NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 75 



attracted to the spot by observing great flocks of these birds flying 

 from the sea in a straight line, at some height in the air, across 

 the hills Avhere the loch is situated. He also introduced a 

 description of a line of sea caves and rocky platforms, another 

 set of breeding stations, between Ballantrae and Loch Kytin. In 

 some of the caves the cormorants enjoy the strange companionship 

 of marten swallows and pigeons, birds whose gentle habits but ill 

 harmonise with such dismal haunts. In one case the swallows 

 swarmed round the mouth like bees at a hive, the rocky shelves 

 of the interior being occupied by great numbers of rock pigeons 

 and green-crested cormorants, the whole scene forming a some- 

 what unusual picture of bird Life. 



October 27th, 1863. 



John Scouler, M.D., LL.D., F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



Before the commencement of business, Dr Lindsay rose to 

 observe that, since the last meeting, the society had sustained a 

 loss by the death of one of its valued members, Mr James 

 Hamilton, and moved that the Secretary be instructed to record 

 in the minutes the high estimate which the members had formed 

 of his talents and acquirements, and their deep and sincere regret 

 at the loss which they, as a society, had sustained by his early and 

 unexpected death. 



The Chairman stated that no member of the society could feel 

 more acutely this loss than himself, and passed a warm and 

 deserved eulogy on his merits as a naturalist, as well as his 

 individual worth, remarking that many of those who knew him 

 would long remember the manly and kindly disposition for which 

 he was distinguished. 



Mr William Martin was elected a resident member. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr Alexander M'Kinlay exhibited specimens of the following 

 rare mosses from new localities in Scotland: — Didymodon recurvi- 

 folius, from Ben Voirlich, the second known station; Campylopus 

 brevipilus, var., from Doune, Perthshire, these having not been 

 previously observed in Scotland; Splachnum vasculosum, Mnium 



