natural history society of glasgow. 81 



December 29th, 1863. 

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

 following gentlemen were elected members: — Messrs William 

 Hamilton, Geo. Hamilton, John B. Wingate, John Alexander, 

 John Mossman, William Ker, James Sinclair, Robert Mason, 

 Duncan M'Lellan, and George W. Eainey. 



SPECIMENS exhibited. 



Dr Dewar exhibited a specimen of the tawny eagle (Faico 

 ncevioides), which had been shot by himself in the Crimea — the 

 second recorded instance of its occurrence in Europe, a specimen 

 ha\dng been obtained a few years ago from the same locality by 

 Lieutenant Blakiston. Dr Dewar also exhibited the following rare 

 birds, obtained during the present month from various localities in 

 the West of Scotland : — The snowy owl (Surnia nydea) — Renfrew- 

 shire; the hawk owl [Surnia funerea) — near Maryhill, its third 

 occurrence in Britain ; the fork-tailed stonn petrel (Thalassidroma 

 Leachii), two specimens — from Firth of Clyde and Benbecula; and 

 the purple gallinule (Porphyrio hyacinthiis), a species which has not 

 hitherto been recognised as British — from near Campbeltown. 

 The last-named bird bore no traces of having been in confinement; 

 and as it is abundant in some parts of Europe, its occasional 

 occurrence in this country should excite less surprise than that of 

 many other species whose geographical range is not so extensive. 

 The hawk owl, for example, being a native of North America, is 

 more out of the limits of its distribution, and has a much wider 

 distance to travel ; while the purple water-hen, being found as near 

 us as France and Germany, could easily perform a journey to the 

 British islands, possessing as it does both powers of flight and 

 swimming. 



The Secretary, Mr Robert Gray, exhibited a specimen of the 

 parrot crossbill (Loxia pytiojmUacus), from Wemyss Bay — a rare 

 species, which has not occurred in Scotland for upwards of 30 years. 

 The specimen formed one of a flock seen recently at the place 

 mentioned. Mr Thomas Chapman exhibited a Bohemian wax- 

 wing {Bomhycilla garrula), from Tarbert, where it was found last 

 month. 



Mr David Robertson exhibited specimens of two rare fishes — 



Muller's topknot {Rhombus hirtiis) and Bloch's topknot {R.imnctatus), 



both from the Cumbraes ; also, a recently described crustacean— 



L 



