The Scottish Naturalist. 273 



NATURAL HISTOEY SOCIETIES. 



Aberdeen Natural History Society, Sessioii lS80-S7(Xov. 16). 

 Annual Business meeting for the election of office bearers, council, and com- 

 mittees, and to receive reports from the Secretary and Treasurer. 



{Dec. 21). The President (Prof. Trail) exhibited and remarked upon the 

 additions made by him to the fungus Flora of the N. E. of Scotland 

 during 1SS6. The Secretary of the Society (Mr. Roy) gave in a report on 

 the excursions of the Society during the past year. 



1887. (Jan. 18). Prof. Trail read notes upon plants found by Mr. Beeby 

 in the Shetland Islands during the summer of 1886 ; and exhibited specimens 

 for which he was indebted to Mr. Beeby's kindness, and which included 

 several interesting critical forms. 



Mr. Roy read notes on the earliest ascertained recorders of plants in the 

 N. E. of Scotland, with especial reference to Dr. James Cargill, Dr. David 

 Skene, and Rev. John Lightfoot ; and he intimated that he is engaged in 

 collecting information with a view to the preparation of a complete biblio- 

 graphy of the botany of the district. 



Mr. R. Gray read a paper on the habits of the Right Whale, in which he 

 maintained, from observations made by himself and by others, in the arctic 

 regions, that it sleeps under water. 



(Fab. 15). This meeting took the form of a conversazione, with an exhi- 

 bition of interesting specimens, chiefly local, of apparatus, Sec. , shown by 

 members to the Society and to friends. 



(March, IS). Mr. Adam read a paper on Hydroid Zoophytes, with special 

 reference to their structure and life-history ; and he also communicated notes 

 on botanists of Aberdeen or its neighbourhood, and showed a number of books 

 published by them. 



The Council submitted a report recommending five summer excursions. 



(April 10). Mr. James Taylor read notes on the Diatoms of the district 

 around Aberdeen, and also notes on some of the former botanists of the N. E. 

 of Scotland. 



The Secretary read an additional note on Dr. James Cargill, who died in 

 161 4, and on Dr. David Skene, a correspondent of Linnaeus, who died at 

 Aberdeen in 1771. Among Dr. Skene's discoveries was Carex incurva 

 Lightf. 



The scheme of excursions for the ensuing summer was agreed to ; and the 

 Council further recommended strongly to the Society to investigate the 

 natural history of the extensive Links that fringe the coast to the north of 

 Aberdeen. 



Session 1S87-8S. (Dec. 20). Annual Meeting (deferred from November, 

 owing to illness of the Secretary). Office-bearers for the year were elected ; 

 and the reports of the Secretary and Treasurer for the past year were read. 

 Prof. Trail thereafter exhibited the local collection of Algae, selected and 

 mounted from the herbarium of the late Prof. Dickie, which was purchased 

 after his death for the Herbarium of the University of Aberdeen. 



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