natural history society of glasgow. 45 



November 22d, 1862. 



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

 William Mathieson was elected a resident member. 



PAPERS READ. 

 I. — Dr Lindsay read a communication from the Rev. James Cope- 

 land, Aneitum, New Hebrides, one of the society's corresponding 

 members, descriptive of the natives of that group of islands. In 

 this paper Mr Copeland announced the singular fact, that among 

 the albiuoes which had occurred within his observation, there were 

 several piebald varieties, having their bodies covered with large 

 black and white spots. 



II. — On the occurrence of Edwardsia callimorpha. 

 By Mr David Eobertson. 



Last spring I exhibited a specimen from Cumbrae of a small 

 anemone — Edwardsia carnea — which is new, as far as known, to 

 Scotland. This last summer, in company with Dr Grieve and 

 Mr Keddie, we dredged between the Cumbraes and south end of 

 Bute another member of this interesting family — Edwardsia 

 caUimorpha — which I now exhibit. It is also new to Scotland, 

 not having been known before further north than the south- 

 western coast of England. 



III. — On the habits of some of the fishes of the Firth of Clyde, embracing 

 facts in connection with those species frequenting shallow water. 

 By Mr John Eaton Eeid. 



In speaking of the common dab (Platessa limanda), Mr 

 Eeid mentioned having on one occasion, while becalmed in his 

 yacht, observed a strange commotion in the water, and found it 

 was caused by about a hundred of these " flounders" — many of 

 them but the size of a man's hand — springing along the surface, 

 and rushing confusedly from the spot where they first appeared. 

 In a few seconds a large angler, or fishing-frog {Lophius piscatorius) 

 rose also to the surface, from which circumstance it would appear 

 that in capturing its prey it does not always resort to its well- 

 known lure— stirring up the mud or sand at the bottom, and 

 waving its dorsal fishing-rod, which has something like a bait at 

 the end, till the inquirmg fishes assemble over the obscured angler, 

 and are quietly swallowed — but occasionally leaves the bed of the 



