NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 15 



II. — Researches on the Ayrshire Coast — Irvine, Ayr, and Girvan. 

 By Mr David Robertson. 

 Tliis paper was illustrated by a series of beautifully-prepared 

 specimens of algse, and other marine objects described in it. 



January 28th, 1862. 



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



A communication from Mr Keddie, Secretary to the Philosophi- 

 cal Society of Glasgow, was read, submitting a proposal that a 

 joint address of condolence to the Queen on the death of the Prince 

 Consort, be presented by the various scientific societies of the city, 

 and requesting the co-operation of the Natural History Society, by 

 sending delegates to the general meeting of representatives, for the 

 purpose of appointing a committee for the preparation of the 

 address. It was therefore agreed to adopt the recommendation 

 of the council — that Dr Scouler, Mr Robert Gray, and Mr Thomas 

 Chapman, should attend the said meeting, and a notification be 

 sent to Mr Keddie accordingly. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr James Hamilton exhil^ited two specimens, male and female, 

 . of Stellers' western duck (Somatcria Sfellerii), a rare and interesting 

 species obtained from North America. A specimen of this bird, 

 killed in Denmark, was, at the time Mr Selby wrote his History 

 of British Birds, considered the only one on record ; and although 

 it has since been occasionally found in Northern Europe and on 

 the northern coast of America, collectors have still the greatest 

 difficulty in furnishing their cabinets with a specimen. Mr 

 Hamilton also exhibited the eggs of the following birds : — 

 Egyptian vulture, honey buzzard, rough-legged buzzard, wood- 

 cock, Caspian tern, Sandwich tern, and fulmar petrel. 



PAPERS READ. 



I. — O71 the Limitation of the Area of Organic Beings from Cold. 



By Mr Alexander Sutherland, being a reconsideration of Dr 



Scouler's paper on that subject. 



II. — On the Orthotricha of the Valley of the Girvan. 

 By Mr John Shaw, of the Free Normal Seminary. 



