Iransactions. 35 



minated, and there are no doubt many that we do not yet know 

 that still exist but will soon cease to do so ; and in many cases 

 we know that it is already too late, and that the wonderful 

 inhabitants of islands have been completely exterminated, all that 

 we know about them being that they fonnerly existed. Mr 

 Wallace's proposal for the appointment of resident naturalists, at 

 a small expense in remote islands, was alluded to with approval. 



■2d March, 1883. 



Dr Gilchrist, President, in the Chair. Forty present. 



^ew Members. — Mr Oughton, confectioner, Castle Street ; and 

 Miss Gilroy, Moat House. 



Doiuitions. — The Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 

 Washington, 1879-1880, and 12 old coins, the latter presented by 

 Mr Smith, Albany Place. 



Exhibits. — By the Chainuan : several rocks and fossils from 

 Egypt; and a piece of silicious slate, found in an Egyptian Temple, 

 and supposed to have been used as a charm. By Mr Watson : a 

 sword, picked up on the Battlefield of Tel-el-Kebir ; a proclama- 

 tion in Arabic, found in Arabi's tent at Tel-el-Kebir ; a copy of the 

 Turkish journal " El-Jaivaib," got in the palace on the day that 

 the British troops entered Cairo. 



Rev. J. Eraser, Colvend, read an interesting paper on " Alpine 

 Botany, with special reference to the Flora of Zermatt." 



Mr M'Meekan read a curious paper, entitled " Quaint Epitaphs 

 in the Disti'ict." 



The Study of Mosses. — The Chairman read a very valuable paper 

 contributed by Mr P. Gray, London, on " Introduction to the 

 Study of Mosses, illustrated with specimens." After noticing the 

 divisions of the order and their characteristics, the fructification, 

 mode of reproduction, and the special peculiaiities of the difierent 

 genera, which were each treated at some length ; and ha^'ing given 

 instructions for collecting and preserving, Mr Gray concluded his 

 admirably clear and interesting paper with the following 

 remarks : — " I may here be allowed to remind you that it is 

 impossible to teach any branch of natural history by papers or 

 books. All that one can hope to do by bringing a new subject 

 before an audience in this way is to excite to personal investiga- 



