Transactions. 



Secretary's Report. 



The Secretary (Dr E. J. Chinnock) read the Annual Report : — 

 There are now 184 members of the Society, of whom 24 are 

 honorary and 7 life members. Eleven new membei's were 

 elected during the year, and two new honorary members, Messrs 

 E. G. Baker, of the Botanical Department, British Museum, and 

 Serjeant Alexander M'Millan, of Newton-Stewart. Among the 

 members who have been removed by death may be mentioned Dr 

 John Aitken, Inverness ; Mr James Dairon, F.G.S., of Glasgow ; 

 Major Herbert George Bowden, one of the Vice-Presidents of the 

 Society ; and Mr Francis Maxwell of Gribton. Eight evening 

 meetings and two field meetings have been held. At the former 

 26 papers were read, some of which were of permanent value, and 

 all of which were interesting. Without disparaging the merit of 

 other contributors, I think the communications of Messrs Andson, 

 J. T. Johnstone, M'Andrew, J. R. Wilson, and Dr Grant Bey, of 

 Cairo were specially worthy of notice. We are particularly rich 

 in botanical contributions, and so long as we have such 

 members as Messrs Bennett, Fingland, Johnstone, M'Andrew, and 

 Scott-Elliot we need have little fear of botany being neglected. 

 Meteorology is also well represented by the Rev. Wm. Andson. 

 Other sciences lack representatives, and papers will be welcomed 

 from any member who feels inclined to join our active circle. 

 An interesting public lecture was delivered in November on Fish 

 Culture by Mr Joseph J. Armistead, under the presidency of Sir 

 Herbert Maxwell. The thanks of the Society are due to the 

 librarian, Mr James Lennox, for his care of the books, to Mr 

 James Davidson for arranging the specimens in the Museum, and 

 to Mr G. F. Scott-Elliot for his exertions in relation to the 

 Herbarium. During the session the first part of his " Flora of 

 Dumfriesshire " made its appearance, and tlie second part will 

 appear in company with the new volume of the " Transactions " 

 in December. The funds of the Society do not admit of the pur- 

 chase of portraits of Dumfries worthies just at present. Mr 

 James Barbour could secure a considerable number of such 

 portraits at once if the necessary funds were forthcoming. The 

 field meeting in June to Newton-Stewart and that in September 

 to Sanquhar and Crawick Water were very interesting and 

 entertnining, but it is a pity that so few comparatively of our 



