18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



tion of the mandible had taken place after the feathers had been 

 denuded, and that this bareness became permanent on account of 

 the bulbs, from which the feathers arise, having been destroyed and 

 thus rendered unproductive. 



Mr John Gilmour exhibited an unusually dark specimen of the 

 Hooded Crow (Corvus comix), which had the light space on the 

 breast and shoulders very much clouded, giving the bird the 

 appearance of a variety of the Carrion Crow (Corvus corone). 

 Mr Gray was of opinion that these two birds are identical; no real 

 difference existed except in the markings, and as these were known 

 to vary, they could hardly be entitled to specific value. The two 

 birds were also known to breed freely together, so that in the 

 middle districts of Scotland, at least where this habit was the rule, 

 it was impossible, on examining specimens, to say from what 

 parentage they had sprung. 



Dr Stirton exhibited specimens of AdelantJms Carringtoni, a 

 Jungermannia new to science, which he had found on Ben Lawers 

 and in other places ; this moss had formerly been confounded with 

 AUcularia compressa, from which, however, it differs not only in 

 the colour and aerolation of the leaves, but also in their mode of 

 attachment to the stem. It approaches much more closely 

 AUcularia occlusa from Campbell's Island in the South Pacific; 

 and as this last has been proved by Dr Carpenter to be an 

 Adelanthus, it has been thought proper to refer this moss also to 

 the same sub-genus. 



PAPER READ. 



On Danais chrijsijypus and its food plant Asclepias gigantea, with 

 illustrative specimens from Upper Egypt. By the Rev. James 



E. SOMERVILLE, B.D. 



The author of this paper gave a very interesting account of this 

 butterfly, from personal observations made during a three months' 

 residence in Egypt, and also of the plants on which it is known 

 to feed. He likewise described the peculiar properties of the 

 Calotropis procera, or Asclepias gigantea of Linnaeus, a plant better 

 known as the apple of Sodom, a beautiful series of which, in its 

 various stages of growth, was exhibited by Mr Somerville in 

 illustration of his remarks. 



