Transactions. 1 09 



largfe size. I had also a bird bred between tlie Golden Plieasant 

 Cock and the Common Plieasant Hen, the product being a bird a 

 full third heavier than the pure breed. I have also had this week 

 sent me a very curious Hybrid which I believe to be between the 

 Golden Pheasant Cock and Silver Pheasant Hen. It is somewhat 

 larger than the Golden Pheasant, and is a rich shining black with 

 bright green reflections. It has spurs of a considerable size on 

 each leg, and altogether it is a very curious specimen. In the 

 month of December I had five specimens of the Cross Bill sent me. 

 They appeared to me to be young birds, as they had not the bright 

 colours of the adult bird. They have been known to breed hei-e 

 in various parts of the country. There is nothing that I have seen 

 unusual to note among our native birds generally, but I may men- 

 tion that the Hooded Crow was more plentiful last season than I 

 ever saw it before. The same remark applies to the Short-eared 

 Owl. 



ir. Ho7V I Found my Stone Iinphnients. (Abridged). By Mr 

 Jasies E. Wilson, of Sanquhar. 



The anti(iuity of the parishes of Sanquhar and Kirkconnel is 

 no matter of conjecture, but on the contrary is strikingly revealed 

 in the history of the northern part of this country. The town of 

 Sanquhar glories in an origin dating back, according to authentic 

 history, to a thousand years ago, and the Camps of Soutli Mains 

 and Saen Caer near the town, the Lacustrine Dwelling on the 

 Town's Common, and the great Territorial Division Dyke which 

 traverses the two parishes, tell of a more remote period still. 

 Besides, the ancient Coal Workings in the parish of Kirkconnel, 

 the Grave of St. Connal on Glenwharrie Farm, after whom tiie 

 parish is named, the base of a large Runic Cross near the manse, 

 now doing duty as the side of a sheep limbic, the Kunic Stone in 

 the Old Churchyard wall, and the Ornamental Stone in a wall on 

 Kii-kland Farm — each and all have their own tale of antiquity to 

 tell. 



Dr Underwood, who was temporarily resident in Sanquhar, 

 shewed me a small piece of gold and asked what it had formed. 

 Having previously seen in the Liverpool Museum a large number 

 of Gold Lunettes found in Ireland, I at once unearthed the 

 mystery, and by procuring the other piece of the article, found that 

 the whole formed a magnificent Gold Lunette. It is described in 

 the Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland by the 



