Transactions. 1 1 



common Cuckoo, in which he stated that it is the only British 

 species of the genus, that foi- a number of seasons he has care- 

 fully observed its earliest notes, and that invariably it was first 

 heard on or about the 23rd of April. If the weather was genial, 

 it might be a day or two sooner ; if cold and backward, a day or 

 two later. It was rarely heard here after the month of July. 



ith March, 1881. 



Mr J. G. Starke, President, in the Chair. Nineteen present. 



Observatory Agreevient. — The Chairman laid on the table 

 stamped copies of the agreement entered into between this 

 Society and the Astronomical Society (the Observatory Society), 

 to winch the members of committee adhibited their signatures. 



Donations. — By the President, Transactions of the Society of 

 Antiquaries of Scotland (Vol. 1- — ^1782-1792), and Jamieson's 

 Mineralogical Description of the County of Dumfries (1805) ; by 

 Mr Scott, Castle Street, four fossil bivalve molluscs and a piece 

 of lepidodendron from Dalmellington coal mines ; and by their 

 respective Societies, Part III. of the Epping Forest Field Club's 

 Transactions, and five parts of the Annals of the New York 

 Academy. 



The Late Mr Carlyle. — On the motion of the President, it was 

 resolved to record the deep regret of the members of this Society 

 at the death of Thomas Carlyle, " who was born in Dumfriesshire, 

 attained a world-wide reputation, and is now buried in his native 

 village of Ecclefechan." 



Altered Trap. — Mr Dudgeon of Cargen communicated the 

 following paper descriptive of " An Altered Trap occurring near 

 Newton-Stewart:" — In an exceedingly interestiiig pnper on the 

 " Carboniferous Rocks of the Firth of Forth Basin," which will 

 be found in Vol. XXIX. Transactions Royal Society, Edinburgh, 

 Professor Geikie notices the remarkable changes some of the 

 trap rocks have undergone, the trap or basalt having been 

 changed into serpentine. In most instances the whole mass has 

 undergone a complete transformation, the upper part still retain- 

 ing the characteristics of a hard compact trap or basalt. The 

 change apparently takes place from the lower parts upwards. 

 Professor Geikie says, alluding to a trap found at Blackburn 



