NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 165 



alders of that time, he paddled his canoe homeward, to be welcomed 

 by the smiles of his little ones. 



January 29th, 1867. 

 Mr Walter Gait in the chair. Dr John Young, Professor of 

 Natural History, Glasgow University, was elected a resident 

 member; and the Hon. Lord Binning, Burntisfield House, Edin- 

 burgh, and Mr John A. Harvey Brown, Dunipace, Falkirk, 

 corresponding members. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Dr James Stirton exhibited specimens of Dicranum longifolium 

 from Ben Lawers, the first authenticated occurrence of the species 

 in Britain, and also made some remarks on the botanical features 

 of the district. 



The Secretary exhibited two specimens of the Bohemian wax- 

 wing {Bombycilla garrula) from the neighbourhood of Lanark. He 

 remarked that about the beginning of December, before there 

 v/ere any signs of such weather as we have recently experienced, 

 large flocks of waxwings were observed in various parts of Britain. 

 These migratory flocks had greatly exceeded in numbers those of 

 recent years, and had spread themselves over a large tract of 

 country. 



paper read. 



On the Latent Vitality of a species of Equisetum from the Blairdardie 

 Clayfield. By Mr W. Newton MacCartney. 



In the Blairdardie claybeds, roots of an Equisetum, probably 

 Equisetum palustre, are found at depths varying from three to 

 fifteen feet. These roots, where embedded in the clay, retain 

 their freshness, and, when placed in water, throw out buds and 

 grow. When a section is made, the starch cells retain their 

 normal form, and, on the iodine test being applied, starch in 

 quantity is apparent. The same root, if traced as it lies hori- 

 zontally in the deposit, will be found fresh and perfect where the 

 clay is comparatively pure; but where it passes through sand, 

 nothing but the dark-coloured epidermis remains. From this fact 

 it is inferred that the clay retards the process of decay, which 

 takes place when the root is in sand. The silex entering into the 



