102 



veral specimens have been procured both in the adult and immature plu- 

 mage. The bird in question was accidentally observed to rise from the 

 situation of a wasp's nest, which it had been attempting to excavate, or 

 in fact to a certain extent had accomplished, and the large hole which had 

 been scraped, shewed that a much greater power could be employed, and 

 that the bird possessed organs much better fitted to remove the obstacles 

 which generally concealed its prey, than a superficial examination of the 

 feet and legs would warrant us in ascribing to it. A few hours after- 

 wards, the task was found to be entirely completed, the comb torn out 

 and cleared from the immature young ; and after-dissection proved that 

 at this season (autumn) at least, birds or mammalia formed no part of 

 the food. A steel-trap, baited with the comb, secured the aggressor in 

 the course of the next day, when he had returned to review the scene of 

 his previous havoc. The next paper was on the Architecture of Holy 

 Island Priory, by Dr Clarke, a place renowned in romance and clas- 

 sic in our poetry ; and we would remark, that there are many buildings 

 of antiquity, which have yet been untouched by the pen of a member. 

 A meteorological paper, by Mr William Baird, concluded our essays for 

 the day " Remarks on the Sea Tree,'* a peculiar arrangement [of 

 clouds well known to mariners under the above title. The object of the 

 paper was to shew the connexion between the different forms of clouds and 

 the weather, and it may be recollected that the observations were detail- 

 ed with the science of the meteorologist, and the feeling of the poet. 



For my report of the remaining meetings, I regret that I shall be 

 obliged to have recourse to the minutes only, but the accuracy of our 

 secretary, I have little doubt, has left nothing wanting. In December, 

 the Club held its usual meeting at Berwick. Miss Hunter and Miss 

 Bell continued to increase the list of the Berwickshire Flora, by the ad- 

 dition of some fungi not previously seen within its bounds. Agaricus 

 ruber, odorus, and radicatus, with Cyaihia vernicosus, were recorded. 

 The unusually stormy winter had already laid open some of the trea- 

 sures of the deep, and the heavy gales of November had discovered some 

 inhabitants which were not of every day occurrence. The Rev. Mr A. 

 Baird read a notice of Pleuronectes hirttts, and of Brama marina, cast 

 ashore at the foot of Dunglass Dean.* Dr Johnston laid the foundation 

 of a Fauna, by reading a list of the zoophytes found on the coast of 

 Berwickshire and North Durham, and made some interesting remarks 

 upon the metamorphosis of the Crustacea. A series of the curiously 

 formed " Fairy-stones" were exhibited by Mr Good, taken from a clayey 

 bank on the side of the Tweed below New Water-haugh, and we would 

 here remind you of a paper on the formation of these little nodules, 



* It was after similar storms iu the February following, that the interesting addition to 

 our British fishes, Lutjunus rvpettrit, was procured, two specimens being thrown on shore 

 in Berwick Bay, and another on the shore at Batnborough See Mag. of Zool. and Bot. 

 i. f. 167. 



