Ixxviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



WINTER SESSION, 1891-92. 



29th September, 1891. 



Mr. William Stewart, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. George M'Crie, 61 Sardinia Place, Hillhead, was elected an 

 Ordinary Member. 



Mr. James Steel, jun., 14 Shamrock Street, was elected an 

 Associate. 



Professor Thomas King reported on an Excursion made to 

 Milliken on 12th inst., and submitted a list of 37 fungi observed in 

 the woods. The rarer species found included Helvella elaatica, 

 Bull., and Cantharellus infundibuliforniis. Scop. 



Mr. R. Turner, Vice-President, reported that the closing 

 Excursion of the Summer Session had been made to Hamilton 

 on the afternoon of 26th inst., when in spite of rather unfavour- 

 able weather there was a good attendance of members and their 

 friends. By the kind permission of Lord Ruthven, access was 

 obtained to the policies and gardens at Barncluith. 



The Chairman (Mr. Stewart) gave an accoxmt of the Excur- 

 sions, Conference, and Exhibition of Mosses, Fungi, Algae, etc., 

 held in connection with the recent visit of the Cryptogamic 

 Society of Scotland to Paisley. 



Mr. Henry M'CuUoch exhibited several Birds, including a small 

 collection of Terns from Mauritius, and a Reeve and albino 

 Grouse, both shot in the Clydesdale district. 



Mr. Duncan Mackenzie exhibited a nest of the Hornero or 

 Oven-bird (FicrJiaria) of South America. The nest, which is 

 built of clay and herbage, is about 8 inches in diameter, with 

 walls about an inch thick. It is dome-shaped, with an opening 

 in the side ; and the central cavity is divided by a partition into 

 two chambers, in the inner of which the eggs are deposited. It 

 is usually placed in a very exposed place, such as a tree-trunk or 

 paling-top, the specimen under notice having been built upon a 

 telegraph-pole. 



Mr. Thomas Scott, F.L.S., Corresponding Member, exhibited 

 a remarkably depressed variety of the common Sea-urchin, 

 Echinus esculentus. Pennant (E. sphcera, Miiller), from the 

 Firth of Forth. He stated that the specimen under notice was 

 found, when compared with the usual dimensions of the species, 

 to be I inch lower than the normal height in proportion to the 

 diameter. Another specimen of E. esculentus was submitted by 

 Mr. Scott which was much higher than usual, and somewhat 

 pentangular in shape through flattening of the interambulacral 

 areas. 



