2 TranfinctionFi. 



crops in tlie old world. He also oxhibited several contorted 

 stones resembling fishes, and said they were due to the same 

 causes as the specimens exhibited by Mr Johnstone. 



Secretary's Report. 



The Hon. Secretary (Mr J. Wilson) submitted the following 

 report : — The Secretary's annual report for the session which has 

 now closed may be considered of some importance, as it gives a 

 general statement of the present Society's doings for the 10th 

 year of its existence, and forms a good indicator of its life and 

 utility. 



At the Annual Meeting last year our membership numbered 

 190, compi-ising 5 life, 165 ordinai-y, and 20 honorary members. 

 Since then 11 names have been taken off the roll — 3 members hav- 

 ing died, 1 resigned, and 7 removed from this district ; and 34 new 

 members' names have been added, which make a net total of 213, 

 being the largest number on recoi'd, and now includes 5 life, 187 

 ordinary, and 21 honorary members. 



In addition to the seven ordinary Winter Meetings and the 

 five Field Meetings, four special ones have been held, at which 

 lectures on .subjects within the scope of the Society were given. 

 At the ordinary Winter Meetings 15 papers by different 

 members were read and discussed, the majority of which were 

 confined to special subjects relating to the Society's field of 

 action. These papers are of great practical value, and the 

 writers thereof deserve commendation for thus advancing the 

 aims of this Society by investigating the local antiquities, as 

 well as recording the Flora and Fauna of the district In addi- 

 tion to hearing papers read at these meetings, members had an 

 opportunity of inspecting many rare exhibits, which formed an 

 interesting feature in the programme. The five Field Meetings 

 proved both instructive and enjoyable to the members and their 

 friends who took part in them. One of these requires special 

 notice, for on the 5th June a joint excursion of the Scottish 

 Natural History Club and this Society was held at Lochmaben, 

 at which there were more than 50 members present. 



The average attendances at these meetings were 33 '1 for the 

 winter and 29-4 for the summer — the former being larger than 

 last year's and the latter slightly under, those being 32-1 and 30'1 

 respectively. These figures may be regarded as very small con- 

 sidering the number of members in the Society, but owing to so 



