The Scottish Naturalist. 187 



Next follows a paper on "Lepidoptera in Roxburghshire," by Adam 

 Elliot, which will be found noticed subsequently in this Magazine. 



"Rooks and Rookeries" by James Smail, is an interesting article on the 

 habits of rooks ; and deals at some length on the question of their food. The 

 subject is one of considerable interest in itself, as well as in view of the very 

 different opinions held on the relation of rooks to agriculture, hence we venture 

 to extract a part of Mr. Smail's paper, in the hope that the Club will permit 

 our doing so. The author also gives a list of the rookeries, excluding a few 

 very small ones, in the counties of Berwick, Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles, 

 and in Northumberland. Their number in the Scotch counties is 152. Of 

 winter rookeries, as distinguished from the breeding rookeries, there are 21 in 

 these counties as reported to him, but he is of opinion that this number is too 

 high. 16 rookeries have been destroyed in the above district of Scotland. The 

 trees of almost all the large rookeries are Scotch Firs ; though some moderately 

 large ones are on hard-wooded trees, among which the Ash seems preferred. 



The remaining articles are short. They include "Ornithological Notes" 

 by Robert Gray, on birds of the east of Scotland from Fifeshire southwards ; 

 " On the effects of Lightning in Smelting and Altering Gravel at 

 Chapelhill, Cockburnspath, 10th July, 1882." by James Hardy; "Notes 

 on the Measurements of a few of the larger Trees at Edgerstone 

 House, taken in January, 1883," by Sheriff Russell ; " Arrivals, Depart- 

 ures, and Occurrence of Birds near Belford, 1881-2," by John Aitchison; 

 "Reports on the Effects of the Great Storm of Wind, 14th Oct., 1881, 

 on Trees and Animals," in the form of letters to the Secretary from various 

 parts of the district covered by the Club ; "On some extraordinary abnor- 

 mal Fruits of the Blackthorn," by James Hardy (with plate IV.). 



We observe, in conclusion, that the Club has expressed its sense of the great 

 services rendered to it by Mr. Hardy by presenting him with a microscope and 

 accessories, the case bearing that it was "Presented to James Hardy, Esq., 

 Oldeambus, together with a purse of above 100 sovereigns by 122 members of 

 the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club at its jubilee meeting (29th June, 1881), in 

 testimony of their appreciation of his long and able services as Secretary and 

 Editor of the Proceedings of the Club, and of the high respect in which he is 

 held for his many scientific attainments and valuable contributions in various 

 departments of Natural History and Archaeology, during a period of above 40 

 years." All lovers of these sciences in Britain will join in the wish that he 

 may long enjoy the use of the gift, and that he may continue to make as valu- 

 able contributions to their progress among us in future as he has done in the 

 past. 



DUMFRIES-SHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY AND 

 ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. — At a meeting on 4th Jan., Mr. Henderson 

 exhibited several specimens from Manitoba, with remarks on his experiences in 

 that province of Canada. 



Mr. James Shaw, Tynron, communicated observations on " First blossom- 

 ing of the Wild Flowers of Tynron." These observations were made at a 

 height of from 300 to 1300 feet above the sea-level, though chiefly at the lower 

 level. Commenting on his catalogue of plants Mr. Shaw says : — " The Marsh 

 Marigold, Wood Stitchiuort, and Common Broom are thus found a week behind 

 in 1883. The " Craw-taes" or Spring Blue- bell {Agraphia nutans), and also 

 the Marsh Violet, are noticed a fortnight later in 1883. The Early Orchis 



