192 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES, AND THE QUERIST. 



of a trusty and faithful guide in commencing a study of Botany. We much 

 regret however, that we are unable to accord to the work the merit of being 

 an index to Dr. Balfour's botanical opinions. The first edition came out under 

 his sanction, and was generally considered a valuable addition to the library 

 of the student in Botany. The present edition has however undergone many 

 changes, and these of such a nature, as to induce the Professor to announce 

 from his professorial chair that this edition was not edited nor corrected by 

 him; and that he was in no way answerable for it. It seems that the book 

 has been re-edited, and considerably altered by some one employed by the 

 publishers, who has by no means represented Dr. Balfour's views. We allude 

 to the subject but thus briefly, with a view to prevent any of our friends, 

 who may purchase this edition, thinking they are by so doing, obtaining the 

 results of Professor Balfour's Botanical studies and opinions. 



|<^rntrrMtig3 nf IntictiM. 



Ayrshire Naturalists' Club. — The first anniversarj' meeting of this Club took place at Ayr, on 

 the 25th. of June, when Major Martin, of Ardrossan, was chosen President for the year, in the 

 room of the Eev. Dr. Landsborough, their President during the last year. After transacting some 

 business, they set out to explore the coast towards Dunnrc. They passed "Alloway's auld haunted 

 Kirk;" Bums' birth-place and monument ; and "The banks and braes o' bonnie Doon;" and then 

 bore down ou the shore, and in a little while fell in with a Pholas, which on extracting from the 

 perforation it had formed in the ro(;k, they were delighted to find was the rare and beautiful 

 Pholas papyracea, new to Scotland. The shore is a rich one for Algologists, but, on tliis occasion, 

 nothing rare was found. Several specimens of Alaria escitlexta and Jania ruhcns were got, and 

 the stones were occasionally spotted witli Hildenl)randtia rubra. The vei-y rare Lynybya Thompsoni 

 was obtained in a fresh-water stream. The bold headlands aftbrded some good specimens of 

 phenogamous plants, such as Seduni telcphium, Thalictrum minus, Eupatorium cannabinmn, 

 Cotyledon umbilicHs, and Lithospermum maritimum. Agates arc plentiful on the shore, and 

 several specimens of Olivinite were found. But the most interesting discovery was made as they 

 approached Dunurc; one of the party examining a stone that had fallen from the cliff, saw 

 embedded in it what, at first, was thought a shell; but on hammering it out, to their great 

 joy, they found that it was the scale of an old world fish. Several were found, some of them 

 about an inch in length, and three-quarters of an inch in breadth. Tliey were curiously wrinkled 

 on the outer side, and the whole had a coating resembling chalcedony. They were tlie scales 

 of the Iloloptychius of the upper old Ecd Sandstone, akin to, if not identical with the IT. 

 giganteus of Agassiz. llie party were much pleased with theii' excursion. 



€liB (T^iicrist. 



' Hie Nightingale, (Syh-ia luscinia.) — Is it true that tliis songster will not frequent, or pour 

 forth its delicious notes, save in spots where streams, lakes, or ornamental waters are to be 

 found?— W. F. 



Wc request information from any of our sea-coast friends respecting the occurrence of the 

 Puffin, or any of our summer Sea-birds, during the whiter months. It is a subject of much 

 interest, and, we believe, much may be learned by extended and general observations. — B. E. Jl. 



Wo shall feel greatly obliged to our various ornithological contributors if they will send us 

 information as to the time of the depai-ture of the Cuckoo from this country, specifying, when 

 pos.sible, the state of the bird, as to age. — B. B. M. 



