150 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Swan (Ct/gmis ferus), and Bewick's Swan (C. bewicJcii), got last 

 month, the former in Renfrewshire, and the latter in Argyllshire, 

 and lent by ]\lr Francis M'CuUoch. Mr Gray said that a number 

 of Bewick's Swans had occurred this winter in various parts of 

 Scotland, and that he now inclined to the belief that the species 

 was the commonest of all the wild Swans to be found in 

 this country. 



Mr John Young, F.G-.S., exhibited photographs of ripple- 

 marked sandstone, and unusually large stems of Lepidodendron 

 and Sigillaria, which had been taken from the adjoining quarries 

 during the progress of the building of the new University. 



February 28th, 1871. 



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

 Messrs Alexander Watson, C. A., and Archibald Robertson, were 

 elected resident members. 



SPECIMEN EXHIBITED. 



Dr Dewar exhibited an egg of the Brush Turkey (Talegalla 

 lathami), which was laid in the Zoological Society's Gardens, 

 Jjondon, and made some remarks on the habits of the bird, and 

 the extraordinary manner in which its eggs are hatched. The 

 Brush Turkey is a large rasorial bird of gregarious habits, and 

 is found in Australia. It does not incubate its eggs, but deposits 

 them in mounds of decaying vegetable matter, the further 

 decomposition of which raises sufficient heat to liatcli the young 

 ones. These mounds, which are formed by the united efforts of 

 two or three pairs of birds, are sometimes of great size, three 

 or four cartloads being heaped up in the form of a pyramid. 

 The eggs are buried to a depth of an arm's lengtli, and are 

 invariably placed with the large end upwards. The young 

 birds are said to be able to use their wings on the day they 

 are hatched. 



