104 SIR WILLIAM JAUDINE'S ADDRESS. 



num roseum, an addition to the fungi of the district. In the evening, ,t 

 beautiful hybrid plant between Iris Germanica and /. Florentine very 

 distinctly mixed, was exhibited by Captain Carpenter. Mr Parker shew- 

 ed a fine specimen of the water-rat (Arvicola amphibia), with a piebald 

 fur; and Dr Johnston produced a drawing of the Phylline hypoglossi, 

 taken from a large holibut caught in Berwick Bay. Dr Clarke read a 

 notice of an encounter between a hawk and bat, witnessed at Berwick at 

 noonday, in which the former was unsuccessful, from the rapid manner 

 in which the bat evaded the darts of its enemy, and the Doctor drew at- 

 tention to the exquisite sense which these curious animals appear so 

 peculiarly to possess. A very interesting table of the produce of the fishery 

 at Sandstel, kept by the late Mr Waite for a period of eighty-two years up 

 to 1818, was presented. From this table, it appears that 1745 was a 

 year extremely unfavourable, 52 salmon only being taken; 1764 and 

 1765 are the most abundant, above 15,000 and 17,000 being severally 

 taken, For the last ten years of the account, the take averages from 

 2000 to 6000 salmon, and from 3000 to 1 3,000 grilse. 



In July we have to regret that there was no meeting, an untoward 

 event, which we trust the zeal of the members will prevent any future 

 President the pain of recording. 



I have thus, gentlemen, very lightly sketched the results of the excur- 

 sions and meetings of the last season, and I may be allowed to congra- 

 tulate the Club upon its advance and continued prosperity. It must be 

 considered, however, that we have had a season almost unexampled in 

 the recollection of most of us, for its low mean temperature and general 

 inclemency, both very unfavourable to the researches of the out-door 

 naturalist ; and the observations of some of our members on the east 

 coast remarkably coinciding with my own, made at a residence on the 

 opposite shores of the island, and situate nearly at the same elevation 

 a-id distance from the sea, shew that over the north of England and south 

 of Scotland, this unpropitious time has too uninterruptedly spread. Many 

 of you may have observed the late appearance of the great proportion of 

 the summer birds of passage. The song of those welcome visitors, which 

 always conveys so many associations for the returning year, was expect- 

 ed for nearly fourteen days in vain, and when the arrival was proclaimed, 

 it was soon perceived that some cause had materially diminished the 

 usual numbers of these travellers.* The coleoptera, also, were much later 

 in leaving their winter retreats, and among the Lepidoptera, there has 



* It has been since remarked, that the departure of our summer birds of passage hag 

 been unusually early. Before the 1st September most of the warblers had departed, a few 

 individuals only of S. trochilm remaining. Hirvndo n/stica, and urbica, were not seen after 

 the 20th September, nearly a month before their usual time of departure. Cypseli have 

 been recorded as rarely seen at all, in many parts of the islind. 



The fieldfare and redwing arrived between the 20th and 25th October, about a fort- 

 night before the average time of their accustomed arrival. W. J. 14th Nov. 1836. 



