160 Transactions. 



Annan, the bronze axe liead found in that gentleman's garden, and 

 exhibited to this Society at the Meeting held in April, 1892. 



Exhibit. — Mr James Shaw exhibited a curious specimen of 

 the Bullrush Caterpillar from New Zealand. 



Communications. 



1. — Occun-ence of Mispickel (Arsenical Pyrites) in the Stewartry of 



Kirkcudbright. 



By Mr Patrick Dudgeon, F.S.A., Cargen. 



Having heard that a vein of what was supposed to be mis- 

 pickel had been found not far from Newton-Stewart, in company 

 with Professor Heddle I visited the place, and found the vein had 

 been opened in two places, and some of the mineral had been 

 taken out. It proved to be mispickel. The vein runs very nearly 

 north and south. We followed vi^hat is evidently its course for 

 upwards of a mile and a half. It occurs at the junction of the 

 granite and silurian rocks, commencing about half-a-mile south of 

 the Murray monument, crossing the Palnure Burn, running nearly 

 due south for more' than a mile, and then heading to the eastward, 

 where, at about three-quarters of a mile further on, another open- 

 ing has been made, in which is found chalcopyrite (copper pyrites) 

 associated witli mispickel. The vein of mispickel, where it has 

 been opened close to Palnure Burn, is about seven inches in width. 

 It runs through part of the estates of Cairnsraore and Bargaly. 

 The interest to be attached to this discovery is that mispickel is 

 an exceedingly rare mineral in Scotland ; in fact, only one rather 

 doubtful localitj^ is mentioned in mineralogical works, although it 

 is abundant enough in some parts of England, notably in Cornwall, 

 Devonshire, and more sparingly in Cumberland. Mispickel is the 

 principal ore from which arsenic is derived. Its chemical com- 

 position is — Arsenic, 46'53 ; sulphur, 19"90; iron, 33'57. 



2. — Notes on the Rubi and Salices of Upper Nithsdale. 

 By Mr James Fin gland, Thornhill. 



It can scarcely be out of place to preface these notes with a 

 single remark on a subject which is always interesting to members 

 of a Natural History Society. I think every botanist must have 

 felt delighted with the splendid weather which prevailed in the 



