_ 1900-1901.] Exhibits in Natural History. 233 
brother at home. Strange to say, when, last May, Robert 
_ returned to this country on a short furlough, after eighteen 
__ years’ absence, the first news he heard was the announcement 
_ of his eldest brother’s death. 
So far back as March 1884 Mr King contributed his first 
_ paper to the Society, on “ Some American Plants worth Notice.” 
_ This was followed in February 1885 by “Notes on the 
_ Genus Lamium,” and by “Veronicas in the Neighbourhood 
of Edinburgh” in January 1886. In January 1891 he read a 
_ very interesting paper on “ Plant Multiplication,” and in 
December 1895 another on “ Poisonous Plants.” This last 
_ paper was very favourably noticed in the ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle’ 
and in ‘ Nature’ on its publication in the ‘ Transactions’ of our 
Society. He was also a member of the Scottish Horticultural 
_ Association, and contributed to its ‘ Proceedings.’ He was a 
man of sterling probity, well read in many subjects, and greatly 
esteemed by all who knew him. 
EXHIBITS IN NATURAL HISTORY. 
At the winter-evening meetings during the past Session a 
number of interesting objects in Natural History were shown 
_ by members of the Society. The following were amongst the 
‘number: The President, Mr W. C. Crawford, exhibited a 
pure culture of fresh-water alge made by Professor Chodat, 
Geneva; also specimens of gold-bearing quartz from the 
Transvaal, and a sample of pioggie di sangue or blood rain from 
Naples, which last was also shown from Dumfriesshire by Dr 
Watson. The Secretary exhibited a nest of the weaver-bird 
from Assam, while Miss Mitchell showed a nest of the hum- 
Mming-bird from Jamaica. A yellow-coloured mavis, captured 
in Dalmeny Park, was shown by Mr C, Campbell, as also 
| skins of a pied variety of mole from the same locality. Mr 
_ G,. A. Harrison exhibited a nest of the trap-door spider, and 
Mr Adams a death’s-head hawk-moth caught at Dunfermline. 
A small collection of fungi was shown by Mr Calder, and a 
