Address of the President. 27 



take place. The squirrel and the roebuck are now spreading 

 over a much greater space. Both have reappeared in Annan- 

 dale within the last ten years. This may be attributed to the 

 growth and extent of wood and cover. 



The Alpine or blue hare — Zejjus variahilis — not known, I 

 believe, in the soiith of Scotland, is now to be found on the 

 Moffat, Evan Water, Lead Hills ranges, and the other high 

 ranges leading into Selkirk and Peeblesshire. But there is 

 reason to believe that it was introduced, though it cannot 

 be certainly ascertained when or by whom. It is an animal, 

 however, not difficult to introduce or naturalise. In Faroe 

 it was in 1854 or 1855 introduced from Norway, and thou- 

 sands now exist in the island. 



A specimen of the thrasher — Alopias vidpes (Borlasse) — 

 was taken in the Solway, and was procured for our collection. 

 It is far from common, and has only occurred a few times on 

 the British coasts. 



Among insects we may place BejJressaria umbellana of the 

 Dundrennan excursion as new to Scotland. 



The larva of one of the saw-flies was extremely common in 

 the Drumlanrig woods, feeding on the Scotch fir, and stripping 

 their young branches. Mr. Doughty, forester to his Grace the 

 Duke of Buccleuch, sent some of the caterpillars to ascertain 

 what they were. They were larvae of Lophyri, but the exact 

 species could not be ascertained until the perfect flies appeared. 

 They did so in the spring, and on sending specimens to Mr. 

 F. Smith, British Museum, they were ascertained to be the 

 true L. pini. They appear at uncertain intervals, like the 

 saw-fly of the turnips, and being gregarious, are sometimes 

 very destructive. 



The plants occurring have been mentioned in the account 

 of the different excursions, among which the most important 

 was the Iris foetidissima. Next, the very curious Alga of 

 Carlingwark Loch (see p. 10). In the trip which Professor 

 Balfour made with his pupils to the vicinity of Dumfries, 



