298 ' Transactions of the [Sess. 



almost dormant at this time of the year. They are interesting 

 subjects for observation ; and the globule of air, which envelopes 

 the whole of the body except the head and thorax, gives them the 

 brilliant appearance of being coated with quicksilver — and this 

 silvery aspect is, no doubt, the reason for their scientific name of 

 Argyroneta. 



Our fellow-member, Mr Archibald Gray, was the first to discover 

 these Arachnidfe at Luffness, a considerable distance to the east of 

 Edinburgh ; and we now know that they are in no small numbers 

 seven miles to the west. We may therefore, I think, conclude 

 that they are not so very rare in this neighbourhood ; and it is ex- 

 tremely probable we may hear of them in other clear-water pools 

 near Edinburgh. 



I may remark that I believe Snipes breed on the Bavelaw bog, 

 for I flushed one, which seemed very reluctant to leave, and pitched 

 again within a few yards ; and this occurred on two occasions on 

 different days. I may also mention that while at Bavelaw, on the 

 4th August, I took the opportunity of transplanting some of the 

 Linna3a borealis to other suitable localities in the Fir-wood, select- 

 ing those places where the soil was of a similar character to that 

 where the plant now grows, — as it is, and I trust ever will be, the 

 object of our Club to disseminate rather than extirpate all otir 

 rarer indigenous plants. 



VIII.— LIST OF THE LESS COMMON PLANTS GATHERED AT 

 THE EXCURSIONS DURING 1885, WITH LOCALITIES. 



By Mr ANDREW MOFFAT, Secretaet. 

 [Read Jan. 22, 1886.) 



The plants included in the following list were those gathered at 

 the Club's excursions during 1885, so far as they differ from those 

 gathered in 1884 [vide p. 254 et seq.) Plants when once noted 

 are not repeated, unless recorded from different localities. 



Brassica nigra, Boiss. Inchkeith. Very abundant. 

 Cerastium arvense, L. Queen's Park, near Echoing Eock. 



Although this plant was not gathered at a Club excursion, I take 

 this opportunity of recording its occurrence in this locality. Seven 

 or eight years ago I got it here, but was never again able to gather 

 it till May 1885. 



Viola lutea, Huds. Blackford Hill. 

 Dianthus deltoides, L. Same locality. 



