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the body darker brown in the centre with lig'hter brown edges 

 and tips, and under surface of the body pale brown. 



The young, half -grown bird was picked up near Kenmure 

 Castle by a dog which was following Col. Maitland, thus shewing 

 that the Shoveller occasionally breeds in the Stewartry. 



Fox, male (cam's vulpes), caught by a shepherd's dog on the farm 

 of the Isles of Kirkgunzeon, judging from his appearance he must 

 have passed, though not unscathed, through many mishaps incident 

 to fox life before being finally captured, as he had completely lost 

 one fore foot and two of the toes from the other. Nature had re- 

 paired the damage caused by the loss of the foot by covering the 

 stump with a hard callosity, so that he would, put it to the ground 

 without pain. The toes of the other foot had evidently been lost 

 at a later date, as the parts, though quite healed, appeared more 

 tender. On the day in which he was killed he had escaped from 

 a trap, where he had been caught by one of the hind legs, but 

 was so crippled by it that the shepherd's dog soon ran him down. 



A Hunch or Hog-backed Trout (salmo fario) was received 

 from Loch Whinyeon. I believe this description of trout is not 

 uncommon there. Some of these abnormal productions would seem 

 to be hereditary, for whatever may be the exciting cause its con- 

 tinuing in action occasions results as in jirevious generations. 



A Tailless Trout from Loch Enoch was also received. I do 

 not know whether this form should be considered a monstrosity or 

 a special variety. I understand a similar race of tailless trout 

 exists in Loch Islay. Mr J. Harvey Brown observed about 1876 

 in the river Caron that a contraction of the tail fins of the trout 

 commenced, due it was believed to the continuous pollution of the 

 water through the agency of paper mills ; but as there can be no 

 exciting cause of this sort in a mountain tarn like Loch Enoch it 

 must be due to something else. Who knows what ? 



"While some boys were watching the hauling in of the salmon 

 net at Gibhill, near Kirkcudbright, on the 14th of July, they 

 noticed a fish struggling violently in shallow water. One of them 

 rushed in and secured it, and never before having seen a fish 

 like it, brought it to the Museum. It proved to be a Bonito 

 {Thynnus pelamys), 19 inches in length and 13 inches in girth, 

 which, being purely a pelagic fish, has rarely been taken in British 

 waters. It is beautifully marked, its back, as was to be expected 

 from its habits, being bluish, becoming silvery at the sides and 



