NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 115 



points from those of the above writer. The gall, according to 

 him, is found in spring, the perfect insect appearing towards the 

 end of June. This may be an earlier brood. The habit of the 

 larva, as observed by him — social, 2-4 in a cell — is probably an 

 effect of the larger size of the leaflets of T. inatense as compared 

 with those of T. repens. It will be observed that on one occasion 

 I found four inhabiting a single cell ; this, however, seems very 

 exceptional here. 



III. — On Uniformity of Method in recording Natural History 

 Observations, especially as regards Distribution and Migrcdion; icith 

 specimen tables of a plan ptroposed. By Mr John A. Harvie- 

 Brown, F.Z.S., corresponding member. 



The want of some definite and generally adopted method for 

 registering in tabular form observations on Natural History, more 

 particularly as applied to the subjects of distribution and migra- 

 tion, has long been felt. We have no higher authority for this 

 statement than the author of the most important Zoo-geographical 

 publication that has ever been published : I mean '' The 

 Geographical Distribution of Animals." Mr Wallace, the author, 

 complains of the heavy task of collecting, and sifting the in- 

 numerable records of authors in various publications, in no two 

 of which, perhaps, are they arranged upon the same plan. In 

 summing up this part of his work, Mr Wallace says : — '' Till every 

 well-marked district, every archipelago and every important island, 

 has all its known species of the more important groups of animals 

 catalogued on an uniform plan, and with an uniform nomenclature, 

 a thoroughly satisfactory account of the geographical distribution 

 of animals will not be possible." 



Whilst acting on the hint conveyed in this passage, and 

 endeavouring to bring the matter more prominently forward, I do 

 not do so in the belief that the plan about to be proposed, and 

 which has lately been adopted by me in one or two papers 

 treating of the distribution of the birds of North Russia (Annals 

 and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1877), even approaches perfection, nor do I 

 put it before you necessarily for imitation, but simply for the 

 purpose of giving the subject ventilation, and of starting it for 

 discussion. No one, I am sure, could suggest, with more certainty 

 of being attended to, some final uniform method to be adopted, 

 than the author just quoted, and I have not hesitated in some 



