NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 21 



Phibalura flavirostris, a very curious species allied to the swallows, 

 cotingas, and tyrant fly-catchers. 



Dr Alexander Lindsay exhibited some specimens of gold from 

 the gold-fields of Otago, and a cranium of the four-horned antelope 

 {Tetracerus quadricoimis) from Guzerat. 



Some nardoo seeds, from the interior of Australia, were exhibited 

 by Mr Gray, to whom they were forwarded by a correspondent as 

 possessing an interest, on account of their having been almost the 

 sole subsistence of Messrs Burke and Wills and their party during 

 their perilous and unfortunate exploring expedition. 



Dr D. Dewar exhibited a large specimen of the marten cat 

 (Martes foina) which had been killed near the banks of Loch 

 Lomond. 



Mr Thomas Chapman laid on the table for the inspection of the 

 members two boxes of lepidopterous insects, chiefly obtained by 

 himself around the shores of Loch Lomond. The collection 

 embraced specimens of the following moths, all regarded as scarce 

 species in Scotland: — PentJiina prcelongana, P. ochromelana, CeropacJia 

 or, Notodonta cameliim, N. dromedaria, N. dictcea, N. didceoides. 



PAPERS READ. 



I. — On the Marine Zoology and Botany of Loch Ryan, Bay of Lv^ce, 

 and Portpatrick, from, observations made during a recent excursion. 

 By Dr John Grieve and Mr David Robertson. 



Having made an excursion for a few days to Loch Ryan, in the 

 beginning of November, 1861, a short account of observations 

 made on the shores of the loch, and on the oyster fishery, was 

 suDmitted to the society, from which the following abstract has 

 been made : — 



Loch Ryan, like many of our Scottish valleys, belongs to the 

 N.W. — S.E. system, and lies nearly due north and south. Its 

 length is between eight and nine miles, and its breadth varies from 

 two to five. At the mouth it is three miles across, with a depth 

 of from 4 to 5 fathoms of water; the general depth over the oyster 

 ground is 8 fathoms. 



Steep precipitous cliff's guard the entrance — those on the northern 

 shore extending round to Ballantrae. In the high rocky jiromon- 

 tory on the south are a number of caves, tenanted by the rock- 

 dove, and in which the Asplenium marinum grows to a large size. 

 At the base of these cliff's the shores are rocky, with numerous 



