NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 69 



Golden-eye. — Clangula glaucion (Linnaeus). Rare. 



Eider Duck. — Somateria mollissima (Linnaeus). Several shot 

 by Mr. Dewar on Loch Tay. 



Goosander. — Mergus merganser, Linnaeus. Breeds on an island 

 on the Tay, between Dunkeld and Ballinluig. Is often seen on 

 Loch Tav. 



Red-breasted Merganser. — Mergus serrator, Linnaeus. Col. D. 

 Hay has seen this species in the Athole district. 



III. — On the species of Dentalium found in the Carboniferous 

 Strata of the West of Scotland. By Mr. John Young, F.G.S. 



Mr. Young stated that in "Woodward's classification of the 

 Molluscs, Dentalium is placed next to the Chitonidse in their 

 organization, and form a family by themselves named Dentalidse. 

 According to this authority, these tooth shells are animal feeders, 

 devouring Foraruinifera and minute bivalves. They are found in 

 most seas, in sand or mud, in which they bury themselves — the 

 British species ranging over the sea bottom at a depth of from 10 

 to 100 fathoms. The shells of Dentalium are tubular, symmetrical, 

 curved, open at both ends, attenuated posteriorly, the aperture 

 circular and not constricted, and the surface of the shell smooth, 

 annulated or longitudinally striated. They have been found 

 ranging from the Devonian formation to the present seas, and seventy 

 fossil and thirty living species have been recorded. The species 

 found in our Scottish beds are Dentalium ingens, De Koninck; 

 D. jM'iscum, Goldfuss; D. inornatum, M'Coy, and two other 

 smaller forms, apparently undescribed, to which the author had 

 provisionally given the specific names of D. Scoticum and D. Dal- 

 ri/ense. After giving in detail a description of the first three 

 species, and noticing the localities where they have been found, the 

 author stated that the little species to which he had provisionally 

 given the name of D. Scoticum, is abundant in the shale of one 

 or two localities, where it is always associated with D. priscum. 

 In our lists it is generally confounded with D. inornatum, but 

 may be easily distinguished from that species by its small size 

 and the much greater curve of its shell, which is smooth, the 

 greater curvature being at the posterior end. It rarely exceeds 

 | inch in length, and at the anterior end -^ inch in diameter, and 

 now that well-preserved examples of D. inornatum have been 



