:30 Fidd Mceiings. 



the party was welcomed by Dr Gvienson, and shown over the 

 grounds, where are gathered together a vast number of rare 

 and curious plants, some of which are quite unique. " Mount 

 Ararat" stands in the west portion of the garden, and a 

 winding pathway leads to the regions of perpetual snow — an 

 effect produced by layers of white quartz rocks. At various 

 heights are growing the special groups of plants peculiar to 

 a mountain region, the whole giving a very good idea of 

 Alpine Botany. Various old Urns, Crosses, and Querns are 

 placed here and there throughout the grounds, and have a 

 very peculiar effect. An old Elm stump was pointed out as 

 having a curious history. For more than four hundred years 

 the tree grew in the bed of the Marr Burn ; the stream had 

 gradually undermined and hollowed out the stem, till, after 

 a night of storm and flood, the tree was uprooted and over- 

 turned. It was taken to a woodyard, where it was cut up, 

 and the stump lay there for upwards of a year. It was 

 ultimately taken to the Museum, and now, from the base of 

 the old stump, a number of young branches have grown and 

 apparently mean to flourish. Within the Museum itself a 

 whole day might have been profitably spent, but a hurried 

 glance was all that could be spared. After a few hours' 

 examination of the wonderful collection of subjects in every 

 branch of Natural History and Art which are here contained, 

 the party proceeded to Eccles House, the residence of Dr 

 Sharp, who very kindly showed the visitors his famous collec- 

 tion of beetles. It numbers more than 100,000 specimens 

 of nearly 30,000 species or distinct kinds. They are con- 

 tained in boxes of a pattern known as book -boxes, and are 

 arrano-ed round the sides of a large room, much in the same 

 way as the books and shelves of a librar}^ A small ivory 

 label on each shows the name of the family or genus to 

 which the contained insects belong, and reference is thus 

 easily made to any particular species which may be under 

 study. The collection of British Beetles is almost complete, 

 very few of our native species i-emaining to be added. Com- 

 pared with the brilliant green, golden, purple, or crimson 



