190 Proceedings of the Wernerian Society, 



chestnut is found to be an exceedingly nourishing food, and is 

 so used in Switzerland. The nutritive quality of acorns, 

 as the food of swine, is well known. It may seem de- 

 grading for man to descend to the food of brute animals ; 

 but on the dire event of famine, such a consideration is surely 

 trifling, not worthy of a moment's thought, though deserv- 

 ing of all attention in prosperous and ordinary times, in rela- 

 tion to the welfare and the prevention of the degradation of 

 the working classes ;-^an attention, unfortunately, which it has 

 not everywhere received, as the existing calamity in Ireland 

 too strongly shews. — I remain, my dear Sir, with much 

 esteem, faithfully yours, J. DAVY. 



Babbadoes, Nov. 19, 1846. 



Proceedings of the Wernerian Natural History Society. 



At the 40th Anniversary Meeting of this Society, held in the Col- 

 lege on the 28th November, the following gentlemen were elected 

 office-bearers for 1847 : — Professor Jameson, President. — Dr Gre- 

 ville, Dr Brunton, Professor Goodsir, Dr Anderson, W. Copland, 

 Esq., and Dr Coldstream, Vice-Presidents. — R. Stevenson, Esq., 

 David Milne, Esq., W. A. Cadell, Esq., A. J. Adie, Esq., Dr Fle- 

 ming, Professor Traill, Sir W. Jardine, and Professor Balfour, of 

 the Council. — Dr Neill and T. J. Torrie, Esq., Joint- Secretaries ; 

 A. G. Ellis, Esq., Treasurer ; J. Wilson, Esq. and Dr Hamilton, 

 Joint-Librarians ; and W. H. Townsend, Esq., Artist. 



At the meeting held on the 19th December (Rev. Dr Brunton, 

 V.P., in the chair), several very interesting communications were 

 brought forward. 



The first consisted of an account of the habits of the Equus hemi- 

 onus or Wild Horse, and of the Great Indian Marmot, drawn up by 

 Mr Laurence Jameson, from specimens received from his brother Wil- 

 liam Jameson, Esq. (Hon. E.I.C. Service, Saharunpoor), who had shot 

 both on the plains of Chinese Tartary, neither being found ori the 

 British side of the Himalaya range. The skins of both had been sent 

 home, atid the stuffed specimens were now exhibited to the meeting. 



