87 



^^nrwMiigs nf lurittia 



Natural History Society of Glasgow. — The ordinar}' meeting of this Society was held on the 

 6th. of January, when there was a full attendance of members. 



Mu. lloGEH Hennedy read a very interesting paper, entitled, "Contributions to the Natural 

 History of Clydesdale, from the Flora and Fauna of Gourock." Mr. Hennedy, after detailing 

 the cu-cumstanccs which led him to draw up his paper, went on to say, — "To shew the necessity 

 of such lists as I have; drawn up here, however imperfectly, it will only be necessary to refer 

 to those already published, which will be found in every respect sadly deficient and incorrect. 

 On referring, for instance, to Turton's "Manual of Land and Fresh-Water Shells," second 

 edition, by J. E. Grey, we find that the wi-iter complains, and it must be admitted with good 

 reason, of the imperfect materials at his disposal for the preparation of good tables, relative to 

 the general distribution of the British species. "When such complaints are made by men of 

 science, more particularly by those engaged in describing the geographical distribution of plants 

 and animals, how can we admit the accuracy of their general conclusions, or have faith in the 

 soundness of deductions derived ft-om such insufficient data?" 



In carrying out these remarks, and for the sake of example, Mr. Hennedy took notice of an 

 excellent paper by Mr. John Gray, read by Mr. J. P. Fraser before the Philosophical Society 

 last session, in which it was stated, that the error of representing Scotland as deficient in many 

 insects, which Scotch naturalists know to be quite common in this country, is habitually com- 

 mitted by English entomologists. He continued, by saying, "for a similar error in regard to 

 conchology, allow me again to refer to Gray's "Turton," wherein the writer enumerates, from 

 the published lists and notes of others, only thirty-one species of land and fresh-water shells as 

 inhabiting Scotland, whereas I believe it may be stated with certainty, that members of this 

 Society alone could furnish more than double this number. Similar deficiences will occur, I 

 have no doubt, to most of the gentlemen present, in regard to other departments of natural 

 science." 



Mr, Hennedy stated that the division of the Algae formed the most complete, and that so far 

 as he knew there had hitherto been no lists published of those indigenous to this coast, except 

 a few species noticed in Hopkirk's "Flora Glottiana." He mentioned "that the more rare 

 filiform Algce are entirely absent from the list he had the pleasure to lay before the Society, 

 and that the deficiency might be accounted for by the proximity of the locality to the fresh 

 waters of the Clyde. The comparative proportion of plants found in this locality, when we 

 take them by the series as divided in Mr. W. H. Harvey's "Manual," will be found as follows: 

 — Of Melanospermeaj, about one-third; of llhodospcnnea), one-fifth; of Chlorospennea), one-third; 

 but in consequence of the Ehodospermete imncipally inhabiting deep water, there can be little 

 doubt that their numbers will yet be increased." He mentioned one which he had kept out 

 of his list, namely Lichinia pygmcea; it grows very plentifully on rocks by the sea-side, 

 forming a snug refuge for Kellia rubra., and several of the small mollusks. 



After some very interesting remarks on the flowering plants, ferns, and mosses of the district, 

 Mr. Hennedy proceeded to take notice of the shells. Having made a few introductory observa- 

 tions, he went on to say, "from the absence, in this district, of rivers, or canals, we arc 

 deficient in the Alasmodon, Anodon, etc. ; on the other hand in Sylvan species we are tolerably 

 rich, among the Helices we have two very beautiful species in great abundance, namely H. 

 Aculeata and H. Camellnta. In the spring they are found upon the previous year's decaying 

 leaves, and are so minute, that it is necessary for their discovery to lift the leaves and turn 

 them over in the hand. By this means they are easily seen. The species of Succinea, called 

 Pfeifferi is very plentiful, and is always found on grass and stones in ditches and hollows. 

 Limnmus truncatulns is abundant, those found on the hills being very small and clean, are 

 often mistaken for a new specie3. In the heat of summer they disappear, burying themselves 

 in the mud. That little beauty, CarycJiium minimum, is also plentiful; it is found on 

 Marchantia in damp places, and this is probably what it feeds upon. Pupa umbilicata is 

 found amongst moss and heath on projecting rocks close by the sea-side, where the spray of 

 the sea must often fall on them. Along with them is the Clausilia nigrcscens^ which is fi'e- 

 quently found on the bare rocks within a yard of high water. 



