NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 263 



polished by ice, while other portions have been deeply corroded 



into gullies by atmospheric action. These surfaces present the 



crinoids either weathered into high relief on the surface of the 



stone, or cut into so as to present sections of the column in 



every imaginable position. Mr Young recommended members 



visiting the Beith district to pay a visit to the quarry before 



the whole of this interesting section of limestone is quarried 

 away. 



Dr William Macewen exhibited an elephant's tooth, found in 

 Glenmoidart, near Strontian, West Highlands, which proved to be 

 a recent tooth of an Asiatic elephant, however its occurrence in 

 that locality may be accounted for. In illustration of this specimen, 

 Dr Young sent a series of rubbings from teeth of the elephant and 

 mammoth in the Lanfine and Hunterian collections, and in the 

 cabinet of Dr Allen Thomson. The last-named cabinet also 

 contains the mammoth tooth obtained some years ago by 

 Dr Beveridge from the drift near Bishopbridge. This is the 

 only perfect mammoth grinding tooth known to be found in 

 Scotland. 



Mr James Lumsden exhibited a fine specimen of a hybrid 

 between the Common Grouse {Lagopus scoticiis) and the Black 

 Grouse (Tetrao tetrix), and remarked that the Black Grouse is 

 found breeding with allied species to perhaps a greater extent 

 than most other birds. Three distinct hybrids of this kind have 

 been described — I. That between the Black Grouse and Capercaillie 

 (Tetrao urogallus), several specimens of which have been exhibited 

 before this Society at various times. This variety is, perhaps, the 

 most common, and is frequently met with in Norway and Sweden. 

 II. The cross between the Black Grouse and Willow Grouse {Lagopus 

 albus), the Scandinavian dal ripa, which is a very closely allied 

 species to our common Red Grouse. This form is only occasionally 

 met with in Northern Europe. III. That between the Blackcock 

 and the female of the common Red Grouse, of which this specimen 

 is an example. This bird was killed in South Ayrshire in the 

 beginning of last month, and is a variety still less common than 

 any of the others ; but it must be remembered that the Red 

 Grouse is met with only in the British Islands, while the Caper- 

 caillie and Willow Grouse have a much larger geographical dis- 

 tribution. 



