1 4 Transactions. 



Wilson referred to the prevalence of fever in Dumfries during 

 the past autumn and tlio preceding one, and asked if the cause of 

 this was not traceable to a want of due regard to the sanitary 

 laws % In his opinion he believed it was, and for that state of 

 aflFairs he held the Local Authority responsible, for that body 

 neglected to put in force the powers conferred upon them by Acts 

 of Parliament. The open sewers and middens throughout the 

 burgh might be compared to nursery gardens, in which the germs 

 of disease were " forced," and from which they were disseminated 

 far and wide, carrying with them disease and death into many 

 bright and happy homes. Until the authorities remedied these 

 unsightly and dangerous nuisances, every case of fever in their 

 midst would be a stain on the fair escutcheon of their royal and 

 loyal burgh. 



1th March, 1884. 



Dr UiLcnuiST, President, in the Chair. Thirty-two 

 members present. 



Neio Members. — W. H. Maxwell, Esq. of Munclie.s, was elected 

 a Life Member ; and Messrs D. Carnegie, Castlebank ; and E. 

 M 'Go wan, English Street, were elected Ordinary Members. 



Donations. — Mr Wilson presented, on behalf of Mr Carnegie, 

 six old copper coins found by the donor in his garden in the 

 neighbourhood of Montrose. 



Exhibits. — The Chairman exhibited, on behalf of Miss Gillies, 

 a tine section of a stalagmite, a case of copper ores, a nugget of 

 native copper, and a piece of the brain coral. Mr Hogg exhibited 

 a box of shells from Aden, a "potato stone," a fine old flint 

 pistol, an ancient tobacco-box found in the Highlands, and a 

 piece of black limestone from Niagara. 



COiMMUNICATIONS. 



I. The Destruction of Beasts and Birds of Prey. By Mr 

 W. J. Maxwell, Terregles Banks. 

 The subject of which I am to speak is not of scientific 

 interest alone, and it is not as a scientific question that I 

 intend to deal with it. I leave tiiat to some member of 

 this Society more deeply versed in natural history than I 

 am. I wish, ratiier, to draw attention to the practical or 



