108 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



2. The flower and fruit of the Blue Gum Tree, 



Eucalyptus globulus, L. 



3. The Capetown Spider. 



The following additions to the Library were reported : — 



By gift, from Mr. Alex. Somerville, B.Sc, F.L S. — Nature 

 Studies (Plant Life), by G. F. Scott Elliott, M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S. 



By gift, from Mr. James Mitchell — The Structure and Life of 

 Birds, by F. W. Headley, M.A., F.Z.S.; and Mammals, Living 

 and Extinct, by W. H. Flower, F.R.S., and R. Lyddeker, F.L.S. 



By purchase — Anderson and his Journals, 2 vols., by M. A. 

 Anderson and E. Cowes. 



Life of Louis Agassiz, by A. C. Agassiz. 



Travels among the Great Andes of the Equator (Supplementary 

 Appendix), by Edward Whymper. 



13th March, 1903. 



Mr. Peter Ewing, F.L.S., in the chair. 



The meeting was a special one, held in the Large Hall, to 

 hear a lecture by Mr. Gerald Leighton, M.D., F.R.S.E., Editor 

 of The Field Naturalist's Quarterly, author of British Serpents, 

 on '• The Haunts and Habits of some British Reptiles," with 

 illustrations (limelight) from life. 



Dr. Leighton said that his object in this lecture was to draw 

 attention to some of the more interesting processes which were 

 to be observed in our reptiles, and to do this in some detail, 

 rather than to attempt the impossible task of describing the 

 whole group. Accordingly, after having given a brief sketch 

 of the distribution of reptiles in the British Isles, he proceeded 

 to discuss first of all the process of Hibernation. In this con- 

 dition respiration is almost suspended, and the beating of the 

 heart is extremely slow and irregular, often unappreciable. 

 Digestion is totally stopped, and the temperature of the reptile 

 sinks to that of its surroundings. If disturbed during this state, 

 death usually results. Dr. Leighton next dealt with the process 

 of sloughing, pointing out that it consisted essentially of two 

 parts — the physiological separation of the outer epidermic 

 covering from the true skin, and, secondly, a mechanical part, 

 that in which the serpent made an effort to throw off what 

 had now become an incubus. The slough will be cast entire or 



