130 Transactions of the [Sess. 



Press, or rub, as before, so as to ensure complete contact between 

 the leaf and the sheet beneath. During this, the second and final, 

 operation, it is of the utmost importance that the leaf be kept in its 

 place, because, if allowed to shift at this stage in the slightest degree, 

 a bl;irred and unsatisfactory copy will be the result. If done with 

 care, on lifting it a beautiful impression of the leaf will be found on 

 the paper beneath — every vein, even the most delicate, being faith- 

 fully and accurately copied. Unlike drawings, these impressions 

 bear close examination, even with a lens ; and in this consists their 

 scientific value, as every line shown may be relied upon as having 

 been actually in. the original. 



With regard to the permanency of the impressions, it may be 

 mentioned that my specimens have been used with almost as much 

 freedom as engnravings, without shoAving any traces of deterioration. 



[A specimen of leaf-impression by Mr Turnbull's method will be 

 found opposite.] 



At this meeting Mr Banks read a short note on the occurrence of 

 Stellaria aquatica. Scop., in the immediate neighbourhood of Edinburgh, 

 but for obvious reasons the precise locality was not given. Mr Mark 

 King also exhibited a collection of " interesting British plants," and 

 made short descriptive remarks on each. Among the plants thus 

 exhibited and described were the following : Brassica monensis, 

 Dentaria bulbifera, Iberis amara, Orobanche minor, "Woolfia arrhiza, 

 Lemna polyrhiza, and Hierochloa borealis, the last gathered by the 

 late Eobert Dick in Caithness. 



IV.— THE STOAT OR ERMINE WEASEL {MUSTELA 



ERMINEA). 



By Mr R. SCOT SKIRVING. 



(Read Jan. 24, 1883.) 



This subject was suggested to me by a paper read at a former 

 meeting entitled " Note on a Babbit killed by a Weasel." The chief 

 interest of that paper lay in the fact that, on the occasion described, 

 the Weasel followed its prey into the water, swam after it, and kiUed 

 it there. This incident was Avorthy of notice as being rare, though I 

 am aware Weasels hunt Water-rats frora their holes, and follow them 

 in the water. By people who are not naturalists, the Weasel 

 {Mustela vulgaris) and the Stoat {Mustela erminea) are constantly 

 confounded together. They are both members of the same family 



