Raptorial Birds of the Solway Area. 339 



disease incurred through eating the diseased voles is, I fancy, the 



true reason . 



Lastly, 



The Snowy Owl. 



In every sense of the word, a fine bird indeed. For Solway I 

 have only a couple of authenticated occurrences. Mr Rimmer of 

 Dalawoodie told me he saw one sitting on a tree in the park at 

 Kirkmichael in the winter of 1 860-61. 



A few years ago a specimen was shot on the Dumfriesshire 

 bank of the Esk. The late Rev. H. A. Macpherson fully in- 

 formed me of the occurrence in his usual kind way, but at the 

 present moment I have mislaid the note and cannot, therefore, 

 give any further particulars. 



19th Fehriiaru, 1904. 



Chairman — Mr R. Service, Vice-President. 



New Member. — Miss M'Connell, Milnhead, Kirkmahoe. 



Exhibit. — Collection of Rock-forming Minerals, from 

 Professor Burns, Andersonian Institute, Glasgow, who was 

 accorded a hearty vote of thanks. 



Pair Maids of February. The Snowdrop : Its History, 

 Literature, and Botany. By Mr S. Arnott. 



In the popular name of the Snowdrops, selected for the 

 title of this paper, there is perpetuated the memory of the pro- 

 cession of maidens who, on the feast of the purification, paid 

 their vows to the Virgin on Candelmas day, a celebration which 

 will be referred to a little later. According to Dr Prior, the 

 still more familiar popular name of " Snowdrop " is not derived, 

 as many suppose, either from the resemblance of the flower to a 

 drop of frozen snow or from its flowering, as a rule, in the time 

 ■when snow is on the ground. It is probably only the German 

 Schneetropf, and originates from the resemblance of the form of 

 the flower to that of an ear-drop or the ornaments which ladies 

 have at various times had suspended from their brooches and 



