Transactions. S 



Election of Office-Bearers. 



The following were elected office-bearers caiid members of the 

 committee for the ensuing session : — President, Richard Riinmer, 

 F.L.S.; Vice-Presidents, James Barbour, Major Herbert G. 

 Bowden, Thomas M'Kie (advocate), and James G. Hamilton 

 Starke, M. A. (advocate) ; Treasurer, John A. Moodie ; Secretary, 

 Edward J. Chinnock, LL.D.; Curator of Herbarium, George F. 

 Scott - Elliot, M.A.; Librai'ian, James Lennox; Curator of 

 Museum, James Davidson ; Members of Council — Rev. William 

 Andson, John Cowan, William Dickie, Thomas Laing, Robert 

 M'Glashan, Robert Murray, John Neilson, M.A.; George H. 

 Robb, M.A., James S. Thomson, and James Watt. 



The Secretary read a repoi-t from Mr G. F. Scott-Elliot, B.Sc, 

 on the progress made in the formation of the County Herbarium. 

 This report was printed in the last volume of the Transactions. 



The Rev. Adam Andrew, of Chingleput, Madras, exhibited a 

 fine collection of ancient stone implements and weapons from 

 India. His address aroused a great deal of interest, and an 

 animated discussion ensued. The thanks of the Society were 

 awarded to him, on the motion of Mr Watt. 



7th JVovember, 1890. 

 Mr Thomas M'Kie, V.P., in the Chair. 



A^ew Member.^-Bailie Alexander Scott, solicitor, Annan. 



Donations. — The Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Society of 

 North Carolina for 1890; also, a Palmyra Palm-leaf Book was 

 presented by the Rev. Adam Andrew, of Chingleput, who sup- 

 plied the following description of it: — This is a Palmyra palm- 

 leaf book, said to be 200 years old, and contains a Telugu version 

 of two parvas or books of one of the two great Indian Epics, 

 called the Mahabarata. It is written in the TelugQ character, 

 TelugA being one of the Dravidian languages of South India, 

 spoken by ten millions of people. The Mahabarata is" pi'obably 

 the longest poem in the world. It contains about 220,000 lines, 

 and is divided into 18 jmrvas or books. It was written at some 

 period between the sixth and third centuries B.C. It deals 



