146 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



he had submitted it to Mr Etheridge, F.G.S., who considered it a 

 new species, and, with Mr Young's consent, had provisionally 

 named it P. fluctuosus, on account of the wavy character of the 

 ribbed striae by which it is adorned. Mr Young made some 

 remarks on the genus Pteronites, which, he said, was established by 

 Professor M'Coy to designate certain wing-shaped shells found as 

 yet only in carboniferous limestone strata, and which are inter- 

 mediate in charater between Avicula and Modiola, and distinguished 

 from Pterinea by the absence of the cardinal teeth in the hinge. Four 

 species of the genus occur in our Scottish beds, and are considered 

 rare shells. The new species exhibited had as yet only been found 

 in Craigenglen, where it seems to be confined to a very thin band 

 of shale not exceeding a quarter of an inch in thickness. 



Mr Young also exhibited some specimens of a recent brachiopod 

 shell, which had been found inhabiting the crevices of a coarse 

 vesicular stone, brought to the harbour of Glasgow as ship's 

 ballast. They were discovered by Mr James Bennie, an active 

 member of the • Glasgow Geological Society. Specimens of the 

 shell had been submitted to Mr Davidson, F.R.S., etc., who 

 referred them to Discina ostreoides of Lamarck — the typical species 

 upon wliich that naturalist had founded the genus Discina. 

 Among other remarks, Mr Davidson had stated that we possess 

 no certain information as to the exact habitat of the species, and 

 that, indeed, all we know of the shell is the curious fact of its 

 being brought to England and Scotland among ballast, and pro- 

 bably in ships coming from the north-west of Africa. 



Mr Thomas S. Hutcheson exhibited a specimen of the red- 

 winged starling (Sturnus prcedatorius, "Wilson) which had been shot 

 near Banff, and forwarded by Henry Alex. Eannie, Esq., corre- 

 sponding member. Not more than six specimens of this rare 

 bird had pre-\dously been recorded as occurring in this country. 



PAPER READ. 



On the Birds of Scotlmul. By Mr Egbert Gray, the Secretary. 

 This paper showed the distribution of the rarer species through- 

 out North Britain, from the southern counties to the Orkney and 

 Shetland Island. The communication also included a critical 

 examination of the accounts hitherto published on the occurrence 

 and habits of certain birds for which new localities have been dis- 

 covered, and wliich have been till now regarded as mere stragglers. 



