224 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



recently established by Professor Alleyne Nicholson, to embrace 

 one or two similar forms of tubicolor annelids found in the 

 Silurian strata of America. The species which he described 

 consists of small conical cylindrical tubes, generally found attached 

 by their whole length to the slender spines of Produdae and 

 stems of crinoids. They are ornamented with numerous sharp 

 transverse ridges or annulations, and fine longitudinal striae. 

 None of the specimens seemed to have attained a greater length 

 than one-fourth of an inch, their greatest diameter being about 

 one-twentieth of an inch. They have been found in the shales 

 of several localities, in both the upper and lower limestone series; 

 but nowhere do they seem abundant, nor has any more than this 

 species been discovered in our strata. 



Mr James Lumsden exhibited, I. A nest of the Red-throated 

 Diver (Colymhus septentrioncdis), from the island of Arran. The 

 eggs were unusually dark and handsome ; and it was remarked 

 that the locality in which they were found was perhaps the most 

 southern breeding haunt of the sjDecies in Scotland. 11. Two 

 young Choughs {Fregilus graculus), from Cantyre and Islay, 

 shewing the gradation in colour of the legs and bill. One was 

 taken from the nest, and showed a strong orange tint on the legs, 

 though the scutellae in front appeared nearly black in colour ; the 

 other, which had left the nest, though unable to fly, had the legs 

 of a still deeper orange, mixed with vermilion ; showing that as 

 the birds grow older the colour deepens. III. A specimen of the 

 Rook, from Alyth, in Forfarshire, and of the Common Snipe, from 

 Renfrewshire ; the former being a singular variety, of a light brown 

 or rust colour ; the latter of a dirty white, which might ultimately 

 have become an albino. 



The Secretary read the following communication from the 

 President : — There appears in the newspapers of this week notice 

 of an unusual darkness over some places in the south of England ; 

 the intense gloom lasting for a short time, and being succeeded by 

 brilliant sunshine. I have observed similar phenomena more than 

 once, but find meteorological literature deficient on the subject. 

 My belief is, that as these glooms come in autumn and winter, and 

 are not accompanied by fog or cloud, they are due to the presence 

 of much vapour in the crystalline form of ice, which, drifting as a 

 cloud, obscures the sun-light, as a snow shower sometimes does ; 

 internal reflection of the crystals being the mode of such interrup- 



