuosa L. Air a caryophyllea L. Melica nutans L. Koeleria cristata Pers. Poa pratensis L. Glyceria fluitans Br. Festuca sciuroides Roth. Equisetum pratense Ehr. Equisetmn hyemale L. Altitude in feet. Locality. Altitude in feet given in Comp. Cybele Britan. 3700 G.D. 2280. 30OO Callater Table-land 2700. 1640 Glen Callater 1050. IOOO Ballochbruie G.D. 750? 35°° G.D. 2940. 3760 Lochnagar 3690. 1400 Braemar G.D. 1350. 1600 Glen Callater G.D. 1350. 2000 Khoil G.D. 1350. 2900 Morven G.D. 2250. 2200 Loch Phadrig G.D. 1500. 1250 G.D. 900. 1700 Caenlochan 1200. 1700 Canness 600. SCOTTISH GALLS. By J. W. H. TRAILL, M A. IT AVING paid some attention during the last and present A *■- summers to the galls occurring on plants which have came under my notice, I now give the results as a slight con- tribution to our knowledge of those occurring in Scotland. I have not studied the galls in connection with the insects causing them, but only in connection with the plants on which they occur, so that, so far as the occupants of the galls are con- cerned, I can give only the classes to which they belong. This list is also the poorer that I have not specially looked for galls on plants except in regard to one or two species, but merely taken them while botanising ; still I trust, despite its deficiencies, it may be of some use to those who may be working at the subject, by directing attention to a few plants previously overlooked, as well as being in some cases a guide as to what part of the plant to examine for them. Almost all of them 124 The Scottish Naturalist. were collected by me in Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, espe- cially in the valley of the Dee, from the coast to Braemar ; those on the alpine Salices occurring on the mountains at from 2000 to 3000 feet above the sea. Viola canina L. — On the leaves, the hind margin rolled up, and fleshy, purplish, and smooth; contains one or more dipterous larvae. Lotus corniculatus L. — (a) Galls terminal, seemingly an abortive shoot made of leaves overlapping, green, about }i- inch diameter \ (b) distorted flowerbuds \ they become much enlarged and swollen, and seldom flower, are readily setn, contain usually several small reddish dipterous larvae, and sometimes one seemingly lepidopterous larva ; occur on sandy bents on the links. Vicia sepium L. — Leaflets of terminal leaves are folded face to face (the upper side internal), and become fleshy and hardened, but not discoloured ; each leaflet contains several white dipterous? larvae. One plant at Banchory. Prunus communis Huds. — On leaves, chiefly marginal, pro- jecting most below; form irregular; colour dirty light green; sometimes many on a leaf; common. Prunus Padus L. — On leaves (on upper side), erect, attached to leaf by a slender footsta±k, i-i6th to i-8th-inch in height, by half as much in greatest diameter, colour reddish brown ; common where P. Padus occurs. Spiraea Ulmaria L. — Common on upper surface, red, often numerous on a leaf, small size. Rosa spinosissima L. — Galls usually on the leaves, some- times on the branches, and rarely on the fruit ; form round- ed, oval, or irregular ; leaflet frequently completely changed into a gall, with only a narrow serrated wing round it ; colour reddish, smooth and hard, size variable, }& to J^-inch ; contains one to four or more cells, with one Rhodites larva in each ; they retain their form when dried. Rosa canina L. — (a) Bedeguar gall on branches, long and shaggy, reddish ; scarce; I once found it near Stonehaven ; (b) gall formed of leaflet as in Vicia sepium, each leaflet The Scottish Naturalist. 125 contains one dipterous larva ; (c) gall on leaves, chiefly on the under surface, sessile, but with only a small point of at- tachment to the leaf, hence readily rubbed off, shape of an apple, or slightly irregular and flattened, hard, not yielding to pressure between the fingers, light green, smooth or with small scattered knobs, central cavity small, walls of ir- regular thickness, usually containing several cells, in each of which is one larva ; size of a small pea ; (d) on leaves, chiefly on the upper surface ; sessile round or slightly flattened, yielding to pressure of fingers ; dark green or reddish, usually smooth, sometimes with scattered knobs, central cavity large, walls of uniform thickness, slight; one larva in each. I am not sure as to whether (c) and (d) are distinct or merely modifications of the same gall. The larvae in both seem to be hymenopterous. Pimpinella saxifraga L. — Gall formed of a seed much inflated, usually both seeds of the pair become galls, sometimes only one of them. They are very readily noticeable in the umbels ; are green, rounded, smooth, and about j^-inch in- diameter, walls thin, central cavity large j each contains one deep orange dipterous larva. (To be continued. J FUNGI. HANDBOOK OF BRITISH FUNGI ; BY M. C. COOKE, M.A. London \ Macmillan & Co. LIST OF FUNGI COLLECTED NEAR FORRES ; BY THE REV. JAS. KEITH, M.A. Aberdeen : Printed for the Aberdeen Natural History Society. TTALF a century or so ago, when botanists were less abun- darit, and the ascertained British Flora less extensive, there were perhaps more persons who "went in" for every group, and consequently some of the Floras of the period treated of all orders of plants from Phatierogamia down to the i 2 6 The Scottish Naturalist. Alga and Fungi. Notable among these were Gray's " Natural Arrangement," and Withering's "Arrangement." Since that period, however, the investigation of the lower orders of plants has made such progress, that most botanists are obliged to limit their attention to a single group, or part of a group ; and hence the necessity of such manuals as Mr. Cooke's " Hand- book of British Fungi." Thirty-five years ago the Rev. J. M. Berkeley published, as one of the volumes of the "English Flora," descriptions of all the species of Fungi then known as British, but up to the present time there has been no attempt to publish another Mycological Flora of the British Isles, therefore Mr. Cook ehad no easy task when he undertook the publication of such a work. This involved the preparation and arrangement of descriptions of nearly three thousand plants, the comparison of specimens and figures, and the measurement of spores ; the result is, that we have a volume of nearly iooo pages, con- taining descriptions of 2810 species, and illustrated by upwards of 400 woodcuts and 7 plates. In the arrangement of the Hymenomycetes the author has followed the illustrious, and now venerable, Fries, and Mr. Worthington Smith. To the latter botanist, he acknowledges his indebtedness for the measurements of the spores of the Agaricini, and for the drawing of many of the woodcuts. Mr. Cooke apologises for the absence of an introduction, and for the imperfection of that part of the work relating to the dis- tribution of the species. To supply the place of the former he hopes some day to publish another work. With regard to the indication given of the distribution of the various species in Britain and elsewhere, we think something more might have been done, though this is a matter of but secondary importance. In many cases, too, the season of the year at which the species may be found is not indicated. A mistake (in our opinion) of greater importance is the adoption of subgenera — a mode of division which we neither believe in nor see the advantage of. If the genus Agaricus, for example, containing upwards of 45° British species, is of too unwieldy dimensions, by all means let it be broken up, if characters sufficiently marked to constitute several genera are found : but why call these subgenera ? As far as we can see, the chief result is to replace the binomial The Scottish Naturalist. 127 system of nomenclature founded by Linne, by a trinomial one, and to give the student additional — and to many persons un- intelligible — words to remember. For instance, why should we have the trouble — not to mention the loss of time — of saying " Agaricus (Psathyra) spadiceo-griseus" instead of u Agaricus spa- diceo-griseus" or u Psathyra spadiceo-griseus"} Another pet aver- sion of ours is the manufacture of " English names " for species which have not common names of their own, and in this respect Mr. Cooke sins very deeply. Psallioia campestris — we beg pardon, Agaricus ( Psalliota) campestris — is known throughout Britain as the "Mushroom" ; but who calls the above-mentioned Agaricus (Psathyra) spadiceo-griseus the " Bay-grey Psathyra." We shall, however, be much surprised if the study of Fungi in Britain does not receive a great impulse from the publication of Mr. Cooke's two well-got-up volumes, and the best thanks of the botanical world are due to him for his enterprise in undertaking and publishing such a work The other work whose title appears at the head of this article is one of the meritorious publications of the Aberdeen Natural History Society — an association which generally and sensibly confines its publications to works bearing on the Fauna and Flora of the north-east of Scotland, and is thereby doing good service to science at large. The author, who, we believe, has not been studying Fimgi for any great length of time, but who has been successful in adding several striking species to the British list, enumerates in this pamphlet all the Fungi found by him near Forres, up to the end of 1870. No less than 129 species of Agaricus are included, and other genera of the larger species are well re- presented, but comparatively few of the smaller genera and species are mentioned in the list. We hope that Mr. Keith in- tends publishing a list of the many species he is sure to find when he turns his attention more closely to the Micro-fungi. Among the many interesting species mentioned, we notice Fisiuli?ia hepatica, which we do not remember seeing recorded before as a Scottish species. Mr. Keith marks it as very rare, which as it is a species of high character as an esculent, we hope our fungivorous friends in Forres will bear in mind. j 28 The Scottish Naturalist Cerastium triviale Link., var. alpinum Koch.- -On a visit to little Kil- rannoch (the station for Lychnis alpina) with Mr. Roy last August, we found this variety not very uncommonly. It may be distinguished from the common form by its fewer- flowered panicle, more elongated pedicels, and petals twice the length of the sepals (Grenier & Godron say— Flore de France ; I., p. 271— twice or thrice the length). It has not before, I think, been recorded as British. I may here note that little Kilrannoch is in Forfarshire ; Dr. Hooker in the "Student's Flora'' places it, by some mistake, in Perthshire.— F. Buchanan White. Monstrosity of Scabiosa succisa.— I recently found a plant of this species with double flowers, each stamen being degraded into a petal. This form of S. succisa is not, I believe, very common. Scabiosa succisa affords a good example of protandry. — Id. Local Plant-names. — I read with much interest the notes in your Journal upon Scottish plant-names. Would you allow me a corner in which to say how very glad my friend Mr. Holland (Moberly, Knutsford), and myself would be of any lists, communicated through your pages or otherwise, towards our book on plant-names, especially local ones, which is rapidly progressing. We very much want more Scottish names than we have at present. --James Britten, Royal Herbarium, Kew, July 10th, 1871. VARIOUS NOTES. At the meeting of the British Association, Sir Walter Elliot read an important paper upon the " The advantage of systematic co-operation among Provincial Natural History Societies," pointing out the evils of isolation, and suggesting two modes of remedying the evil, and making available the useful information often brought forward by such societies, and which, being published in the local transactions, was lost to the great body of naturalists. We are now glad to learn that an influential committee has been appointed to consider and report upon the best means of rendering scientific organization more complete and effectual. The committee are also instructed to enquire into the best means of advancing science by means of lectures. These, we presume, are to be given in localities destitute of such advantages as are afforded by the neighbourhood of schools of science— such as university towns ; and we understand that the com- mittee have power to act, with the approval of the Council, during the course of the present year, if judged desirable. The Royal Society of Edinburgh, acting upon a suggestion of Mr. Milne Home, have adopted a "Scheme for the Conservation of Remarkable Boulders in Scotland, and the indications of their positions on Maps." We trust that all who have it in their power will try to assist the Society in this matter. Papers and schedules giving further information may be obtained from the Secretary of the Royal Society, Edinburgh. We may possibly allude to this subject on a future occasion. THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN EDINBURGH.* (By our own Correspondent.) " Nee semper a re urn tendit Apollo." T I 7HILE in Edinburgh, attending the meeting of the "British Association for * » the advancement of Science," in August last, we received an invitation from the Editor of the "Scottish Naturalist" to make some sort of Report for that journal, on the results or proceedings of the said Parliament of Science. In accepting the Editor's invitation to occupy 6 or 8 pages of the "Scottish Naturalist " with such a report, it has appeared to us preferable to give a sum- mary of our own general impressions, rather than to take up the limited and valu- able space offered, by attempting to describe the meeting, or chronicling the papers read — even those relating more or less immediately to Scottish Natural History. The proceedings of the Association — all the general circumstances of its Edinburgh meeting — are already, presumably, well known. Full report i were given at the time in all the Edinburgh newspapers ; and copies of these re- ports are still to be had, in sets of the said papers, of date between the 3rd and nth August, 1871. More accurate revised reports have since appeared m u Nature," the "Athencrum," and various other journals of easy access to the readers of ihe "Scottish Naturalist.'' And still further, reports— in the form of abstracts of the papers read, revised by their authors— will appear in due time in the annual volume of the Association for 1871. The social or popular aspects of the meeting have already formed the theme of comment by the newspaper press in all parts of the kingdom, from the " Times'' down to the humble provincial weekly. In short, all the arrangements of the meeting have been described and criticised in every possible way by all classes of writers, in all kinds of serials, and in all parts of the country ; and it seems, therefore, unnecessary to add to narratives or criticisms of this sort. But we think there is room for a critique by a Working Country Naturalist on the real — as contrasted with the apparent — advantages and disadvantages of such gatherings, as a means of advancing Science. Such a criticism -honestly and fearlessly made — is likely to possess more real interest, if not a more substantial or permanent value, to Scottish natu- ralists in general, than merely ephemeral narratives. We propose, then, to put upon record in these columns certain general personal impressions— regarding the working of the Association, as illustrated by the Edinburgh meeting — from the point of view of a Working Provincial Naturalist, who confesses to sharing in all Carlyle's hatred and horror of every sort of sham or humbug, and of mere talk, as contrasted with work ! Though dealing with the subject, however, from a Naturalist's point of view, it is impossible to separate its social from its scientific aspects : for, as will immediately appear, its social aspects are perhaps the more *Our Correspondent's letter should have appeared in No. IV., but was unavoidably " crushed out."— Ed. 130 The Scottish Naturalist. important of the two, even to the most eminently scientific members of the Association ! We may prefix our observations with this general conclusion, that such con- gresses, as that which now occurs annually under the auspices of the ' ' British Association," possess (1) certain decided advantages : (2) sundry questionable advantages : and (3) a large proportion of very decided disadvantages. It is but fair that we should first set forth what appear to us to be their advantages ; next, it may be well to regard the questionable advantages, which by some may be regarded as ^advantages ; and lastly, as honest critics, we must catalogue what seem to be their disadvantages or defects. I. ADVANTAGES.-!^) Decided. (1) The meetings of the " British Association" afford an admirable opportu- nity of becoming acquainted with the personal appearance, at least, of scientific or other celebrities — foreign as well as British — previously known only by their works or reputation. At the Edinburgh meeting the Country Naturalist had the opportunity of making this sort of acquaintance with Owen, Huxley, Herbert Spencer, Tylor, Bowring, Carpenter, Adams, Andrews, Babington, Bateman, Belcher, Bohn, Crookes, Perkins, Etheridge, Gassiot, Glaisher, Sir Richard Griffith, Hardwicke, Huggins, Gwyn -Jeffreys, Joule, Lankester, Lockyer, Balfour Stewart, Macalister, Markham, Clerk-Maxwell, Pengelly, Richardson, Roscoe, Sclater, Sharpey, Dr. Angus Smith, Dr. Edward Smith, Stenhouse, Stokes, Sylvester, Tristram, Waugh, Williamson, Willis, Davidson, Rae, Bonney, Le Neve Foster, Lord Lindsay, Lowe, Prestwich, Strachey, Vignolles, Godwin-Austen, Cayley, and a host of stars of lesser magnitude : as well as the Abbe - Moigno and Dr. Jansen, of Paiis, Van Beneden of Louvain, and several other distinguished foreigners : not to mention the Emperor of Brazil, and Miss Lydia Becker, both of them attractions in their respective ways : and our own Sir William Thomson, Lyon Playfair, Bain, William Chambers, and other notabilities, representing the science and literature of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, St. Andrews, Perth, and other parts of Scotland. (2) The Association gatherings furnish an admirable rendezvous for the re- union of friends and correspondents from all parts of the country. (3) The reception-room, in particular, is a most convenient place for intro- ductions : and in this and other respects the room in question is the most im- portant feature of the Association's meetings. (4) These meetings are also convenient for the transaction of all sorts of busi- ness — as that between authors and publishers. At such business conferences, not only are authors brought into intimate contact— for the first time, it may be— with their publishers, but with celebrated writers, whose well-known works happen to have emanated from the same firm. Thus we had ourselves the good fortune at Edinburgh to be summoned by the agent of one of the most enterprising pub- lishing firms of the United States, to a business conference with some of the leading savants or philosophers of this country — to wit, Professors Huxley, Bain, and Balfour Stewart, Mr. Herbert Spencer, and Dr. Carpenter. (5) The meetings of the Association afford a pleasant means of seeing most favourably the chief cities of Britain, and the scenery of their vicinity. From this point of view alone, the mere Tourist makes a good investment of the twenty shillings which constitute him or her an Associate for the year, and The Scottish Naturalist. 131 entitle to most of those privileges of the Association that are valued by the public. (6) The rec«ption-room, as well as the sections, public discourses, conversa- zioni, and excursions, constitute an interesting psychological study. The student can compare his ideal with the reality : he has an opportunity of investigating the much-heard of ' ' eccentricities of genius'* : and he may engage himself amu- singly in observations on the "Natural History of Bores," — social as well as scientific — of reformers, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and visionaries of all kinds ! (b) Questionable. (1) The Meetings of the "British Association" are a pleasant— if not profit- able — means of social and scientific dissipation. But the dissipation is so con- tinuous, and so concentrated, that it becomes a positive nuisance — a weariness to the flesh and spirit— to perhaps nine-tenths of those who take a full share in the proceedings — the full value of their ticket. (2) Such meetings constitute, apparently, an attractive means of diffusing scientific information among the general public : less, however, perhaps, by means of the papers read, than by the objects displayed at the sections, exhibi- tions, conversazioni, and excursions. (3) There is a straining after sensationalism or novelty— even in matters of science — which, while it may serve its immediate ad captandum purpose, is apt to overshoot its mark, and bring ridicule both on science and the Association — the cultivators of the one — the members, or attenders, or supporters, of the other. This remark must be held, unfortunately, to apply to the President's suggestion about germ-bearing aerolites— a suggestion which throws no light on "the ori- gin of life," and has been the subject merely of derisive criticism by all sections of the press and public. (4) It is to be hoped that a certain amount of real work is achieved— for instance, by means of the committees appointed by the general council for special investigation. But, on the other hand, it must be borne in mind that all the greatest achievements of science have been the fruits of individual ox personal effort and enterprise— unsolicited, and for the most part unaided. The "British Association " was established "for the advancement of science" : or, more speci- fically, its objects are — (i( "to give a stronger impulse, and a more systematic direction, to scientific inquiry : (2) to promote the intercourse of those who cul- tivate science in different parts of the British Empire with one another, and with foreign philosophers : (3) to obtain more general attention for the objects of science, and the removal of any disadvantages of a public kind which impede its pro- gress." That certain of these objects are fairly attained there can be no doubt, though whether they are so by the best possible machinery is open to question. That all these aims are fully realised can scarcely be asserted : and some of the reasons why may be found in the next and longer category of disadvantages or defects attending the operations of the Association. On the whole, however, the good attained may be sufficient to justify the existence of the Association, and to warrant and repay the patronage or attention that are bestowed upon it. II. DISADVANTAGES. (1) There is a superfluity of mere Talk. There are too many would-be "Admirable Crichtons," who are prepared to talk — and who do not scruple to talk — on any and every subject, social or scientific ! 132 The Scottish Naturalist. (2) People too frequently speak who have no qualifications for public exposi- tion. It matters not, to such an audience, what may be their scientific acquire- ments or literary reputation, if speakers cannot express themselves clearly, fluently, intelligibly. The man or woman who has a weak or disagreeable voice — who cannot command appropriate expressions extempore— ox whose knowledge of English grammar and composition is deficient, should assuredly not venture to speak before the " British Association." From this point of view, the oratory of our University Professors was not distinguished. By far the best speeches we heard were the impromptu utterances of two mere visitors — so-called "practical" men— the one a London watchmaker— the other a Leeds engineer ! (3) There is a strong tendency to the dissipation of time by the making of pre- pared speeches on the subject of a paper, instead of a mere criticism on the paper itself. (4) There is a wonderful tendency on the part of people accustomed to dogma- tise, either from the Pulpit, the Bar, or the Teacher's Rostrum, to criticise sub- jects they do not understand ! (5) Many of the speakers have really nothing to say— to the point, or of tne slightest real value : they ca?i throw no light on a given subject, and they do not. " Parturiunt Monies : nascitur ridiculut Mus ! " (6) The meetings are beset by bores : more usually, however, of the social science, than of the pure science, type— though not the less troublesome on that account. (7) Objectionable personalities are apt to be introduced into discussion here as elsewhere. (8) The excessive length of the public addresses was a subject of universal and deserved complaint. This remark applies to all the three public lectures : but more especially, it was said, to Professor Abel's, which lasted more than two hours. (9) The papers read at the sections are also, as a rule, much too long, even were they of general interest, which usually they are not. They should not occupy more than ten minutes or a quarter of an hour in delivery : and due time should be allowed for discussion or remark on each. (10) The character of the papers, moreover, is not adapted for such an audi- ence, which consists mainly of the general public, including a large proportion of ladies. No less than 754 ladies' tickets were taken out at the Edinburgh meeting. And this does not represent one-half of the ladies who attended the meetings, or the gaieties connected with them : for ladies' tickets are transfer- able, so that half-a-dozen ladies or more were admissible, on different occasions, with the same ticket. The meetings .are, moreoyer, sedulously attended by reporters for the Press, who are ready to make capital— pro bono publico through- out the land— of everything that is said or done — that is seen or heard of— at so pretentious an assembly. The papers selected should therefore possess, as far as possible, a general interest. People go expecting and desiring to hear " The grand debate, The popular harangue, the tart reply," rather than mere dry scientific facts, (n) Much trash is presented in the form of papers read to sections : unsup- The Scottish Naturalist. 133 ported assertions — untenable theories— the appearance of which at such a time and place can only be explained on the supposition that nothing better is to be had ! (12) Others of the papers submitted are second-hand. They have already — perhaps repeatedly — been presented to the public in some other form, or guise. The announcement for the first time of any really new and important discovery or fact must be so rare— if it has ever occurred at all — as to be practically un- known. (13) Not a few of the papers -excellent though were their subjects, and the treatment thereof — were adapted rather for the Social Science Congress at its Leeds meeting. They were, however- and improperly, as I think — admitted into Section F. [Economic Science and Statistics] : a section which ought to be handed over bodily to the sister "National Association for the promotion of Social Science." (14) The same author frequently reads several papers. We have known as many as eight papers submitted by one author at a single meeting {e.g., that of Dundee, in 1867,) to different sections ; of which papers, abstracts were pub- lished in the Association's Transactions for that year. At the Edinburgh meet- ing there were five authors each of whom read four papers : four who read three : and twenty-two who read two each. (15) There appears, to be too great laxity on the part of the sectional councils in the admission of papers : as well as an unfortunate selection, fre- quently, both of the papers and their readers— having regard on the one hand to the nature of the audiences, and on the other to the length of time at disposal. (16) Insufficient, inconvenient, or unsuitable accommodation for hearing the lectures and papers frequently renders pleasant or profitable listening impossible. Not only so, but any persevering attempt thereat speedily becomes physically exhausting, and finally intolerable. (17) There is an excess of conviviality and gaiety. Three public evening Lec- tures in the Music Hall — the audience being all in full dress : two evening Con- versazioni—also in full dress : two days of Excursions : a Private Ball : the Theatres every night : two Organ Recitals by day : the Scott Centenary Ban- quet and Exhibition— furnished too much excitement to be crowded beneficially into the short space of a week or ten days. But, besides these public recreations, there were endless private Hospitalities— whatever the "Times " may have said to the contrary— several of the University Professors and other private citizens keeping open house throughout the meeting : so that the country Naturalist had to encounter daily invitations to Breakfast and Dinner. (iS) The arrangements for social enjoyment were not, at Edinburgh, uniformly successful, by reason chiefly of the want of proportion between the number of ticket-holders and the provision made for them. Thus at the University Con- versazione, three thousand persons were packed in a Library Hall capable of comfortably accommodating only three hundred : the result whereof was a cram and stew — a struggle, of the most undignified kind, for hats, cloaks, and refresh- ments ; while the music was so placed that it could only be heard by those who ventured forth bareheaded from the conversazione hall to the open quadrangle of the College ! Again, at the Melrose excursion, where there were 300 ticket-holders, the accomodation provided was barely fitted for fifty persons, and the result was 134 The Scottish Naturalist. an amount and kind of discontent that threatened to give itself a very public de- gree or form of expression ! (19) The season of the year usually selected for the meetings of the Associa- tion, while highly suitable for the excursions that form so pleasant a feature in its proceedings, is most //^suitable for lengthened indoor discourses. At Edin- burgh the heat was frequently quite stifling and intolerable, rendering patient or persevering listening utterly out of the question. (20) Many of our leading Naturalists, though they attend the meetings of the " British Association," do not read papers, and take no active part in its pro- ceedings. On the other hand, it is an obvious punishment to them to subject themselves to the heat and crowding of the sectional rooms, and to the nuisance of listening to " twice-told tales," or to manifest nonsense ! (21) Many of our leading Naturalists do not attend such meetings at all, re- garding them as mere exhibitions of talk and sham— of egotism, superficiality, and dissipation ! (22) Some Naturalists, who are not in the habit of attending the Association's meetings, do not send papers, because (1) of the trouble involved in furnish- ing abstracts to reporters for scientific and other serials, and for the general press, as well as to the editor of the official report of its proceedings : (2) of the comparatively limited circulation of the annual volume which contains these proceedings : and (3) of the conviction that such an audience and such a volume are not those most fitting for the reception or record of abstruse or purely tech- nical papers. (23) The Association is too peripatetic. It leaves behind it no permanent effect in the locality it visits : whereas it might develope local affiliated associa- tions capable of collecting much valuable information regarding the flora and fauna, geology and archaeology, trades or industries, history or traditions, of each city and district visited. (24) The Association is too much in loco pauperis : too much dependent on the subscriptions wrung — frequently most unwillingly— from the wealthy inhabi- tants of this city or that. The result of summing up and balancing the disadvantages against the advan- tages of the present mode of conducting the operations of the " British Associa- tion"— as illustrated by the Edinburgh meeting— is the conviction that such an organization — "for the promotion of Science'' by its popularisation — is in thorough accordance with the spirit of the age : but that the details of its operations are capable of great improvement. In particular, there is much which is at present objectionable, that may gradually, with care, be eliminated : while there are cer- tain advantageous features that might — and in course of time probably will — be added. As at present constituted, the ''British Association" must be regarded as mainly an increasingly fashionable means of social and scientific dissipation or recreation. It has only a quasi-scientific character, and its very existence depends on popular, not on scientific, support. The real scientific work done is very small ; and it could be done more efficiently in a much quieter, less ex- pensive, and less ostentatious way. ZOOLOGY, THE BRITISH SPECIES OF CRAMBUS. BY F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. '~PHE group of small moths comprising the genus Crambus * has not that amount of attention, that it deserves, paid to it by young British collectors, owing I believe in great measure to the difficulty beginners find in determining their specimens. I have taken an opportunity, therefore, of essaying to lighten these difficulties, and to direct more attention to this interesting genus, the life-histories of most of the species of which have still to be worked out. In the preparation of this paper I have consulted the works of Zeller ( Chilonidarum ct Crambidarum genera et species), whose arrangement 1 have adopted ; Stainton (Manual of British Butterflies and Moths, vol. II.) ; Herrich-ScharTer {Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa, vol. IV.); and Staudinger (Catalog der Lepidopteren des Europceischen Faun- engebieis); besides examining recent specimens of all the British species (with one exception). It was at first my intention to have described the Scottish species only, but as several of the other British species will probably be detected in Scotland, I have included all as yet found in Britain. In addition I have given short descriptions of a few European species that may perhaps occur in Scotland. Of the ninety-one species included in the European Fauna, only twenty- six have yet been found in Britain. All reference to the earlier stages of the species has been purposely omitted, for the reason that as yet very little is known. It is to be hoped, however, that the energy of British observers will not allow this long to remain the case. The larvae, (which 136 The Scottish Naturalist. have sixteen legs, and are of dull colour, with the usual spots conspicuous,) of some species, at least, feed on moss, within silken galleries. Among these axefalsellus (which I have reared from larvae feeding on various species of moss growing on walls and rocks), and hortuellus (Treitschke ; Die Schmetterlinge von Eurofia, IX. i. 84). The larvae of fascelinellus feed on the sea-wheat grass (Triticum junceum), spinning silken galleries about the roots of the plants (see notes by C. G. Barrett in Entomologist' 's Monthly Magazine, VI. 144 \ and by W. Buckler, in the same journal, VII. 160). I have seen the eggs of several species. That of pinellus is oblong-oval, with about twelve sharp somewhat distant longi- tudinal ribs, connected by finer and closer ridges; it is whitish in colour. The egg of margaritellus is greenish-yellow, oblong, and slightly oval, rounded at each end, and one end slightly smaller ; the surface is shining, and covered with slight oval depressions placed side by side — not end to end — and arranged in wavy longitudinal lines. The egg of pratellus is oval, more pointed at one end, pale yellow, and ornamented with slight longitudinal ridges connected by slight cross-bars. The eggs of all the species I have seen were not fastened to any object. Some contractions and terms nsed in this paper require explanation. F.-w. =front wing. H.-"vv.=hind wing. Costa=the front margin of the wing. Cilia=the fringes. Central line=a transverse line crossing the wing abont the middle. Hind line=a transverse line crossing the wing near the hind-margin. In some species both these lines are present ; often, only the hind line ; in a few species, neither. Z,.=a line (the twelfth of an inch). The size (from tip of one wing to tip of the other) of each species is given in lines. CRAMBUS Fab. Head with two ocelli. Tongue long. Labial palpi long, porrected, forming a long beak, partially covered by the maxil- lary palpi. Antennae usually simple. Front wing oblong, central cell reaching to the middle, and twelve veins run- ning to the margins ; the 8th vein (counting from the inner margin) springs from the 7th, and the 9th from the 8th ; hind- margin generally blunt, tip somtimes produced. Hind wings broad, the 7th vein springing from the apex of the anterior part of the central cell, and the 8th from the 7th. Front wings with no stigmata, but often with a pale central longitudinal streak, and with two transverse lines (one or both of which are some- The Scottish Naturalist. 137 times obsolete or absent). The wings are folded round the body when the insect is at rest. A. — Argyroteuchia H.— Tip of front wing produced. Apical cilia paler than the wing, and bordered inwardly by a distinct dark line. Cilia either altogether metallic, or with, a shining part beloio the middle of the hind-margin, which is there rounded, and marked with {generally conspicuous) marginal spots. The hind line, angulated or interrupted above* and usually shining or silvery, and margined with darker, starts obliquely from the casta. Most of the species are adorned with pearly-white or white longitudinal streaks. a J The dark apical marginal line double. Cilia below middle of hind-margin shining. Bind line angulated on the fold. The cen- tral line divides the wing in the middle. ALPINELLTTS H.-F.-w. (with tip very much produced) ashy- brown, with a central longitudinal white streak, extending from the base to the hind-margin and continued in the cilia. The central line, brown, angulated very acutely above and more slightly on the fold, intersects the white streak. The hind line, dull whitish margined inwardly with brown, angulated very acutely above and more slightly on the fold, touches the hind- margin, and is interrupted there. Cilia metallic below the mid- dle. H.-w. grey. 8-9 L. July, .August. Taken by Mr. Moncreaff, (to whom I am indebted for speci- mens), near Southsea. It occurs in sandy grassy places (especially in fir- woods) in France (S.W.), Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, and Livonia. It is not a mountain species, as the name would imply. CEKTTSELliUS Schiff. s. V.-F.-w. (with tip only slightly pro- duced) brown in the male, greyish-white dusted with brown in the female. The two lines (grey margined with yellowish- brown in the male, white margined with yellowish-ochreous in the female), acutely angulated above, and the hind one also, but more slightly, on the fold. Cilia metallic. H.-w. greyish- brown. 6-6^2 L. June. Central and Southern Europe. In Britain as far north as Lancashire. bj Apical marginal line simple, margined outwardly with white. Cilia metallic. Hind-margin with dark spots below the middle. Bind line silvery, angulated above. Central streak pearly-ichite or white. Central line obsolete. 1. Central streak entire. The sj)ace between it and the casta, of the ground colour. * "Above" means at the upper part of the line, i.e., nearer to the costa than to the inner-margin. 138 The Scottish Naturalist. HAMELLUS Thnb— F.-w. (with tip slightly produced) slightly glossy, greyish-brown. Central white streak broad, acuminated at the apex, but not reaching the hind line, and with a tooth below in the middle. Hind line dull silvery, edged inwardly with brown ; between it and the tip of the wing is a triangular white spot. Marginal spots somewhat elongated. H.-w. grey. 11 Z. July. In Europe as far north as Sweden and Finland ; in Britain as far as Lancashire. PASCTJELLTTS L.— Palpi above, and centre of head and thorax, white. F.-w. glossy, brownish-ochreous, white on the inner-margin. Central streak broad, pearly-white, situated near the costa (especially at the base), acuminated, not toothed ; be- tween it and the hind line is a white spot. Hind line silvery, edged with brown ; before it, on the costa, is a white spot, and between it and the tip of the wing another white spot. Mar- ginal spots somewhat elongated. H.-w. greyish-white, darker towards the apex. 10^-11^2 L- June, July. North and Temperate Europe. In Britain as far north as In- verness-shire ; rather local in Scotland, frequenting damp meadows and moors. Zeller mentions a variety from Saxony and Brunswick, which has the palpi, head, thorax, and anterior wings yellowish-brown, the central streak and spots concolorous, and hind wings grey. [Extinctellus Z. Can aberration of pascuellus, according to Staudinger), is greyish-golden, costa grey, white streak obsolete, and the white spot before the silvery hind line (which is obsolete_) not conspicuous ; hind wings grey. It occurs in Iceland.] SILVELLUS Hb., adipellus Tr. — F.-w. (with tip scarcely pro- duced) glossy, ochreous-brown, paler on the inner-margin. Central streak broad, pearly-white, distant from the costa, rather blunt at the apex, and not toothed ; from its apex a white spot runs to the hind-margin. Hind line dull silvery, margined with yellowish-brown. H.-w. pale grey. 11Z. June. Central and Northern Europe. Local in Britain, occurring only in the south of England and Ireland. ERICELLUS H.— Palpi brown. F.-w. (with tip obsoletely produced) glossy, yellowish-fuscous, paler on the inner-mar- gin. Central streak pearly-white, narrow, distant from the costa, acute at the apex, not toothed ; between it and the hind line is an oblong white spot. Hind line dull silvery ; between The Scottish Naturalist. 139 it and the tip of the wing is a white spot. Marginal spots margined inwardly with white. H.-w. dark grey. 10- 11 L. July. Central and Northern Europe. Local in Britain, having only been found as yet in Perthshire (Rannoch), Inverness-shire (Spean Bridge), and Sutherlandshire (Inveran and Inver). On moors. [Herhujldlus H.S. is another northern species, and might occur. It is dark fuscous-brown, with a short bifid white streak, and a white spot between the streak and the hind line, but not near either. AUenellus Zk, also a northern species, is dark brown, with a toothed central white streak, a white spot before the hind line, and a series of short parallel white lines under the spot.] Note.— The above four species bear a strong resemblance to each other, but may be easily distinguished : — hamelhisby the single central white streak toothed below ; pascaeUns by the colon?* of the head and thorax, and by the central white streak near the costa, as well as by the evidently produced tip of the front wing ; silvellus by the white spot at the end of the white streak being continued up to the hind-margin ; and ericellus by the narrow central white streak. 2. Central streak longitudinally fissured, or with a nar- rower white streak betiveen it and the costa. tjTjIGINOSELLTJS z— Palpi above, and head and thorax in the centre whitish. F.-w. (with tip very slightly produced) glossy, pale brownish-ochreous, inner-margin narrowly white. Central streak white, close to the costa at its basal half, fissured below by the sub-costal vein, the lower branch toothed below in the middle, and continued nearly to the hind line, its apex acuminated ; an oblong white spot between the central streak and the hind line, which is silvery. H.-w. whitish, grey along the costa. An aberration of the male has the central streak smoky. 8-10 L. End of June. Occurs in Silesia and Piedmont. Local in Britain, and only in the south, PRATELLTJS L.-F.-w. (with tip produced) greyish-brown, (paler in the female); a sub-costal line, a narrow central streak toothed below beyond the middle, and a wedge-shaped spot be- tween their extremities, white ; an oblong white spot before the silvery hind line. H -w. grey. Sometimes the sub-costal line and wedge-shaped spot are concealed by fuscous. 9-10 L. May-August. 'Central and Northern Europe. The commonest species in Britain, occurring probably throughout. dumetellus H— F.-w. (with tip produced) brownish or greyish ochreous : a short subcostal line, a sharp-pointed central 140 The Scottish Naturalist. streak acutely toothed below beyond the middle, and an oblong white spot at its extremity, pearly-white. Hind line silvery. H.-w. grey. 9^-10^ Z. June, July. Central and Northern Europe. Somewhat local in Britain. In Scotland it has been noticed at Musselburgh, Itannoch, Strathglass, and Braemar. Note. — These three species are very like, but may be distinguished : — uligino- stilus, by the fissured central streak and^«/e hind-wiugs ; pratellus by the dull white and narrow sub-costal and central streaks ; and dumetellus by its rather longer wings, short sub-costal streak, and shining white and broader central streak. B. — F.-w. not emarginate, obtuse, often roith the veins con- spicuous. Cilia metallic. No central streak. Hind line slightly arched. a) Chrysoteucnia H.— F.-w. veins more or less conspi- cuous. Hind-margin yelloicish, with black spots. HORTTJELLUS H.— F.-w. ochreous, lined with fuscous be- tween the veins. Hind line obtusely angulated, silvery blue margined with yellowish brown. A short silvery blue line before the tip. Cilia shining metallic. The brown angulated central line (not mentioned by Zeller or Herrich-Shaffer) is often pre- sent. 10-ioJ^ Z. a. Var. cespitelhis H. — F.-w. ochreous, not fuscous, between the veins. b. Ab. fuscescentdlus. — F.-w. altogether fuscous. June, July. Central and Northern Europe. Common throughout Britain. a. Switzerland, &c. b. " More frequent in England, '' — Zeller. In many Scottish examples the hind and apical lines are pale silvery, and the marginal spots faintly brown. b) Thysanota H — F.-w. veins more or less conspicuous. Both lines present. Hind-margin scarcely punctured. CRATERELLUS Sc. (1763); rorella L. (1767). — Head ferru- ginous j palpi very long. F.-w. broad, yellowish-white, lined with brown between the veins. Lines brown, the hind one margined with whitish. A small brown double line below the tip. Cilia shining metallic. 9^-10 L. Var. Cassentiniellus Z. — Palpi longer. F.-w. Central line thick- ened. Apical line single. Eight brown streaks between the hind line and hind-margin (in craterellus there are said to be nine). 10-11 Z. The Scottish Naturalist. 141 June. Central and Southern Europe. The var., Southern Europe. In Britain both are very rare, and have occurred only in the south. I have not seen British examples. By some authors Cassentiniellus is considered distinct : I follow Staudinger in uniting it to crater ellus. CHEYSOWUCHELLUS Sc— Head ferruginous, palpi long. F.-w. whitish-ochreous brown, with fuscous scales between the veins. Lines brown ; central one broad, hind one margined outwardly with white ; between it and the tip is a fine brown line. 10- 1 1 L. May, June. Central Europe. Local in Britain, occurring as far north as Worcestershire. C. —F.-w. not emarginate nor obtuse. Tip often acum- inated. Cilia variegated, rarely metallic. a J Cilia tesselated with whitish lines or spots. 1. — The two lines obscure; the central widely diffuse, the hind serrated and outwardly margined with whitish. The spaces between them and the bases paler or whitish. [These two northern species might occur :— Truncatellus TAX., which is grey, cinnamon-coloured along the costa, and ochreous on the inner-margin ; lines brown, the central thickened in the middle, the hind slender, sinuate-dentate, and margined with white. Cilia shining grey, rarely with white streaks. Maculalis TAX., (alpine as well as northern), is blackish-fuscous, with a narrow white streak before, and a broader one in, the middle ; the last streak is widened into a spot beyond the middle. The hind line is serrate and sinuate above, and the cilia have white streaks in them.] 2. .-1 central white streak in most of the species. White spots, margined with fuscous, before the hind line. FALSELLTTS S.V — F.-w. whitish and ochreous, streaked with fuscous ; a narrow white streak from the base scarcely reaches beyond the middle, and is toothed below; from its ex- tremity springs two fuscous streaks. An oblique white spot precedes the angulated fuscous hind line, which is double, and is indented near the inner-margin. Cilia shining grey, with a few white streaks. H.-w. grey. 9-10 L. July, August. Central Europe. Not uncommon in England ; more local or less observed in Scotland (Edinburgh, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire). (To be continued. J 142 The Scottish Naturalist. ON THE CACHALOT OR SPERM WHALE (PHYSETER MACRO- CEPHALUS) OF THE NORTH EAST OF SCOTLAND. BY ROBERT WALKER, F.G.S.E. IV T UMEROUS and conflicting as have been, and to some ^ ^ extent still are, the opinions held by Naturalists as to the number and proper arrangement of the different genera and species of whales, none perhaps have caused more discussion, and lead to greater diversity of opinions, in this department of natural science, than the Sperm Whales described by Sir R. Sibbald in his " Phalainologia Nova." The first of these is his Balcena macrocephala, quce binas tantum pinnas laterales habet. This was the Sperm Whale as understood by him, of which he gives a notice in one of the chapters of his work. The next is Balcena macrocephala, quce. tertiam i?i dorso pinnam sive spina??i habet et denies hi maxilla infa-iore arcuatos falciformes. He gives a somewhat long description of a male of this kind that stranded at Limekilns, in the Forth, in February 1698. It was 52 feet long. The lower jaw contained 21 teeth in each side ; the upper had no teeth, but had cartilage pits into which the teeth of the lower jaw were received when the mouth was shut. This specimen it will be observed, he says, had a dorsal fin. The next is a Balcena macrocephala tripinnis, quce in mandibula inferiore denies habet minus inflexos et in planum desinentes. This specimen was thrown ashore in Orkney, in 1687, and had, he was told, a dorsal fin resembling a mizen-mast. Although Sib- bald describes both these whales, it does not appear that he saw either of them himself, or indeed anything pertaining to them, excepting some of their teeth, and a part of the eye of the Forth animal, which were sent to him. He figures two of these teeth, and they certainly look exceedingly like those of the common Cachalot. The sharp tooth of the Limekilns animal representing the young form, the Orkney tooth, the old and worn condition. The Limekilns whale, when stranded, struggled so much in its efforts to escape, that it partly buried itself in the sand, and Sibbald was told that its true dimensions could not be taken. A figure of it, however, was brought to him, as sketched on the The Scottish Naturalist. 143 spot where it lay ; and he states that he caused (I suppose with the assistance of this figure) one to be drawn according to the proportions stated to him by the chief cutter up, and engraved. Sibbald thought the figure brought to him resembled the figure of a Sperm whale in the forty-second plate of Johnstone's Historia Naturalis. I have not seen Johnstone's figure, but Brandt and Ratzeburg* give a copy from Johnstone of the figure I presume that Sibbald refers to. This shows the animal laid on its back, and does not exhibit the high truncated head of the Cachalot. One can easily see that Sibbald, in attempting to construct the figure of the whale in this way, was placing himself entirely at the discretion of his informant, who had been in Greenland, and who, with the best intentions, might almost unconsciously impart more or less his previous ideas of the form of the Baleen whales, to the animal, partly buried in the mud, he was trying to describe : and Sibbald, apparently knowing nothing whatever of the shape of the Sperm whale, was completely at this man's mercy. At any rate they managed between them to make the figure of a Whale, with the lower jaw and teeth of a Cachalot, which on the whole, barring the lower jaw, does not differ much from the shape of the Balcena as given by Sibbald. What adds to the likeness, he placed the blow-hole on the front of the head, possible because Clusiust had previously done so in his Sperm whales. From the account Sibbald received of these two whales, he believed them to be specifically distinct from the common Sperm whale, mainly, it would seem, because he was told that each had a fin on its back ; his informant comparing the fin on the Orkney animal to the mizen-mast of a ship. He was not aware — indeed it was not known in his day — that the Sperm whale had a hump on its back exactly, or nearly so, where he places the dorsal fin on his whale. Had Sibbald known that the Cachalot had such a hump, it is more than likely that he would have at once suspected that this protuberance had been mistaken for a dorsal fin by his informants. Clusius' description, however, of the Cachalots stranded in Holland, in 1598 and 1 60 1, contained no notice of either a hump or dorsal fin, neither had any other author recorded the fact, previous to Sibbald's time, so far as I can learn. Indeed, this structure seems to * Medizinische Zoologia. + Exoticorum. 144 The Scottish Naturalist. have been first pointed out, as given in Cuvier,* by Theodore Hasaeus, Theologian of Bremen, in a dissertation on the levia- than of Job, and the whale of Jonah, 1723. The specimen he describes had 52 pointed teeth in the lower jaw, " avec une bosse sur le dos et une autre pres de la queue, qui ressemblait a une nageoire." Sibbald also thought that the sharp teeth of his young animal, and the worn teeth of the old, were of suffi- cient importance to separate these whales specifically. Besides these, he notices a shoal of small whales, 102 in num- ber, that were met with in Orkney, varying in size from 12 to 24 feet, with teeth only in the lower jaw. Sibbald had afterwards, at least more than one opportunity of personally examining ex- amples of the Sperm Whale, whether he did so or not is per- haps doubtful. The first of these occurred when another Cachalot stranded at Cramond, in 1701. An account of this animal is preserved in an original copy of " Phalainologia" in the library of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh. It is a copy of part of a letter from Mr. James Paterson, keeper of the Balfourean Museum, Edinburgh, to Mr. E. Lhwyd, keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, dated Edinburgh, 22nd July, 1701, and is as follows. "There was lately a pretty big whale came in at Cramond. It had no whale-bone, and teeth only in the lower jaw, which (according to Sir R., i.e., Sir Robt. Sibbald) is the characteristic of the kind which has the sperma- ceti. You have the figure in Johnston, Tab. 42 of his fishes. Diverse of our Physicians were present at the opening of the head, where they got two barrels of spermaceti. This filled up the whole cranium ; they could find no other thing they could call the brain, if it were not a friable cineritious-like substance, which seemed very improbable. They found the sperm not only in the head and spina-dorsa, but (what perhaps has not been hitherto observed) dispersed through the whole body, in the glands, whence they prest it out in considerable quantities. The Chyrurgions spoke of buying the skeleton ; but I do not know how it came about, the owners disposed of all another way, so that neither they nor we got anything of it. Dr. S. got a tooth. He has made a description of it, and says he has materials for a second part of his " Phalainologia." Our whale was a male ; * Ossemens Fossiles. TLATE F. iBalaena femmaL.pinms et canda sinnatis. ZJalana Macrocephak in faciem obversa,ut dorsum app:^eat. 3,Eademinlatus decumbeus. i.Pedicolus Ceti Bocconi. 5 and 6. Vertebra fig. 1 2. 3. and 4 are from an old engraving. Fig. 5 and 6. from drawings Jb/ M 1 Walker. The Scottish Naturalist. 145 the penis appeared near 7 feet when out of the body. The whole length of the creature was near 52 feet, and the circum- ference of the biggest part of it about 30 feet. The nether jaw was only 3^ feet about, and had 48 teeth in it ; the upper jaw had sockets lined with cartilage to receive them." The same book contains an original plate of figures of whales, with the following description : " This plate I found in a book of original drawings of Sir Robert Sibbald's, which I met with accidentally some years ago. All the explanation I could make out was as follows — Fig. 1, the original drawing is marked in Sir Robert's own hand, A whale cast in at Rosyth Castle. Figs. 2 and 3, marked in Sir Robert's hand, A Spermaceti whale ; and in ano- ther hand, Whale at Monyfeeth, Feb. 23, 1763. Side, fig. 3, but it did lay half upon its side, that one eye and a little of the belly was sanded; 57 feet long, and 56(36/) round; both under and all the skin blackish-blue, very smooth, and as thick as a bull's, and all white fat within and next the skin. Back fig. 2, to represent the tail. Fig. 6, the Pcdiculus Ccii of Boc- cone, — Rcchcrches d Observations Naturellcs, pp. 293 and 287. See Sir Robert Sibbald's description of it, Phil. Transact. No. 308." " Penes, E. W." The first of these figures (Plate II. fig. 1.) is far from being a good representation of the Cachalot. It has, moreover, a good deal of the look about it, of having been drawn, not from the animal itself, but from a description given to Sibbald by some person who recollected seeing it. It is however, unmistakeably intended to represent the Sperm Whale. There is a waved like appearance in front of, and proceeding from, the mouth, as if meant to show the animal breathing by that orifice. We know that Sibbald * believed that some of the Bahenidce " with horny plates in the upper jaw, had no spout in their head, but two nostrils like these of a horse." One of this kind he says strand- ed near Burntisland. It does not clearly appear that Sibbald recognized the Cramond animal, or the one figured on his plate, to be ordinary Sperm whales, as well as the other (Plate II., fig. 2 &-3,) which he designates correctly enough, although the shape of the head in this is not very well represented. Perhaps this may have been because of the two figures, this one * Hist, of Fife. 146 The Scottish JVatura/ist. came nearest, in this respect, that of his Limekilns Cetacean. However this may be, in his History of Fife after noticing the Sperm whales he goes on to state that " There is another sort of them, which I take to be the Orca very Plinii, it hath big teeth in the lower jaw, and small teeth in the interstices betwixt the cases, which receive into them the great teeth of the lower jaw. One of these stranded above Cramond-Inch. It was but fifty and some odd feet long ; I take it to have been a young one. Both these mentioned had spouts in their fore- heads, by which they threw up w r ater," &c. This is beyond doubt the description of a Cachalot, if not the identical individual at Cramond already noticed, and if Sibbald had examined these whales himself he must have observed that the spouts were not on the forehead, but on the anterior edge of the truncated snout. The Orca of Pliny is the Orca of the present day, although in justice to Sibbald, it may be stated that Cinder thought that the Orca taken in the port of Ostia, and which Claudius attack- ed, was a Cachalot. It is now known that the Cachalot does not pursue and kill either Whales or Seals, and that it would not be attracted by hides, its food being almost confined to cephalopods. I do not mean in this, to underrate in the least the attainments and labours of Sibbald in this difficult depart- ment of Zoology. He was one of the pioneers of science, and did good work in his day. ' Had his descriptions been taken for what they were worth, and estimated according to the know- ledge of the subject that existed, in the age in which they were written, bearing in mind, at the same time, the source from which he received his information, there would, perhaps, have been fewer discrepancies in zoological literature. As it was, however, all the whales he described, "whose great heads always contain spermaceti," were admitted into the Linnean system as distinct species by Artead, to whom Linnaeus entrusted the arrangement of the cetaceans and fishes. Artead divided the whales of this kind into two genera, Physeter and Cotodon, the former embracing those of Sibbald, with dorsal fins, the latter the finless kinds. Linnaeus changed this arrangement afterwards, and united these two genera into one, under the name Physeter. They then stood thus : — P. cotodon, containing Sibbald's 102 small Orkney whales; P. macrocephalus, the true Sperm whale as then understood ; P. microps, Sibbald's Limekilns animal ; The Scottish Naturalist. 147 P. tursio, Sibbald's old Orkney whale with the worn teeth. This somewhat unfortunate arrangement must have placed in- numerable difficulties in the way of Zoologists, who — as was long the custom — always attempted to identify the Cetaceans they met with, with one or other of those described in the Linnean system. Indeed it is not perhaps too much to say, that no satisfactory evidence exists to prove that any specimen of P. microps, or P. tursio, have been met with since the days of Sibbald. And as Artead describes P. macrocephalus, "Ph. dor so impenni, fistula in cervice" it need scarcely be stated that no Sperm whale has yet turned up, nor is, from the co-relation of parts, ever likely to do, with the blow-hole in the neck. This mistake, however, Clusius seems to be at least as much respon- sible for as Sibbald. Bayer* figures a whale stranded at Nice in 1736, which Dr. Gray believes to be a representation of P. tursio. Cuvier,t on the other hand considered it only a bad figure of a Cachalot. Dr. Gray has still sufficient confidence in Sibbald to retain P. tursio, as a species, in his excellent Cata- logue of Seals and Whales. Amongst other British Naturalists, Pennant, 1 Shaw, 2 Jenyns,3 Bell, 4 and others, called P. tursio the High-finned Cachalot. Fleming adopted all the Linnean whales of this kind, and calls P. microps the Spermaceti whale. None of these authors thought it necessary to increase the number of species of Sperm whales. On the continent, they were increased at a rather rapid rate. Bonnaterre,5 following Linnaeus, increased the number of species to six, Lacepe'de,^ came after, and made eight of them, Desmarest made another addition, and so on, until Cuvier>" took up the matter, and after a critical examination of all the evidence re- lating to the subject he could obtain, he stated that there was only one species of Cachalot, and in this, of course, he included the large Sperm whales of Sibbald, whom he blames for having described the Cachalot twice. Eschricht 8 likewise states that Sibbald's Limekilns, and Orkney whale "with the high dorsal fin," were nothing else than a young and an old specimen of the common Cachalot ; and that the best evidence of their being *Act. Nat. Cur. , 1733. + Hist. Nat. des Cdtaces. 1 Brit. Zoology. 2 General Zoology. 3 Brit. Vert. Animals. 4 Brit. Quadru- peds. 5 Cetaces. 6 Cetaces. 7 Oss. Fossiles. 8 Orca, Ray Soc. 148 The Scottish Naturalist. so, are the teeth described and figured by Sibbald himself. Flower, 1 in an able paper on the skeleton of a Sperm whale from Tasmania, and after comparing the bones of this animal with all those of the Cachalot that had stranded on the shores of this country, within his reach, states that he is quite unable, from the material at present available, to point out any constant difference of specific value between the Cachalot inhabiting the Australian seas and that occasionally visiting our northern coasts. And he concludes by saying, that if the Linnean genus Physeter is to be kept in abeyance until the rediscovery of Sib- bald's " Baltzna maerocephala tripi?i7ia" it is to be feared that it may ultimately disappear altogether from zoological literature. Beal 2 also states, from his observations of the animals them- selves, alive and dead, that " The large full-grown male, appear- ed the same in every part, from New Guinea to Japan, from Japan to the coast of Peru, from Peru to our own island, while their females coincided in every particular." Sibbald' s Pedicu- lus ceti Boccone (Plate II., fig. 4.) is evidently a specimen of Coronula balaznaris. This parasite was sent to Sibbald by Mr. Foster, a Regent in the university ot St. Andrews, and was taken off the side of a whale stranded there. What whale this may have been is somewhat difficult to determine. In a case of this kind we can only attempt to indicate which appears on the whole the most likely species.' There are some two or three genera of Cirripedcs — or Bar.- nacles, as they are commonly called — that are in the habit of attaching themselves to the skin of the larger whales. Of the Balanidoz so met with. Coronula and Tubicinella are the most common. Besides these, some of the Lepadidoe, or peduncu- lated kinds, are also found adherent to whales. And sometimes the whale is infested with both the sessile and pedunculated species at the same time. Ellis 3 figures a Coronula, with an example of Conchodcrma aurita attached to it, that was taken off a whale stranded in Norway. These commensal parasites, of which Van Beneden 4 takes Coronula as a type of his Oika- silai, are not found on all the large species of whales. It seems probable that those that are so troubled with them may have 1 Zool. Soc, i368. 2 Sperm Whale. 3 Phil. Trans. 1758. 4 Brit. Association, 1870. The Scottish Naturalist. 149 each its peculiar kind fixed on it. For instance, Megaptera longimana, according to Eschricht, 1 is always infested with Dia- de/ni, and a species of Otion ( Conchoder?na), while, on the other hand, Cirripedes are never found on any species of Balce7ioptera. Scoresby 2 says the Mysticetus found in southern regions (Nord- caper) is often covered with barnacles, while those of the Arctic seas are free from these shell-fish. In this he is borne out by Eschricht and Reinhardt,3 who state that the Nordcaper is alwajs infested by a Cirripede belonging to the genus Coronula, and they direct attention to this fact, as one of the characteris- tic distinctions between that animal and the common Green- land whale, which is never troubled with Cirripedes. Darwin, I believe, only admits of the existence of one species of Coronula. It would thus appear that we may 'dismiss Balama and Balcenoptera from the Cetaceans likely to have brought Foster's Coronula to our shores. This will still leave three large whales, either of which, perhaps, may have done so : these are the Nordcaper, Megaptera, and the Cachalot. I am not aware of the first of these ever having been stranded on our coasts. The second has occurred but seldom. The third pretty frequently, more especially it would seem, in the 17th and 18th centuries. But although the two former un- doubtedly have these parasites attached to them, in the case of the latter the evidence on this point is not quite so strong. From the accounts given by Bennett4 and others, it would ap- pear to be chiefly the pedunculated Cirripedes that have been observed on the Cachalot. Warwick, in notes sent to Dr. Gray, states that he constantly found the whale of the Cape covered with Tubicinella and Coronula ; but the Sperm whale was seldom or never so covered. Hamilton 5 says that " the skin of this whale is so dense that usually large shells attach them- selves to it as to a rock, and there fix their permanent abode. These shells, which are very numerous, are sometimes mistaken for white patches of the skin." Besides, from what I can learn from men who have been engaged in the Sperm whale fishery, I have reason to believe that Coronula, or Barnacles as they call them, are met with on that whale. However this may be, 1 Dan. Tran. Gray Cat. Seals and Whales. 2 Arc. Regions. 3 Cetacea, Ray Society. 4 Whal. Voyage. 5 Whales. Nat. Lib. 150 The Scottish Naturalist. there is an old vertebra of what I take to be a Sperm whale in the University library, St. Andrews, where I believe it has long been preserved. This bone, I am inclined to' think, from what little I can learn about it, is a relic of Foster's whale, — the ani- mal from which he obtained the Coromila he sent to Sibbald. May it not also have belonged to the whale figured by Sibbald on the same plate, although stated by another to be a whale stranded at Monifieth. Be this as it may, Figs. 2 and 3 appear to me to be evidently a copy of a drawing taken of the animal itself — not made from recollection — by some competent ob- server, as we may at any rate suppose Foster, from his position, to have been. The long and rather attenuated appearance of the snout, was probably caused by the position in which the ani mal lay. For it has to be borne in mind that all large whales when stranded are very apt, from their own weight and other causes, to present a misshapen appearance. The single blow- hole, its italic 5 like shape and position toward one side of the truncated snout, are all admirably represented on this, perhaps, the oldest drawing in existence, if not the first made, of a Cachalot, showing the correct shape and position of this orifice. Nearly all the old authors were mistaken both as to the shape and position on the head of the blow-hole of this Cetacean. As we have already seen, Linnaeus places it at the neck. Schreben and others represent it as circular. Hunter 2 says it is trans- verse. F. Cuvier says semi-circular. Schwediawer,3 however, points out, in 1783, that the " spout" in this whale was on the very anterior edge of the head, bending obliquely to the left side. Colnett, 4 Huggins, 5 Beale,& and Bennett, / give good figures of the Cachalot ; but these were all taken, I presume, when the animals were newly killed, and still floating in the water. The old vertebra above noticed is, I consider, the tenth dorsal of a youngish Cachalot. It has been a good deal knocked about, and exhibits marks of bad usage. Its present size is: — length of centrum, 6}i inches ; total breadth over the transverse processes, 19 inches; total height, 22 inches ; the neural spine is incomplete at the upper end, and may have been originally an inch or two longer. For comparison I 1 Saugthiere. 2 Phil. Trans. 1787. 3 Phil. Trans. 1783. -J-Voy. Sou. Atlantic. 5 and 6 Sperm Whales. 7 Whal. Voyage. The Scottish Naturalist. 151 give the sizes of the corresponding vertebra, of the Cachalot described by Flower:* — length of centrum, 8^ inches ; extreme breadth, 23^ inches ; extreme height, 28 inches. This whale was said to have measured 60 feet in length, and was of course a larger animal than the one to which the vertebra in question per- tained. Figure 5 (Plate II.) is a front view of this vertebra, and shows the form of the nearly complete bony ring, on each side, which, when completed is not unlike the foramen for the verte- bral artery, on the cervical vertebrae of most mammals. This ring is formed by a process or tubercle, ascending from the upper and outter ends of the lower transverse processes until they nearly meet the reduced diapophysis, which springs from the outer anterior edges of the neurapophysis, descend outward and downward, until these processes join together in old ani- mals, and form a complete bony ring on each side of the verte- bra. The ends of these processes are broken off on both sides of our specimen, but as near as I can judge, when entire, those on the left side would be within a y± or ^ of an inch of meet- ing together. The centrum of the vertebra is broader than high, and the neural canal is vertically oval. Figure 6 (Plate II.), side view. Mr. J. Robertson describes a Cachalot in the Philosophical Transactions, 1770, that stranded at Cramond in December, 1769. This specimen was 54 feet long, and its greatest circum- ference, a little behind the eye, 30 feet. The head was nearly half the length of the animal. The lower jaw was 1 1 feet long, and contained 23 teeth on each side. The truncated upper jaw was 9 feet high, projected 5 feet beyond the lower, and had 23 sockets in it on each side to accomodate the teeth of the lower jaw. The pectoral fins were placed 5 feet behind the corners of the mouth, and measured 3 feet in length and 18 inches in breadth. According to the statistical account, two specimens of the Sperm whale stranded at Cramond in 1769, both 54 feet in length. One, which measured 52 feet in length, is said, in a foot note in Adamson's edition of Sibbald's History of Fife, to have been thrown ashore at Earlsferry, in 1758. Mr. Alderson, in the Cambridge Philosophical Transactions, 1827, describes another, 58^ feet long, that stranded at Tunstale in *Zool. Soc. 1868. 152 The Scottish Naturalist. Holderness, in April, 1825. The skeleton of this animal is mounted and preserved at Burton Constable. Another ex- ample of this whale was cast ashore in July, 1863, near Thurso. The skeleton is in the British Museum. From the foregoing it will be seen that to the present time there is no satisfactory evidence of the existence of more than one species of Sperm whale, and that the number of species recorded as British have in the main been all founded on the ordinary Cachalot, which has in these cases been mistaken for another species. St. Andrews, November, 1871. LIST OF BIRDS FOUND AT ROSSLYN AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. By Lieut. -ColOxXel Weddekburn. Merlin ( Falco cesalon) — very common during winter. Kestrel ( ' Falco tinnun- cuius) — common all year round. Sparrow Hawk (Falco nisus) — common. Hen Harrier f Circus cyaneus ) — one male specimen some years ago in Rosslyn, seen by myself. Short-eared Owl ( ' Otus brachyotus ) — rare. Long-eared Owl fOl us vulga- ris J — rare. Tawny Owl (Ululq stridula) — very common. White Owl ( Strix Jlammca) — common. Great Shrike (Lanius cxcubitor) — several specimens seen, and one shot by myself. Great Tit ( Parus major) — very common. Cole Tit (Parus ater) — very common. Blue Tit f Parus ca?ruleus)—xery common. Long-tailed Tit (Parus caudatus) — very common. Spotted Flycatcher ( Mus- cicapa grisola) — very common. Kingfisher ( ' Alccdo ispida)— very rare, only once seen. Raven (Corvus corax) — occasional on Pentland Hills. Crow (Corvus corone) — almost extinct. Hooded Crow (Corvus comix) — almost extinct. Rook (Corvus frugilegus)— common everywhere. Jackdaw (Cor- vus monedu la)— very common. Magpie (Pica caudata) — very common. Jay (Garrulus glandarius) — common. Creeper (Certhia familiaris) — common. Cuckoo (Cuculus cauorus) — common. Nightjar (Caprimulgus europccus) — common in Rosslyn den. Swift (Cypselus apus) — common. Swallow (Hirun- do ruslica) — very common ; when out shooting some years ago, I saw a swallow of the year flitting about on 2d November ; a few years afterwards, when fishing on Tweed, on 2d November, Col. Learmouth and I saw two swal- lows flying about in the middle of a heavy snow storm. Martin {Hirundo «r^'crt)~common. Sand Martin {Hirundo riparia)— common. Pied Wagtail {Motacilla alba) — common. Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cincrea) — common. Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratcnsis)— common. Tree Pipit (Anthus arboreus)— rare, but one or two to be seen every year. Skylark (Alauda arvensis) — very common. Snow Bunting (Emberiza nivalis) occasional, common on Pent- lands. Bunting (Ember iza miliaria) common ; breeds. Black-headed Bunt- ing (Emberiza schazniclus) — occasional ; breeds. Yellow Hammer (Emberiza citrinella)- -very common ; breeds. Chaffinch (Fringilla ccelebs) — very com- The Scottish Naturalist. 153 mon ; breeds. Mountain-finch (Fringilla montifringilla) — x2xz. Sparrow (Passer domcsticus) — a. good deal too common ; breeds. Greenfinch (Fringilla chloris) — yery common ; breeds. Siskin (Fringilla spinus) — occasional ; breeds. Linnet (Linota cannabina) — not very numerous ; breeds. Redpole (Linota minor) — uncommon ; breeds. Twite (Linota montand) — Tentland Hills, common ; breeds. Bullfinch (Loxia pyrrhu la)— not very numerous ; breeds. Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) — several specimens shot in winter of 1867. Star- ling (Sturnus vulgaris) — immense flocks ; breeds. Dipper (Hydrobata cinclus) — very common ; breeds. Missel Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) — common ; breeds. Fieldfare ( Turdus pilaris) — very common ; breeds. Redwing ( Turdus iliacus) — very common ; breeds. Thrush ( Turdus musicus) — very common ; breeds. Blackbird (Turdus merula) — very common ; breeds. Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) — common on Pentlands ; breeds. Hedge-sparrow (Accentor modularis) — veiy common ; shot a white variety ; breeds, Robin (Sylvia rule- cula) — very common ; one bird, for years, used to sit on my children's perambu- lator for miles, and stay in house ; breeds. Redstart (Sylvia phcenicurus) — very common some seasons; breeds. Stonechat (Sylvia rubicola)- -common; breeds. Wheatear (Sylvia oznanthc)— common ; breeds. Whitethroat (Sylvia cinerca) very common in all the hedge-rows ; breeds. Willow Warbler (Sylvia trochi- l 'us)- very common; breeds. Wren (Sylvia troglodytes) — common; breeds. Goldcrest (Regulus cristatus) — common ; breeds. Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) — very common; first hard weather tremendous flock, supposed to come over from Norway, — if weather continue very severe, they fly away to the vari- ous farms near Musselburgh. Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)— very numerous, seen several of what is called the Bohemian variety. Black Grouse ( Tetrao tetrix) — a good few on Pentlands ; breeds. Red Grouse (Lagopm scoticus)— common on Pentlands; breeds. Partridge (Perdix cinerea) — common; breeds. Red-legged Partridge (Perdix ruf a) -very rare, only two been noticed on Pentlands, about 14 years ago. Quail (Perdix cotu mix)— rare, but seen several specimens ; breeds. Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis)— common during migration ; breeds on Peritlands. Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus)— occasional on Pentlands. Pee- wit (Vanellus cristatus)— common ; breeds. Heron (Ardea cinerea)— com- mon ; breeds. Bittern (Dolaurus stellaris) — supposed to have been seen on Pentlands, cannot vouch for it. Curlew (Numenius a rq u a ta)— common ; breeds. Common Sandpiper (Tringa hypoltucos)— common ; breeds. Woodcock (Sco- lopax rusticola) — not very numerous; breeds. Snipe (Scolopax gallinago- — widely spread, not numerous ; breeds. Jacksnipe (Scolopax ga Hi nu la)— not common ; breeds.* Landrail (Crex pra ten sis)— common some seasons; breeds. Water-rail (Rallus aquaticus) — a few specimens been got. Moorhen (Galli- nula chloropus) — common on the ponds. Coot (Fulica atra) — common on the various ponds. Greylag Goose (Anser palustris) — seen in their migration north and south. Brent Goose (Anser brenta)—sa.w one in 1863, on Compensa- tion Pond, and one or two afterwards. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)— kept as pets on many sheets of water ; breeds. Wild Duck (Anas boschas) — com- mon ; breeds. Teal (Anas crecca) — not uncommon ; breeds. Wigeon (Anas Penelope) — not' uncommon. Tufted Duck (Anas fuligula) — Some years com- mon on the Compensation Ponds. Golden Eye (Anas clangula) — to be seen during winter, Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)— common during winter. Dabchick (Podiceps minor)— occasional. Red-throated Diver (Colym- * Is Colonel Wedderburn sure of this ?— Ed. 54 The Scottish Naturalist. bus septentrionalis) — one or two been killed. Black Guillemot (Uria grylle) — one caught in the avenue to my house at Rosslyn, during a strong easterly gale. Green Cormorant (Phalocrocorax crista tus)— one shot on North Esk a few years ago. Arctic Tern (Sterna arctica) — occasional on Compensation Ponds. Black- headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) — very common. Common Gull {Larus canus) — common. Lesser Black-backed Gull {Larus fuscus)— common. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) — common. Liberton House, near Edinburgh, October, 1871. Bare Birds in Aberdeenshire— A fine adult male specimen of the Great Snipe (Scolopax major, Gem.,y was shot on the estate of Durras, in the begin- ning of October last. This bird, generally accounted rare, would (if a little atten- tion were given by those who have opportunity of visiting the localities the bird frequents), I have no doubt, be found to be more common than is generally supposed. For the last few weeks considerable numbers of the Great Spotted Wood- pecker (Picus pipra, M'Gll.,) have been sent me from various parts of the county ; and several have been seen in the gardens around the city. The Bohemian Wax- wing (Bombycilla garrula, Jen.,) has also put in an appearance in greater numbers this season than for some years back. Some have been sent me, and I have received information from gentlemen in the country, of others having been seen, and unfortunately in many instances killed.— G. Sim, 20 King Street, Aberdeen, Dec. 4, 1871. The Bohemian Wax-wing in Aberdeenshire.— I have observed five spe- cimens of the Bohemian Wax-wing (Bombycilla garrula) here. Two of them were shot by Mr. Morris, on the 16th of this month. They had been feeding on the berries of the Hawthorn.— J. Garrow, 40 Market Place, Inverurie, Nov. 27, 1871. Capture of Wotodonta trepida.— A pair (male and female) of the Large Prominent Moth (Notodonta trepida) were taken by Mr. James Robertson, near Kilgraston, on May 20th, between 8 and 9 o'clock a.m. The female layed eggs the same day. The eggs hatched on June 8th, and the caterpillars became chrysalids about the end of July and the beginning of August.— Melville Jamieson, yr., Perth, Sept., 1871. Sesia bembeciformis in Fife— Between the 18th and 21st July I took a pair of Sesia bembeciformis, and saw about a dozen of its empty pupae sticking out of three old sallows (Salix Caprea) at Balmuto. These three trees are now nearly dead from the borings of the larvae. I find Mr. Jenner-Fust has not admitted this Clearwing as a native of Scotland — all the alleged Scotch stations being marked by an O in his paper on the "Distribution of Lepidoptera in Great Britain, "f A few specimens of Dianthcecia conspersa, and solitary ones of D. capsincola, D. cucubali, and Aplecta herbida, are the only other captures worth notice I have made this year, since the date of my last communication.— J. Boswell Syme, Balmuto, Kirkcaldy, Sept., 1871. Galls in Scotland.— I observe with great satisfaction that records of the occurrence of Galls in Scotland are likely to occupy a prominent portion of space in the " Scottish Naturalist." t It occurs in several Scottish counties.— Ed. The Scottish Naturalist. 155 That the " Cotton Gall of the Oak" occurs in this county is certain. I learn from my friend Dr. Innes, of Forres, that four or five years ago he met with the gall in question in the utmost profusion in the Darnaway Forest, belonging to the Earl of Moray. Oribata geniculata. — About two years ago, whilst looking for the larvae of Trachea pinipcrda in the Chapelton Muir Wood here, I noticed many incras- sated or gouty-looking swellings in the lateral branch-tips of Finns sylvestris. Thinking they might be galls of some sort, I gathered and sent a quantity to Mr. Miiller, who bred a mite from them, quite new, I believe, to this country, viz., Oribata geniculata Latreille (following Hartig). Batoneus populi on Populus tre?nula. — Some time in the spring of this year, while searching for fungi at Sluie, on the banks of the Findhorn, in company with Dr. Innes, I noticed the branches of the aspens (which are here of natural growth) to be loaded with beautiful reddish-green downy excrescences, ranging in size from an inch in diameter to that of the closed fist. A box of these were sent off to Mr. Miiller, who has since published them as the work of a mite, Bato- neus populi, first found and described by Herr L. Kirchner, from specimens discovered by him in Bohemia. This, I presume, has not been found elsewhere in Britain. *— Geo. Norman, Forres, 8th Oct., 1871. Keversed variety of Helix nemoralis L., var. hortensis.— A few days ago, on looking over some shells of the above species, which I had picked up upon the links near Aberdeen, during the summer, I found among them a speci- men with the whorls reversed ; this monstrosity is mentioned in Jeffrey's British Mollusca as of very rare occurrence. This shell, along with most of those ocur- ring on the links, has the colours very dull and faded looking. It is rather hard to assign any cause for this loss of colour, as the animals in these faded shells seem quite healthy ; and in the same localities, and under the same cir- cumstances, other specimens occur which have shells of the ordinary colours. — James W. H. Tjraill, Old Aberdeen, Oct., 1871. Wild Cats.— I have been lately informed that no less than ten "Wild Cats Felts Cattus) have been killed on one property in Badenoch. One which I have in my hands at present measures 3 feet 6 inches from nose to tip of tail. — R. Baton, Berth, November, 1871. A Happy Family.— A few years ago, a cat I had gave birth to kittens, some of which were kept, and the others destroyed. Shortly afterwards, my children brought in some newly-born rabbits, which, as I did not wish them to be kept, I told the children to give to the cat— thinking she would speedily make an end of them. To my surprise, however, the cat at once adopted them in place of the lost kittens. Happening a few days afterwards to find a squirrel's nest with young ones in it, I thought I would see if the cat would likewise adopt them, and so brought them home and placed them with the cat. My expecta- tions were realized, and I had the pleasure of witnessing the interesting spectacle of a cat suckling kittens, rabbits, and squirrels all at one time. The end, how- ever, was sad : the cat went out one day and never returned, and so the happy family perished miserably.— W. Herd, Scoonie Burn, by Berth, August, 1871. * I have noticed similar gall8 in Inverness-shire and Eoss-shire.— Ed. PHYTOLOGY. SCOTTISH GALLS. By J. W. H. TRAILL, M. A. ( Contin tied from page 155. ) Galium verum L. — (a) Gall irregular in shape and often split open, the surface smooth and shining, as if rubbed with butter, colour pinkish ; galls usually in small groups on the stem, (b) Gall (?) on the leaf shoot, terminal, and consisting of a bunch of leaves twisted spirally, those on the outside green and fresh, but those inside withered, empty in third week of September ; not common. On the links near Old Aberdeen a very common gall-like body also occurs abundantly on the fruit ; it is greenish ; the surface is naked, but wrinkled, and the form irregular; it varies in size, but is frequently pretty large. I never could find an occupant in it. Galium palustre L. — The gall is terminal, and consists of a compact rosette of leaves, which are slightly fleshy, and of a purplish colour. It is readily observed ; on close examina- tion, one whitish or reddish-orange dipterous larva may be found in each rosette. Galium boreale L. — The gall is usually axillary, sometimes terminal j and is seemingly an abortive leaf-bud. It is small and compact, and consists of overlapping scales, which en- close a small central cavity. The surface is greyish-green and is covered with short hairs. Each contains one reddish- orange dipterous larva. Often several galls occur on one plant. Occurs abundantly at Banchory, in September. Carduus arvensis Curtis. —The gall is terminal, and is seem- ingly an abortive flower-bud. It is greyish and hairy exter- nally, and internally consists of small bracts with much The Scottish Naturalist. 157 woolly stuff, among which are several reddish dipterous larvae. Achillea ptarmica L. — (a) This gall in origin and appear- ance much resembles the last, but is of a reddish grey-col- our. It is terminal, and sometimes is nearly concealed by a tuft of leaves. Internally are many small cells among woolly substance, in each of which is a reddish larva of Ceci- domyia floricola Winnering. This gall is common in Aber- deenshire, (b) Seems to be an abortive leaf. There are usually from two to six on the stalk among the terminal leaves. They are sessile, about ^-inch long, and ovate. The surface is smooth and reddish, or slightly greenish. Each contains one reddish dipterous larva. Rather scarce, November. Achillea millefolium L. — (a) Resembles (a) on A. ptarmica closely in every respect. Not uncommon, (b) The gall is axillary, sessile, and usually rather low on the stem. In shape it is rounded or irregular, length l /% to ^-inch. The surface is smooth, glossy, and green or brown. Each con- tains one white larva, and splits open above when the larva is ready to emerge. In one locality near Old Aberdeen these galls are abundant. Hieracium boreale Fries. — Gall consists of a swelling on the stem, either terminal or at a node ; sometimes the swelling occurs on the peduncles near the flower-head. The size varies much, in some cases being small and hardly percepti- ble, in other cases very large, some being even if£ inch in diameter. The average size is from % to ^-inch in diam- eter. The shape may be rounded, spindle shape, or irregular ; the surface smooth or covered closely with greyish hairs ; and the colour green, or purplish. Internally it is very hard and woody, and contains a variable number of cells, in each of which is one white hymenopterous larva. Rather common along the Dee at Banchory. Campanula rotundifolia L. — (a) Galls axillary or forming a terminal cluster, sessile and not over i-5th-inch in diam- eter. Each seems to be an abortive flower-bud. They are globular or somewhat flask-shaped ; smooth, green, and 158 The Scottish Naturalist. monothalamous. Each contains one larva of Cccidomyia campanula Miiller. This gall is abundant on the sandhills along the coast north of Aberdeen, and also along the rocky coast south of the Dee. (b) This gall consists of a much en- larged and distorted flower-bud and seed capsule. Either the flower is distorted or never shows itself, the bud being early affected. Colour green; surface smooth and fleshy. Internally contains one or two cavities ; in each there is one larva of a beetle (Gymnetron campanula). It is very abundant along the coast south from Aberdeen, and also locally several miles inland. Vaccinium Vitis-Id/ea L. — Galls in terminal shoots. They consist of reddish fleshy leaves overlapping so as to leave a central cavity, in which is a dipterous larva. On Morroine Hill, in Braemar. Fraxinus excelsior L. — The galls occur along the midribs of the leaflets ; they are long and comparatively narrow, and project along the midrib, below; they are open above, but the edges keep close together when fresh ; they are thus very inconspicuous, especially above. Surface downy below; colour like the leaf. Each is mono- or polythalamous ac- cording to its length; and each cell contains one orange dipterous larva. Local ; but abundant at Banchory, on a few trees. Veronica chaivledrys L. — The gall is terminal, seemingly an abortive leaf-shoot. It is ovate, about J^inch diam., and attached by the broad end ; externally it is^ reddish, and covered with grey hairs ; internally it consists of leaflets overlapping, and padded between with woolly substance, among which are several cells, each of which contains one reddish-orange larva of Cecidomyia veronica Brami. Very common. Thymus serpyllum L. — Galls terminal, woolly, consisting of the undeveloped leaves and flower-heads. The whole plant assumes a woolly appearance, which is very conspicuous. Larva? reddish. Galls very common. Mercurialis perennis L. — Gall (?) on under side of leaf. It The Scottish Naturalist. 159 was flattened, green, and covered with bristly hairs. I did not get it properly examined. Very scarce. Urtica dioica L. — The galls occur on the leaves, usually at the top of the stem there is a cluster of them. They occur one on each side, at the base of the leaf; they project most below. Colour light green, surface rough and hairy, and form irregular ; fleshy ; contain several larvae of Cecidomyia urtictz. Salix fragtlis L. — The gall is on the blade of the leaf, and is not connected with the midrib or veins. Form oval, and much more prominent below the leaf; surface naked and rough ; colour bright and red above, paler or green below ; varying from }& to ^-inch in length, ^ to j^-inch in breadth, and rather more in depth. It is monothalamous, the central cavity being at first very small, and the walls thick and irregular, but finally the walls are reduced in thickness, and the cavity increases. Contains one whitish or greenish saw-fly larva. Salix alba L. — Occur on the leaves singly, but from two to six on each leaf. Form flattened above, conical below, colour reddish-yellow. They are smooth and thin-walled ; and each contains one hymenopterous larva. Salix caprea L. — (a) The galls in this, as in most of the other willows, are on the leaves. They are well seen on the upper surface, but project most below. They are smooth and dark green above, covered with short yellowish hairs below. Form irregularly conical ; structure very hard and woody. They are monothalamous, snd open by a hole in the apex of the cone below. All I found (in September) were empty. (b) The galls are hardly seen on the upper sides, but pro- ject much below. Structure soft and thin walled ; colour green or yellowish-green ; surface covered with short hairs. Each contains one hymenopterous larva. (To be continued.) Notes on Scottish Plants.— In the "Journal of Botany'' for November there are one or two things of interest to Scottish botanists. One is a paper read by the celebrated Robert Brown, before the Edinburgh Natural History Society, 160 The Scottish Naturalist. on January 26, 1792. This paper, which had never before been published, is on the " Botanical History of Angus, "and among other plants noticed are Eriophorum alpmtcm, Schcenus mariscus, &c. Of Dorouicum pa rdali anches the author re- marks that it "grows in shady ground several miles west from Montrose. This plant has never yet been found in England, but was observed in Scotland, by Mr. Lightfoot, in some parts of Annandale ; as he always found it near buildings, however, he concludes that it has probably escaped from gardens. But in the place which I now mention this could not possibly have happened ; and I like- wise met with it in Perthshire, in a situation which confirms me in this opinion ; and besides, it maybe remarked, that it is a plant very rarely, if ever, to be found in gardens, at least, in this age. I would therefore, upon the whole, suppose the plant to be an original native of this country ; though it may be found in situations which may lead to the opinion of its having escaped from gardens." In the same magazine Professor Thistleton Dyer communicates a note upon Exobasidium vaccinii Woronin, a gall-like fungus affecting Vaccinium Vitis- Idcea, and gives as the only British localities, Perthshire and Aberdeenshire. Besides these localities (where I have noticed the diseased plants of Vaccinium) I may mention Ross-shire (Achilty), and Inverness-shire (Strathglass), as stations. There seems to be a real gall not very dissimilar in appearance to the Fungus, upon the same plant.— F. Buchanan White, November. 1871. Correction of Error.— In the paper on the " Altitudes attained by certain plants'* (page 119), one sentence would seem to imply that Mr. H. C. Watson had not consulted Professor Dickie's " Botanist's Guide." This was an error on my part, as a reference to Cybele Brittanica, iv., 348, will show.— F. Buchanan White, November, 1871. VARIOUS NOTES. In the "Journal of the Scottish Metereological Society" for July 1871, Mr. Buchan finishes his valuable paper upon the rainfall of Scotland. In conclud- ing, he remarks that "the figures of the rainfall point to great differences of climate at places comparatively near each other, especially in the Highlands. In this respect, Inverness-shire presents greater extremes of climate than any other county in the British Isles. At Culloden the rainfall scarcely amounts to 25 inches, and at Corrimony to 39 inches ; whereas at Glenquoich it amounts to 101-53 inches, and at Sligachan, in Skye, probably to little less than 150 inches annually. Since, then, summer quarters in the Highlands, even in the same county, have climates so widely different, the figures on the map give in- formation of the greatest value on this and other practical inquiries." In the same journal for October 1870, and January 1871, is an extremely valu- able and interesting paper by the same author, upon " The Temperature of the British Isles," illustrated by thirteen charts. The Rev. W. A. Leighton has recently made a valuable addition to the library of the British botanist, in the form of a " Lichen Flora of Great Britain." We regret that our space will not allow us to notice the work at greater length. The author will perhaps, however, allow us to suggest that in the next edition a more copious index would add greatly to the value of the work. INSECTA SCOTICA. AN ESSAY TO CATALOGUE THE INSECTS INHABITING SCOTLAND. INTRODUCTION. TN publishing lists of the Scottish Insects, it will be advisable A to indicate, so far as is practicable, the distribution of each species throughout the country. For this purpose Scotland has been divided into thirteen districts. (Plate III.)' In selecting these, an attempt has been made to obtain natural divisions (such as those afforded by the basins of the larger rivers), instead of the arbitrary sections heretofore used for similar purposes. The districts are as follows : — Eastern Districts. i. Tweed. — The part drained by the Tweed and other rivers entering the sea between Berwick and Cockburnspath. 2. Forth. — The part drained by the Forth and other rivers between Cockburnspath and Fifeness. 3. Tay. — The part drained by the Tay and other rivers be- tween Fifeness and Cratown. 4. Dee. — The part drained by the Dee and other rivers be- tween Cratown and Pitsligo. 5. Moray. — The part drained by rivers between Pitsligo and Ord of Caithness, and by the Caledonian Canal as far west as Loch Oich. 6. Sutherland. — The part drained by rivers between Ord of Caithness and Cape Wrath. 7. Orkney. 8. Zetland. Western Districts. 1. Solway. — The part drained by rivers between the Liddel and Culzean Castle. 1 62 The Scottish Naturalist. 2. Clyde. — The part drained by the Clyde and other rivers between Culzean Castle and Loch Awe : includes Arran and I slay. 3. Argyle.- -The part drained by rivers between Lochs Awe and Aylort : includes Mull, Tiree, and adjacent islands. 4. West Ross. — The part drained by rivers between Loch Aylort and Cape Wrath : includes Skye. k. Hebrides. THE LEPIDOPTERA OF SCOTLAND. EDITED BY F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. PEEVIOUS LITERATURE. The only list of the Scottish Lepidoptera hitherto published is in Mr. H. Jenner Fust's paper " On the Distribution of Lepi- doptera in Great Britain and Ireland," read before the Entomo- logical Society, in 1867. In this paper, which should be in the library of every British Lepidopterologist, the author has adopted the artificial mode of division of the country into " provinces" and " sub-provinces," and has indicated, as far as was then known, the range of all the species ascertained to inhabit Scot- land. During the three years that have elapsed since the pub- lication of this work, our knowledge of the Scottish Lepidop- tera has been considerably increased. In addition to this list, several excellent local lists exist. Among these may be mentioned the Rev. Dr. Gordon's " List of Lepidoptera of the Province of Moray," published in the Zo- ologist, Aug., 1861 ; Dr. Lowe and Mr. Logan's "Lepidopterous Insects of Midlothian," published in the "Naturalist" 1852 ; and the " Fauna Perthensis," Part I., published by the Perth- shire Society of Natural Science, 187 1. There are, besides, notes (of more or less value) of the Lepidoptera of several Scot- tish localities, in the various magazines, and in the publications of various societies. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE WITH THE PRESENT LIST. Besides consulting the lists and notices cited above, I have applied for information to all entomologists, who I had reason The Scottish Naturalist. 163 to suppose were likely to know anything regarding the Lepi- doptera of Scotland. I now avail myself of an opportunity of acknowledging the assistance thus received (without which this list could not have been compiled), and of offering my sincere thanks to the givers thereof. To save space and avoid repeti- tion, I here indicate, under each district, the names of those to whom I am indebted for information regarding the district. Tweed— J. Hardy, A. Kelly, J.Turnbull. Forth- -W. Cameron, T. Chapman, J. P. Duncan, R. Hislop, Dr. W. D. Paterson, H.T. Stainton, Dr. Boswell Syme, A. Wilson. Tay— C. G. Barrett, E. Birchall, F. Bond, N. Cooke, J. Cooper, J. C. Dale, J. P. Dun- can, H. Jenner Fust, Dr. Battershell Gill, A. Guthrie, W. Herd, J. B. Hodgkinson, T. Hutchinson, J. Lamb, T. Marshall, E. G. Meek, Sir T. Moncrieffe, D. P. Morison, A. Simpson, Jas. Stewart, John Stewart. Dee— J. W. H. Traill. Moray— E. C. Buxton, A. Davidson, Rev. Dr. Gordon, G.Norman, J. Thomson. Orkney — J. W. H. Traill. Solway — SirW. Jardine, Miss Jardine, W. Lennon, W. Douglas Robinson. Clyde — Dr. A. Chapman, T. Chapman, J. C. Dale, J. P. Duncan, J. Dunsmore, J. B. Hodgkinson, J. W. Peebles. Argy/e—E. Birchall, E. C. Buxton, N. Cooke. West Ross -A. Davidson, H. Jenner Fust. Hebrides — H. Jenner Fust. PLAN OF THE LIST. The Names used in this list are those which, according to the law of priority, rightly belong to each species. In some in- stances, the name thus used is not that by which the species has been generally known in Britain, and in these cases the latter name has been given also ; for the rest of the synonymy I refer the reader to Staudinger & Wocke's elaborate " Catalog der Lepidopteren des Europseischen Faunengebiets " (Dresden, 1871). To indicate the comparative scarcity or abundance of individuals of a species, the terms " abundant," " common," "not common," "rare," &c, are used. These require no ex- planation beyond this, that "rare" means that single individ- uals of the species are of occasional, but not frequent, occur- rence ; and that " very rare " implies that only two or three 1 64 The Scottish Naturalist. examples have been met with. " Local" means that a species, though not rare as regards individuals, is yet very restricted in its range in any district. To indicate the Physical Features of the habitats of the vari- ous species, and at the same time to be economical of the space at our disposal, the following terms are used : — "hortensal," which means that the species frequents gardens or their vicinity; " agrestal," inhabiting cultivated ground ; " pascual," inhabiting meadows, either natural or artificial; ''nemoral," inhabiting woods ; " ericetal," inhabiting heather-covered moors ; " rupes- tral," frequenting rocks or dry banks ; " riparial," frequenting the banks of rivers or lakes ; " maritime," frequenting the sea- coast ; " palustral," inhabiting marshes ; " aquatic," inhabiting the water at some stage of existence; "alpine," not found under a considerable elevation on the mountains. The Altitude to which a species ascends on the mountains is indicated in the case of those species which have been ob- served at or above 1000 feet above the sea-level. Most of the altitudes given are from observations taken by Mr. J. W. H. Traill and myself on the mountains of Braemar, but a great deal remains still to be done in this department. The ascertained Distribution is shown first on the East, and then on the West side of the country. An o occupies the place of the name of a district in which the species has not been observed, but as in some cases the species probably occurs there, and only requires observation, a § indicates the probable occcurrence. The Range of a species from North to South is shown by the degrees of Latitude within which it has been detected. This part of the list will probably (and I hope soon) require amendment, as our knowledge of the species inhabiting the extreme north of Scotland increases. For the sake of comparison, the Range of the species in Europe proper is briefly indicated. The Polar Regions are those surrounding the arctic pole ; the Boreal Regions are those above 62 or 63 degrees of north latitude. The Geographic Type shows the character of the range of species in the countries of the European Fauna. These countries include all in which 60 per cent, of the species are species found in Europe proper, and extend from Greenland and Labrador on The Scottish Naturalist. 165 the west, to eastern Siberia on the east, and northern Persia and northern Africa — as well as Madeira and the Canary Islands — on the south. The " Territorial " Type includes all the species found in all the countries of the European Fauna; the "European," species occurring throughout Eu- rope proper, but not throughout all the countries of the European Fauna ; " Central " means that the metropolis is in the Central countries of Europe ; " Centro-septentrional," that the distribution is from the centre northwards ; so in like manner " Centro-meridional," "—oriental," "—occidental," from the centre to the south, east, or west, as the case may be. On the other hand, "Septentriono — ," "Meridiono — ," "Oriento — ," or " Occidento-central," implies that the supposed metropolis of the species is in the north, south, east, or west (as the case may be), with an inclination towards the central countries. "North- ern," "Southern," "Eastern," or "Western," require no special explanation. " Alpine" implies that the species has its metropolis on the mountains of Central Europe ; "Alpine and boreal," that having its metropolis on the mountains of central Europe, the species has at some period reached northern Europe and having found appropriate conditions, has established itself there ; "Bo- real and alpine" of course means the converse. It may be here remarked that a species which can only find the appropriate conditions for existence at a high elevation on the Alps, finds the same conditions at sea-level in the North, and in intermedi- ate localities at an altitude, of course, varying with the propin- quity to the Alps, or to the North. The altitudes vary in dif- ferent species. When a species is confined or nearly confined to a single country, the type is of that country, e.g. " Scottish," " British," &c. Fuller particulars as to the range of the species will be found in the above-mentioned "Catalog" by Dr. Staudinger. In connection with the " Type" a word or two may be said as to the "Derivation" of our species. Comparatively few species have originated in Britain ; the majority came from Central Europe at the time when land communication with the continent still existed. In those cases where the derivation seems to have been different, the probable origin is indicated. I may here mention that there is an excellent paper on this subject, by Dr. Jordan, in the " Entomologist's Monthly Maga- zine," (vol. viii. p. 45). 1 66 The Scottish Naturalist. The " Type in Britain" shows the character of the species as far as Britain only is concerned. Thus the " British" Type includes all species that range throughout Britain; the "English," species that are more especially southern, but which reach the south of Scotland ; "Scottish," those that have their metropolis in Scotland, and become rare or disappear towards the south ; " Intermediate," those that occur in North England and South Scotland, becoming rare farther north or south ; " Alpine," true mountain species. The Types in Britain are for the most part the same as those adopted by Mr. Jenner Fust in the paper cited above. The Times of Appearance, both of the Imago and of the Larva are briefly noticed. The dates are chiefly from my own notes taken in Scotland, supplemented from other sources. I have especially to thank Mr. W. Buckler for information on this subject. At one time I thought of comparing the range of the species and of the food-plant, but finding that in most instances they did not correspond, and that probably where one food-plant ceased to occur, its place was taken by some other (allied) plant, I have only done so in a few instances. The record of the occurrence of Varieties or Aberrations is an essential part of the list. These terms are used in the Stau- dingerian sense, and may be thus defined. A " variety," or local race, is a definite and permanent form occupying the place of the typical form in a locality. In many cases these races are considered by some authors to be distinct species, and it may, perhaps, be not unreasonable to believe that in course of time, and by continued development of their peculiarities, they may become distinct species. A very great interest is thus attached to these varieties. In the case of some species, Dr. Staudinger is in doubt whether to consider them distinct species or more fully developed varieties : to these he applies the term " Darwinian species." An "aberration" is a form occurring in the same locality as the typical form. It may be constant, and occur frequently ; on the other hand, it may be found once, and never be reproduced again. It is to the constant and occasion- ally-occurring form that I think the term " aberration " should be restricted, the other forms partaking more of the character of monstrosities or " sports." It should be noticed, also, that what is the " variety," or local race in one country, may occur The Scottish Naturalist. 167 along with the typical form (but less frequently), and be an " aberration " in another country. In connection with this subject, may be considered the Dif- ference THAT THERE OFTEN IS BETWEEN EXAMPLES OF THE SAME SPECIES FROM NORTH AND SOUTH BRITAIN. Ill many species there is no difference ; in others the difference is more or less marked, but not constant ; and in others the difference is so well defined, and so constant, that the northern examples may be considered as forming a "variety " or local race. It was my in- tention to have indicated as far as practicable the differences be- tween northern and southern examples, but I have, in the mean- time, abandoned that intention except in the more striking cases. I may mention however, that the differences (when there are any) may be thus tabulated : — Northern specimens may differ from Southern : istly, in Size \ 2ndly, in Colour; 3rdly, both in Size and Colour : a) they may be larger, with (1) colour more intensified {i.e., in the bright-coloured species the colour brighter, in the dull-coloured, the colour infuscated) ; (2) colour more dilute : or b) they may be smaller, with (1) colour more intensified ; (2) colour more dilute. Finally, I have here and there introduced a short notice of certain species that may possibly yet be detected in Scotland. Doubtful Scottish species are distinguished by having a [ pre- fixed. RHOPALOCERA. NYMPHALID^I Leach. MELIT.EJA Fab. AURINIA Rott. (1775); Artemis S.V. (1776). Local. Eri- cetal. Distribution— East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o Lat. 55°-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central and northern, except the polar region's. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance— Imago. June, July. Larva. July-May. Food- plant. Scabious (Scabiosa succUa). The alpine var. Merope Prun. (smaller and darker^ may occur on some of the mountains. 1 68 The Scottish Naturalist. ARGYNNIS Fab. SELENE Sch. Common. Ericetal and nemoral. Ascends to 2000 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle g o Lat. 54°5o"-57°5o". Range in Europe. Nearly throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance— Imago. May- August. Larva. June-May. Food- plant. Violet (Viola sylvatica}. euphrosyne L. Less common than Selene. Ericetal and nemoral. Ascends to 1700 feet. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray goo West. Solway Clyde Argyle West Ross o Lat. 54°5o // -57°5o // . Range in Europe. Nearly throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance -Imago. May -July. Larva. . June-May. Food- plant. Violet (Viola sylvatica}. A smaller darker var. (Fingal Hbst.) occurs in Northern Europe. AGLAIA L. Common. Ericetal and nemoral. Ascends to upwards of of 2500 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther- land o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle g o Lat. 54°5o"-58°3o". Range in Europe. Throughout. Type. Territorial. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June-September. Larva. August-July. Food-plant. Violet (Viola sylvatica) and Scabious (Scabiosa succisa). [adippe L. Rare. Nemoral and pascual. Distribution — East. 0000000 o West. Solway? 0000 Lat. (?) Range in Europe. Nearly throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. August-June. Food- plant. Violet (Viola sylvatica). Further evidence is desirable as to the oc- currence of this species in Scotland. (To be c o?i tinned.) ^ mR'-3®^& l!!ll ^yTi^^^S *§ 7\ ^^^lIP m lp ^^& gffiP^Vgj ZOOLOGY, THE BRITISH SPECIES OF CRAMBUS. BY F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. ( Concluded from page 141. ) b) Catoptria H.— Cilia lined with white, or unicolorous. A central white or pearly-white stn 1. Central streak once or twice divided. PINELLUS L., pinetella L. — F.-w. acute, yellow-brown, paler on the inner-margin. The pearly-white central streak is obliquely divided in the middle, and its acuminated extremity faces the middle of the hind-margin. Hind line obscure, pale yellow, obtusely angulated in the centre, and indented near the inner-margin. Cilia fuscous shining. Centre of head and thorax white. 11^-12 Z. July, August. Central aud Northern Europe. Widely distributed in Britain, occurring as far north as Boss-shire, but riot very common. This species does r ot fly so readily in the daytime as many of the other Crambi, and is best obtained by searching at night with a lantern on dry banks. [Conchellus S. V., an alpine and. boreal species, resembles pinellus, but is larger, and has white cilia ; its ab. rhombellus Z. has the apical part of the white streak rhomboidal and pointing to above the middle of the hind-margin. Mytilellus H., found in France and Austria, is yellow, and has the central streak obliquely divided beyond the middle, and the angulated hind line narrow and white. It is a smaller species than pinellus. Staudinger gives "Anglia" as a doubtful habitat, on what authority I do not know.] MYELLTjs H. — F.-w. acute, yellow-brown, paler at the base and inner-margin. The pearly-white central streak is twice divided by fuscous, the third part being linear. Cilia grey, with a few white streaks. Centre of head and thorax white. 12-13 -£• 170 The Scottish Naturalist. Jul}-. Central Europe and Finland. Only a few specimens have occurred in Britain — in Perthshire (Glen Tilt and Rannoch) and Aberdeenshire (Braemar, &c.) It has probably the same habits as pinellus and should be looked for at night. [Speculalis H. is somewhat darker, and has the inner-margin narrowly white, and the third portion of the central streak arcuate; permutateUus H.S. is paler, has the inner-margin white, and the third part of the streak sinuate ; luctifereihs H. has in addition a white spot before the tip, and the inner-margin interrupted with white. These species are found on the mountains of Central Europe]. 2. Central streak undivided. MARGAKITELLUS H. — F.-w. acute, yellowish-ferruginous. Central streak dilated and acuminated at the end, reaching nearly to the hind-margin. Cilia unicolorous. Centre of head and thorax white. 9-10 L. Var. anglicanus. — F.-w. yellowish-fuscous. July, August. Central and Northern Europe. In Britain rather local and commoner in the north than in the south. A common species in the Highlands of Scotland, frequenting damp grassy places in open woods, often in company with Erebia (Ethiops (Blandina). Zeller remarks of the var. that ''the English form is so singular that we might consider it a distinct species." Scottish ex- amples appear to belong to the typical form. [The alpine species pyramidellus, Tr., has variegated cilia ; fulgiddlus, H., is cinnamon-coloured, has the inner-margin and a line before the anal angle, white, the central streak touches the hind-margin by two teeth, and is toothed below ; the cilia are variegated, and the hind wings are white; the antennas of the male are serrated.] latistrius Hw. — F.-w. elongated acute, greyish-ochreous brown, slightly shining. The white central streak, entire and very slightly dilated beyond the middle, extends to the hind- margin, and is continued in the cilia, where it is obscurely forked. On the hind-margin is a row of more or less distinct black spots. H.-w. pale grey. Antennae of male slightly crenate below the tip. 10-12 L. July. A local species. "Western France, Livonia and Britain. In Scotland it is rare, having only been found in Perthshire (once) and in Arran. FURCATELiiUS ztt. — F.-w. dark brown. The slender central streak a little dilated beyond the middle, and not reaching the hind-margin, has its lower edge beyond the middle somewhat jagged. Cilia unicolorous, greyish in the male, whitish in the female. H.-w. dark grey in the male, paler and with whitish cilia in the female. 9-10 L. The Scottish Naturalist. 171 July, August. The Alps, Scandinavian Mountains, and Lapland. In Bri- tain, it has been taken in Wales, the Lake District of North England, Perth- shire, Aberdeenshire, and Inverness-shire. A mountain species : in Britain not found below an elevation of ? 2000 feet. It frequents grassy places. [Radiellus H., another alpine species, may be distinguished from fiircatellus by its narrower, greenish, more shining wings, &c] c) Cilia variegated with whitish. Central veins slender, whitish. The two lines are somewhat fuscous, margined, the central interiorly, the hind exteriorly, with whitish. FASCELINELLUS H. — F.-w. slightly elongated and obtuse, (more acute in the female) hind-margin rounded ; ochreous- grey, the veins whitish-ochreous, and the inner-margin sprinkled with large fuscous scales. The two lines oblique, arched, and indented near the inner-margin, yellowish-brown mixed with fuscous and margined with whitish-ochreous, the central interi- orly, the hind exteriorly. Hind-margin narrowly brownish-yellow, with 3-4 black spots at its lower half. Cilia greyish-brown variegated with whitish. H.-w. pale greyish-brown. 13-14 Z. July. Central Europe, South Sweden, "Western France, and South-western Kussia. In Britain very local, and has only been detected near Yarmouth. Closely allied to jocundellus H.S., and ramosellus Z. Zeller and Staudinger re- fer the pedriolellus of Stainton's Manual (II. 182) to the alpine species spurt- ellus II., which has not occurred in Britain. dj Cilia unicolorous (sometimes metallic). Central vein often paler or silvery, margined with darker scales. Lines (when represented) mar- gined, one interiorly, the other exteriorly, with whitish. 1. Cilia metallic. Hind-margin yellowish, with black spots. Veins sprinkled with fuscous. No trace of lines. Palpi elongated. CULMELLUS L. — Palpi long, acuminate. F.-w. somewhat elongate, acute, hind -margin rather convex; pale ochreous, brown towards the costa ; central veins paler, their branches separated by greyish-brown scales ; hind-margin brownish-yellow with a row of black spots. Cilia pale golden, shining. The female is altogether paler. 8-9 L. June, July. Central and North Europe. Avery common species in Britain, occurring probably throughout. 2. Cilia very rardy metallic. Central vein generally paler, margined beloio with darker. The two lines present. - inquinatellus s.v. — Palpi long. F.-w. elongate, acute, brownish-ochreous ; central vein and its branches paler. Lines 172 The Scottish Naturalist. arched, fuscous, more distinct towards the inner-margin, and several times interrupted ; through the central line, just below the central vein, runs a short longitudinal fuscous streak ; the hind line exteriorly margined with whitish. Hind -margin brownish-yellow with black spots. Cilia grey, shining. Some- times the only distinct markings are the central longitudinal fuscous streak and the lower half of the hind line. 10^-12 L. August. Central and Southern Europe. Not uncommon in the south, rarer in the north, of Britain. In Scotland it has been taken in Perthshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. GEMTCULETJS Hw. — Palpi longer than the thorax. F.-w. rather elongate, acute ; grey or brownish grey j the broad cen- tral vein and its branches pale-ochreous. Lines fuscous-brown, acutely angulated, and indented near the hind-margin ; a longi- tudinal fuscous streak runs through the central below the cen- tral vein, and the hind line is narrowly exteriorly margined with white. Hind -margin spotted with black. Cilia pale golden, shining. 9-10 L. July, August. Central and Southern Europe. Not uncommon in England 5 scarcer in Scotland (Ayrshire, Argyleshire, Perthshire) . COETTAftiiNELLUS H. — Palpi longly attenuate. F.-w. more or less elongate, acuminate, hind -margin rounded below the tip ; ochreous-brown, basal half of the central vein paler, and margined below with dark fuscous, its branches separated by dark fuscous scales. Lines rather indistinct, brown, angu- lated and thickened in the middle. Hind-margin spotted with black in the middle. Cilia grey, not shining. H.-w. grey. Sometimes the front wings are altogether shaded with fuscous. 9V2-^oy 2 L. July, August. Europe, except the polar regions. Rather a local species in Britain. In Scotland it has only been detected uear Edinburgh. It occurs in dry pastures. Note.— These three species may be easily distinguished from each other: — i?iqui?iatellas, by the slightly arched lines, and slightly shining cilia : geniadeus, by the acutely angulated lines, and shining cilia ; contamincllus, by its duller colour and cilia. ", Cilia scarcely shining in most of the species. Front tcings dull. No central line; the hind line (if any trace of it is present) may be The Scottish Naturalist. i73 discovered near the inner •margin. Some species have a whitish or silvery central vein posteriorly fissured. TRISTELLUS S.v. — Antennae setaceous ; palpi long. F.-w. elongate, acute (acuminate in the female), hind-margin rounded below the tip ; dull yellowish ; central vein broadish, sil- very or yellowish, its branches pale. Hind line indistinct, but usually a trace of it can be seen ascending from the inner- margin, sometimes it is altogether absent, and sometimes can be traced across the wing. Hind-margin scarcely spotted with fuscous. H.-w. grey. 11-14Z. Ab. b. F.-w. yellowish fuscous, inner margin paler. Ab. c. F.-w. central vein slender, opaque, white, interrupted and margined with fuscous. Palcella H. Ab. d. F.-w. yellowish fuscous, central vein not paler. Aqui- lella H. July to September. Europe except the polar regions. A very common species in Britain, occurring probably throughout. selasellus h. — Antennae setaceous ; palpi long. F.-w. less elongate, hind-margin rounded ; greyish-ochreous, central vein thickened, silvery, bifid at its extremity, shaded with grey above. No hind line. Hind-margin scarcely spotted with fus- cous. H.-w. grey. 10^-12 L. July, August. Central and Northern Europe, in wet meadows. Not un- common in England; in Scotland it has not yet been detected, but possibly has been passed over, from its resemblance to tristellus. From that species it may be separated by its broader wings, pale mealy ochreous colour never in- f uscated, and by the absence of the hind line. [Deliellus H. is allied to the last two species, but maybe distinguished by the shortly pectinate antennas of the male, narrow, very pale ochreous front wings, with a white line (margined with fuscous) from the base to the tip, the more distinctly spotted hind-margin, and the whitish hind Mings. It occurs in dry sandy places in Germany, &c, about the end of August. Luteellus S.V. occurs in dry grassy places in June and July, in Central Europe. In the male the front wings are somewhat broad, yellow, powdered with fuscous along the inner-mar- gin, generally no trace of the hind line, and no fuscous spots along the hind- margin ; the female has narrower pale grey front wings, dusted with fuscous, and the veins a little paler; in both sexes there is no paler central vein.] 4. Cilia not metallic. Front icing shining, unicolorous, or suffused with darker along the veins. No lines. PEHLELLUS Scop. — Palpi long, whitish or grey. F.-w. elongate, acute, hind margin rounded; shining; satiny-white, or 174 The Scottish Naturalist. yellowish-white, or yellowish-ochreous, often with the veins suf- fused with 'grey or greyish -brown. H.-w. pale or dark grey. 12-13 L - Var. and ab. Warrin^toneilus Stt. — Smaller. Palpi dark grey. F.-w. veins much suffused with greyish-brown. 9^- 10% L. July, August. Central and Northern Europe. Somewhat local but not un- common throughout Britain ; it has been found as far north as Eoss-shire. The var. is much more local, occurring chiefly on the south and west coasts of England, and on the west coast of Scotland (Kirkcudbrightshire and Ayrshire). Its exotic distribution is polar Norway, Finland, and Armenia. [Lithargyrellus H., which has shorter palpi, less elongate and very shining pale ochreous grey front wings, with scarcely paler veins ; or rostellus Pe la H., which has long grey palpi, oblong front wings, dilated at the end and very shining dirty grey, may perhaps be found. ] THE SCOTTISH FORM OF ZYG.&NA EXULANS HOCHENWARTH. BY THE EDITOR. T AST July Mr. J. W. H. Traill and I found, for the first ■^ time in Britain, a colony of a pretty Burnet moth, Zy- goma exulans, inhabiting a hill in the district of Braemar, Aber- deenshire. There are several interesting matters in connection with the Aberdeenshire colony of this species ; and one, not the least in point of interest, is the tolerably plain evidence of the northern derivation of the colony. The geological and botanical features clearly show that the locality is an ancient shore of the glacial or post-glacial period, and it seems probable that the same agen- cies which brought from the north to this ancient shore its characteristic plants, likewise conveyed hither about the same time, and from the same quarter, the insect in question. In the south of Europe Zygcena exulans inhabits the highest Alps and Pyrenees ; in the north, it is found upon the moun- tains of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and in Lapland, where it occurs at all altitudes. The southern and northern races, however, differ so much that the latter has been described as a distinct species. Curiously enough, the individuals of the Braemar colony present characters intermediate between the The Scottish Naturalist. 175 northern and southern forms and deserve, I think, to be de- scribed as forming a distinct geographical race. The typical exulans Hchh. may be thus briefly described : — Wings subdiaphanous : the front ones dull greenish mixed with ochreous, with five carmine red spots arranged thus 221. The upper basal spot is long, and, running along the costa, overlaps the third spot, which is the smallest ; the fourth and fifth spots are the largest and roundish. The ochreous colour is more strongly marked around the spots and at the edges of the wing, and the fringe is also ochreous. The hind wings are pale car- mine with a narrow dull green margin (narrower in the female), The hind-body is black, and covered with shaggy hair. Inhabits the higher Alps and Pyrenees : specimens from higher altitudes are more ochreous than those from lower. The boreal variety Vanadis Dalm. is said to differ from the type by being very sparingly scaled and by not having any ochreous tints. Inhabits the Scandinavian mountains and Lap- land. The Scottish race, for which I propose the name subochracea, may be thus defined : — Var. subochracea. Wings subdiaphanous : front ones dull green with five carmine spots of the same form and arrangement as in the type. Hind wings dull carmine with all the margins pale dull green. Male — tips of the fringes in all the wings greyish ochreous. Female — the collar (except in the centre), the legs, and the margins of the red spots more or less ochreous; fringes as in the male, but more ochreous. This variety differs from the type by the absence of the ochreous tints (except in the female, which is slightly marked with ochreous), and by the broader green margin to the hind wings, of the same breadth in each sex ; and from the var. Fanadis, by the presence of the ochreous tints in the female, and by the more abundant scales on the wings. Inhabits Scotland (Braemar). The larva of Z. exulans is said to be polyphagous, preferring heather and blaeberry. Some young larvae that I had fed readily upon knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare) and white clover (Trifoliwn repens). They died however at the beginning of winter. The exact locality in Braemar I at present (for obvious reasons) withhold. 176 The Scottish Naturalist. Occurrence of Zelleria sasifragse Stt. in Scotland.— When out one day, last July, collecting in Braemar, Mr. Traill directed my attention to a small moth at rest on a stone. This moth I boxed, and on examination find that it is Zelleria saxifrages Stt., a species not met with before in Britain. It may be distinguished from Z.fasciapennella by "its whiter, neater appearance, by the medial fascia starting more obliquely from near the inner margin, and not reaching even to the subcostal nervure, and by the sharp darker lines in the apical cilia. : ' Z. saxifrages was first taken in the Engadine, and subsequently on the Kaiserberg, near Oberaudorf. The larva has been found feeding on Saxifraga aizoon, but as that plant is not a native of Britain, it probably also feeds on Saxifraga aizoides, among which plant my specimen was taken. The imago and larva are described and figured in the eleventh volume of the Natural History of the Tineina, p. 116, and pi. III., fig. 3.— -F. Buchanan White. Capture of Steganoptycha augustana H.— I have been fortunate enough to take a specimen of this pretty rarity near Paisley. — J. Dunsmore, Castle- head, Paisley, February, 1872. [This is probably the third specimen taken in Britain. The first was taken by Lord Walsingham, in the county of Durham in 1866. I took another specimen (not hitherto recorded) in Rannoch in 1867. As stated in the Ent. Mo. Mag., v., 252, the species standing in our list as Steganoptycha (or Hypermecia) augustana H. is cruciana L. — Editor Sc. A r at.] New Locality for Mixodia Bouchardana.— I have met with an example of this moth here.— Id. Note on Lasiocampa potatoria.— Has it been noticed that in Scotland the larva hybernates full fed, like that of Bombyx rubi? It is so in Bute and Mull, the only places where I have seen this moth in Scotland. Near London, &c, it is met with half-grown in autumn, and feeds up to June, so that in Scotland the moth appears about two months earlier than in the south of England.— J. Boswell Syme, Balmuto House, by Kirkcaldy, Feb. 12, 1872. [I have only seen this species in the south-west of Scotland, and there in autumn the larvae were less than one-third grown. Can any of the readers of the ''Scottish Naturalist " give further information as to the habits of this species in Scotland ?— Editor Sc. Nat.} Early Captures of Lepidoptera.— As this season appears to be unusually early, I send a note of the dates of some of my captures :— January 30, Phigalia pilosaria, Sarrothripa revayana; February 12, Hybernia leucophcearia ; February 20, Hybernia progemmaria ; February 21, Anisopteryx cescularia ; February 22, Trachea pi niperda; March 3, Tceniocampa gothica, T. stabilis ; March 6, Asphaliaflavicornis; March 5-7, Tceniocampa cruda, T. iustabilis, Epigraph i a. avellanella. — Thos. Moncrieffe, Moncrieffe House, by Perth, March, 1872. Sesia bembeeiformis.— Dr. Boswell-Syme is in error when he states at p. 154 of the " Scottish Naturalist" that this species is not admitted as a native of Scotland in my " Distribution of Lepidoptera," as a second inspection will convince him. When this was published, the evidence only seemed satis- factory with respect to one sub-province ; other localities have since been recorded. — II. Jenner-Fust, Jun., Hill Court, Gloucestershire. The Scottish Naturalist. 177 Bembidium paludosum at Glasgow.— I captured Bembidium paludosum three miles from Glasgow at the beginning of May, last year. Repeated searchings failed to produce more than one specimen. I do not think this elegant insect has been noticed in the west of Scotland before. — PETER Cameron, Jun., Glasgow. MEMOIRS ON SCOTTISH DIPTERA. By JAMES HARDY, Secretary of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, &c. No. l.-THE SOW THISTLE STEM-BOBING FLY. fCheilosia chalybeata, Meig.^ 'T^HE only certain information that we possess concerning the ceconomy of any of the species of Macquart's genus Cheilosia, in the early state, is the observation which Fallen has recorded, that the nymph of C. ruficornis* had been found in the earth at the root of a tree. Macquart, as well as St. Fargeau and Serville, have too hastily inferred from this, and from find- ing no species developed from the Syrphoid larvse destructive to Aphides, that they live in vegetable debris (le terreau vege- tal.) [Macquart, Ins. Dipt, du Nord de la France (Syrphics), iv. 50.] One species, however, that I have reared, subsists, like Merodon, on living vegetables. On the 18th of August, observing a round perforation near the base of the stem of the common Sow Thistle (Sonchus olcraceus), I proceeded to cut it up, and found the interior had been penetrated upwards by a large white maggot, which had left a brown track behind it. The hollow in the under part of the plant contained a quantity of a dark brown liquor, like laudanum, which had exuded from the wounded parts. I afterwards detected many others in simi- lar situations. In some instances the root was bored into as * Of this species Zetterstedt {Dipt. Scand., ii. 780,) remarks : — "In truncis arborum viventium querciis, ubi succus exstillat, imagines scepc vidi; IN VUL- NERE LARVAS ct in terra ad radicem ejusmodi arboruvi sauciatarum piipas obo~ vatas, albidas punctis elevatis fuscis scabras, antice corniculis 2 brevibus erectis, et posticc spinulis 6-8, fuscis instructas, medio mensis Julii sapc legi." — Editor Sc. Nat. 178 The Scottish Naturalist. well as the stem. Some larvae were converted into pupae in situ, but others left the plant previous to their change taking place. In my first attempts to rear the perfect insect, I was baffled by one of the specimens giving birth to a black and red ichneumon — which in escaping drilled a round hole, of a diam- eter corresponding to the width of its body, in the puparium — and by others being unproductive. I was more successful afterwards, and obtained the fly in the autumn, from maggots collected in July; thus proving that there may be two broods during a season. I have met with it most frequently in dry banks in uncultivated glens. The ??iaggot is thick, and rough with wrinkles, sub-ovate, narrowed considerably behind, and somewhat suddenly con- tracted in front ; finely granulated, and rather thickly shortly appressed pubescent ; dirty-whitish ; the anterior stigmata are marked by two approximating brown points placed above a hollow, in which the black oral hooks are received ; the hinder end is somewhat conic, and is provided with a long projecting sub-linear granulated process, composed of two united parallel layers separated by a central longitudinal fissure ; this process is widest at the base, where the skin of the body continues for a short distance to cover it, and is terminated at the tip by the stigmata, each of which has a pore ; before it on each side there is a small tubercle, and behind it in a similar position, two sharp longish lobes ; the anus is placed considerably forwards on the belly, and has two blackish hard plates, divided by a fissure ; length 4^ lines. The puparium is shaped and coloured somewhat like the maggot, being composed of the indurated larva skin; pale brown- ish white, or pale straw-tinted, nearly oval, convex, a little nar- rower behind, the front shortly contracted ; the segments faintly separated, finely transversely striated, minutely granulated above and beneath, with the remains of a thickish short appressed pubescence; sides anteriorly indistinctly keeled; thetipbluntish; its middle with two parallel keels separated by a hollow; above it there is a fovea, which has two sharp keels convergent behind; beneath it lies an open pore, the fore-edge of which is puckered, and resembles an arch ; hinder-end rougher, after a gradual slope on the top and sides, narrower, its sub-conic tip above with a long projecting light brown granulated process, as in the The Scottish Naturalist. 179 maggot ; at each side of the tip behind this, there is a tubercle on each side ; the adjoining parts are nearly on the plane of the body, and the anus is indicated by a fissure ; length 4 lines. The fly agrees best with Syrphus chalybeatus, Meig. Europ. Zweif. Ins. iii. 294, of which he describes a male. There are some slight discrepancies ; but as the species is subject to variety in its tints, I do not feel justified in considering it as different. It belongs to the genus Cheilosia of Macquart, to whose plates I must refer for a figure of the wing. It is some- what narrowish, obscure olive-green, or, in the male, slightly blueish, shining; face with two tubercles, the upper largest: black, with several whitish patches and reflected tints, especially round the margins of the eyes ; in some lights quite hoary : the head surrounded with whitish pubescence, hinder part of the head pale-greyish ; front black or greenish, punctulate, wide in the female, but, in the male, the eyes almost meet, a tri- angular space being left in front and behind ; eyes brown, yellowish white pubescent ; antennae smallish, the base black, with the third lenticular joint more or less deep fuscous, the first and second in such instances being paler next the joints, clothed with a thickish white or slaty down ; seta apparently naked ; thorax greenish or blueish-black, shining, finely punc- tulate, and having a fine retiform tracery on the surface, and a thickish yellowish white pubescence, mixed with black hairs ; the pubescence white on the sides, in the female neither so long nor dense ; scutellum concolorous, a shallow arched depression before the tip, pubescent ; abdomen rather narrow- ish, flattish, oblong-oval in the males, broader and bluntish in the females, concolorous, reticulated, rather thickly yellowish pubescent, the pubescence mixed with a few black hairs ; the belly, in the female, with the hinder edges of the segments, the base, and some tints on the middle subtestaceous ; legs black, thighs with a pale yellowish pubescence, which becomes blackish on the anterior; tibiae and tarsi on the inside and beneath with a shining thick short appressed yellow down ; tips of the femora, base and tips of the coxae yellow ; the fore and middle tibiae often with a black ring in the middle, the remainder being yellow ; the anterior sometimes with the inside entirely yellow ; the middle part of the hinder tibiae sometimes brown ; tarsi, on the outside, brownish, duskier towards the i So The Scottish Naturalist. tip, with the apices of the joints narrowly, and the inside, yellow ; in some instances the fore and middle tarsi are almost yellow, and the hinder have only a fuscous patch on the out- side in the middle of each joint j in dark specimens the tips of the tibiae are concolorous, and the tarsi are blackish externally ; poisers yellowish, covered by the white wing-scales, which are ciliated j wings glossy, brown nerved, the costa darker j stigma yellowish tawny ; length, 4 lines j expansion of the wings, 6 lines. The fly occurs in meadows about the beginning of June. This is the only species that I have succeeded in rearing j but if inferences may be drawn from larvae, there are others of similar habits. A smaller kind often bores into the centre of the primrose and polyanthus (Primula vulgaris), eats out the heart, and then descending into the root-stock, frequently destroys the plant. Another, considerably larger, occurs in the interior of the stem of the marsh thistle ( ' Cnicus palustris) ,* where eaten by a flesh-tinted lepidopterous caterpillar. This, I am persuaded, occasionally at least, preys upon the caterpillar ; for, having enclosed several in a close box, along with some of the caterpillars, the latter had all disappeared next morning, w r hilst the maggots were as numerous as before. In both these instances the maggots pined away, without being converted into pupae. This article, written many years since, would be incomplete without reference to a paper on the u Metamorphoses of Diptera," in the " Nat. Hist. Review" for 1857, communicated to me by my friendly correspondent, the late A. H. Haliday. From this it appears that the transformations t of another species of Cheilosia (C. scutellata) have been traced. See Dufour, Ann. Sc. Nat. xiii. 1840, ix. 1848. Eoser, Wurtemb. Zroeyf. Ins. Boje, Ent. Zeit. Stet. xi. 1850. Perris, Ann. Soc. Ent. France. Oldcambus, by Cockburnspath. * Zetterstedt {op. cit., supra xii. 4664,) says of C. Jlavicornis F., "Larva mensi- bus autumnalibus vivunt devorantes in caulibus CARDUI CRISPI, ubi mox supra radices degunt, teste BoiE, Stett. Ent. Zeit,, 1850, 212."— Editor Sc. Nat. T In putrescent Boleti t fide Leon Dufour. — EDITOR Sc. Nat. The Scottish Naturalist. 1 8 1 Cynips lignicola.— This has during the present season advanced five miles farther northward on the Berwickshire coast, and has now reached the confines of East Lothian. The galls are now plentiful on the outskirts of Penmanshiel wood and the Pease dean. A new centre of distribution has been discovered in the west of Scotland, on the oaks at Underwood, near Dunoon, a villa belong- ing to Mr. William Dickson, Alnwick, who has sent me authentic examples. From its smoothness and durability the gall is suitable for ornamental fancy work, and I have already, in the country, seen it employed, along with acorns, to decorate pine-scale picture frames. I am informed that similar advantage has been taken of it in London ; thus furnishing a ready means for a general disper- sion of the gall-fly.- -James Hardy, Oldcambus, March, 1872. Corrections to List of Birds found near Rosslyn.— In sending you my few notes anent the birds of Rosslyn, I made a mistake, owing to some people calling when I was at work. I think the Jacksnipe ( ' Scolopax gallinula) may breed on the Pentland Hills, but I have not myself seen eggs. I did so, however, several times at Auchterhouse, Forfarshire, where we used to reside. I never took the eggs, but have shot the young birds. That is now thirty years ago.— J. W. Wedderburn, Liberton House, by Edinburgh, 4th Jan., 1872. — I think Colonel Wedderburn has made two or three mistakes in his list of birds found at or near Rosslyn. You have noticed the statement that the Jack- snipe breeds there. I feel convinced that this assertion is erroneous, and I think the same mistake is made about the Fieldfare and Redwing, the former always builds in society, and I do not think there is a single well-authenticated instance of this bird having bred in this country. The Missel Thrush is constantly mistaken for it, and the Song Thrush for the Redwing. The latter end of last October a large flock of Missel Thrushes appeared here. A service tree stands in the field, about thirty yards from my garden and they soon devoured every berry ; I believe there were frequently thirty or forty in the tree at once. T his species is generally extremely shy and wary, but these birds were quite tame. There is a large yew tree in the garden which was loaded with fruit, and after they had eaten all the fruit of the service, they attacked the yew berries. One day I was standing with a friend within five or six yards of the tree, and in the course of a few minutes more than thirty of these thrushes came into it, and took no notice whatever of us. I have no doubt that they came from the continent.— Henry Doubleday, Epping, Essex, nth Jan., 1872. — In looking over Col. Wedderburn's list of birds occurring at Rosslyn (Sc. Nat, 152), I perceive several species given as breeding there which, it strikes me, require verifying. Is there not some error regarding the ioWow'mg—Fringilla spinas, Turdus pilaris, T. illiacus, and Scolopax gallinula ? Touching the first species I know it breeds in the forests here, but is it certain that it does so in the south of Scotland? With regard to the three latter species, I am aware that instances have been given of their nesting in Britain, but these on investi- gation have been, I believe, not verified with certainty. Many birds in the list are not mentioned as breeding, which certainly must do so wherever they occur, — G. Norman, Cluny Hill, Forres, January, 1872. "Wild Cats.— Have the specimens of the so-called •' Wild Cats " recorded by Mr. Paton as having been killed at Badenoch been verified by a naturalist ? I ask this because I believe that the true Felts Cat us is now nearly extinct in Bri- tain, and that the animals usually so-called are nothing more than semi-wild in- 162 The Scottish Naturalist. dividuals of the domestic cat. These, after several years' freedom in the forest, ^Ksurae very large dimensions, hence their being frequently confounded with the tru^i 5 ". Cat us. The domestic cat (Felis maniculata), it is supposed, came originally from Egypt. — Id. [I have seen the Wild Cat mentioned b) Mr. Paton, and can assure Mr. Norman that it is really a specimen of the true Felts Catus and not a tame cat run wild. The other specimens mentioned, I believe, were also true Wild Cats. — Editor Sc. Nat.] Early singing of the Chaffinch.— On the 16th January, while walking in the beautiful Cluny Hill woods I heard the cheerful and well known call of the Chaffinch fFringilla ccelebsj. For upwards of thirty years I have paid attention to the earliest dates of the singing of this bird, both in England and the con- tinent, but have never before heard it sooner than the beginning of February. — Id. THE STALK-EYED CRUSTACEA OF THE NORTH-EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND: With Descriptions of new Genera and Species.* By GEORGE SIM. 'T^HE following list includes the stalk-eyed Crustacea hitherto **■ found on the coasts of Aberdeenshire and Kincardine- shires, from Banff to Stonehaven, but refers more particularly to the neighbourhood of Aberdeen. It is the result of several years' labour, in which it has been my practice to visit the sea- beach every morning, and also to search the fishermen's lines as they came to land, and, when time would permit, to go to the rock-pools on the Kincardineshire coast, where many of my best specimens have been got ; the fishermen, too, brought me some of the larger kinds (whose habitat is the open sea) which it is their practice to cast overboard as useless. In addition, I regular- ly attended the fish-market, and examined the stomachs of cods and haddocks, in which several species have been found which would not have been obtained otherwise, unless by the dredge ; but this latter mode of search I have never had time to prosecute sufficiently. I have no doubt, however, that if it were gone about in a proper manner the list would be very much enlarged. In drawing up the list I have followed the arrangement of Pro- fessor Bell. In it will be found three species which 1 believe have not been before described. The first of these is a new species of * A paper read before the Aberdeen Natural History Society. The Scottish Naturalist. 183 the genus Thysanoessa of Brandt, which I have called Thysa- noessa aberdonensis. The other two appear to belong to genera hitherto undescribed. I have therefore constituted for their reception the new genera Rhoda and Acanthocaris, placing in the first, Rhoda Jar dineana, which species I have dedicated to that eminent naturalist, Sir William Jardine, Bart. ; and in the second, Acanthocaris Livingston cana, so named as a mark of my esteem for Dr. Livingstone for his indomitable courage and perseverance as an African traveller and discoverer. Specimens of each of these species are in my own collection, and in those of my friends, Messrs. Willis and Hodge, who have both rendered me valuable assistance in this work. Let no one suppose that the work is completed. There is yet much to be done, but we require workers. ' Let, therefore, those who have spare time commence the study, and I will guarantee them a rich harvest and much pleasure. In a complete list of British stalk-eyed Crustacea I would place Acanthocaris immediately after the genus Phyl/osoma ; but in the case of Rhoda I have been unable to determine where it should appear. I have placed it provisionally after Acanthocaris ; but regarding the position of both genera I am somewhat in doubt, and will leave their proper place to be determined by some one better qualified for the task. It will be seen that several individuals are enumerated in the list whose specific names are not given. Although certain as to the genera of these, I have been unable to refer them to their proper species, as all have been discovered since the publica- tion of Bell's " Stalk-eyed Crustacea," and their names and descriptions published in several periodicals which I have had no opportunity of consulting. Stenorhynchus phalangium Bell. — Common. Stenorhynchus tenuirostris Bell. — Occasionally in cods' stomachs. Inachus dorsettensis Leach. — Very common in cods' stom- achs and in fishers' lines. Inachus dorynchus Leach. — Occasionally on sands and in rock pools. Hyas araneus Edw. — Very common. Hyas coarctatus Leach. — Very common. Cancer pagurus L. — Common. 1 84 The Scottish Naturalist, Pirimela denticulata Leach. — Rare. Carcinus MjENAS Leach. — Very common. Portumnus variegatus Leach. — Frequent. Portunus puber Leach. — Rather rare. Portunus depurator Leach. — Rather rare. Portunus marmoreus Leach. (?) — Rare. Portunus holsatus Fabr. — Very common. Portunus pusillus Leach. — Very common in cods' stomachs. Ebalia Pennantii Leach. — Frequent in cods' stomachs. Ebalia Bryerii Leach. — Occasionally in cods' stomachs. Atelecyclus heterodon Leach. — Very common on fishers' lines and in cods' stomachs. Corystes cassivelaunus Leach. — Very rare. Lithodes maia Leach. — Frequent from deep water. Pagurus bernhardus Fabr. — Very common. Pagurus Prideauxii Leach. — Rare. Pagurus cuanensis Thompson. — Rare. Pagurus l^evis Thompson. — Frequent in haddocks' stomachs. Pagurus Thompsonii Bell. -Common in cods' stomachs. Porcellana longicornis Edw. — Common. Galathea squamifera Leach. — Very common in rock pools. Galathea strigosa Fabr. — Very common in rock pools. Galathea nexa Embleton. — Frequent in rock pools. Galathea dispersa Spence Bate. — Frequent from fishers' lines. Galathea Andrewsii Kinahan. — do. Munida Rondeletii Bell. — Rare. Callianassa subterranea Leach. — Frequent in haddocks' stomachs. Gebia deltura Leach. — Frequent in haddocks' stomachs. Homarus vulgaris Ed\v. — Common. Nephrops norvegicus Leach. — Frequent in cods' stomachs. Crangon vulgaris Fab. — Very common. Crahgon spinosus Leach. — Rare. Nika edulis Risso. — Once cast on the beach ; occasional in cods' stomachs. Hippolyte Cranchii Leach. — Common in rock pools. Hippolyte Whitei Thompson. — Rare. Hippolyte, 2 sp. Pandalus annulicornis Leach. — Frequent in cods' stomachs* Pandalus sp. — One specimen found in cod's stomach. Pal^emon sp. — do. do. The Scottish Naturalist. 185 ACANTHOCARIS nov. gen. Externa antenna erassa, primo segment permagno; intemarum antennarum pars inferior (ex tribus segmentis) longior eadem ex- ternarum antennarum parte,. et duabus multi-articulatis appendi- culis instructa. Pedes omnes monodaclyli, a parte a?iteriore re- trorsum dccrescentes. Oculi eoniei, pednnculis brevibus validis im- positi. Testa (sive clypeus dorsalis) a parte poster iore altissima, sulco tenui i?i dorso post regio?ie?n gastricam arata, septem spinis in margine posteriore ar/nata, et ab anteriore parte in rostro obtuso decurvato desinens. Sternum quoddam post test am usque ad ex- tremam secundi abdominis segment i partem porrigitur ; intra hoc sternum respirandi instrumenia locata sunt. Abdomen pane cy- lindritum. Telson (sive lamella caudalis media) bifurcation, utroque aculeo spina valida immobili instructo, armatum senis mobilibus spinis per utrumque latus dispositis. External antennae thick, first segment very large ; basal portion of the internal antennae longer than that of the external, and furnished with two multi articulate appendages. Feet wholly monodactyle, decreasing from before backwards. Eyes conical, set on short stout foot-stalks. Carapace deepest posteriorly, with a slight furrow on the dorsal aspect behind the gastric region, and armed with seven spines on the posterior margin, and terminating anteriorly in an obtuse de- curved rostrum. A sort of sternum extending behind the carapace to the extrem- ity of the second abdominal segment, within which sternum the respiratory organs are placed. Abdomen nearly cylindrical. Telson bifurcate, each point armed with a strong immovable spine, and six movable spines along each side. ACANTHOCARIS LlVINGSTONEANA ft. Sp. {Plate IV., Fig. B.J Carapace. — Smooth, with a slight transverse hollow on the dorsal aspect, and armed with seven sharp spines on the pos- terior margin. Nostrum. — A single depressed rather obtuse spine bent down between the eyes. Eyes. — Conical, covered with a sort of cap in front, and about one third longer than their short stout peduncles, the whole extending slightly beyond the' joint of the antennal scale. External ant, una. — With the first segment three-fourths the length of the scale, rounded and slightly swelled in the centre ; second, one-third the length of the first, movable portion stout at the base but becoming abruptly slender. As it was imperfect I cannot give its 1 86 The Scottish Naturalist. exact length. A?itennal scale. — Semi-ovate and furnished with a sharp spine at the extremity of its outer margin, whose inwardly bent point extends somewhat beyond the scale itself, which is ciliated on its inner margin and around the point to the base of the spine. Internal antenna. — Inserted directly above the external antennae; first segment long and stout; second, one-third the length of the first, and furnished with three spines on its outer margin ; the two segments nearly reaching the base of the movable portion of the external antennae ; third, one-third longer than the second ; movable portion and its filament broken, therefore I cannot give the length. Ex- ternal pedipalps. — Two pairs, both pediform ; the internal pair terminating in an obtuse, slightly knobbed tip. Feet. — Simple, getting shorter from before backwards. The first pair robust, with the terminal segment not multi-articulate as in the succeeding pairs, the whole ciliated on their anterior margins, their filaments being ciliated on their posterior margins. Abdomen. — First five segments cylindrical ; the sixth compressed on the dorsal edge (a transverse section would appear as a triangle with the lower corners slightly rounded) ; the last segment cylindrical, and somewhat swelled in the centre; the first two segments lie in a sort of sternum, which is composed of four pieces and within which are placed the respiratory organs, composed of numerous long filaments, along which are placed many minute cilia. Between the sixth and sev- enth segments there is a tuft of softish spines on the dorsal aspect. Tail. — Telson depressed, bifurcated, with six mov- able spines on each side, and one immovable at each ex- tremity. Lateral laminae lanceolate, the outer ones ciliated all round, but on the outer margin the cilia become shorter and stouter (might be called spines), the inner ones but half the breadth of the outer, ciliated on their inner margin and for one- third of the outer. The body is of a rather clear opnque white throughout ; and when at rest the tail is turned under the body at the junction of the fifth and sixth abdominal segments. Three specimens are all that have been got of this species, and these were found on the sands at high water mark. The first one was alive and lived a whole day without water, shewing a tenacity of life much beyond what is usually observed in creatures of this order. PLATE 4. The Scottish Naturalist. 187 EHODA nov. gen. Externa antenna fnodice crassa, parte mobili extra cnrvata. Extettii pedipalpi pediformes. Pedes omnes monodactyli ; eorum par primum ceteris paulo crassius, et par qnartu?n longitudine vix cequans ; at horum utrumque est aliquanto longius paribus se- cundo, tertio, et quinto. Oculi orbiculares, pedunculis sublon^is tenuibus imposiii. Testa cylindrica, a pxrte anteriore in brevi obtuso rostro desinens ; in testa prope utrumque foramen ocular e, et in utroque latere recta firimi pedum par is regione si?igula spina locata sunt. Abdomen cylindricum, prater ultimum segmentum, quod admodum compressum longius et altius est segment panultimo. Telson lanceolatum, in valida, acuta spina desinens. External antennae of moderate thickness, movable portion curved outwards. External pedipalps pediform. Feet wholly mo.iodactyle, first pair rather thicker than the others, and somewhat shorter than the fourth pair, both being considerably longer than the second, third, and fifth. Eyes circular, set on rather long slender foot-stalks. Carapace cylindrical, terminating anteriorly in a short obtuse, rostrum, with a spine near each orbit, and one on each side in a line with first pair of feet. Abdomen cylindrical, excepting the last segment, which is very much compressed, and longer and deeper than the one preceding it. Telson lanceolate, terminating in a strong, sharp spine. Rhoda JARDINEA.NA H. Sp. (Plate IV. fig. X.J Carapace.— Smooth, with a small tooth on each side in front of the insertion of the first pair of fee'. Two spines directed upwards and forwards, one above each orbit. Rostrum.— A single compressed spine, directed slightly upwards. Eyes. — Rounded, slightly larger than the peduncles, which are cylindrical and about a-fourth the length of the antennil scale. External an- tennoz. — With the first segment half the length of antennal scale, depressed. Second and third segments extending together a little beyond the end of antennal scale, movable portion slender, bent abruptly outwards, and half of the length of the body, from the rostrum to the extremity of the central plate of tail. Antennal scale. — Lanceolate, terminating in a minute spine, ciliated on the inner margin. Internal antenna. — Inserted out- side and below the external, nearly two-thirds of the length of the first segment of external antennae ; cylindrical, termi- iSS The Scottish Naturalist. nating abruptly as if broken off (or rudimentary?) External First and second segments short and cylindrical ; third ovate, depressed, and longest ; fourth similar but smaller. The whole furnished with bristles. Feet.— First and fourth pairs robust and much depressed \ the fourth longer than the first ; second, <-hird, and fifth of equal length, and somewhat more than half the length of the fourth ; sixth about one-third the length of the fifth. All are monodactyle, and furnished with bristles on their margii.s. Abdomen. — Cylindrical, excepting the last seg- ment, which is greatly compressed, and longer and deeper than any of the rest. False-feet. — Long, ciliated, decreasing in length backwards, and furnished with filamentous ciliated appendages. Tail. — Telson compressed, grooved above, and rounded at the extremity, which is armed with a sharp spine ; lateral laminae longer than the central-plate, lanceolate, ciliated on their inner margins, the outer ones longest, and rounded at the apex, near to which is a short spine on its lateral margin. Only one individual of this species has as yet been found. It was left by the tide at high-water mark, and when found it was of a highly polished opaque white throughout. Mysis chameleon J. V. Thompson. — Very common. Mysis vulgaris J. V. Thompson. — do. Mysis spiritus Norman. — Frequent. Mysis sp. Thysanopoda couchii Bell. — Common, cast on beach. Thysanoessa borealis Norman. — Frequent on sands. Thysanoessa aberdonensis, n. sp. (Plate V., Fig. i.J Carapace. — Smooth, lateral margins terminating in a spine anteriorly, posterior margin roundly indented. Rostrum. — Straight, with a ridge along the median line, which forms the point of the rostrum. Orbits. — Open above. Eyes. — Large, set on short and very slender peduncles, which do not extend beyond the orbits. External antenna. — First segment nearly one-fourth the length of the antennal scale \ second and third, somewhat over three-fourths the length of the scale ; movable portion, including the three segments, twice the length c/. the PLATE S. The Scottish Naturalist. 189 antennal scale. Antmnal scale. — Ciliated on its inner margin and at the apex, which has a small spine on the outer margin. There is also a long sharp spine at the base of the scale. Internal antenna. — Inserted within, and on the same line with, the external antennae ; longer and much stronger than the external ; movable portion ciliated on its inner margin, and furnished with a tuft of cilia at the extremity, and another at its base. External pedipalps. — Stout and pediform. Feet. — First pair very long ; last segment armed with about twenty long movable spines, arranged along each side and at the apex, and two on wrist ; remaining pairs gradually becoming shorter backwards. Abdomen. — Nearly cylindrical, narrowing rapidly towards the tail. Tail. — Telson spear-shaped, with a mov- able spine on each side, near the apex, and sometimes two spines on its upper surface ; outer lateral, lamina broad, truncate, ciliated on the inner margin; inner lateral lamina, narrowing to an obtuse point, ciliated all round. Figure 9 (Plate V.) is the same as Figure 1, with this differ- ence, that the last abdominal segment is furnished with a strong, sharp, recurved spine above its junction with the tel- son, which has always two spines on its median line, while aberdonensis generally wants them. These differences I do not think sufficient to warrant its being put down as a distinct species. It may, however, be a sexual distinction; but this has yet to be determined. This species (aberdonensis) is found in considerable abun- dance on our sandy beach, in the months of March and April, along with T borealis, a species named by the Rev. A. M. Norman, for the identification of which I am obliged to that gentleman. The principal difference between T. borealis and T. aberdonensis is in the first pair of feet, which in T. borealis are terminated with from eighteen to twenty long sharp spines, all proceeding from the extremity of the limb : while in T. aber- donensis eighteen spines are arranged along the sides of the last segment of that member, and two more placed on the wrist. The body and rostrum also differ in the two species. Lophogaster typhica Sars. — Occasionally cast on the beach. In addition to the foregoing list I append the following i go The Scottish Naturalist. species, taken from the " Banffshire " list, as given by "W." in vol. v. of the " Naturalist," 1855 :— Inachus leptochirus Leach. Eurynome aspera Leach. Pinnotheres pisum Leach. PORTUNUS LINEPPES. And he also adds Poomus Henslowii Leach., "on the autho- rity of the fishermen." EXPLANATION OF PLATES IV. & V. Plate IV. A. 1, Rhoda Jardineana — 2, External antennae ; 3, tail ; 4, one of first pair of feet ; 5, external pedipalps ; 6, eye. Plate IV. B. i, Acanthocaris Livingstoneana — 2, External antennae ; 3, second and succeeding pairs of feet ; 4, anterior margin of carapace and eye ; 5, telson ; 6, posterior margin of carapace ; 6, one of first pair of feet. Plate V. 1, Thysanoessa aberdonensis — 2, Internal antennae ; 3, one of first pair of feet ; 4, ta'l ; 5, external pedipalps ; 6, carapace ; 7, form of second and succeeding pairs of feet ; 8, external antennae and scale ; 9, supposed additional species. LIST OF HYDROID ZOOPHYTES FROM THE NORTH-EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND. The following list of Hydroid Zoophytes has been made up from specimens collected on the north east coast, from the town of Peterhead to the Sands of Cruden, and from a point about three miles north of the river Don to several miles south of the mouth of the river Dee. Part of this extent of coast is sandy, but the greater part is rocky. For the notice of the occurrence of many of the species I am indebted to the kindness of the Rev. J. Yuil of Peterhead. I have followed the nomenclature of Hincks. HYDR ACTI N 1 1 D sE .—Hydraclinia cchinata, frequent on Buccinum unda- tum. CORYNIDAL. — Coryne pusilla, not uncommon ; Syncoryne eximia, very com- mon. EUDENDRIlDsE.—F.uaendruim rameum, not uncommon ; Eudendriumra- tnosum, common ; Eudcndrlum capillare, frequent. ATRACTYLIDsE.—Bougainvilla ramosa, common. The Scottish Naturalist. 191 TUBULARIIDJE. — Tubularia indivisa, common; T. larynx, common; T. corona fa, not so common; T. bellis, not uncommon; T. simplex, rather uncommon. PENARI/DsE. — Fortic lava prole us, one specimen. CAMPAXULARIID.-E. — Clytia Johnstoni, several specimens. O. geni- culate common ; O. gdatinosa, common ; O. longissima, common ; O. dichotoma. common ; O. flabellata, not uncommon ; O. plicata. Cam- pan ularia volubilif ; C. caliculata, not common, on red weed ; C. verti- cillala ; C. Integra, Don mouth, Dr. Macgillivray j C.jZexuosa, common. LAFOEIDsE. — La/oca dumosa, not uncommon ; L. fructicosa (?), one specimen. COPPINIID.E. — Coppinia arcta, one specimen. HALECIIDJE.—Halecium labrosum, common; H. Halecinum, not uncom- mon ; H. Beanii, not common ; H, muricatum, common ; H. plumosum, common. Ophiodes mirabilis (?) one specimen. SERTULARIID/E. — Sertularella polyzonids, common ; S. Gayi, not un- common ; S. rugosa, very common ; 5. tenella, C. \V. Peach. Diphasia pinaster, uncommon ; D. rosacea, common ; D. atlemtata, C. W. Peach ; D. /a Pax, very common; D. tamarisca, common. Sertularia pluma (?) ; S. pumila ; S. gracilis; 6'. operculata, common ; S, filicula, common; S. abietina, common ; S. argentea, common ; S. cupressina, common ; S. fusca, not common. Hydrallmania falcata, several specimens. Thuiaria thuia, common ; T. articulata, not so common. PLUMULARIIDJE. — Aniennularia antenniha, common ; A. ramosa, com- mon. Aglaophenia myriophyUum, not common ; A. pennatula, very rare. Plumularia se/acea, a few specimens ; P. Catharina, not uncommon ; P. obliqua, rare — one specimen on a sponge ; P. frutesccns, common, — fisher- men's lines. Hydra viridis, fresh water, common ; Hydra vulgaris, fresh water, common. H. O. Forbes, Aberdeen, February, 1872. Scottish Spiders.— During the winter months, November and December, I made a small collection of spiders, in this vicinity, for the Rev. O. P. Cam- bridge, the well-known arachnologist, who has kindly furnished me with a report, which I hope will subsequently be enlarged. The following are new to Berwickshire, and either unrecorded for Scotland, or of rare occurrence : — Clubiona rcclusa, Cambr. ; Theridion signatum ; Linyphia ericcea ; L. circum- specta ; L. gracilis (?) ; L. crypticolens ; L. decolor, Westring ; L. cauta ; L. spec. iiov. (Pease dean); \Valckcn although closely related to it. It is of a pale grey ; the face satiny white, with yellowish testaceous reflection, which is browner on the lower part of the cheeks ; the space under the antennae very light grey, with white reflections ; edges of the mouth pale testaceous* and furnished with several stiff black bristles ; lower part of the face not prominent ; frontal band wide, ferruginous, the hinder portion brown ; a white shining spot above the base of the antennae ; the eye-margin wideish, white anteriorly, posteriorly pale grey, with about five strong curved bristles (lying in oppo- site directions, and rising from black points,) on each side, and two on each side of the vertex ; the eyelet triangle, hinder part of the head, and lower part of the face, pale grey ; two narrow faint fuscous lines on the hinder head, in a line with the margins of the eyes ; trunk rather pitchy at the apex ; palpi black, slightly thickened outwardly ; antennae black, third joint sub- cylindric, seta distinctly short-feathered; eyes brown, naked. Thorax stoutish, pale grey, the sides scarcely lighter ; a pale brown short line near the middle of the back ; a darker patch The Scottish Naturalist. 255 not always seen, above the shoulders, which are themselves paler ; some largish fuscous or black points at the base of the black bristles, which are rather stout; scutellum and metathorax unicolorous. Abdomen not much narrower than the thorax, longish ovate, very convex, tapered to the apex, pale grey, with some rubbed darker specks, and a distinct black dorsal line, seen in certain aspects as far as the tip, but more conspicuous on the first and second segments; the anal segment small, shining black ; the segments with a considerable scattered stiff pubescence, and a row of long curved bristles before the hinder margin of each. Legs black, slaty on the femora above ; the fore and hinder femora subpectinated above and beneath with longish black bristly hair; the middle with few only, and two curved ones near the apex ; hinder tibiae with about twelve spines, placed in different directions ; the middle with about ten, mostly encircling the apex ; the fore ones with five or six ; the foot-pads small, whitish beneath, duskier above. Poisers yellowish ; wing-scales moderate, tawny ; wing rather yellowed, particularly towards the base ; the nervures tawny towards the base, outwardly brown, the costal one darker, fringed with wideish short bristles, and bearing a longish spine ; the first cross nervure slanted ; the second almost erect and nearly straight. Length 2^-3 lines ; expansion of the wings 6 lines. The fly is very common on the flowers of the ragwort during the first and second weeks of August. In September the maggot is prevalent everywhere in the rag- wort flowers, and also in those of the marsh ragwort ( Senecio aquaticus). It destroys the seeds and the receptacle, blacken- ing where it does not devour, and matting the florets together round it as a safeguard from parasites, and sometimes piercing through the receptacle into the stalk. Those flowers that hold them are distinguished by a brown spot on the disk, and the premature fading of the central flosculi. The maggot is dirty white, subopaque, with a testaceous clearer stain along the back posteriorly ; very minutely roughened or wrinkled, as if shagreened ; thickish, spindle-shaped, tapered anteriorly, and narrowed slightly behind ; the segments pretty distinct ; a series of foveas along the sides ; the two oral hooks short, the tips only appearing ; each above overlapped with a slight pointed fleshy peak; the tracheae pretty distinct ; the an- 2 c; 6 The Scottish Naturalist. terior stigmatic plates at the sides of the posterior part of the second segment, pale testaceous, neatly and closely fringed ; the hinder end truncate ; the two stigmata situated below the level of the back, only slightly prominent, ferruginous at the tip, which is triply divided ; the truncation minutely subgranu- lose ; a slightly depressed area round the stigmata, surrounded by prominent tubercles, of which there is one on each margin in a line with the stigmata, then three in succession downwards, of which the lowermost is at the end of a raised transverse ridge, which, exclusive of these two lateral ones, bears six tubercles, of which there are four in a row, the two in the middle having behind them two others placed more inwardly; this ridge is followed by a transverse hollow, and this again by a ridge, which has a tubercle at each end ; the anus is a fissure in a hollow lying behind the second ridge; the belly is less curved than the upper surface, and is considerably ridged across. Length, 2yi lines. The puparium occurs in the centre of the flowers. As usual, it is a contracted cast of the maggot. No. IV.— LEUCOPIS OB SCUBA Haliday (Dipterous parasite of Adelgcs picece and A. corticalis.) IN the "Entomological Magazine" (i. 173) Mr. Haliday characterized a small agromyzideous fly, under the name of Leucopis obscura, which he elsewhere (lib. cit. iv. 148) informs us occurred on larch and fir trees, in the month of August, near Holywood in the north of Ireland. More recently Ratzeburg (" Forst-Ins." hi. 170) reared the same fly from the puparia found among the woolly envelope of Chermes ( A delges) picece, and named it Leucopis atratula. ("Ray Soc. Rep. on Zool. for 1844," p. 393) ; and it is probably to the same species that Kaltenbach (" Monograph, der Pflanzenlause, i. 200) refers uuder the name of Agromyza chermivora, as proving very destruc- tive to Ch. (Adelges) corticalis. On the 4th of February, I first met with the remains of the empty pupa-cases adhering in profusion to the bark of the trunks of silver firs, in spots that had been previously much infested with Adelges picece, where they had probably remained suspended for years. The Adelges having deserted these places, there were no maggots The Scottish Naturalist. 257 present, but two specimens were obtained higher up on the branches where their prey was still rife and active. Afterwards on the 6th of May, I found numbers of them on the Scotch pine, particularly in the axils of the leaves, concealed by the white cottony covering of Adelges corticalis, which adhered so closly to them, that they were only to be detected by the pro- jection of the hinder apex. The maggot is narrowish, white, shining, nearly spindle- shaped, fore-end much tapered ; hinder somewhat again con- tracted and slightly rounded; segments well defined, each annulated with ridged rings, very thickly be-set with short hirsuties ; whitest anteriorly, yellower towards the middle, with black or brownish specks below and above from the nature of the food ; mouth provided with two black hooks ; the tracheae wind very much; the fore-stigmata* imperceptible, probably opening close behind the head ; the hinder stigmata two dusky slightly projecting, not widely placed processes ; not far below them, making with them an isosceles triangle, the apex projects somewhat ; at its tip is the anus, which appears like a shining brown plate or valve, with a brown irregular edge. Length 1-1^ line. It uses its oral hooks to facilitate progression by dragging itself onwards ; its excrement is black and adhesive like pitch, and previously to entering into the pupa state it discharges a quantity, which glues it to the object on which it is lying, to which it is closely applied, and on which the pupa-case is partially moulded. Both maggots and puparia are dusted over with the flakes of the cottony exudation from the Adelges. I obtained the pupa-case at the same time as I did the maggot. It is somewhat oblong, the segments scarcely indicated, the pubescence still visible, light brown, sometimes darker, the fore tip and the under side paler, or chestnut ; only slightly shining ; the underside flattened ; contracted at the fore-tip, where the upper surface is rather depressed ; the cast- off oral hooks visible under the skin to which they adhere ; hinder apex emarginate ; 1 line long. A portion of the case often comes away on attempting to detach it from its support ; this is at the fore end, from which a portion is detached to ad- mit of the fly obtaining its freedom. The fly appeared on the 20th of May, and for some time 258 The Scottish Naturalist. afterwards. It is black, with a slight slaty tint, obscure or but slightly shining; head transverse, semicircular, almost wider than the thorax ; front wide in both sexes ; eyelet triangle, a narrow line next the eyes, and a minute arch above the base of the antennas, slaty ; a few very minute black bristles on the crown, and down the sides of the eyes, with a few longer on the hinder margin of the head ; face black or greyish, short, obliquely descending, slightly keeled in the middle, mouth-rim high; trunk white; autennse with the third joint lenticular, moderate-sized, clothed with white down, seta naked. Thorax short subquad rate, convex, blackish, with a slaty shade, but slightly shining, with scattered minute punctures, some, however, of which are in lines, with short hairs on the back and long ones on the sides and near the base ; sides and scutellum concolorous, the last with two long hairs at the tip. Abdomen in the female short ovate, blackish, a little more shining; hinder edges sometimes narrowly white, the sides more cinereous, thickish dark grey, pubescent ; beneath with two yellow lateral stripes, between which the seg- ments form a series of shining black and yellow cross-bands, the latter being at the hinder margins and narrower; the apex itself shining black; in the male the tip obtuse, the belly obscure, Legs short in the females, black or pitchy, the basal joint of the fore and hinder tarsi at the base only, but in the middle ones entirely pale ; in the males almost concolorous. Poisers yellow, the club round ; the wings very short, clearish, scarcely darkened, green, brown, and purplish iridescent; nervures dis- tinct ; mediustine nervure double, in addition to it there are four longitudinal nervures of which the upper three are sub- parallel; the two cross nervures lie near the middle of the wing, and of these the upper is slightly oblique. Length not quite 1 line ; expansion of the wines 1 y 2 line. THE NEST OF FORMICA RUFA AND ITS INHABITANTS. ( Concluded from p. 222. ) By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. TN addition to the rightful owners, the ant-hill is often in- habited by other species of insects which not only manage to hold their own in a place where, one would imagine, any in- The Scottish Naturalist. 259 trusion on the part of a stranger would be immediately followed by the violent death of the intruder, but which are not to be found anywhere else. The relation which these bear to the ants has not yet, in some cases at least, been satisfactorily explained. Some species, however, seem evidently to be encouraged by the ants, who derive from them the benefit of a constant supply of the same sweet honey-like fluid that they obtain by milking the aphides, while others seem to find a suitable home and food in the nest, and to depend on various contrivances for protection against their involuntary (and possibly enraged) hosts. These sojourners in the cities of Formica rufa comprise not only insects of various orders, but also spiders and mites. One of the most interesting is a small moth, Myrmecocda ochraceclla Tgstr., whose connection with ant-hills has been long known but whose life-history has not yet I believe been published. About the end of June and in July, if we examine the blades of grass in the vicinity of a nest of the hill-ant in Perthshire or other parts of the north of Scotland, we shall probably see several spe- cimens of a small yellowish-ochreous moth perched upon them. These moths are not very active and rather prefer to crawl about than to fly. Sometimes when disturbed they get on to the nest and enter some of the doors, the ants appearing, strange to say, to be generally rather frightened for them. The eggs are laid in or on the nest, and the caterpillars, which are white with brown heads and with a few scattered hairs, feed upon the decaying vegetable matter of which the nest is com- posed. As, however, a fat soft juicy larva would be a morsel too tempting to escape the jaws of the ants, the caterpillar con- structs long galleries of small twigs, leaves, &c, fastened together with silk, and thereby protects itself from its hosts. The cater- pillar lives during the autumn, winter, and spring, and about the beginning of June assumes the pupa state inside the gallery. The puparium is about the third of an inch in length, slender, and yellowish-brown in colour. The legs have separate covers, those for the first two pairs lying between the wing- covers, and at the extremity of the wing-covers appear the coverings (nearly free) of the extremities of the third pair of legs. On the dorsal aspect of the covering of the segments of the hind body (except the three penultimate) are two rows of 260 The Scottish Naturalist. short spines directed towards the anal extremity. The first of these rows (on each segment) is the largest, and is situated near the front margin of the segment j the second row has spines of about half the size of those composing the first row, and is situ- ated about the centre of the segment. On the three penulti- mate segments there is no centre row of spines. The last segment is obtuse, and furnished with a somewhat irregular circlet of short broad triangular spines. The use of the spines is of course, I imagine, to enable the pupa to travel through the galleries. Some nests quite swarm with the larvae of this moth, while others are entirely free from them. One nest had rather a peculiar appearance from the number of galleries protruding from it. In Britain M. ochraceella has only been found in Scotland ; on the Continent it occurs in Finland and Switzerland. There is another species of the same genus (and, I suppose, with the same habits) in south-eastern Europe. Though several species of Hemiptera are supposed to be as- sociated with ants, yet none have been hitherto recorded as having been found in the nests of the hill-ant in Britain. In northern Europe one of the Afithocoridce, Piezoctethus for?nicttc- rum Boh. occurs in the ant-hills, and to that species I, with some doubt, refer a bug that I found commonly in Braemar. The first specimen that I saw was a pupa found in a nest in Glen Lui, by my friend Mr. Hislop. Subsequently Dr. Sharp and I found the perfect insect not uncommonly in many ant- hills. It is a very small creature and seems to live deep down in the nests. The pupae were seen in May and June, and the perfect insects in June and July. What its food is I cannot say, but judging from the tastes of allied species, the Pitzostethus (if such it be) is carnivorous, and preys upon smaller or weaker insects. It runs with great activity, but though furnished with wings, I never saw one flying. Of all the orders of insects, the Coleoptera or beetles have most representatives in the ant hill. Some of these are carni- vorous species, others find a means of subsistence in the dead vegetable matter composing the nest. We will briefly notice the species that have been found in Scotland.* * I have to thank my friends Mr Hislop and Dr Sharp, for supplementing my information on this subject. The Scottish Naturalist 261 Myrmedonia canaliculata and humeralis. — These are generally near, but not in the nest, especially ca?ialiculata. Thiasophila angu/ata, Dinar da Mderkeli, Homalota flavipes, talpa and anceps, Oxypoda hcemorrhoa and formiceticola, Quedius brevis and Leptacinus formicetorum are all inhabitants of the hill and connected in some mysterious way with the ants. The ants would have no difficulty in demolishing some of these, but for reasons as yet unexplained not only refrain from doing so, but are said to treat their guests with great hospitality and kindness. Quedius brevis (first taken in Scotland in I869, by Mr Hislop and subsequently found by Dr Sharp and myself) and Dinar da Mderkeli (found by Mr Hislop) have not, I think, been recorded as Scottish. Ptilium myrmecophilum. — This little creature sometimes abounds in the nests. Monotonia conicicollis is found deep down in the hill. This is a very slowly moving animal, and greatly resembles a very small piece of wood. Dmdrophilus pygmaus and M yr metes piceus. — These are found near the bottom of the nest, and are like round black seeds. The former is not uncommon, but of the latter I have only seen a single individual, which, I believe, is the only known Scottish example. Cetonia floricola is the largest beetle that inhabits the Scottish ant-hills and is perhaps the handsomest. The larva lives in the nest, where it is said to feed on the " ant eggs," but more probably, in my opinion, on the substance of the hill. The perfect insect is sometimes found in the nest, but more often at the old " sugar " placed on trees as a bait for moths by col- lectors of Lepidoptera, and sometimes at the fermenting sap of trees, such as that which exudes from the burrows of the goat- moth caterpillar. Clythra ^-punctata. — This, from its habits, is one of the most interesting species found in the ant hill. It generally in- habits an old and partly forsaken nest, though I have seen it in a thickly populated hill. The perfect insect may be often found outside the nest upon trees or flowers, but sometimes in the nest. It is, however, the habits of the larva that give to this beetle its interest. The larva is soft and fat, so to protect it- self from the jaws of the ants it constructs for itself a movable 262 The Scottish Naturalist. house or case. This case is made of black excrementitious matter, and is somewhat pear-shaped with the narrow end bent slightly downwards. The door or mouth is at the narrow end, and on the upper side from it run back several ridges to strengthen the case. Two of these run divergently for about half the length of the case, and below these there are sometimes two shorter ridges. Between the two first-mentioned ridges three other pairs run parallel to them, and meeting, form a series of three V's, one within the other, on the back of the case. Oc- casionally one side of a V runs past its own apex and joins the opposite side of the enclosing V. The rest of the surface of the case is comparatively smooth. The length of the case is from 5-6-lines, and the breadth at the hinder or broad end \V2-2 lines. The larva, as mentioned above, is fat and soft, and not un- like a small cockchafer larva in shape. The hinder part is the largest, whence the reason of the shape of the case, which the larva never" leaves. The head is hard and horny, and when the forehead is applied to the mouth of the case, all intrusion or interference on^the part of the ants is effectually prevented. The larva feeds on the spongy material which forms the older part of the hill. When the larva is about to assume the pupa state it fastens the mouth of its case (closing it up) to a twig or other part of the nest, or sometimes to the case of one of its companions (who, if he too is not ready to become a pupa, has consequently to carry a heavy load about with him), and then turns about till the head is at the broader part of the case. This turning is necessary to allow the perfect insect to escape, as the original door of the house is not large enough for that pur- pose, and the beetle finds it easier to break his way through the back wall. Among the Diptera, or two-winged flies, I believe there are some species that frequent the ant-hill, but at present I am not able to give very much information as to this. In Scotland, then, we have representatives of at least three orders of insects— Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera — associatedjwith Formica rufa, and not improbably representa- tives of two other orders — Neuroptera and Diptera. No Orthopteronhas been found inhabiting the ant-hill in this country, but in Continental Europe there is a grass-hopper that inhabits The Scottish Naturalist. 263 the nests of Formica rufa and other ants, and possibly a care- ful search may result in the discovery of this or some allied species in Britain. In conclusion, a word or two on the method of examining an ant-hill may not be out of place. Select, then, a hill that is neither too small nor of recent origin, and begin operations by examining the moss, grass, and stones round the base of the nest. These may be shaken over a large sheet of strong paper or " Waterproof." Having disposed of the outside of the nest plunge the hand into the depths of the hill and take out several handfuls of the substance of the nest, place in a wire sieve and shake over the paper — then examine the siftings. If one hill is unproductive, try another; and don't, if you can, be frightened for the ants, nor be surprised if you should even find a few in your bed after a day " among the hills." In examining a hill, it is humane, not to say politic, not to disturb the nest, especially the upper and outer parts, more than necessary. A piece of wood, or a rough stone or two, placed on or beside the hill, and examined early in the morning will often be found to have beetles adhering to the underside. NOTES ON SCOTTISH HEMIPTERA. ( Continued from p. 226. J By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. ULOPA OBTECTA Fall. One of the characters of the genus Ulopa Fall, is that the species have no wings. It was therefore with some surprise that I captured a winged form of the common U. obtccta on a hill in Braemar at about an altitude of 1900 or 2000 feet. This winged form only differs from the common apterous form in the possession of wings. It frequented, however, a rather damper locality than the common form, which prefers dry ground under heather, the dead leaves of which it very greatly resembles. U. obtccta is a very sluggish animal and can leap but feebly. It seems to be common throughout the country in heathy places. 264 The Scottish Naturalist. PIEZODORUS PTJRPTJREIPENNIS De G. Of this handsome species Messrs. Douglas and Scott say, " common on furze and broom bushes in the autumn." It oc- curs, however, in spring and early summer also, and though most partial to broom and furze, yet sometimes frequents trees, and where Genista tinctoria abounds does, as might be expected, not unaffect that plant. I have noticed larvae, both large and small, abundant in September. P. purpureipennis is not an uncommon species in the lowland part of Scotland. The most northerly locality from which I have specimens is Forres, whence they were sent me by Mr. Norman. MIRIS HOLSATTJS Fab. This species, which when " British Hemiptera " was pub- lished, was considered " apparently a scarce species," abounds throughout Scotland up to at least 1200 feet above sea-level. It frequents grasses and other low plants especially in or near woods. In early spring hibernated specimens are not unfre- quent, in June larvae are common and imagos still not scarce; in July, August, September, and October imagos abound. The spring and early summer specimens are frequently green, but in August, when the grass among which this species occurs is becoming yellowish, the majority of specimens are ochreous. If, as is probable, the spring individuals are hibernated autumn ones, how is it that they change from green to ochreous ? By the direct action of the food-plant ? Be the cause what it may, we have here a good example of protective mimicry. MIRIS L^VIGATUS L. This is not such a common species as the last, in Scotland. I have taken it in Perthshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It, too, like the last, appears to hibernate, and early summer speci- mens are green, whilst autumnal ones are ochreous. It fre- quents grasses and low plants, but seems to prefer more open situations than M. holsatus. I have seen it in May, June, July, September, and October. MIRIS CALCARATUS Fall. A tolerably common and widely distributed species in Scot- land. Among grass on dry banks throughout the whole year, The Scottish Naturalist. 265 probably specimens may be found. Like the two preceding species, this has a green form when the grass is green and juicy, and an ochreous form when its food-plant is getting dry and yellowish. MIBIS RTJFICOKNIS Fall. This, too, is a common Scottish species, attaining an elevation of 1200 feet. In the beginning of June larvae may be found among grass in woods, and along the edges of fields. At the end of June, and thence to September, the perfect insect is common. I have also seen larvae in August. M. ruficornis does not appear to have an ochreous autumnal form, nor does it seem to hibernate in the perfect state. These four species are all of the genus Miris that, I think, have been as yet found in Scotland. MONANTEIA HTJMTJLI Fab. Seems to be scarce in Scotland. The larva is said, according to Burmeister, to mine the leaves of the common Forget-me-not, Myosotis palustris. I found a single specimen in a damp place where some of the marsh species of Myosotis grow, near Perth. MONANTHIA CARDTJI L. A common species throughout Scotland. It frequents thistles, chiefly Carduus lanceolatus, of whose involucres it is especially fond. There appear to be two broods in the course of the summer, one in June, the other in August. According to Douglas and Scott, some individuals hibernate, but I have no recollection of meeting with any specimens in winter. ( To be continued.) Note on Acilius fasciatus.— During early spring, and when the sun is shining brightly, Acilius fasciatus has a curious habit of climbing out of the water to the top of aquatic plants, where it remains suspended for a considerable time, evidently enjoying the warmth. Frequently a dozen of the beetles may be seen close to each other in this, one would think, uncomfortable position, the plants bending over with the weight of their bodies, and swaying to and fro with the breeze. I suspect this is a common habit with most of the larger Hydra- dephaga, as I have frequently captured them by sweeping herbage close to, and even at a distance from, water.— P. Cameron, Jr., Glasgow. 266 The Scottish Naturalist. Note on Leaf Galls.— During the past summer I found specimens of the round pellucid leaf galls of Spathegaster baccarutn — the well-known "Currant" gall-fly of the oak — placed on the upper-side of the leaf. This appears to be a very rare occurence, the rule with those Cynipida, who make their galls on leaves, being to have them on the under-side, where no doubt they will be better protected from the attacks of their enemies. Cynips lignicola is abundant in all the woods surrounding Glasgow. It also occurs near Hamilton. The birds appear to destroy a good many of the larvae. — Id. Popular Entomology.— I really think you ought to give to the enclosed scrap a corner in your journal, as it serves to show how rife ' ' popular '' entomology is in the land. Of course the insect is some Sirex, but the article shows that the Scot. Nat. has not appeared a day too early : — Insect Life in a Coal Pit. — "Of late the miners employed at Muiredge coal pit, a little to the north of Buckhaven, and on the Wemyss estate, have felt con- siderable annoyance in consequence of large winged insects fluttering around the flames of their lamps, and often extinguishing them. A miner named William Semple had his attention directed to several gimlet-like holes in the wooden props that support the workings, and on closely examining the same, discovered live moth-like insects in the cavities. They are evidently foreigners. The wood of which the props were made came from abroad, and they have been in the pit between three and four years. The insects are in many cases just emerging from their birthplaces into active life underground, and resemble wasps, but are not altogether like those in this country." — Edinburgh Courant. Albert Muller, F.L.S., Eaton Cottage, South Norwood, S.E., 13th August, 1872. Note on the Habits of Crymodis exulis.— I took a few specimens of Crymodis exulis during a visit to Iceland, in the month of July, and perhaps a note or two thereon may assist in helping on the discovery of this " rara avis" in Scotland. As I was always travelling all day, my only time for looking after insects was in the evening, and all my specimens were taken at rest at that period of the " undying day," for night there was none. I found them in sheltered grassy slopes, and always in those lying to the east or southeast. They were in pairs, resting on the tops of long blades of stiff grass, and so pretty conspicuous. When boxed they tumbled to the bottom, and save one turn to right themselves on their legs, made no movement whatever. My specimens vary somewhat ; one being almost black. — W. Douglas Robinson, Christ Church, Oxford, September, 1872. Vanessa Antiopa in Perthshire— The unusual number of specimens of this beautiful, and hitherto in Scotland, very rare butterfly, is astonishing most collectors of Lepidoptera. I am able to report two Perthshire examples, one seen near Dunkeld on August 22nd, by Colonel Drummond Hay and myself, and another on the same day at Moncreiffe, by Sir Thomas Moncreiffe. Neither of them were captured. It will be seen from the reports below, that (for this species) many others have been seen in Scotland. I shall be glad to record any others that may have been seen. — F. BUCHANAN White. Vanessa Antiopa in Berwickshire.— I have to report the following recent occurrences of the "Camberwell Beauty" near Eyemouth. One caught by a The Scottish Naturalist. 267 boat-builder ; one by the head-gardener at Netherbyres garden ; one seen and nearly caught by my father, and one seen by my friend Mr. Kelly. Another was taken by Mr. Cairns at Clarabad Mill, some ten or twelve miles from Eye- mouth. I have two in my possession, and the fineness of one of them would go against its having travelled far.— W. Shaw, Gunsgreenhill, Ayton, Eyemouth. Vanessa Antiopa in Morayshire.— Two specimens were taken here by me on the 26th August. They were on a "Cossus" birch.— G. NORMAN, Forres. Vanessa Antiopa in Forfarshire.— I saw a specimen near the Loch of Lintrathen on 16th September.— Id. Vanessa Antiopa in Aberdeenshire.— One was seen near Aberdeen at the end of August by several people.— J. W. H. Traill, Aberdeen. Id.— On 22d August a very fine specimen of Vanessa Antiopa was taken near this, but it unfortunately escaped from the captor's hat before he could get it boxed. Another was seen the same day and a few days after in another quar- ter, and a third some miles off.— J. Garrow, Inverurie. Occurrence of Vanessa polychloros in Scotland.— On 22d August a specimen of Vanessa polychloros was taken in the neighbourhood. Two or three had been seen flying about during the week previous, but were thought to be only large specimens of urticce, and no effort was made to take them. — Id. Capture of Noctua ditrapeBium in Scotland.— Amongst some moths recently forwarded to me for names by Mr. W. Herd is a specimen of Noctua ditrapezium, a species not before recorded for Scotland nor very far north in England. It was taken near Perth.-— F. Buchanan White. Pararge Megeera.— I notice that in your list of Scottish Lepidoptera now coming out in the Scottish Naturalist, you say this butterfly has of late years dis- appeared from the " Tay" district. I captured one near Newport in May, 1870. — W. B. Simson, Dundee, 1st July, 1872. Capture of Xylophasia Zollikcferi Frr. — I have to announce a very interesting addition to the list of Scottish Lepidoptera. Some months ago, Mr. J. W. H. Traill brought me a moth to name which had been captured at Inverurie by Mr. Tait. This, I found, I was unable to do, and had almost determined to describe the moth as a new species, but before doing so, thought it better to submit the specimen to Mr. Doubleday's inspection. Mr. Double- day, with his wonted kindness, at once informed me that the insect was Xylophasia Zollikoferi Frr., and that hitherto it has been unique as British in his own cabinet. Mr Doubleday writes — "This is a very pale variety. My specimen is thickly irrorated with black along the nervures, and very closely resembles in appearance a female Nonagria typhce. I sent my specimen to Dr. Staudinger, and he said it agreed exactly with a specimen in his cabinet, which was captured in Hungary. He added that it was one of the rarest of the European noctuae, and he only knew of the existence of a few specimens, two of which were taken near Berlin, and the others in Hungary and Russia. Although so rare it is very widely distributed." The Aberdeenshire specimen may be thus described. Front wings shining, greyish-ochreous, more grey beyond the subterminal line, and the nervures faintly marked out in grey. The only 268 The Scottish Naturalist. markings are the orbicular stigmata, the edges of which are pale ochreous, but very indistinct ; the claviform stigmata, also edged with ochreous but almost imperceptible ; the reniform stigmata, which are more apparent, outlined with ochreous, and the lower end filled in with pale grey ; the elbowed line, which consists of a row (in some places double) of small blackish spots on the nervures, and a faint ochreous line near the inner margin ; and the subtermi- nal line, which is pale ochreous and serrated, especially in the middle, where it is like a W ; the serrations looking towards the base are tipped with grey. The hind margin is undulated, and between the tips of the nervures is a grey line ; the fringes are ochreous,'- intersected by a darker line ; the inner margin is narrowly greyish black. The hind-wings are ochreous white, with the nervures, and the hind margin irregularly, ochreous grey. The expansion of the wings is about 2% inches. Herrich-Schaffer (Schmetterlinge von Europa, Supp. Noctuidts Tab. 21) gives two figures of this species. Fig. 103 is most like the Inverurie specimen, but differs in being much darker in colour, in having no trace of the orbicular and claviform stigmata, the elbowed line distinctly formed of two rows of dots, and no ochreous line on the inner margin, and the sub- terminal line more distinctly marked with grey. The hind-wings are much darker, and the expanse of the wings barely 2 inches. Fig. 104 is very different, and lookes almost like a different species. The Inverurie example was, I be- lieve, taken at sugar in September. — F. Buchanan White, September, 1872. Deilpbila livornioa at Bridge of Allan.— I captured a very perfect speci- men of Deilephila livornica flying at the flowers of Lilium auratum, in the greenhouse, at dusk on September 7th. Last night I got a good specimen of Sphinx convolvuli in the same way.— W. D. PATERSON, Fernfield, Bridge of Allan, nth September, 1872. Helix lapicida near Hawick.— One wet day last week, I saw a number of this snail on a lichen-covered "dry-stone dyke" near Hawick. There were three or four shells to every square foot for a distance of thirty or forty yards. I understand that Helix lapicida has not been recorded as Scottish before. — W. Grant Guthrie, Hawick, 20th July, 1872. Domesticated Kobins— The following may be interesting to some of your readers. A pair of robins which during last winter had made a practice of coming Jnto the room occupied by my children, and being always welcomed with a plentiful supply of bread-crumbs, eventually became so tame as to take up their quarters regularly during the cold winter nights above the window cur- tains. As the spring wore on they seemed to have disappeared, but in one of the sleeping rooms, not occupied during the day, but which always had the window open, at that time there was observed to be continually a lot of moss and stuff scattered about, which was carefully swept away every morning by the housemaid ; this went on for two or three weeks, till at last one of the children in the room stated that he was sure the robins were building in the window cur- tains in spite of their work being always pulled down by the housemaid. Orders were immediately given that the birds should not be again molested. In a short time a nest composed of moss and leaves was completed on the valance of the window curtains. When the hen began to lay, she would come every morning to the window, about four o'clock, giving a tap with her bill, and on being admitted, would at once fly up to her nest and give a twitter, as much as to say to Cock Robin, who was sitting on the sill outside, " I am all The Scottish Naturalist. 269 right'' ; he in return would strike up a cheery song, which completed, an- other twitter would be given by way of thanks for his little attention, and he would then retire. In a few days the hen began to sit, became shy, and was very little seen ; she would, however, come down in the morning to be let out, and and would return in a few minutes, but instead of flying direct to her nest, she would settle on the curtains at the end furthest from it, and when she thought she was not observed would slyly slide along the top of the curtains and sud- denly pop in. Cock Robin was most assiduous in his attentions, coming every morning at an early hour with a grub for her breakfast, always perching first on the wardrobe opposite the window, and after remaining a second or so, dart across the room to the nest and out again, this he would do two or three times during the morning. In about three weeks six little fledgelings occupied the nest. About this time my family left home, and strict orders were given that the window should always be left slightly open, and I had the satisfaction of learning that in due course the six young robins were fledged and took their departure ; and occasionally Cock Robin may now be heard on the window sill cheering us with his autumn song. — H. M. Drummond Hay, Seggieden. Note on the record in Gray's "Birds of the "West of Scotland" of the occurrence of the Little Crake.— The Scottish Naturalist seems a fitting organ for correcting a mistake for which I am in a measure responsible in Gray's "Birds of the West of Scotland." The Little Crake mentioned in the appendix is the same as the one recorded in the body of the work, p. 334, being at present the only Scottish specimen. It is an adult male bird, but not in very good condition. It was picked up by a girl tending cattle.— J. H. Gurney, jr., Northrepps, Norwich, 23d July, 1872. The Wood "Warbler— In looking over the "Scottish Naturalist" for July, I was surprised to see the Wood Warbler (Sylvia sibilatrix) mentioned as a rare bird in Fyvie. It may interest some of your readers to know that in the neighbourhood of Loch Lomond it is far from uncommon. Between twenty and thirty of these birds were counted by Mr. Gray (author of the " Birds of the West of Scotland") and myself, during an afternoon's walk in the woods at the south end of the loch, on the 26th of June last.— James Lumsden, jr., Arden House, Alexandria, 12th July, 1872. Albino Wild Duck (Anas Boschas).— For a sight of this rare and inter- esting variety I am indebted to Mr. W. Robb, Marischal College, Aberdeen. The bird, which is a fine female, was shot this summer in the parish of Kil- drummy in Aberdeenshire. The plumage is entirely white, with a slight buffy tinge on the abdomen ; the legs and bill are orange. Albinism of even a partial kind seems very rare amongst the true wild ducks, though common among the domestic breeds descended from them. While on the subject of albinos, I may also mention that Mr. Robb showed me during the summer, an albino black- bird (Turdus mcrula) which was shot at Careston Castle, near Brechin. Its plumage was pure white, with the exception of the following parts, which were dark grey or brown mixed with white, viz., two or three primaries of each wing, six ot the tail feathers, a patch in front of the vent, and two patches on the right thigh. The irides were dark brown ; the bill and legs as usual.— James W. H. Traill, Aberdeen. PHYTOLOGY. AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING PLANTS FOR THE HERBARIUM. By Colonel DRUMMOND HAY. T_T AVING frequently noticed how long a flower that has been A cut and suddenly dried in the sun during hay-making time will retain its colour, I was led to turn my attention to my repeated failures in the drying of plants for the herbarium, which on investigation appeared to arise chiefly from three causes, ist, the plants not being dried quickly enough, so as to prevent fermentation ; 2nd, the sap-vessels being often bruised by pressure, and so causing a loss of colour ; and 3rd, from want of care and attention in laying out the plants, so as to keep each leaf and flower, or even petal in some of the larger flowers, separate during the drying process. To obviate the above the following plan was tried and found to be so great an improvement on the old one of merely using several sheets of paper between each two specimens, though ever so often changed, that I have no hesitation in recommending it to any one who may wish to give it a trial. Of course it must be borne in mind that plants, like birds, or other subjects of natural history, to be well done, require much time, care, and attention with a constant eye to nature, without which they can never be satisfactory to the general observer, though perhaps perfectly sufficient for all purposes to the practical botanist. To commence at the beginning : should a screw-press not be used, procure two well seasoned boards an inch or so thick of beech, or any other hard wood, 18 inches by 11, for the out- sides. (If lightness is required deal may be used, but is better of a cross piece at each end to prevent warping.) Also, a number of thin light boards should be procured of the same size as the outer ones, but only of about ^th inch thick. The best are of common bee mahogany used for linings, which may be The Scottish Naturalist. 1 7 1 obtained at a reasonable price from any cabinetmaker. Get several sheets of unbleached wadding cotton and cut them to the size of the boards, one sheet should supply four pieces, and two pieces will be required for each board; also, a quire or two of thin whitey-brown paper, which, together with the cotton, I have found far superior to any other drying paper. A dozen or so of leaden weights, about the size of a penny-piece, and four times as thick, should be provided j a sharp pen-knife, a pair of scissors, a pair of forceps, and some small bits of paper from an inch to three or four inches square should be lying handy. To proceed, place a piece of the wadding with the gummed side downwards on one of the boards, with a sheet of paper between to prevent its sticking to the board, (the paper will adhere to the cotton, and can always be left attached to it.) Then a sheet of paper over the wadding, laying the plant upon it, opening the petals, place a small piece of paper over them with a weight, and where any leaves overlap put paper between and a weight to keep them down, and so on, always keeping the plant in a natural position ; should the leaves or branches be too numerous some may be cut out with the scissors, taking care to leave sufficient of the stalks to shew where they were cut ; in case of very woody or thick-rooted plants the pen-knife may be brought into use, and the reverse side neatly sliced off. When the plant is in position, place a sheet of paper over it, then a piece of wadding, after which carefully abstract the weights from underneath, taking care not to alter the position of the plant, then another sheet of paper over the gummed part of the wadding (to remain), and then a board, and so on with each specimen where they require a whole sheet to them- selves. The boards with the plants between them should then be submitted to a heavy weight for twelve or twenty-four hours, according to the nature of the plants. Supposing the plants to have been laid out at night, they should be gone over every morning, the upper boards and the top waddings taken off, leaving the papers over the specimens, as well as the under papers and under wadding ; they should then be left in a warm dry room all day, and would incur no harm if put in the sun, but must be watched, and if there is any tendency to curl up or shrivel, they should immediately be restored to the press. In the evening, after having gone over the plants to see that 272 The Scottish Naturalist. everything is in its place, the top waddings, which should have been hung up and will have become quite dry, should be put on again, the plants returned to the press, and the same opera- tion every day until perfectly dry. By this means the plants will be found to retain their colours wonderfully ; care, however, must be taken to ensure their being perfectly dry before being placed in the herbarium ; and for this purpose it is as well to leave them in their drying papers without the waddings for a few days before doing so. As rapidity in drying is the great object, a chamber with a glazed roof, such as used by photo- graphers, would facilitate matters greatly ; it is hardly necessary to say that the herbarium itself cannot be kept in too dry a place, as many plants are very evanescent in their colours even years afterwards, should they come in contact with any damp. I may add that the drying papers after use should be placed themselves under a heavy weight, being slightly damped before doing so, when they will be as good as new ; and the same paper and the same cotton will last for many years, and after the first outlay there will be no further expense. Seggieden, by Perth. Conyza squarrosa near Perth.— A specimen of this plant, found near Perth in an apparently wild state was recently brought to me to name by Mr. J. M'Millan.— John Sim, Bridgend, Perth, August, 1872. Kecent additions to the Flora of the North-East of Scotland.— The following notice of a few of the plants recently found in this district may be interesting to some of the readers of the " Scottish Naturalist " ; — Ranun- culus heterophyllus Sibth. ; R. circinatus Sibth. ; R. fluitans Lam. ; Draba brachycarpa Jordan ; Viola Reichenbachiana Boreau ; Sagina ciliata Fr. ; Cerastium trivialc var. alpinum Koch. ; Ulex Gallii Planch ; Lathyrus ■maritimus Big. ; Torilis nodosa Gaert. ; Senecio viscosus L. ; Thrincia hirta DC; Hieracium dubium Fr. ; Centunculus minimus L. ; Orchis ificarnatah.; Neottia Nidus-avis Rich. ; Corallorrhiza innata R. Br. ; Potamogeton nitens Weber ; Carex Watsoni Syme ; C. Kochiana DC. ; Sctaria verticillata Beauv. (introduced) ; Aira uliginosaWelhe ; Polypodium Robertianum Hoffm.; Asplenium obtusum Willd. ; Lycopodium inundatum L. The additions to mosses, &c, are too numerous for a short notice.— John Roy, Aberdeen. Occurrence of Anacalypta latifolia Furnr. in Perthshire.— Perthshire muscologists will be glad to know that Professor Barker gathered this rare and beautiful moss in Glen Tilt, in July last. It was previously known in Braemar and Clova ; this is, therefore, its third British station. — Id. Double Flower?.— During the summer I observed the following plants with double Jlowers (Jlore plenoj : — Cardaminc pratensis L. ; Lepidium smithii Hook ; and Veronica saxatilis L. Possibly this state may not be uncommon, but I have not seen it in these plants before.— Id. INSECTA SCOTICA. THE LEPIDOPTERA OF SCOTLAND. (Continued from p. 241. J Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. -33GON Schiff. Rare. Ericetal. Distribution — East. o o Tay o o o o o West, o o o o o Lat. 56°4d // Range in Europe. Throughout, except the east. Type. European. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance— Imago. July, August. Larva. April-June. FOOD-PLANT. Bird's-foot ( Ornithopus perpusillus) and ? L. argiolus will probably yet be found in Scotland. POLYOMMATUS Latr. PHL2EAS L. Common. Pascual. Ascends to 1200 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §08 West. Solway Clyde Argyle § g Lat. 54°5o // -57°4o // . Range in Europe. Throughout. Type. Territorial. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance- -Imago. April-May, August-September. Larva. June, July, September-April. Food-plant. Sorrel (Rumex acetosa and acetosella). THECLA Fab. BUBI L. Common. Nemoral and ericetal. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay Dee Moray §00 West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o Lat. 54°5o // -57°5o". Range in Europe. Throughout. Type. Territorial. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance— Imago. May, June. Larva. July, August. Food-plant. Broom, bramble, (and ? blaeberry, Vaccinium myrtillus). There seems to but one brood in the north ; are there two in the south of Scotland ? 274 The Scottish Naturalist. QTJEBOUS L. Local. Nemoral. Distribution — East. § Forth Tay g o o o o West. Solway Clyde g West Ross o Lat. 55°-57°So // Range in Europe. Throughout, except the north. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance— Imago. July- August. Larva. May, June. Food- plant. Oak. HESPERIID^E Leach. SYMCHTHUS Boisd. MALV^i L. (1758); Alveolus H. (1793). Not common. Nem- oral. Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde 000 Lat. 54°5o"-58° Range in Europe. Throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. Scottish. Time of Appearance— Imago. May. Larva. ? Food-plant. ? The occurrence of S. malva in Moray rests on the authority of Mr. Buxton, who informs me that he took specimens at Inveran in Sutherlandshire. THANAOS Boisd. TAGES L. Not common, except in the south. Pascual and ericetal. Distribution — East, o 0.0 [Dee] Moray goo West. Solway Clyde g g o Lat. 54°5o // -57°5o" Range in Europe. Nearly throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June, (and August). Larva. June- April. Food-plant. Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatusj. HESPERIA Boisd. [thaumas Hum. (1766); linea F. (1787). Rare. Pascual. Distribution — East. o Forth 000000 West. 00000 Lat. 56 . Range in Europe. Central and South; Scan dinavia. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance— Imago. July. Larva. ? Food-plant. Grasses. Further evidence as to the occurrence of this species in Scotland is desirable. The Scottish Naturalist. 275 The absence from Britain of lineola O. (which may be distinguished from Thau-mas by the unicolorous underside of the hind-wings — the inner margin is fulvous in Thaumas, ) is curious. SYLVANUS Esp. Not common, or local. Pascual. Distribution — East. § Forth 000000 West. Solway §000 Lat. 54°5o"-56° Range in Europe. Nearly throughout Type. European. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance— Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May. FOOD-PLANT. Grasses and Luzula. H. eotnma should occur in Scotland. HETEROCERA. HEPIALID^3 H.S. HEPIALUS Fab. HTJMUTjI L. Common. Pascual. Ascends to 1200 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g Orkney Zetland. West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross g Lat. 54°4o"-6o°5o". Range in Europe. Central and northern, except the polar regions. Type. Septentriono- central. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance— Imago. June-July. Larva. Feeds for two years. Food- plant. Roots of various low plants (dock, nettle, &c.) Var. Hethlandica Stgr. Front-wings of the male more or less yellowish, and more or less marked with fulvous as in the female. This form (in Dr. Staudinger's opinion perhaps a distinct species) has occured in Zetland only. I am not aware whether the typical form is found there. The Orcadian humuli—Mr. Traill informs me— is the typical form. SYliVlNUS L. Not very common. Ericetal and nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray goo West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross Lat. 54°4o // -57°5o // . Range in Europe. Central and northern (except the boreal regions). Type. Septentriono- central. Type in Britain.- British. Time of Appearance— Imago. July, August. Larva. Food-plant. ? 276 The Scottish Naturalist. VELLEDA H. Locally abundant. Amongst bracken (but not always). Ascends to 1200 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther- land Orkney § West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross g Lat. 54°4o // -59°io // . Range. Northern j central in part ; Alps and Pyrenees. Type. Septentriono-central. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. Feeds for two years. Food-plant. Rhizome of Bracken (Pteris aquilinaj, and ? Ab. gallicus Ld. Front-wings dull reddish-brown with a cen- tral white spot. With the type but scarce. Sometimes called carnus in Britain, but carna Esp, is a different species. LTJPULINUS L. Local, and not common; scarce in the north. Pascual. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross o Lat. 54°4o"-57°5o". Range in Europe. Central; South Sweden, Alps, Dalmatia. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance- Imago. May, June. Larva. July- April. Food- plant. Roots of low plants. H. gonna H. (like lupulinus, but brown, with silvery white spots), an alpine and boreal species, should be looked for in July. HECTA L. Local and not very common. Nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther land o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o Lat. 54°4o // -58°2o' / , Range in Europe. Central and northern (except the boreal regions). Type. Centro- septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance— Imago. June. Larva. July- May. Food-plant. Roots of low-plants. f To be continued. J The Scottish Naturalist. 277 THE COLEOPTERA OF SCOTLAND. ( Con tin ued from p. 248 . J Edited by D. SHARP, M. B. PATRICIA Duft. Very rare. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o West, o o o o o [ingenua Duft Doubtful as Scottish; but recorded from Scotland by Dawson in Geodephaga Brita?inica. BIFBONS Gyll. Local. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee g o o o West, g Clyde o o o BUFOCINCTA Sahl. Very rare. Lowland. Distribution — East, o Forth o o o o o o West, g Clyde o o o quenseli Schon. Extremely local. Alpine. Distribution — East, o o o Dee o o o o West, o o o o o LUCID A Duft. Very rare. Lowland. (? Maritime.) Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o West, o o o o o TIBIALIS Payk. Local. Lowland. Distribution — East. g Forth o o o o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o FAMILIABIS Duft. Abundant. Lowland. Distribution— East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray goo West. Solway Clyde goo acuminata Payk. Common. Lowland. Distribution— East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o TBIVIALIS Gyll. Common. Lowland. Distribution— East, g Forth g g Moray o o o West, g Clyde o o o 278 Th€ Scottish Naturalist. SPRETA Zimm. Very rare. Maritime. Distribution — East, o Forth 000000 West. 00000 " Fifeshire," Murray. CURT A Dej. Very local. Lowland. Distribution — East, o Forth 000000 West. 00000 Common about an old wall on Corstorphine Hill.— D. S. LUNICOLLIS Schiod. Not common. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000 West, g g o o o communis Panz. Not common. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g Moray 000 West. Solway g o o o OVATA Fab. Not common. Maritime. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000 West. Solway Clyde 000 plebeia Gyll. Common. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde 000 DICHIROTRICHUS Schaum. PUBESCENS Payk. Local. Maritime. Distribution — East, g Forth g g Moray 000 West. Solway g o o o ANISODACTYLUS Schaum. binotatus Fab. Local. Lowland. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway Clyde 000 A variety with the legs red occurs. HARP ALUS Schaum. [OBSCURUS Fab. Very rare. Lowland. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 " Rachills, Rev. W. Little."— Murray. TJie Scottish Naturalist. PUNCTIOOLLIS Payk. Rare. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o West. o o o o RUFICORNIS Fab. Common. Lowland. Distribution — East, g Forth Tay § 279 Moray o o o o o West. Solway Clyde PROTEUS Payk. Abundant. Lowland, highland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g g g West. Solway Clyde g g g This species varies much in size and colour. rubripes Duft. Rare. Lowland. Distribution — East, o Forth Tay o Moray 000 West, o Clyde 000 LATUS L. Common. Lowland. Distribution — East, g Forth g g g o o o West. Solway Clyde 000 tardus Panz. Rare. Lowland. Distribution — East. 0000 Moray 000 West, g Clyde 000 ACUPALPUS Schaum. GYLLENHALLI Th. Rare. Lowland. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway Clyde 000 brunnipes Sturm. Rare. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed 000 0000 West, o Clyde 000 "Near Paisley, Mr. Young; East Lothian, Mr. Hardy,"— Murray. Perhaps this refers only to a variety of the A. Gyllenhalli. LURID US Dej. Very local. Lowland. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 BRADYCELLUS Schaum. PLACIDUS Gyll. Local. Lowland, highland. Distribution — East. Tweed o Tay Dee Moray 000 West. 00000 280 The Scottish Naturalist. COGNATtrs Gyll. Common. Highland, alpine. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o DISTINCTUS Dej. Very rare. Lowland. Distribution — East, oooooooo West. Solway o o o o Occurs very rarely, near Dumfries and Thornhill. — D.S. ■ VEKBASCI Duft. Common. Lowland. Distribution— East, g g Tay g g o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o HARPALINUS Dej. Not common. Lowland. Distribution — East, o Forth o o Moray o o o West. Solway o o o o OOLLARIS Payk. Not common. Lowland, highland. Distribution— East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway g o o o SIMILIS Dej. Common. Lowland, highland. Distribution— East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o PATROBUS Schaum. EXCAVATUS Payk. Not common. Lowland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o ASSIMILIS Chaud. Common. Highland. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g g g West. Solway Clyde g g g septentrionis Dej. Not common. Highland. Distribution — East. o o Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway Clyde g g g POGONUS Schaum. CHALCEUS Marsh. Very local. Maritime. Distribution — East, g Forth Tay o o o o o West. Solway o o o o (To be continued. J MBL WHOI LIBRARY H IflSR R gr&j arc - 4 cir* ^r&zr'f *?