XXX PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Mr. Peter Cameron, Vice-President, exhibited a specimen of 

 Carabus nitens, L., from Glen Messen, near Dunoon ; and Mr. 

 George R. Alexander, a collection of Mosses. 



Mr. Thomas King made some remarks on the use of the 

 magic-lantern for purposes of teaching, and expressed the 

 opinion that for general teaching the lantern possessed the 

 advantage over the microscope of lessening both labour and 

 expense. By means of micro-photography the magnified image 

 of minute objects, such as sections of vegetable tissues, diatoms, 

 &c., could be photographed in a form available for use as a 

 lantern-slide. With the aid of such slides the teacher could at 

 once explain to the whole class what could only with the 

 microscope be explained individually. In illustration of his 

 remarks, Mr. King exhibited a series of lantern-slides represent- 

 ing groups of the Diatomacece, sections of tissues, &c., and in 

 every case the minute details of the objects shown were brought 

 out with a very clear definition. 



17th June, 1881. 



Mr. M. C. Duff in the Chair. 



Mr. James Steel reported on an excursion made to Ailsa 

 Craig on 5th inst., by invitation of the Kilmarnock Philosophi- 

 cal Society. The island affords a habitation to immense flocks 

 of sea-birds, of which many species breed on the precipitous 

 rocks and grassy ledges. Several Puffins were captured ; and 

 among the niunerous eggs found were those of the Black- 

 headed Gull, Guillemot, and Razorbill. The only reptile observed 

 was the Blind-worm, Anguis fragilis, L. Land and marine 

 shells seemed plentiful enough ; but as the time for collecting 

 was necessarily limited, comparatively few species could be ob- 

 tained. Tvoclius cinerarixts, L., seemed to be the most abund- 

 ant of the marine shells, while Littorina littorea, L., was some- 

 what scarce. Many of the shells presented peculiarities in form 

 and marking, due, no doubt, to local influences, such as ex- 

 posure and feeding. Littorina littorea, for example, was of un- 

 usual size and beauty, having the lip pure white round the 

 greater part of the whorl. Several plants were collected, in- 

 cluding Asjjlenlitni viai'iiiuni, L., which formed a graceful 

 ornament to the bare and exposed rocks where it was found 

 growing. 



Mr. James Barrie Low, M.A., reported on an excursion made 

 to Cleghorn on 12th inst. Along the valley of the Mouse, be- 



