1 88 The Scottish Naturalist. 



plants were in bloom in April 1882, but were not noticed until the third week 

 of May 18S3. Geum rivale is equally behind. Some of the flowers noticed 

 in blossom in the first week of June 1882 were not noticed until the third week 

 of June 1883. Lapsana communis and Scabiosa succisa or "Devil's bit,''* 

 noticed in blossom in the first week of July 1882, were not observed until the 

 third week of July 1883. Generally speaking, the vanguard of any given 

 species came to the front a fortnight later in 1883." 



Mr. G. F. Black of the Edinburgh Museum of Antiquities followed with 

 " Notes upon the National Collection of Antiquities, Edinburgh," 

 dealing chiefly with the foreign section. The Chairman, Dr. Gilchrist, con- 

 cluded the business of the meeting with " Natural History Notes on 

 Southport." 



At the meeting of the ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH on the 4th 

 February, Lord Moncrieff delivered an address on "The Past Hundred. 

 Years' History of the Society," in which he reviewed the origin and pro- 

 gress of the Society, with especial references to the illustrious savants whose 

 names are enrolled among its founders or its later members. The address is 

 given in full in Nature, XXIX., p. 368-370 (Feb. 14th, 1884). 



INVERNESS SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY AND FIELD CLUB. — On 

 Tuesday, December 4th, the Secretary read a paper by Mr. Colin Livingstone, 

 Fort William, on "The Travelled Boulders of Lochaber." The district 

 of Lochaber is very rich in traces of ice action during the " Glacial-period ; " 

 its lofty mountain ranges having been a centre from which the glaciers pressed 

 outwards. Of the information to be gathered from a careful investigation of 

 the district Mr. Livingstone made full use, and he has shown reason to believe 

 that the ice had pressed downwards in the direction of Glenmore ; though at 

 one spot in Lochiel, on the north side, the distribution of the boulders some- 

 what conflicts with this belief. 



At the meeting on 8th Jan., a paper was read on " Old Ironworks in the- 

 Highlands," by Mr. John II. Dixon of Inveran. The author treated specially 

 of the works near Loch Maree, where he had seen traces of seven different 

 works. He also sent a list of the different ores of the district around Letterewe, 

 including native ironstone from the quarry and field at the furnace there, also 

 from Innisglask, hamatite from Letterewe and from a heap at the Pool at 

 Poolewe, clay ironstone horn both localities named, and specimens of iron slagg r 

 limestone, iron, and cliarcoal from various points along the shores of Loch 

 Maree. In the discussion that followed the reading of the paper, Mr. Mac- 

 kenzie, of the Celtic Magazine, showed from the New Statistical Account, and 

 from a record of the MacRas, that these works had been commenced probably 

 about the beginning of the seventeenth century, and were consequently about 

 270 years old. They are, therefore, so far as can be ascertained, the earliest 

 smelting works in Scotland ; since those at Abernethy, the next earliest on 

 record, were not commenced till 120 years later. The works at Loch Maree 

 were discontinued when the wood in the neighbourhood had been consumed — 

 wood having been the only fuel employed for smelting the iron. 



Dr. Aitken thereafter read a paper on "Dorsetshire Thunderbolts," a 

 name locally applied to nodules of A/arcasite ( White Iron Pyrites), that occur 

 abundantly in the Chalk formations of the South of England. 



