Natural History and Antiquarian Society. 7 



architect's assistant, Dumfries ; David Boyle Hope Esq., 

 sheriff-substitute, Dumfries. 



Mr MuiTay presented a copy of the proceedings of the 

 Philosophical Society of Glasgow, sent to him by the Rev. 

 H. W. Crossley, of Anderson's University, for exchange with 

 the Society ; and the Secretary was intrusted to return a 

 copy of the last year's Transactions and of that now being 

 printed. 



Mr Starke moved, seconded by Mr Aitken, that a small 

 committee be appointed to make enquiries as to the desir- 

 ability of procuring another room for the Society's meetings, 

 and particularly a room which Mr Aitken learned was likely 

 to be available. Mr Maxwell, seconded by Mr Corrie, moved 

 that the matter be delayed in the meantime. On being put 

 to the meeting, Mr Maxwell's motion was carried by a 

 majority. 



Dr Gilchrist exhibited a very complete and interesting 

 collection of land and fresh water shells. Dr M'Nab exhib- 

 ited several cases of rare and beautiful coleoptera. 



David Shai-p, Esq., M.B., Thomhill, read a paper " On 

 Variations in Insect Life, with especial regard to the theor- 

 ies of Lamarck and Darwin." Dr Sharp epitomized the 

 remarks of French naturalists on these inve«5tigations, and 

 concluded by recommending the members who were inter- 

 ested in these questions of natural history to conduct 

 experiments of the same kind for themselves. The paper 

 excited a lively conversation on the question how far scien- 

 tific discoveries had supported or discredited the Darwinian 

 theory of the origin of species. Dr Sharp remarked that 

 such was the situation of the controversy that it depended 

 entirely on how a person selected his facts, whether they date 

 on the one side or the other. 



Mr Corrie read a short paper on the discovery of an 

 ancient grave on the farm of Broomhill, parish of Loch- 

 maben, on the 21st August last, * and exhibited fragments 



* See last year's Transactions, p. 43. 



