330 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



but in these he had not been yet able to trace the septa. Probably 

 this is owing to the different state of fossilisation of the organisms 

 in the two deposits, those found in Ayrshire being preserved in a 

 soft shale, in which the tubes are often found fractured in the 

 line of the septa, as was seen in the specimens mounted for 

 examination. Mr Young concluded his remarks by observing 

 that the fossils were all apparently of a freshwater or estuarine 

 character, and in this feature they agreed with what was already 

 known of the cement-stone series of the West of Scotland. It 

 was probable, however, that alternations of marine and freshwater 

 strata might yet be found in this group on the Ayrshire coast, 

 as is the case in the calciferous series of the East of Scotland. 

 He also hoped that his friend Mr Den holm Young would be 

 able more fully to explore this interesting group of strata, so 

 that a fuller list of the fossils might be obtained. 



Mr David Eobertson, jun., exhibited a fine specimen of the 

 Whitetailed Eagle, Haliaetus alUcilla, got in Skye in the beginning 

 of January this year. He stated that he was indebted to Mr 

 M'Culloch, Sauchiehall Street, for sending the specimen for 

 exhibition. It was a young bird, probably in the second year. 

 This species is not so rare as the golden eagle, its eyries being 

 found in the Hebrides and other parts of the western coast of 

 Scotland pretty frequently, but like all the large birds of prey it 

 is getting scarcer every year. It is the largest of the British 

 rapacious birds, measuring about three inches longer than the 

 Golden Eagle. 



Mr Eobertson also exhibited albino varieties of several species 

 of birds, including the Blackbird, Turdus merida, the Eook, Corviis 

 frugilegus, the Bullfinch, PyrrJmla etirojmea, and a pair of white 

 Sand-martins, Hinindo riparia, got at Hungryside on the Forth 

 and Clyde Canal in August, 1876, by Mr Martin, residing there. 

 White varieties of this species are rather uncommon. Mac- 

 gillivray says he had heard of them, but had never seen them, 

 and Mr Stevenson mentions a light cream-coloured variety got 

 at Eaton in July, 1861, and another at Weasenham in the 

 following September. A discussion regarding albinism followed, 

 in which the Chairman, Mr Harvie-Brown, and others, took 

 part. Mr James Lumsden remarked that there seemed to be 

 two kinds of albinism common to birds and animals, in illustra- 

 tion of which he exhibited two specimens of the common Hare, 



