NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 185 



in other parts of Scotlaiifl. Both birds had been obhgingly lent to 

 tlie society, for the purpose of exhibition, by Mr M'Culloch, taxi- 

 dermist, Sauchiehall Street. 



PAPERS READ. 



I. — Observations on the Habits of certain New Zealand Birds. 

 By Mr John Buchanan, of the Government Geological Survey, 

 Wellington, New Zealand. 

 A very graphic account was given of the e very-day life of 

 many very interesting species, which were exhibited in illustra- 

 tion of this paper. In speaking of the parroquets, the writer 

 remarked that two species, the Platijcercus Pacificus and Platycercus 

 avriceps, are found flying in immense flocks, sometimes appearing 

 in cultivated districts Hke an Egyptian plague, and devastating the 

 lands of the farmer. On these occasions they have been known to 

 destroy whole crops in spite of every means that were used to drive 

 them off". Regardless of danger, they could be shot in hundreds, 

 the flock rising but for a moment when fired at, and alighting 

 again among their dead comrades. Among the Inrds frequenting 

 gardens, Mr Buchanan described the habits of the little wax-eye or 

 blight bird, Avhich is both an enemy and friend to the horticultu- 

 rist. Having a penchant for cherries, a flock will alight on a tree 

 and destroy the whole of the fruit by eating the softer parts, leav- 

 ing the stalks and stones, thus converting the cherry tree into a 

 horticultural curiosity. As an offset to this destructive propensity, 

 however, the wax-eye destroys the aphis, which causes the Ameri- 

 can blight in apple trees and cabbages — a service which is perhaps 

 cheaply purchased by a crop of cherries. 



II. — On the occurrence of shells showing colour marhings, from the 

 carboniferous limestone strata of the JVest of Scotland. By Mr 

 John Young. 

 This paper was illustrated by specimens from Mr Young's 

 collection belonging to the genera Orthoceras, Naticopsis, Aviculo- 

 pecten, Mijalinu, Mactra, Terebratvla, Lingula, etc., which showed, 

 in different degrees of preservation, bands as well as zig-zag and 

 wavy lines of colour,wliich once adorned the living shells. The 

 author stated that although it was an interesting fact to geologists 

 that shells, from so old a formation as the carboniferous lime- 

 stone, should be found retaining traces of their original colour — 



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