274 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



29Tn January, 1901. 

 Mr. Alex. Somerville, B.Sc, F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



The President referred to the great loss sustained by 

 the British Empire, and by the world, through the lamented 

 death of our revered Sovereign, Queen Victoria. In fitting 

 terms, he passed a eulogy on the late Queen's deep interest 

 in everything calculated to promote her people's welfare, on 

 her marvellous attention to the exacting duties of her 

 exalted station, on the largeness of her heart for the 

 distressed and the sufiering, on the pathetic manner in 

 which she bore her own great sorrows, and on her obedience 

 to the dictates of highest Christian principle. He pointed 

 out, as a reminder of the great length of Her late Majesty's 

 reign, that although the Society this year attained its 

 Jubilee, Queen Victoria had already been fourteen years on 

 the throne before the Society was instituted. He concluded 

 by the expression of the hope that her son. King Edward, 

 would have a reign equally glorious in every respect. 



Mr. J. R. Thomson, 6 Vinicombe Street, Hillhead, was 

 elected an Ordinary Member. 



A mounted specimen of the Slavonian Grebe, Podicipes auritus, 

 L., shot on Black Loch, Slamannan, was exhibited by Mr. James 

 Jack, by favour of Mr. Reston. 



Mr. John Smith, Monkredding, Kilwinning, exhibited a 

 specimen of a minute, white, worm-like animal, supposed by Mr. 

 Thos. Scott, r.L.S., to be Merniis albicans. Mr. Smith procured 

 it in the earth about 600 feet above sea-level. When taken out 

 of the earth, it was pure white. Mr. Smith also showed some eggs 

 of the Earth-worm. 



Mr. Smith made the following correction on a paper he had 

 contributed to the Transactions, on the " Conodonts from the 

 Carboniferous Limestone of the West of Scotland." He had 

 therein stated that the dental apparatus of existing moUusca are 

 silicious. This he believed to be the common opinion of 



