390 Conversazione. [Sess. 



ments. This was the first time that these had been exhibited 

 in Scotland. 



The exhibition included Natural History, Geological, and 

 Botanical specimens, and scientific apparatus. A few words 

 may be said about each under their respective headings. 



Natural History was represented by live specimens and by 

 prepared specimens. The live specimens included a golden 

 eagle, a fox, and an owl, from Mr Speedy ; a frame of bees 

 from Mr A. Murray ; cages of birds from Mr Brotherston ; 

 and the larger portion of the exhibit under the charge of 

 Captain Turbyne. It is not often that an eagle, an owl, or a 

 fox turns up at a meeting, consequently these came in for a 

 good deal of attention. Those who were engaged in the Hall 

 in the afternoon had an opportunity of seeing the habit of the 

 eagle when feeding, and also of observing the fox. Owing to 

 the numbers present in the evening, the fox concealed itself 

 as much as possible from observation, and so was not seen by 

 every one. 



In September 1897, application was made to the chairman 

 of the Committee of the Biological Station, Millport, to allow 

 Captain Turbyne, the curator, to bring exhibits from the Station, 

 and this was at once most cordially granted. The weather being 

 favourable for dredging, Captain Turbyne was able to obtain a 

 number of live specimens for us, and these included a young 

 octopus, starfish, limas, anemones (some of them growing on the 

 backs of crabs), &c. Mrs Bobertson of Millport very readily 

 assented to lend some of the specimens of marine algse col- 

 lected by herself and the late Dr Bobertson. These were 

 brought to Edinburgh by Captain Turbyne, and were, along 

 with the other Millport exhibits, a very great attraction. In 

 addition to the exhibits already enumerated, the frame of 

 bees, and the cages of charming finches, waxbills, weavers, 

 &c, were well worthy of the amount of attention given them. 

 Prepared Natural History specimens were exhibited by Mrs 

 Carphin, Mr Symington Grieve, and Mr Thomas Scott. Mrs 

 Carphin's exhibit was in the main illustrative of the study of 

 shells, and comprised a large number of British and Foreign 

 shells, as well as fishes, such as Ostracion, Tetradon, Sawfish, 

 &c. Mr Symington Grieve gave us cases of Scottish mammals ; 

 while the chief point of interest to the ordinary observer in 



