NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



December 28th, 1869. 



Mr David Robertson, F.G-.S., Vice-President, in the chair. 



The followins: 2;entlemen were elected members : — Messrs John 

 Cook and Thomas Charles Young, M.A., as resident members, 

 and Mr George S. Brady, C.M.Z.S., Sunderland, as a corresx^onding 

 member. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr Robert Gray exhibited a specimen of the Brown Snipe 

 (Macrorhamphus griseus, Gmelin),and a specimen of the Green-rumped 

 Tatler {Totaniis c]iloTopygius,\\Q^Wot),MidL read a communication from 

 Mr Francis jVI'Culloch, Taxidermist, Sauchiehall Street, giving 

 satisfactory evidence of the birds having been shot in Lanarkshire. 

 The Brown Snipe had occurred in Scotland before,but the Sandpiper 

 had not previously been found in Europe. Mr Gray also exhibited 

 a specimen of the Shoveler {Anas dypeata), a beautiful male, 

 which was shot a few months ago, and forwarded by Mr William 

 Lorrain; also an immature specimen of the Little Gull, which was 

 shot in March last near Aberdeen, where a number of specimens 

 of this rare bird have been obtained at various intervals. It would 

 appear, indeed, that in its movements southwards this species 

 passes along the coasts of Aberdeenshire almost every winter. 



Mr James Coutts exhibited a very pure albino of the Sky-lark, 

 from Ballantrae, in Ayrshire. The specimen was quite spotless, 

 and without the faintest trace of any tint on its plumage. 



The Rev. James Somerville, B.D., exhibited a skull of the 

 Hog Deer (Bahjrussa alfurus), and made some remarks on the 

 geographical distribution of this curious animal. 



PAPERS READ. 



I. — Notes on Cypris Icevis and its habit of perforating the leaves of 

 Victoria regia. By Mr David Robertson, F.G.S. 



About the latter end of June last, Dr Colquhoun drew my 

 attention to some small insects that were infesting the water 

 in the tank containing the Lily, Victoria regia, in the Botanic 

 Gardens, and which were thought might be connected with the 

 destruction of some parts of the leaves of that plant. 



On looking into the tank great numbers of small animals were 



