58 Transactions. 



the spring, the Golden Eyes were abundant on the Nith. I had 

 the pleasure of seeing a group of six beautiful adult males on the 

 water a little below Mavisgrove at daylight on the morning of the 

 last day of January. Scoters came much nearer the shore than 

 is their usual habit, and at Southerness I was within shot of a 

 considei-able flock of them at the point of the Black Rocks. The 

 Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, and Pochard were veiy numerous until 

 after the first week of the hard weather, when they mostly 

 migrated shorewards. About the end of December and early 

 in January they could easily have been struck with a stone, 

 as they sat about the shore in a weak, almost helpless state, 

 resulting from privation. A specimen of the Garganey was shot 

 at Kirkmichael House in December ; and Mr Hastings received a 

 Smew which was shot at Lochmaben. 



Goosanders were exceptionally numerous on the Solway, and 

 some fine specimens were procured. Numbers of the Little Grebe 

 made their appearance on the rivers of the Stewartry, remaining 

 most of the winter. This was also the case in the hard winters of 

 1874 and 1870. The last birds I shall mention as afiected by 

 the severe weather are the Blackheaded Gulls (Larus ridibundus). 

 You scarcely need to be reminded of the straits they were 

 apparently reduced to to procure food. I saw them often on the 

 public streets (Buccleuch Street, White Sands, Kirkgate, and 

 Galloway Street), and it was no unusual thing to see a dozen of 

 them fighting together for offal in the ashpits. They disputed 

 with SpaiTOws and Robins for possession of the ci-umbs laid out 

 for the benefit of the starving birds in little back gardens, and 

 yet they were in good condition and very fat. About half a 

 dozen which I examined were the best conditioned birds I handled 

 during the winter. 



Insects. 



Coming now to the insect tribes, we have quite a different set of 

 facts to set forth. In the vertebrated animals we. see how all 

 were more or less affected to an injurious extent. Amongst the 

 insects all the cold weather we had only seemed to make them 

 livelier, and to set them forth, when milder weather came, on their 

 various destructive missions with a redoubled energy, if that were 

 possible. The deei^ly-rooted, popular idea is that the frost kills 

 the "grubs," but there can be no greater delusion. During the 

 coldest part of the winter I collected a quantity of both larvae and 



