12 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



closing his remarks last year, he mentioned that it had been a year 

 of famine, and hoped the coming one would be a year of plenty. 

 These expectations had been fully verified, as during twelve years' 

 experience he had never taken such an abundant harvest, nor had 

 his bees in such splendid condition as when closed up for this 

 winter. 



November 26tii, 1878. 



Professor John Young, M.D., F.G.S., President, in the chair. 

 Messrs. John Munro and Alexander Clerihew M'Intyre were 

 elected ordinary members of the Society. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr. John A. Harvie-Brown, F.Z.S., showed a fine series of 

 skins of northern birds, brought home by the late Arctic Expedition, 

 and made some remarks regarding the variations between certain 

 of them and specimens of the same species from Iceland. He 

 also exhibited a fine specimen of the Esquimaux Curlew, Kumenius 

 borecdis, which was shot in Aberdeenshire on 29th September last, 

 and read a note from Mr. George Sim, Aberdeen, who had 

 forwarded the specimen, giving detailed measurements, weight, &c. , 

 and noticing that the stomach contained crowberries, some flies, 

 and a caterpillar. 



Mr. James Coutts exhibited a specimen of the Touraco, Muso- 

 phaga gigantea, forwarded from Western Africa by Mr. George 

 Thomson, corresponding member. This genus of birds frequents 

 the mountain ranges and perches on the highest trees ; feeds on 

 fruits, and is known locally under the name of Plantain-eater. 

 The specimen exhibited was obtained on the high range of the 

 Camaroon mountains, and has been presented by Miss Thomson to 

 the Hunterian Museum. 



Mr. James Lumsden, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of the 

 Hoopoe, Upiqxc ejmps, shot at Kilmahew, Cardross, Dumbarton- 

 shire, on 1st November of this year. The Hoopoe has several 

 times occurred in Scotland ; various instances are recorded in 

 Gray's " Birds of the West of Scotland," and since the publication 

 of that work five or six more have been recorded. In England 

 and Ireland it has also occurred, and is known to have bred at 

 least once in the former. No doubt records of its breeding might 



