12 Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway 



interest of the people of this distiict in Queensland by sending 

 home a few notes occasionally. 



December 5th, 1879. 



The Third Meeting of the Session was held in the Mechanics' 

 Institute — Mr Watt in the chair. 



Mr Moodie read a paper on " Vegetation in 1879," communi- 

 cated by Dr Gilchi'ist. 



Mr Hastings read a paper on " The Rarer Birds that had lately 

 occurred in the District." (See Transactions. ) 



Short discussions followed the reading of the papers ; and, on 

 the motion of the Chairman, votes of thanks were awarded to the 

 authors. 



January 9th, 1880. 



The Fourth Meeting of the Session was held in the Mechanics' 

 Institute — Mr J. G. Starke in the chair. 



The Rev. J. B. Johnstone, Rev. T. Underwood, IMessrs Watson 

 and Gray were elected Ordinary Members. 



The Secretary reported that a number of books had been 

 received from Dr Gilchrist iu gift to the Society, including a com- 

 plete set of the Transactions of the Montrose Natural History 

 Society and a copy of the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy 

 (Vol. XIV.), bearing an inscription which shews it to have once 

 belonged to Sir Walter Scott, who was one of the Honoraiy 

 Members of that Society. 



Dr Grierson exhibited a very fine specimen of Asbestos, brought 

 from Canada by Mr R. Wallace, Auchenbrack, who recently visited 

 the Dominion on an agricultural survey, as the delegate of 

 the Upper Nithsdale farmers. Asbestos, Dr Grierson said, was 

 known to the Romans and used to form a cloth to enveloj) the 

 bodies of the dead. Thus enveloped, they were placed in the 

 funeral pile ; and the cloth being indestructible by fire, the ashes 

 were retained in it. For a long time it seemed to have been put 

 to no other special purpose. In Italy the source of it was Pied- 

 mont. Recently it was applied for the first time, and successfully, 

 to a purpose that of course was not thought of in former days. 

 A difficulty had always been experienced in getting a suitable 

 packing for the pistons of steam-engines, until Asbestos was used. 



