18 Address of the President. 



with genus of confervas ; the watei heated, and certainly 

 not wholesome. The River Annan was so low that it could 

 be crossed in places upon stones laid in. The bottom got 

 extremely foul, and a green conferva grew in such abund- 

 ance that no part of the gravel or stones was uncovered. A 

 fish of any kind was scarcely to be seen. 



But this state of the air and waters did not seem to affect 

 injuriously the lesser mammalia, or birds, and was mo.st 

 favourable for insects. The smaller Eodents have bred re- 

 markably, the field mice especially. The common rat has 

 increased to a destructive extent. I never recollect rabbits 

 having multiplied so exceedingly : they bred for nine months 

 continuously. Birds have all bred largely. Entomologists 

 Avill record this as a remarkable year, especially for Lepidop- 

 tera. In our range, the two species of common white 

 butterflies* Avere never seen more numerous, and caught the 

 eye of every one. The cabbages, &c., in our gardens suffered 

 in proportion, and in some places were eaten so bare that the 

 stems only were visible, and they gi-ew up a sort of cabbage 

 skeletons. It is curious that these butterflies feed also very 

 freely on the leaves of the common Indian cress Tropeolum. 

 Of the less frequent species Cynthia cardui was often seen. 

 Vanessa atalcuita was extremely abundant, and in the warm 

 forenoons of August and September was a beautiful sight in 

 the gardens, flitting everj'where, and settling ten or twelve at 

 a time on one large sunflower. V. lo, on the contrary, was 

 rather less common than usual. So also were the species of 

 Hipparchia, including hlandina. The hummingbird hawk 

 moth was not uncommon ; I have seen three or four on 

 the wing at the same time. As you would observe from the 

 newspapers, this species was also noticed more than usually 

 common throughout England. The night fliers are not so 

 easily observed, and Mr Lennan will, perhaps, some evening 

 inform us what he has noted. The death's head moth has 

 been generally obtained in various localities, and some speci- 

 mens of Sjpli. ligustri have also occurred. 



* Pieris brasicce and nqnv;. 



