8 Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Gallowaij 



fourths of tlie Ordinary Members present at any meeting of 

 the Society, of which notice shall have been given at the 

 previous monthly meeting. 



13th. The Secretary shall at any time call a meeting of 

 the Society, on receiving the instructions of the Committee, 

 or the requisition in writing of any six Ordinary Members. 



14th. All papers read before the Society shall become 

 its property. 



December 1st, 1876. 

 Being now duly constituted, the first regular meeting 

 was held in the Tov/n Hall — Dr Gilchrist in the chair. 



Mr Dudgeon of Cargen ; Mr M'llwraith, Editor of 

 Courier; Mr Fairley, Maxwelltown ; Mr Robertson, i/entW 

 Office ; M.- Thomas Jackson, Nith Place ; Dr Thompson, 

 Castle Street ; and Major Bowden, Loclifield, were elected 

 Ordinaiy Members. Mr Dunsmore, Castlehead, Paisley, 

 was elected a Corresponding Member. 



Ml' Gibson exhibited a fine specimen of the Rusty Hoof 

 Fungus, Poli/porus ir/narius, a species which grows on 

 decaying willow trees, and in this locality has been found 

 only at Dalscone and Nethertown of Troqueer. Also seeds 

 of the Ivory Nut Palm, Phytelepldas macrocarpa, a native 

 of the low valleys of the Peruvian Andes, of which large 

 quantities are imported to be used as a substitute for ivory 

 in the manufacture of vMrious small articles. Mr Gibson 

 also showed some Samian Ware, recently dug up at Carlisle 

 from a depth of twelve feet. 



Mr Lennon exhibited a remarkable collection of British 

 Water Beetles, containing 120 of the total number of 135 

 species recorded as occurring in Britain. Some of them are 

 very rare, notably Haliplus striatus, Hydroporus obsoletus, 

 and H. incognitus, only discovered in Britain within the 

 last few years ; and Hyphydrus ovatus, found in Auchen- 

 crieff Loch, and not known to inhabit any other part of 

 Scotland. 



The Chairman delivered a most interesting lecture on 

 " My First Lesson in Geology and its Results," in which, 

 after detailing the circumstances which had led him to take 



