NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. / i 



had been collected by one who was not a botanist, and were there- 

 fore not valuable as specimens for the cabinet, but were of interest 

 as showing some very peculiar forms, differing widely from any of 

 our native species. 



Mr. James Lumsden, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of the Sclav- 

 onian or Dusky Grebe, Podiceps comutus, Gmelin. He said that 

 last year he had the pleasure of exhibiting a specimen of this bird 

 beginning to assume its summer plumage, and shot on Loch Lomond 

 in April, four years ago. That now exhibited, a male, was shot on 

 Loch Lomond between Luss and Inverbeg last winter, by Lieut. -Col. 

 Colquhoun, of Bencruaich Lodge, being the second occurrence of 

 this species in the district. In the early part of the winter, before 

 the Loch was frozen over, a bird, which was thought to belong to 

 this species, frequented the bay near Arden House. It was often 

 seen diving, and the quickness of its movements was noticed. Some 

 shots fired over it caused it to rise and fly a few hundred yards along 

 the shore, where it continued its diving as before. When the Loch 

 was frozen over it departed, and most likely went to the open water 

 above Luss. Probably it was the same bird as that now on the 

 table. This species seems w r idely distributed ; it is found breeding 

 in Iceland and the northern parts of Xorway, and is known as a 

 visitant in almost every country in Europe, but is nowhere abundant. 

 In Asia Mr. Dresser reports it to be found right across the Continent 

 to Japan, but it does not range very far south. In North America 

 it is tolerably abundant, breeding in the British Provinces and the 

 northern portions of the United States. 



PAPERS READ. 



\.—On some of the rarer Plants found in the Neighbourhood of 

 Greenock. By Mr. Thomas Scott. 



It will be as well, at the outset, to indicate the extent of the 

 district I intend to refer to in the following notes, and that is the 

 ground included in a radius of about six miles, which will take in 

 such localities as the Cloch, Shielhill Glen, and Kilmalcolm. 



I do not mean to take up your time by referring to any of those 

 plants, which, so far as Clydesdale, at least, is concerned, may be 

 termed cosmopolitan, my intention being simply to place before you 

 a record of those plants which may be said to be rare or uncommon, 



