NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 177 



weather on the whole had been favourable to flowers and trees. 

 The first part of the year was rather backward, but with a 

 brilliant summer and autumn there was a display of flowers in 

 the Parks beyond expectation. In August and September last 

 trees ripened their wood well, and they promise fair for this 

 season. In January 1877 there were only 4 dry days, 9*39 inches 

 of rain fell, the greatest amount in twenty-four hours being on 

 the 30th. 



The register in the Queen's Park showed as the result for 1876, 

 compared with 1875 — 



1876. 1875. 



Eainf all in inches, 37'31 35"85 



Highest temperature, (Aug. 15) 85° (July 7) 82° 



Lowest temperature, ... ... (Feb. 11) 16° (Dec. 8) 12° 



Average for the year, , 45*6° 46"S'* 



Dry clays, 195 198 



March 27th, 1877. 



Mr James B. Murdoch, Vice-President, in the chair. 

 Mr H. B. Bailey, Newton, Mass., U.S., was elected a 

 corresponding member. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr John Young, F.G.S., exhibited a specimen of the beautiful 



Glass-rope Sponge, Hyalonema SiebokU, from the seas of Japan, 



recently presented to the Hunterian Museum by Mr J. P. Bisset. 



This sponge illustrates the fossil species, Hyalonema iJaraUelum, 



found in the Carboniferous limestone strata near Dairy, Ayrshire, 



in having the stem made up of a twisted bundle of fine siliceous 



rods, and in the form of the siliceous spicula found in the body of 



the sponge. Mr Young stated that Dr Young and himself 



recently measured a bundle of the rods of Hyalonema jKirallehim, 



on a block of limestone at Trearne Quarry, near Beith, and found 



the length to be nearly 12 inches. The most interesting point 



which they had discovered in connection with these siliceous rods 



in the fossil species was, that many of the rods terminated with 



anchor-shaped processes. 



The Eev. James E. Somerville, B.D., forwarded for exhibition a 

 VOL. III. M 



