Transactions. 45 
brought from a distance, rounded and polished by water and ice. 
These might have been obtained at or near the spot where they 
stand, but the seven others have been detached from the living 
rock by some ancient quarrying process. The nearest point 
where such rock could be obtained is the hills in the vicinity of 
Trongray Church. An increasing interest attaches to these 
curious cup-markings, as it is now ascertained that they are not 
confined to the north of Scotland, nor even to Britain, but are 
to be found all over the world. Their object and use is yet 
unascertained. 
II. Notes on the Ancient Bronze Implements and Weapons in the 
National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh. 
By Mr G. F. Brack. 
In this paper the writer gave a detailed description of a few 
typical forms of ancient bronze implements, &c., and the only 
local specimen referred to was a bronze knife-dagger, found near 
Glenluce by the Rev. G. Wilson. This specimen, Mr Black says, 
measures 3 inches by 1} at the butt. The point is broken, and 
the tang is a good deal wasted, but still bears the mark of the 
heft. The blade is two-edged, and slightly bevelled at the edges. 
It is the only one not actually found in connection with an 
interment; but as fragments of urns were found in the sand 
near it, there can be no doubt that it was connected with a 
burial. 
III. Notes on Local Ornithology. By Mr W. Hasrines. 
As far as my observation has gone, this last season has not 
been very productive of much that can properly be called rare in 
the bird line, although I have had a number of curiosities in their 
way. In the month of December I had a fine specimen of a 
young barn owl—A/uco Flammeus—brought me. It was covered 
with beautiful white down, a very unusual time for the barn owl 
to have its nest; and at the time I received it, it would not be 
above three weeks old. In the beginning of May this year, I 
received a nice specimen of a white crow, and a few days later I 
got a specimen of a blue one, both curious. I have before had 
specimens of the white, but never of the blue; of course, 
they were both young birds. About the beginning of last month 
I received a specimen of the snow-bunting—Plectrophanes Nivalis 
(Z.)—which was much earlier than I had ever seen them before. 
