378 Proceedings of tJte^Wemerim JSfatural flisfory Society, 



Feb* 19.— Robert Jameson, Esq. P. in the chair. There 

 was read an essay on the Beacon lights of remote antiquity 

 coimnunicated by Mr Robert Stevenson, civil engineer. Like- 

 wise a, paper on the influence of rocks on the nature of the vege- 

 tation which covers them, communicated by Dr Alexander 

 Murray of Aberdeenshire. 



At the same meeting, Mr John James Audubon communi- 

 cated an interesting and graphic description of a flood of the 

 Mississippi, which he had witnessed during his residence in the 

 western parts of America. l~^^^:^ , .,^ . 



March % — Robeet Jameson, Esq., P., in the chair. The 

 first paper read was Dr Turnbull Christie's account of the occur- 

 rence of hailstorms within the torrid zone, in the peninsula of In- 

 jdia. The Rev. Dr David Scot read a learned essay on the Zcbi 

 )f the Bible, which he proved to be the Mountain Gazelle, and 

 ot the Roe, as in our authorised translation. ^i!t '^„' 

 I Dr GiiEviLLE, V. P., having taken the chair, Professqir 

 ijameson stated the general results of accurately kept meteorot^u 

 gical tables, shewing the nature of the weather in the Isle of 

 ^ an from 1824 to 1830. He also communicated a copy Of 



le meteorological register for 1830, kept at Kinfauns Castle,! 



ader the direction of Lord Gray ; and a similar register, kept 



f^berdeen by Mr George Innes. The Professor then laid on 

 tlie table a copy of a return to an address of the House of Com- 

 aaions relating to sums of money granted for mineralogical pur- 

 poses in Scotland; from which it appeared, that no part of the 

 money had been granted to this Society, nor to the Edinburgh 

 Museum, — although the printed Parliamentary votes had men- 

 tioned the Mineralogical Society/ of Scotland, and the news- 

 papers had stated, that part of the money was for the Edin- 

 burgh Museum ; but that the whole sum, amounting to up^ 

 Wards of L. 7000, had been paid to Dr John MacCulloch of 

 Woolwich, for a Mineralogical Survey of Scotland, never until 

 how heard of by men of science in Scotland. It was remarked, 

 that it would be desirable^ in Government to cause to be pub- 

 li^ied forthwith the results of this expensive and it seems onlj 

 partial survey of Scotland. ' 



At the same meeting. Professor Jameson communicated « 

 Bptice in regard to the structui'e of certain fossil woods from 

 Van Dieman's Land, shewing, that the ancient vegetation had 

 resembled that of the old world, or differed greatly from the 



