Natural History and Antiquariaii Society. 7 



Members — Rev. Alex. Symington, Dumfries ; Mr. J. L. Pike, 

 Dentist, Dumfries. 



Corresponding Members — Dr. John Shand, junr., Kirk- 

 cudbright ; Rev. Mr. Smith, Penrith. 



The Chairman intimated that he had sent a copy of the 

 Journal and Transactions to the Royal Society of Antiquar- 

 ies, Copenhagen, and had received a reply, which he read. 

 The Secretary of that Society described the aims and objects 

 which they had in view, and congratulated the Dumfries 

 Society on the commencement which they had made in a 

 similar direction. In furtherance of their mutual interests 

 he invited an exchange of their Transactions. The Chair- 

 man intimated that he had also sent copies to the Institute 

 of Natural Science, Halifax, Nova Scotia, from which he 

 had received a very interesting communication in reply, 

 along with the recent volume of the Transactions. 



After some remarks regarding the Tree found recently in 

 Lochar Moss, with reference to which a letter from Professor 

 Harkness, Cork, was read, the Chairman proceeded to call 

 the attention of the Society to the subject of his communi- 

 cation, which was the first on the programme of the proceed- 

 ings of the evening. It was the occurrence of a very rare 

 bird, the Roller (Coracias Garrula), in this district. Of this 

 bird, which is a native of the southern and eastern parts of 

 the Old World, Sir William exhibited a series of the most 

 characteristic species. Very few siDecimens (about nine or 

 ten in all) had ever been seen in this country. One (which 

 was among the collection exhibited) was caught as far north 

 as Shetland, and one or two in Northumberland. Some time 

 ago, viz., October, 1864, he got notice of an unknown bird 

 having been observed near Bankhead, Tinwald ; and shortly 

 aftei-wards it was found lying dead and partially decayed. 

 When he sent for its remains he only got some feathers of 

 the wings and tail, which he now exhibited. These were 

 sufficient, however, to prove its identity. In the two in- 

 stances in which the bird had been found in Northumberland 

 they were also dead. He had no doubt that they had been 



