126 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



2 to 3 per cent, present. Mr Young stated that it would be 

 interesting to determine whether the manganese had entered into 

 organic combination with any of the numerous organisms found in 

 this bed of limestone, or had been chemically precipitated as a 

 deposit from the sea water. From what he had read of the man- 

 ganiferous mud found by the Challenger, he was inclined to hold 

 to the opinion already exj^ressed, that it was the result of decalci- 

 fication of the Globigerina ooze, the manganese having been 

 extracted from the sea water and entering into the composition of 

 the animal shell structure of these minute organisms. He there- 

 fore did not agree with the other expressed view that it had been 

 floated to these dee]) tracts of the sea bottom in company with 

 other inorganic elements. If the former view should prove to be 

 the correct one, we might naturally expect that manganese would 

 be present to a small extent in many of the limestones of organic 

 origin in all the formations. In the Carboniferous limestones of 

 the West of Scotland he knew of limestones that yielded a reddish 

 mud on erosion by carbonic acid. It would therefore be interest- 

 ing, as bearing on the red mud found by the Challenger, to prove 

 to what extent they also are manganiferous. 



ANDERSON'S UNIVEESITY BUILDINGS. 



January 9th, 1877. 



Mr James Eamsay, V.P., in the chair. 



Messrs. Alexander B, Stewart and Charles Malloch were elected 

 life members; and the Eev. H. B. Tristram, LL.D,, F.R.S., 

 C.M.Z.S., Canon of Durham ; Messrs. Andrew Malloch Bayne, 

 Peter Marshall, A. D. Newlands, James Lyle, Eobert Marshall, 

 and Thomas Scott Forrest, ordinary members. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBiTED. 



Mr John A. Harvie-Brown, F.Z.S., exhibited a rare Little Rail, 

 Orti/gometra affinis, Grey, from New Zealand, and remarked that 

 Buller (" Birds of New Zealand," page 183) describes, but does 

 not figure this bird. He tells us that it " closely resembles the 

 Australian 0. palustris, but is distinguishable by its somewhat 

 larger size, and the absence of white markings on the primaries." 



y 



