The Scottish Naturalist. 269 



MEETINGS OP SCOTTISH SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



THE CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY OP SCOTLAND held 



its eleventh Annual Conference at Corrie, Island of Arran, on the 29th ult. 

 and succeeding days. The weather was unfavourable throughout. Fungi 

 were not abundant. This, however, was owing rather to a continuation of 

 barren seasons than to soil or climate. Arran is rich in ferns. Trichomanes 

 radicans has been gathered on the island. Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, 

 much less frequent in Scotland than in England, was found growing luxuriantly. 

 Hymenophyllum unilaterale, more extended in its distribution, was also 

 abundant. Some idea of the climate of the island may be formed from the 

 fact that Palms, Camelias, Myrtles, Heaths, Fuschias, &c, have been grown 

 in the open air, uninjured, through a long succession of winters. 



At the business meeting of the Society — Dr. Flaxman Spurrell in the chair — 

 it was resolved to publish a volume of " Transactions " after the next Annual 

 Conference, which will take place at Aberdeen in the autumn of next year, 

 under the presidency of Professor }. W. H. Trail. 



DUMFRIES-SHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL 

 HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.— Session 



1SS5-86. Oct. 2nd. — The opening meeting was held in new rooms acquired 

 by the Society by arrangement with the Presbytery and the Town Council of 

 Dumfries. We are glad to learn that the Society has been able to provide 

 accommodation of the formation of a museum, and that the local products of 

 the district are to receive special attention. A library is also in course of 

 formation by the Society, 



From the reports submitted we observe that the business of the meetings is 

 shared in by an increasing number of members, 2t communications, by 14 

 members, having been read at the seven winter meetings. These papers 

 included local antiquities as well as the local fauna and flora. Six summer 

 field meetings were held ; and attendances at both summer and winter meet- 

 ings was larger than in any previous year. Arrangements were made during 

 the year whereby the new rooms were obtained on a 15 years' lease, at a 

 nominal rent. The papers read at the various meetings during 18S1-S3 were 

 published in November 18S4, and those of 1883-85 are ready for being put 

 into the printer's hands. The Treasurer reported a satisfactory balance sheet. 



November 6th. — The following papers were read : — List of Kirkcud- 

 brightshire Mollusks, (L. & F. W.) with remarks, by Mr. F. R. Coles ; 

 Notes on Local Ornithology, Mr. W. Hastings ; A Day on Ben 

 Lawers, Mr. J. M 'Andrew ; The Botany of Sanquhar District, 

 Dr. A. Davidson. No report on these has been received. 



December qth. — Mr. T. Brown read a paper on the Birds of Tyndroil 

 Parish, 86 in number, and exhibited one or more eggs of all but five of the 

 species. The writer's personal observations on the birds were of great interest ; 

 but they cannot be condensed ; and our space unfortunately does not allow of 

 quoting them at full length. We understand that the Marsh tit, the Pied fly. 



