PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 167 



acquired by purchase. The privilege of consulting or borrowing 

 books during the hours when the Rooms are open is much taken 

 advantage of. The books in the Library are all in good condi- 

 tion, and the Transactions and Magazines received in exchange 

 are nearly all bound up to date. The Society now exchanges 

 Transactions with nearly all the publishing Scottish societies. 



Transactions. — The Hon. Editor (Mr. John Paterson) reported 

 that Part II. of Vol. Y. of the Transactions, for Session 1897-98, 

 was issued in December of 1898, and the material relating to the 

 following Session was being dealt with. He thanked all who had 

 contributed to the Illustration Fund, the result of the appeal to 

 the Members having enabled the Publishing Committee to meet 

 the cost of producing seven full page plates, and over thirty 

 smaller illustrations, without encroaching on the general funds of 

 the Society. 



The Reports were all unanimously approved of and adopted. 



Vacancies in the Council were filled up as follows : — Mr. Alex. 

 Somerville, B.Sc, F.L.S., as President ; Mr. Robert Brown, 

 M.D.. as Vice-President; Mr. J. J. Robertson, as Hon. Secretary; 

 Mr. John Ren wick, as Hon. Treasurer; Mr. James Mitchell, as 

 Hon. Librarian; Mr. John Paterson, as Hon. Editor; Messrs. 

 John Cairns, Jun. ; James F. Gemmell, M.A., M.B., CM.; Robert 

 Kidston, F.R.S.E., F.G.S. ; Johnstone Macfie, M.D. ; and Wm. 

 Stewart, as Members of Council. Messrs. James Jack and 

 William Leighton were appointed Auditors. 



Mr. Geo. Paxton exhibited a nest of the Common Wren, 

 Troglodytes parvulus, Koch, which had been built in debris 

 collected at the end of a branch of a rowan tree which overhung 

 the Water of Ayr. 



Mr. James F. Gemmell, M.A., M.B., CM., exhibited under 

 microscopes various horizontal sections of " Double Embryos of 

 Trout." 



Mr. R. D. Wilkie exhibited two specimens of the Natter-jack 

 Toad, Bufo calamita, Laurenti, from the shores of the Solway 

 Firth, a species of infrequent occurrence. 



Mr. Wm. Stewart read a paper entitled " Notes on the Occur- 

 rence of Trichomanes radicans, Sw., in Scotland," and exhibited 

 fronds collected in two out of the four recorded habitats. (See 

 page 18.) 



