Transactions. 55 



Romans were in the country. If that were more strictly kept in 

 view many of the difficulties which antiquaries have found in 

 explaining the phenomena of this g-reat rampart would disappear. 

 They are largely the result of attempts to make everything fit in 

 with a preconceived theorj^, and especially the rather childish 

 desire to make out everything to be as ancient as possible. 



16th February, 1894. 



The Rev. William Andson, Vice-President, in the chair. 



New Members. — The Rev. Sir Emilias Laurie, Bart., Maxwel- 

 ton House. 



Donations. — The Report of the Bureau of Ethnology (Smith- 

 sonian Institution, Washington) for 1887-8 ; the Bibliography of 

 the Salishan Languages (from the same) ; Annals of the New 

 York Academy of Sciences, Vol. VIL, 1893 ; the Report of the 

 Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, 1893; 

 .\nnals of the Andersonian Naturalists' Society, Glasgow ; and 

 " The Frenches of Scotland," by A. D. Weld-French. 



Exhibits. — Mr John AV. Dods exhibited and described a 

 number of South African curiosities, including the paraphernalia 

 of a Witch Doctor. 



Communications. 



1. — A Note on Birds. By Mr John Corrie. 



The re-appearance of the Quail in the South of Scotland is 

 perhaps the most interesting ornithological event of the year. 

 Glencairn was visited by a pair of these birds during the month of 

 June. When first heard they were quartered in a rather bare 

 pasture field, but they subsequently settled down in a field of corn 

 quite close to the village of Moniaive. Here they remained until 

 the beginning of September. Thac they remained to nest is 

 almost certain, but harvest is late in Glencairn, and by the time a 

 search for the nest was possible the young had flown. In 

 Bennet's " Pictures of Scottish life and character," published 1830, 

 reference is made to the former existence of Quails in the district. 



