Scientific, Natural History, and Antiquarian Society. 11 



state four or five mouths earlier thau their normal time of 

 appearance. 



The Secretaiy intimated that he had received the fol- 

 lowing publications as a donation from the Royal Society of 

 Christiania : — Catalogues of the Coleoptera, and of the 

 Lepidoptera of Norway, Der Pflanzenwelt Norivegena, 

 Researches on a Neia Oenus of Starfishes, and a Map of 

 Norway. 



Mr Shaw gave a most interesting address on the " Fer- 

 tilization of Flowers by Insects," illustrating his remarks by 

 reference to a large number of diagrams of the various ways 

 in which flowers are fertilized by insect agency. 



Mr Lennon read a notice of the capture by himself of 

 Melitcea dilyma, a Butterfly hitherto unrecorded as British, 

 and a specimen of which he had secured a few years ago at 

 Dalscairth. (See Transactions.) 



The Chairman made some remarks on " An unrecognised 

 cause of Floods," which, he stated, was the gradual silting up 

 of river beds with stones, sand, and mud, brought down from 

 the higher grounds, until the bed of a river was nearly of the 

 same level as the surrounding lands, 



April 6th, 1877. 



The Fifth and last Ordinary Meeting of the Session was 

 held in the Town Hall — Dr Gilchrist in the Chair. 



Mr Halliday, Maxwelltown, and the Rev. J. A. Campbell, 

 Troqueer Manse, were elected Ordinary Members. 



The Chairman exhibited a fine specimen of Graphic 

 Granite ; Mr Davidson, a Stone Celt found in Mabie Moss ; 

 Dr Grierson, a skin of the Common Eel, Anguila acutirostris, 

 upwards of four feet long. 



Mr Simpson read a most elaborate paper on the " Great 

 Pyramid of Ghizeh," giving a full description of that won- 

 derful structure, and stating the views held in relation to its 

 purposes and uses by Professor Piazzi Smith and other 

 eminent authorities. 



Mr Starke read a paper on " The. Sugar-Cane," in which 



