410 Proceedings of the British Association. 



the place in the geological series to which the red sandstones, 8cc, 

 of Berwickshire are to be referred, and gave it as his opinion that 

 these strata are developments of the lower beds of the "Coal-field. 

 He also pointed out in detail the various elevations which have sue-, 

 cessively taken place on the land, by eruptions of trap at successive 

 epochs; accompanying his observations by a reference to specimens, 

 map, and sections. 



Remarks expressive of the high opinion entertained of the value of 

 Mr Milne's paper were made by Professor Sedgwick, Professor 

 Jameson, Mr Greenough, and Mr Murchison. 



The Secretary laid before the Section Dr Harlan's paper on the 

 fossil organic remains of the United States. 



Section D. — Natural History. 



On the functions and use of the orbital glands in birds of the 

 orders Natatores and Grallatores, by P. J. Selby, Esq. 



On the birds observed and collected during an excursion in 

 Sutherlandshire, by P, J. Selby, Esq. 



On the fishes obtained during the same excursion, by Sir Wil- 

 liam Jardine. 



On the insects obtained, by James Wilson, Esq. 



On a collection of insects recently received from Java, by James 

 Wilson, Esq. 



On the change of colour of the fruit in a certain species of 

 elder, by the Rev. James Drake. 



On the cultivation of Phormium tenax in Scotland, by John 

 Murray, Esq. 



On the progress made in researches on the secretions from the 

 roots of vegetables, by Dr Dunbar. 



On the distribution of the phenogamous plants of the Faroe 

 Islands, by W. C. Trevelyan, Esq. 



Professor Jameson exhibited a splendid collection of coloured 

 drawings of the vertebrate animals of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 executed by Mr William Macgillivray, Curator of the Museum of 

 the College of Surgeons. The Professor remarked, that their pe- 

 culiar excellence consisted in their combining, with great beauty of 

 pictorial effect, very accurate representations of the shape of the 

 head, and of the structure, form, and modes of combination, of fea- 

 thers in birds, and scales and plates in fishes, amphibia, &c. The 

 drawings exhibited form part of a great collection, intended for 



